I learnt that we don’t all live parallel lives with identical traditions before I was ready. It was a visceral moment of surprise, like ice cold feet slithering underneath the covers at night to tip-toe over my warm skin.The moment arrived with waking up on an unfamiliar floor in an unfamiliar house, being served breakfast … Continue reading Cold Weetabix
Autism and Anger – part two
My last blog post was about developing a better understanding of anger since discovering that I’m autistic. I focused on the very real anger I feel, what typically seems to cause it and why. As someone that has been perceived as quick to anger in a variety of situations, however, this is only part of … Continue reading Autism and Anger – part two
Autism and Anger – part one
My relationship with my own anger is rich and multifaceted, this can be split down into two related but separated parts. Firstly the very real anger I feel and the uniformity of what causes it and secondly things I do and say that are perceived to be anger-driven but aren’t. Both of these are absolutely … Continue reading Autism and Anger – part one
Autism and underemployment
Statistically autistic people are much more likely to be either un or underemployed. Unfortunately, misconceptions about the strengths and capabilities of autistic people may lead many to conclude that this phenomenon is indicative of ability level above all other factors. This assumption resides on a large and worrying misunderstanding about the complications autistic people are … Continue reading Autism and underemployment
Autism and the senses
Have you ever wondered whether your perception of certain sounds or smells or textures is mirrored exactly by the way everybody else experiences those things? As someone that is almost always thinking about some question or another, this is one of few that I’d not really consciously focused on. Not until I discovered that autistic … Continue reading Autism and the senses
Autism and the need for accuracy
Autism is still very poorly understood by the majority. This isn’t surprising when you consider that the most widely esteemed literature and research on this neurotype comes from the perspective of neurotypicals. Even worse, it tends to focus on a very limited presentation that doesn’t do the broadness of the spectrum justice or pay enough … Continue reading Autism and the need for accuracy
Autism, Arguments and Empathy
A research project into common themes among couples’ first arguments, I’m sure would bring a colourful variety of results, ranging from totally banal to week long battles. My own first argument with my girlfriend Hayley is something that I have come to see an entirely new light since discovering that I am autistic. The conflict … Continue reading Autism, Arguments and Empathy
Hello, I’m Autistic!
When my partner Hayley asked if I’d ever considered how many autistic traits I seem to have, it ended up being the catalyst for my subsequent diagnosis. I’m much more likely to be monotone than overdramatic and so I can’t say there is much that I would willingly describe as life altering. This discovery however, … Continue reading Hello, I’m Autistic!
Digestive tract
I used to try to imagine how I would look if everything I ate could be detected under the skin of my body. A biscuit pressed up tight between the bones of my forearm, pasta shells adding texture to my ankles, spiking through my socks. I was unprepared for the toll it would take to … Continue reading Digestive tract
Do you know what I mean?
I’ll preface this by saying that I still haven’t decided if I really want to be writing this, whether I ought to be writing this? Whether the presence of either wanting or ought would cancel out the absence of the other somehow. I thought for a while too about the best time to write this … Continue reading Do you know what I mean?
