Today I want to talk about the sensory mess that is the holiday season. I love the Christmas season, I really do. In cold weather, under early darkness, and especially with some cold rain or sleet (we don’t usually get snow here in Louisiana), it […]
It’s the holidays, and if you think you’re stressed out with all the extra activity, imagine how the autistic kids in your life are feeling! All kids, NT or otherwise, go a little crazy this time of year, what with toys and parties and all […]
Do you ever wish you could wear a badge that says “I’m not unfriendly, just autistic”? Most of the time, I’m perfectly happy to be a solitary creature. I stay home and knit or write or watch the same movies and shows over and over […]
Autism is largely a difference in perception. As autistics, we perceive the world differently than NT’s do, because humans perceive the world through the sensory input we get. The autistic sensory experience is very different from that of NT’s. That is, we get a lot […]
I LOVE Halloween. It is absolutely my favorite holiday. I love dressing up, watching old horror movies, and decorating my house with macabre details (if I’m honest, that’s year-round, but I digress). But when I was a kid, sometimes Halloween was a swirl of brightly […]
I’m a big believer in stimming. Even before I knew I was autistic, I was always a big stimmer – constantly fidgeting, bouncing, biting things, etc. In general, I think everyone should be free to stim as they like. But I also have a controversial […]
A big part of my autistic experience is the fact that I have no social circuits. I’m just not programmed for social niceties, small talk, chit chat, etc. Over time, I’ve managed to write some scripts for myself, but it doesn’t come naturally. It requires […]
I love the 4th of July. It makes a great midpoint of summer – everything before leads up to it and then everything after it is winding down, looking toward the next season and going back to school. Plus, it’s one of only two holidays when […]
It can be really tempting to stay inside all summer long. Here in Louisiana, it’s already oppressively hot and muggy, which makes the siren song of the air conditioner hard to resist. Then there are all kinds of festivals going on, the pools are crowded (and I can’t […]
Swimming lessons can be a really touchy subject for people on the spectrum. Some of us love the water, but a lot of us hate it, especially if it gets in our faces. Getting autistic kids into a pool might be an epic struggle that […]
