A friend of mine who works with autistic and other ND kids in a school setting recently asked me for some advice. A teacher had asked her for help with a kid in her class who hates it when people get close to him and […]
For Autism “Awareness” Month, I’m bringing “awareness” to the best parts of being autistic! Autistic life can be hard, no doubt. This world simply isn’t made for us so we struggle. People don’t understand us, we face bullying, humiliation, rejection, lost jobs, lost friendships, and […]
One of the biggest frustrations for parents of autistic kids is that their kids don’t do as they’re told – “they just don’t listen”, “he refuses to do anything I ask”, “it’s such a simple thing, but she acts like it’s a huge request”. Sound […]
Fair warning up front: today’s post is very personal. And it’s not fun. It could possibly trigger those who deal with medical anxiety or other intrusive thoughts. Please take care of yourself accordingly. I’ve written before about my struggles with time management – the fact […]
Today’s Adulting For Autistics topic is one of the most overwhelming and scary parts of adult life: filing your taxes! Taxes are overwhelming and confusing for pretty much everyone, NT or otherwise. Many people pay lots of money to have someone else handle their taxes, […]
When I was diagnosed with autism four years ago, my psychologist told me that my tentative bipolar diagnosis from when I was 19 was probably wrong – she said that I probably had “mood lability associated with autism”. I had no idea what this meant, […]
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 […]
Happy New Year, everybody! I hope you all had the New Year’s celebration you wanted, whether that was at home on the couch or out with friends. About this time every year, people go nuts over making changes in their lives via New Year’s Resolutions. […]
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 […]
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 […]
