Autism and coping mechanisms

For many of us coping mechanisms and our pull towards them is a partly subconscious process and something we do to keep ourselves regulated almost instinctively. It’s probably mostly in times of more acute distress that we actively think about what our coping mechanisms are and which ones to employ in order to feel a …

Autism and maturity

Autistic adults are often perceived to be inherently childlike. This doesn’t seem to be limited to those with particular profiles or specific combinations of autistic traits and instead applies to autistic adults regardless of presentation. This indictment is far more nuanced and heavily layered for those who have additional disabilities and so it is important to …

Autism and gender

When I think about being both non-binary and autistic I pre-empt the collective eye-roll that I fear will follow those thoughts being verbalised. Perhaps I’ve overinflated the likelihood of this, maybe any quizzical look that follows a declaration of being both non-binary AND autistic is not a look of exasperation at all. After all, facial …

Cold Weetabix

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …