Nonspeaking teen activist Trevor Byrd tackles the nuance of trying to expect autistic people to trivialize their emotional life with false binaries and oversimplified explanations.
“Despite being in a setting where I’m suppose to be my full, authentic self, I still can’t break down those walls and act like myself for fear of judgement.”
Nick Barry is a nonspeaker who has his world opened up by gaining access to communication, but his emotional needs were not met until he was enrolled in counseling.
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria is common in neurodivergent people and people with complex trauma. This article explains what it’s like.
Most people think that we are being stubborn or that we actually get to choose when we are able to talk or not. This is definitely not the case. Selective mutism is not an easy condition to manage.
I am autistic. The teen years are rough on everyone—there’s no question about it. Surviving them when you live with undiagnosed ASD and co-occurring, untreated major depression… well, speaking from personal experience, that counts as a special brand of hell.
Lauren Melissa had no idea what was happening to her when she would dissolve into rage, confusion, or even blacking out. Once she was finally diagnosed as autistic, she had the self-knowledge to take control.
People see addicts in recovery as “a different sort of addict” to those who have not found recovery. This is invalidating and untrue.
Autistic people are more vulnerable to addiction and suicide, and yet this is not discussed. We need to start talking about this now to reduce stigma and provide resources to those in need.
Sometimes, doctors and therapists neglect to consider that they are the reason their clients are experiencing depression.
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