Last night I rewatched the movie What About Bob? for the first time since learning I'm Autistic and deeply researching issues surrounding mental health and media representation, etc. It was interesting. And there won't be any big spoilers in here for anyone who hasn't seen it. First of all, some critiques: Bob's struggles are often … Continue reading Movie Nostalgia: What About Bob?
validation
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
One Year of Blogging
I completely missed the actual day of my diagnosis anniversary earlier this month 😦 But today is the anniversary of when I started blogging here! This is going to be a recap of the year type of post, I think, looking at my life post-diagnosis. Being part of the online Autistic Community has helped my … Continue reading One Year of Blogging
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
Communication Discouragement
I've felt a bit discouraged today. My rough two weeks are finished, but they were followed by another week, which had some difficult surprises of its own. That week began with a pretty startling (to me) miscommunication. I had tried my very best to craft a clear, concise, informational letter only to receive in return … Continue reading Communication Discouragement
Uniqueness and Late-Diagnosis
I've heard it said by allistics (non-Autistics) that people who are late-diagnosed Autistic just "want to be unique" or "think we're special." This is sometimes even theorized as the reason we go in to be evaluated as adults. Let's ignore the fact that many of us struggled, floundered, and failed for many years before gaining … Continue reading Uniqueness and Late-Diagnosis
Time, Processing, and Transitions
Unexpected events are largely unavoidable. Things happen, stuff comes up, plans change. I understand that. I also live with small unpredictable people, which adds another dimension to unexpectedness. I also recently learned of some insecurities on the part of my allistic (non-Autistic) husband that feed into many of the unexpected event-related difficulties in our marriage. More … Continue reading Time, Processing, and Transitions
An Unexpected April Disclosure
In my defense, I thought I could handle it. I firmly believe that we should not need to disclose our Autistic status in order to be taken seriously when we pass along the words of other Autistics. So, I reasoned, I'd post things for April and just elevate other Autistic voices. It seemed like a great … Continue reading An Unexpected April Disclosure
Being Autistic is Everything – Autistic Acceptance
Autism is pervasive. That's the official term: pervasive : existing in... every part of something In my words, autism encompasses everything. Autism is ubiquitous, inescapable (positive or negative), total, and complete in my life. Autism is part of everything I do, think, and experience. Autism is part of everything that's me. Being Autistic affects everything. Autism … Continue reading Being Autistic is Everything – Autistic Acceptance
Representation in Fiction – On the Edge of Gone
Last week I finally got a lovely hard-bound copy of Corinne Duyvis' book On the Edge of Gone. It was a wonderful read! I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Young Adult and/or apocalyptic-type fiction. Honestly, even if you don't like those genres, if you're allistic (non-Autistic) and close to someone who's Autistic then you would … Continue reading Representation in Fiction – On the Edge of Gone
Mamautistic 