Autism is a Woman-Thing

On Wednesday I put a post up about ten things autism isn’t. Today I shall add number eleven Autism isn’t just a male thing More and more women are being recognised as autistic now that we have stopped making assumptions based on sex. There are no Male or Female brains (Check out Gina Rippon's new … Continue reading Autism is a Woman-Thing

Ten things Autism isn’t…

I was going to write about what autism is, but as I wrote it transmogrified into what autism isn’t, so here is my list of what autism is not:- 1. Autism is not being socially awkward It’s not awkwardness. Autistic people are often excellent at socialising with each other, where they can avoid eye contact, … Continue reading Ten things Autism isn’t…

Writing Autism

When we create autistic characters, we have a responsibility not to rely on outdated stereotypes

Happy New Year

Ah, the end of year. A time to reflect on what has passed and what is yet to come. A time for change - or at least a time for thinking about change and then deciding against it. When I ponder about how 2018 has changed me, I can’t help but think that 2017 seems … Continue reading Happy New Year

Autistic Gifts

Christmas, for me, is about showing the people I love how I feel about them. It’s a time when it’s okay to build routines, because we can call them traditions and that makes them indisputable. One of the things I learnt when I found out I was autistic, is that when I get terribly run … Continue reading Autistic Gifts

Mistakes

😉 For all that I love emojis I have a blind spot for the difference between emoji and emoticon. Just to ensure we are all on the same page (and remind me when I inevitably forget again):- This is an emoji This is an emoticonI use emojis a lot in informal written communication. They are … Continue reading Mistakes

The Power of Empathy

I’m one of those people who uses humour to deflect. When someone compliments me, or says something kind, I usually have a witty quip to help me emotionally duck-under their emotional reaching-out. But here’s the thing, “Many a true word is spoken in jest.” I’ve always thought that only applies to people being mean. I … Continue reading The Power of Empathy

Meltdown

This week I had my first meltdown in a really long time. The cause was poor communication from an organisation. It included unclear plans, a changing schedule, not being informed of those changes, and concluded in a social lie that is supposed to be an acceptable way of communicating, but is actually really painful. There’s … Continue reading Meltdown

Neither Use Nor Ornament

It’s been a funny old year, and it’s not over yet. Do you ever feel like you’re stuck in hiatus? That’s how I’ve always felt. I’ve constantly been waiting for life to begin; constantly holding off for things to happen; constantly thinking, ‘Once I’ve finished this bit, I can start doing that bit’, but that’s … Continue reading Neither Use Nor Ornament