There are so many posts and articles written by Autistics about how utterly wrong "functioning labels" are. How inaccurate. Why we generally don't like them. Responding with a functioning label-based observation is such a pervasive response from allistics (non-Autistics) that I think nearly every Autistic writer ends up addressing that nonsense sooner or later. I … Continue reading But You’re High Functioning
adult
Autism and Disability
While taking a break from writing about that horrid autism parent meeting, I realized the other day that it took me until my 99th blog post here to use the word "disabled" or "disability" - so that's been on my mind and there's clearly some stuff to unpack there.. To begin with, I'm not one … Continue reading Autism and Disability
Flashback Friday – Depression
TW: depression, eating disorder, self-harm, sexual assault (very brief mention), and suicidal thoughts/actions. CW: Higher education, therapy. My first official psychological diagnosis was Major Depression nearly 15 years ago. I was in college and, although I'd been extremely excited about attending college at first, my experience had rapidly gone downhill ever since I'd first arrived … Continue reading Flashback Friday – Depression
The Autism Parent Group Library
Recently-ish I attended an Autism Parent Support Group Meeting. I wrote a bit about my experience in the link above and it was a difficult post to write up, but there's still so much more I have to say about that meeting. So in an effort to keep some momentum going and get through this … Continue reading The Autism Parent Group Library
More About Time and Support
Time makes all the difference. When I have time, I can adjust my expectations. Time gives me an opportunity to analyze both what's happening outside myself and what's happening within. I have limited processing energy for dealing with outward changes and if I'm focused on that, I cannot pay attention to what's happening within myself. … Continue reading More About Time and Support
Number 100
This is a first for me. I've never written a blog this personal and I've certainly never written 100 posts on a blog before. My previous attempts at blogging, without knowing I was Autistic or perhaps suspecting but not really having that acceptance or understanding yet, all fell apart very quickly. It's impossible to write … Continue reading Number 100
Augmentative and Alternative Communication
I journaled about AAC (Augmentative & Alternative Communication) back in May, but have only just now gotten around to turning it into a post. The AAC #autchat a bit over a week ago inspired me to get it written finally! So I've been thinking for several months about making some AAC cards for times when … Continue reading Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Parenting is Unpredictable
After writing my Flashback Friday post about planning, I started thinking about the most unpredictable parts of my life and how I manage those. Parenting has given me more practice in unexpected situations than anything else in my life. Mostly I do okay with this. I'm actually very good at analyzing situations that I expect … Continue reading Parenting is Unpredictable
Blending In, Acceptance, and Disappointing Others
I'm not sure when I learned that I needed to blend in with others for self-preservation purposes. I'm certain that I was very young though. I know for a fact that this knowledge within myself was fairly firmly in place by the time I was 7 years old. Possibly earlier. Blending and the sense that … Continue reading Blending In, Acceptance, and Disappointing Others
Flashback Friday – Planning Everything
[image description: blue sky and cloud background. Text reads: "I picture myself running and my distress pursuing close behind. I will run at top speed if I'm around any other people, but eventually I get tired and the distress keeps getting bigger with longer legs until it can easily reach me. I try to ensure … Continue reading Flashback Friday – Planning Everything
Mamautistic 