What IS Autism?
It is hard to sum up autism in a sentence when autistic people are all different. But, if I had to, I would say that autism is a neurodevelopmental condition which affects the way I see, interact, experience and respond to the world around me. Autism is not an illness, a disease, or something which…
Autistic Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome was a term coined by Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in 1978. It refers to an individual having persistent self-doubt about their achievements, place in the world or role, despite evidence which says otherwise. Basically, believing that…
Constantly Confused - Life as an Autistic Person
Being autistic in this world can result in feeling constantly confused. Let’s talk about what that can be like.
This confusion is present in many parts of my daily life. Mainly when interacting with other people, which is something which tends to be unavoidable, of course…
Autistic Masking
Masking is a survival strategy for many autistic people. Let’s talk about it.
Whenever the topic of masking comes up, there is usually the reply, "But doesn't everyone mask to some degree?". And yes, most people do put on a mask at work or when…
Why Autistic People Can Struggle With Instructions
Being given an instruction instantly doubles my anxiety level. It doesn’t matter what it is. It could be really simple. The simple act of my brain registering that an instruction has been given to me and then having to process this is a BIG deal. To begin with…
Growing Up With Undiagnosed Autism
I spent nearly 17 years of my life with no idea that I had a completely different neurotype to the majority of people around me. I thought my brain was ‘typical’. After all, I seemed to blend in with my peers.
Growing up undiagnosed meant that I had to hide the fact I found a lot of things difficult, because I thought it was my fault that…
Sensory Overload and Over-Stimulation
Although I KNOW that I experience sensory stimuli differently to a lot of people, I can’t comprehend how anyone else possibly experiences it differently.
Like, how does anybody focus on the task at hand when there is a beeping noise going on outside? How does anyone…
Things I Love About My Autism
1. Autistic joy. When I am captivated by joy and nothing else. It’s pure, it’s unfiltered and it’s wonderful.
2. My strong sense of justice. Other people often don’t seem to care when things are unfair. I do and I try to do what I can to change this.
How To Be Neurotypical: A Step By Step Guide
1. Ask questions that you do not want truthful answers to.
2. Ensure you wear uncomfortable clothing just because they look nice. You can even forget to take out the tag for bonus neurotypical points.
Autistic Vulnerability - Am I More Vulnerable Because of My Autism?
I fundamentally believe that as a result of being autistic, I am a lot more vulnerable than if I wasn’t autistic.
I have heard some autistic people voice that saying we are vulnerable is a bad thing. I understand why. I think that there is a valid danger of non-autistic people seeing…
‘Autistic People Don’t Have Empathy’: A Look at Autism and Empathy
It is often said that autistic people lack empathy. Some autistic people are told that they can’t be autistic because they are too empathetic. Let’s explore what this means and why.
To begin with, let’s define empathy. “Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.”
An Autistic Person’s Concerns About Spectrum 10k
Hello, my name is Emily. I’m 20 years old and I’m autistic. So far, the news coverage on Spectrum 10k has been dominated by non-autistic parents of autistic children and professionals, with little voice being given to autistic people themselves. Here is my round-up of what I think we know so far…
Why Do So Many Autistic Girls and Autistic Women Go Undiagnosed?
Before we dive into the reasons why so many autistic girls and women go undiagnosed, we need to acknowledge that for many of the same reasons, autistic non-binary people, trans women and anyone who is not cis male often go undiagnosed. Gender bias in autism affects more people than…
Do Any Autistic Children Get Through School Untraumatised?
I don’t think any autistic children get through school untraumatised, and that makes me so incredibly sad.
Autistic children are much more likely to be bullied than non-autistic children. In-fact, I don’t think there are many autistic people who weren’t bullied at some stage. Other kids can tell we’re different, and that…
Am I Being Rude or Is My Autism Not Being Understood and Accommodated For?
Autistic people are often told that they are being rude. In my experience, this is often from people who don’t know that I am autistic, or those who do but who think that autism isn’t an ‘excuse’ for ‘rudeness’.
So, what exactly IS this so-called rudeness?
The History of Autism - A Brief Overview
The term ‘Autism’ was coined by Bleuler, a German psychiatrist, in 1908 to describe a symptom of Schizophrenia, where a person had childish desires to avoid reality through social withdrawal and engagement with fantasies, in an inner world that other people couldn’t see.
Feeling Ashamed of ‘The Autistic Side of Me’
I guess I have this deep-rooted fear that allowing people to see the ‘autistic side of me’ will make them run away. I try not to be ‘too much’, to not get ‘too excited’, to not shut-down or melt-down or pretend I’m not overwhelmed.
I remember what it felt like to be eight and be laughed at for…
What School Was Like as an (Undiagnosed) Autistic
School began as a sanctuary, a safe space. 5-year-old me loved the classroom, all the new books I was being introduced to, the stories I heard and the new things I was learning. I couldn’t believe my luck, that I could go to school every day and learn such fascinating things.
25 Things That I Wish I Had Known As An (Undiagnosed) Autistic Child
1. That when a teacher instructs you to “write as much as you can”, they don’t mean this literally. You don’t have to turn in 30 double sided pieces of A4. You can write two sides like everyone else.
2. Similarly, when a teacher tells you to “wait outside”, they don’t actually mean outside the building. They mean…
Alexithymia and Autism
Alexithymia, which translates to “no words for emotion” in Greek, is where someone has difficulty identifying and describing the emotions that they are experiencing.
Alexithymia is thought to affect 1 in 10 people, but is much more common amongst autistic people.