There's a lot of motivational speak out there that encourages just doing the thing (usually it's the exercise-related ones I see most often) if you don't want to. Generally speaking, that's probably good advice. I don't often want to do various things around the house or to take care of myself, but life is generally … Continue reading Just Do It! Or Not.
understanding
Relatability – Autistic Adults and Parents
It occurred to me the other day, that allistic (non-autistic) parents mostly focus their conversations on the things that they relate to. This is also true of Autistic adults. Most people seem to focus primarily on the things that they relate most easily to, and this is logical to me. Allistic parents don't relate to … Continue reading Relatability – Autistic Adults and Parents
Remembering How Others See Us
My time is arranged specifically in many ways so that I can manage life in general. These arrangements also serve to keep me away from professionals, teachers, and other people who have been trained to see us as "people with autism" or "defective" or whathaveyou. Primarily I interact with people who know I'm Autistic, but accept … Continue reading Remembering How Others See Us
Perfection is an Illusion
I'm not perfect. I never claimed to be. But for some reason when I fall short of perfection my brain tells me that I've failed at something that should have been possible. The reality is that nobody's perfect. Expecting it of ourselves or even thinking that other people might be it... can be highly damaging. … Continue reading Perfection is an Illusion
Communication is Hard
In going through my saved links recently for a different post, I came across this post from Cynthia Kim --Echolalia and Scripting: Straddling the Border of Functional Language. I've read it before, of course, that's why it's in my saved links; but today this quote from it felt really familiar. It describes a recent experience … Continue reading Communication is Hard
Time to Work Through the Past
Over the last 3 months, I've had a dizzying array of personal and professional realizations. I've had to revisit and revise still more memories in light of these revelations and I do not like it. Not even a little bit. Not that the realizations themselves have been bad, quite the contrary, but the work to … Continue reading Time to Work Through the Past
Book – Autism and Asperger Syndrome in Adults
Over this past month I've been gradually reading Autism and Asperger Syndrome in Adults by Dr. Luke Beardon. I enjoyed reading this concise overview of some of the ways being Autistic affects many of us. I found several sections to be helpful in my own life both currently and in helping to reframe more of my past … Continue reading Book – Autism and Asperger Syndrome in Adults
Review Reblog: Nerdy, Shy and Socially Inappropriate by Cynthia Kim
Great review of Nerdy, Shy, and Socially Inappropriate by Cynthia Kim. Counterpart found this to be the most helpful book for trying to understand me better ❤ So I wholeheartedly recommend it for allistic (non-autistic) spouses, partners, friends, etc. I loved it myself too!
Emotional Containment Failure
I usually can't name my emotions. This is not an optimal thing, of course, because emotions can affect all kinds of things and it's difficult to control or understand such things when I'm unaware of what they even are. So I somehow developed a containment system over the years. I have this ability to lock … Continue reading Emotional Containment Failure
Evaluating Autism Parenting Books
Otherwise entitled: "How can a desperate parent tell when a book about parenting an Autistic child will be helpful vs harmful?" (with a short detour to start with) https://twitter.com/mamautistic36/status/972198323770753024 I'm an Autistic parent. I've never found a lack of understanding for parents in general from the Autistic community. Just a lack of understanding for parents … Continue reading Evaluating Autism Parenting Books