Otherwise entitled: "Parents Defend Damaging Autism Parent Memoirs" Two people, so far, have directly responded to my concerns about the spread of damaging "autism parent memoirs" with the idea that Autistic adults don't want parents to "have a voice" or write at all in the first place. It's possible that some of us do want … Continue reading Respecting Autistic Children Doesn’t Sell Books (apparently)
communication
Accomodation, Assumption, & Presumption
I want to write about how arrogant it is to assume that one knows what another person intends better than that other person does. Quick note: I'm not talking about intuition or situations of abuse. If your intuition is telling you that someone is not a good person for you to be around then you … Continue reading Accomodation, Assumption, & Presumption
#ActuallyAutistic Voices
I could've alternatively titled this, "In which Aria attempts to stimulate *allistic empathy for Autistics." Chorus -- Allistics (non-autistics) who do not listen to Autistic voices are wholly unable to accurately represent Autistic perspectives and yet they are often the ones considered "Autism Experts." CW: Some swears for emphasis, brief mention of suicide, some links … Continue reading #ActuallyAutistic Voices
Accuracy in Questions and Answers
Disclaimer: When you've met one allistic (non-autistic), you've met one allistic! The communication quirks and difficulties my allistic counterpart presents may be totally different than the communication quirks and difficulties another allistic counterpart may present. My allistic counterpart and I recently unearthed another communication issue in our marriage. When I ask a question it's because … Continue reading Accuracy in Questions and Answers
Last April – Allistic (non-autistic) Reactions
I wrote this on April 4th last year and the rest of April apparently exhausted me so much that I completely forgot about this post until today. I'm keeping the language the way it was when I wrote it so it's accurate for April 4th, 2017 and not necessarily for right now. It's been a … Continue reading Last April – Allistic (non-autistic) Reactions
My Allistic Counterpart
Finally I've settled on something to call my husband on this blog. He's my counterpart. Not only is that term accurate it also calls to my mind Star Wars' C-3P0 and R2-D2 which is a huge bonus in my opinion ❤ Anyhow! I've been married to a non-autistic (allistic) man pretty much for my entire … Continue reading My Allistic Counterpart
Re-Stating (Writing) Dentist Supports
CW: Dentist visit After avoiding dentists by necessity (no extra money or dental insurance) for most of my life, it seems that I'm seeing the dentist with alarming regularity these days. Bad tooth genetics, struggles to find a regular tooth hygiene routine that works for any amount of time, and a lack of previous dental … Continue reading Re-Stating (Writing) Dentist Supports
Gender and Pronouns
I'm non-binary agender. Sometimes I joke (in a not really joking way) that my gender is "Autistic" and that feels about right. Part of my mind is still good with "female" or "demi-girl" because they're somewhat familiar. I don't feel upset by she/her pronouns either -- familiarity goes a long way for me. The only … Continue reading Gender and Pronouns
Autistic Body Language and Emotion
I've written some about this topic before, regarding the joy I feel when I see other Autistic people moving in Autistic ways, but today I want to write about how my own movement affects and reflects my emotions. I get a little sweary at the very end when talking about getting rid of the allistic … Continue reading Autistic Body Language and Emotion
Requesting Support – Doctor Edition
A while ago I posted my letter to my dentist, which was my first attempt at letting a medical provider know that I'm Autistic and that I do, in fact, need specific accommodations and support during appointments. It has helped at the dentist, I think. The staff seem to take more time with me (allowing … Continue reading Requesting Support – Doctor Edition