There’s a troublesome stereotype that says autistic children don’t play “correctly”. It’s even considered a diagnostic item in some circles. This is usually meant to say that autistic children will line up their toys instead of playing with them “the right way” – like playing […]
I don’t use functioning labels. They only serve to withhold support from those designated “high-functioning” and limit the possibilities available to those deemed “low-functioning”. They’re crap, so I don’t use them here. I prefer using support needs if the distinction is necessary: low support needs […]
I’ve talked before about meltdowns – what they are and how to survive them – but I’ve seen several places in online groups where people ask what a meltdown feels like, how it happens, what it’s like to go through one. So today I’m going […]
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 […]
Pixar’s short film Loop has recently dropped on Disney Plus. It’s a 9-minute story about two teenagers – one non-verbal autistic, one neurotypical – having to learn to communicate with one another. That’s the dry, plain description. Now for my actual reaction. Omg, y’all! I […]
One of the common stereotypes of autistic people is the idea of the human calculator. I blame Rain Man for a lot of this, but characters like Sheldon Cooper haven’t helped. The truth is, we’re not all incredible at math. In fact, some of us […]
One of the common stereotypes of autistic people is that we don’t cope well with change. We require routine, we’re incapable of spontaneity, we always need to know everything that’s going to happen and nothing must deviate from our plans lest it cause a meltdown […]
Meltdown. Parents of autistic kids speak the word in hushed tones, afraid of invoking the beast. Autistic adults can feel them coming on, but often don’t know how to stop them or ride them out. We all hate the thought of a meltdown happening in […]
Today’s post is inspired by The Myth of the Autistic Jerk by Brandon Weaver. Content warning: mildly strong language There’s a common idea that surrounds autistic people, especially those with above-average intellectual ability. This idea states that we have no empathy, that we’re robots who […]
This month in Autism in Media, we’re jumping ahead from 1988’s Rain Man to the first season of X-Files in 1994. There are notable portrayals of autism in the intervening years, and I’ll get back to them, but X-Files had extensive cultural reach in the […]
