What School Was Like as an (Undiagnosed) Autistic
School began as a sanctuary, a safe space. 5-year-old me loved the classroom, all the new books I was being introduced to, the stories I heard and the new things I was learning. I couldn’t believe my luck, that I could go to school every day and learn such fascinating things.
25 Things That I Wish I Had Known As An (Undiagnosed) Autistic Child
1. That when a teacher instructs you to “write as much as you can”, they don’t mean this literally. You don’t have to turn in 30 double sided pieces of A4. You can write two sides like everyone else.
2. Similarly, when a teacher tells you to “wait outside”, they don’t actually mean outside the building. They mean…
Alexithymia and Autism
Alexithymia, which translates to “no words for emotion” in Greek, is where someone has difficulty identifying and describing the emotions that they are experiencing.
Alexithymia is thought to affect 1 in 10 people, but is much more common amongst autistic people.
Interoceptive Awareness in Autism and ADHD
Interoception is the ability to identify, understand and respond to the state of the inside of our body. This is something that many autistic people and those with ADHD struggle with.
Interoceptive awareness allows us to feel things like hunger, thirst, whether we are hot or cold, if we need…
Symptoms Of Anxiety That No-one Talk About
1. Constantly needing to go to the toilet. This is especially common if someone is experiencing a period of heightened anxiety, or a panic attack. This is because our fight or flight response is triggered, which can cause a need to urinate. Diarrhoea is also common.
Reasons To Stay Alive
To the person who needs these. Here are some reasons why you should stay alive:
1. There are movies you haven’t seen yet which will make you laugh
2. There are places you will go to which will fill you with awe
What I Want Non-Autistic People To Know
Dear non-autistic people,
I want you to know that:
1. Autism isn’t an illness. It is a neurodevelopmental condition. This means different things for different autistic people.
What I Would Say To My Undiagnosed Autistic Self
To my undiagnosed autistic self…
I would love to tell you that you are autistic, because knowing that about yourself would take so much of your guilt and shame away. Unfortunately you won’t know that for years, so for now I will tell you these things instead.
Let’s Talk About Autism and Periods
Let’s talk about autism and periods.
There is little research on the experiences of autistic people and periods, likely due to the narrative of autism still being heavily focused on cis autistic boys and autistic men. However, we know that periods can be harder for autistic people, so…
What OCD Is
OCD is constantly running late because you had to tap your steering wheel fifty times before you left or you would have a car crash.
OCD is cancelling meeting up with your friend because of your intrusive thoughts that you might hurt them.
Receiving An Autism Diagnosis Was The Most Liberating Feeling In The World
Receiving an autism diagnosis was the most liberating feeling in the world.
I don’t know how old I was when I realised that I was different. Perhaps it was when I realised that I had no interest in the things other kids in my class cared about. Perhaps it was when I…
Relationship OCD
Relationship OCD is when someone is consumed with doubts about their relationship, including obsessing over whether they are attracted to their partner, whether they love their partner and whether their partner loves them.
To The Person Who Thinks That They Might Be Autistic
To the person who thinks that they might be autistic,
I imagine you have gone your entire life wondering why you are different, why you can’t seem to understand things the way that others can and why everything just seems so hard for you. I’m proud of you for getting this far.
Ways That Autistic People Might Find Comfort
The things which comfort us help us to feel safer in a world which is so far away from being comforting. They help us to make sense of a world in which it feels like everyone speaks a different language to us. They help us to cope with a life which is constantly overwhelming.
The History of Personality Disorders - A Brief Overview
The history of personality disorders can be traced back to 400BC, when Hippocrates described four personality patterns. These were choleric (meaning irritable), melancholic (meaning sad), sanguine (meaning optimistic) and phlegmatic (meaning apathetic). He believed that…
Hypo and Hyper Sensitivity in Autistic People
Autistic people tend to be either hypo or hyper sensitive. Hyposensitivity is the under-responsiveness to stimuli. So, someone might not be able to tell if they are hot or cold. Hypersensitivity is the over-reaction to stimuli. So someone might feel hot and sweat even when it’s not that hot.
What I Mean When I Say That “I Can’t Cope With Life” As An Autistic Person
“I can’t cope with life”.
My existence and the world just seem incompatible with each other. There are constant barriers every day that I can’t seem to overcome. The world itself just doesn’t seem like it’s made for me.
What Not To Say To An Autistic Person
“Everyone is a little bit autistic”.
This isn’t true. Someone is either born with an autistic brain or they’re not. Some non-autistic people may have one or two autistic traits, but the difference is the number of autistic traits they have and the intensity of these.
The High Prevalence of Mental Health Problems Among Autistic People
Research shows that 80% of autistic people experience mental health problems during their lives, the most prevalent being anxiety. There is also a high prevalence of eating disorders, OCD, psychosis, depression, among others.
Some theorise that this is because autistic brains are different, making them more susceptible to…
A Day in the Life of a Neurodivergent vs a Neurotypical
In-case you are unfamiliar with the language of neurodiversity:
NEURODIVERSITY = The diversity of human minds. Includes both neurotypical’s and neurodivergent’s. A group of people where some are neurotypical and others are neurodivergent.
NEURODIVERGENT = A person who has a different brain from…