Calling autism a “hidden disability” is oversimplifying the facts and lived experience of autistic people whose disability is often seen but misinterpreted.
Representation matters, even indirect and unintentional representation. Headcanon neurodivergent characters abound in our cultural landscape. Motorcycle Boy is damn near archetypal for me. He is an avataric poem, a song of disenfranchisement, a long epic tale of knowing yourself SO well and being known not at all.
“It turns out that there are ways for me to be the one giving myself orders instead. Harnessing the energy of automatic obedience can, on a good day, transform chronic catatonia from a weakness into a strength.”
To understand autistic fears and phobias, non-autistic people need more context. This article can help non-autistic people support autistic children and adults through what may seem to be unreasonable fears.
Alexithymia is so common among autistic people that it is commonly mistaken for autism itself. In this post, I explain what alexithymia is and how it presents itself in autism.
Alexithymia has never been so thoroughly or thoughtfully defined in all the ways it affects a person who can’t feel exactly how it affects them.
Terra Vance writes about her experience as a multiply neurodivergent person being autistic, dyslexic, synesthetic with OCD and sensory processing disorder.
If you haven’t already, click to read Part 1 and Part 2 of this 4-part series. Looking back, my extreme self-absorption shielded me from a