I want to let you know that autistic adults are here. Autistic adults exist. Most of us have had tough experiences in elementary school and junior high school. Personally, I felt rather isolated growing up in school.
Tag: autism
Adult Misdiagnosis – The Default Path to an Autistic Identity
This post consists of 46 quotes from autistic people. If you can, please read them all. Please listen to autistic voices.
Why Autism Research Isn’t For Autistic People
In the US, you can’t be an autism researcher in most labs without accepting the pathological model of autism. You must reference old research, mostly done by white cisgender male researchers on white cisgender autistic boys. You must talk about the deficits of theory of mind and the difficulties in social communication. I’ve seen at … Continue reading Why Autism Research Isn’t For Autistic People
Transitioning to Graduate School: StairwayToStem
In case you missed it, I recently wrote a guest blog post on StairwayToStem, a website which provides resources for helping autistic students transition to college and graduate school. They kindly split up the series into 3 parts for me: Part 1: Transitioning to Grad School and Adjusting to the New Environment Part 2: Challenges … Continue reading Transitioning to Graduate School: StairwayToStem
Autistic Horror Tropes – #BoycottProdigy
*Photo by Victor L. on Pexels.com [discussed: ableism, cure rhetoric, abuse] (One caveat here: I know nothing about film making, and I'm not trying to say I do in this post. I'm also not trying to assume that everything I say here will be true or happen in the movie - but they did make … Continue reading Autistic Horror Tropes – #BoycottProdigy
Autistic (and Neurotypical Lack Of) Effort
*Photo by Negative Space on Pexels.com [CW: ableism/NT misinterpretation] Autistic people get run over, socially speaking, especially in new environments or with new people (and unfortunately it can be with people you know, too). I've been yelled at at least three times by medical professionals, and also by a patient because I failed to close … Continue reading Autistic (and Neurotypical Lack Of) Effort
The Neurotypical Autism Diagnosis
*Photo Credit: Eye Test Vectors by Vecteezy Imagine that someone is colorblind, yet they have the job of identifying and detecting colors, and everyone around them thinks they are doing a great job getting all of the colors right. There's no oversight or check by someone who sees in color. No one even thinks twice … Continue reading The Neurotypical Autism Diagnosis
Facial Expressions and Intent
Essentially, by not providing that social response, people can read whatever they want into my still/unsmiling face. This explains to me why I often become the backboard of people's emotions and assumptions.
“Sensitivities”
What do I need to do to make non-autistic people understand that we have different sensory experiences than them, and have had different sensory experiences since birth? They can be overwhelming, unpleasant, and painful. They can be beneficial in some circumstances, and honestly, debilitating in many neurotypical environments. They can be both. But one thing is certain: They exist, and are real.
Autistic Burnout, “Regression,” and Identity Crisis – #TaketheMaskOff Week 4
*Photo by Matheus Bertelli on Pexels.com Part 1: Autistic Burnout - Playing on the Social Field Autistic burnout = I literally can't pretend and devote 90% of my energy to being on your social playing field anymore. Metaphorically, I have to go lie down in the grass because I've played too many games on the … Continue reading Autistic Burnout, “Regression,” and Identity Crisis – #TaketheMaskOff Week 4
Autistic Science Person 