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 […]
Living independently as an autistic adult can be a real challenge, largely due to our executive function problems. Between keeping your home clean, keeping yourself and your family fed, maintaining your own hygiene and laundry, and going to work regularly, it seems like there are […]
Adulting is hard. Yes, I’m in my late 30s and I said that. There’s so much to keep track of! If you live alone, you have to do it all yourself. If you have a family, people depend on you. For autistic adults or others with executive […]
Lots of people on the autism spectrum have executive function problems. When I was diagnosed, I was very surprised to find an extra diagnosis of severe ADHD, which my doctor explained as executive function issues that are a frequent part of autism. She told me […]
I have exactly two times that I can understand: now or not now. This creates all kinds of problems with being a functioning adult. Anything that is “not now” might as well be never. It goes away and I just forget about it. Whether it’s […]
