I’m so excited to bring you today’s post! My absolutely amazing dentist, Dr. N, has answered some of the most common questions and problems I’ve heard from autistic and ND folks and it’s quite enlightening. I hope this helps you with any issues you have […]
I’ve spent many years teaching myself how to pass as a Neurotypical person for at least a few hours a day. While my ability to mask in public has served me well in helping me to hold down jobs and such, it’s also taken a […]
Self-advocacy is key to being a successful adult, regardless of your neurology. There are many names for it: confidence, assertiveness, interpersonal effectiveness, plain old standing up for yourself, and lots more. And it’s not just about work or legal rights. Autistic adults who haven’t learned […]
Recent events like the backlash to a trailer for a film I won’t mention here have brought up that perennial blister of the autistic community – why Autism Speaks is such a problem. For many people outside the autistic community or those new to the […]
I speak in movie quotes, tv references, and lines out of books and plays. Honestly, it’s one of my biggest obstacles to clear communication because the lines I reference can be kind of obscure, but when I find people who get it, I know we’ll […]
In pretty much everything I write, on the blog and on social media, you’ll find that I say “autistic” or talk about “being autistic” instead of saying “person with autism” or talking about “having autism”. The language I use is called identity-first language, while the […]
Today is Autistic and Neurodivergent Coming Out Day. So I’m going to give you my story. I am autistic. I have always been autistic. I did not become autistic when I got my diagnosis at 35, nor did I spend my adult life to that […]
Last time I talked about advocating for your autistic kids, which is a big responsibility in itself. Today I want to talk about an even more important responsibility: teaching autistic kids to advocate for themselves. I know it can be hard to think about when […]
When you’re diagnosed with autism as an adult – in your 30s or later – it’s both wonderful and terrible. That picture up there kind of sums up the way I go around pretending to be normal. I’ve written before about how my diagnosis was […]
I’ve talked before about why a lot of the autistic community doesn’t accept Autism Speaks. So now I’m sure you’re wondering what advocacy groups can you support with a clear conscience? Which organizations are doing real work to actually improve the lives of autistic people? […]
