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Unusual Medicines by David Gray-Hammond: book review
When I first heard that David Gray-Hammond was releasing a new book: Unusual medicine: Essays on Autistic identity and drug addiction, I knew it was going to be an important and affirming read. David’s previous writing is powerful and meaningful to me and many other Autistic people who have experienced addiction and substance use. …
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“You’re asking permission to be yourself”: Autistic adults’ experiences of accessing gender identity healthcare
Earlier today Steven Kapp shared this at the Spring Symposium of the University of Portsmouth’s Quality of Life, Health, and Well-Being Research Group. So, I thought I’d share it here too! (Especially as our full work is about to be published!) “You’re asking permission to be yourself”: Autistic adults’ experiences of accessing gender identity healthcareHarley Bruce, Katie…
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Autistic parenthood: I hope I remember
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The pain and the anguish of being an Autistic autism researcher
Reading through autism research as an Autistic student or researcher can be emotional and traumatic, especially when so many of us are encouraged to use research that doesn’t align with our lived experiences. Using the American Psychological Association’s framing of autistic embodiment, in particular, does not fit with how I know Autistic experience to be.…
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Pushing the boulder up the hill: How Autistic advocates and academics are changing ‘autism’ research
Academia is being dragged up by autistic people not just within academia but also within social media. There are a growing number of Autistic led organisations which are involved in policy and educating Autistic and non-Autistic people, including Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), NeuroClastic and Aucademy. Blog and article writing, activism and advocacy is just…
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Paranoia
Dark shadows follow me, leering, waiting for me to turn my back, Flashes across my eyes, there’s noone there, they’ve all gone. Only ghosts remain. They haunt me still, dead but never dying, in the corner of my eyes, in the corner of my bedroom, in my mind, they are everywhere. Seen and unseen. Invisibly…
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The New Normal audiobook review
I have had the pleasure to listen to Emergent Divergence audiobook The New Normal: Autistic musings on the threat of a broken society. It is perhaps more poignant and powerful when listened to than simply read. The narrator Christopher Harper-Cox brings something to the reading with his deep resonance. The audio version brings to life…
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“Equality and diversity” – I am not your tick box exercise
Whilst making ammendments on one of my job descriptions, I noticed the words “equality and diversity” and it caused a reaction in me. A strong reaction. One of my main job responsibilities (and that as a human being) is centering marginalised voices. Sharing stories with other Disabled, Neurodivergent and Queer people is fundamental to my…
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My reflections on our cancer service accessibility research
Earlier this week I did my first session with a disability group for our cancer services access study (find out more about that here). Although I cannot share any of the people’s really powerful insights here I would like to share how I felt about the session. The start of the session was very ADHD…
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Spectrum 10K: potential amniocentesis study shows the ARC for who they really are
Content warnings: amniocentesis, pregnancy, abortion, ableism, eugenics. The Autism Research Centre (ARC), based at University of Cambridge, is running Spectrum 10K – a eugenics project which claims they want to “help the well-being” of Autistic people and our families. The Boycott Spectrum 10K team has spoken about the many issues of this project in various…