Advice for Autists and Neuro-typicals

Autists: Be yourself. It's a horrible cliche, I know. But that's the thing about cliches: they're said so often because they're generally true. You really do need to be yourself if you're autistic. Please don't try to be normal. To be neuro-typical (NT). It will only leave you feeling exhausted and you'll burn out. Unfortunately, …

The Upsides of Autism

The psychologist who initially diagnosed me spent the better part of our final session taking me through the challenges autistic people are likely to face.  Then she gave me a sheet of paper with "strengths" written at the top, for me to fill out myself.  Never did.  So here it is publicised, I guess.  It …

The Downsides of Autism

Being diagnosed as an adult leads to a lot of reflection. At 34, possibly halfway through my life, who I truly am is only now apparent to me. Because that's what autism is really. Not a disease. A disorder, sure, but only in the sense that as mentioned previously it means I'm neurologically unlike at …

What Autism Is

This is my attempt to be more explicit than I managed to be in my previous post. I just watched an Australian Story episode about a dyslexic artist. He can barely read and write, and will probably never get much better at those things. He's grateful though. It seems obvious to me that his almost …

Autism Diagnosis

All my life I’ve been different. Not different like missing a leg, or dressing bizarrely, or being a criminal, or by being in any obvious way much better or worse at anything than the average person. Just different. Sort of indifferent, too, or so it might have appeared and might still. Most people when they …