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Stop the shock: An update before the next protest
Due to the organisation of Stop the Shock Protest and Hill Day, on May 22nd (12-5 PM) on Boston Commons, adjacent Park Street Station. I thought I would reshare the hideous atrocities within the Judge Rotenberg Center. Content warning: abuse, neglect, ableism, death, and systemic rascism. The Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC), in Canton, Massachusetts, is…
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Lateral ableism in the Autistic community
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Definitions for Autistic Shielding and Neuro-Anarchy
I created the terms Autistic shielding and neuro-anarchy and use both fairly regularly. These terms mean a lot to me, as a way to explain how I understand my own embodiment and how I see myself within Autistic communities and wider society. In true Katie style I am finally (about two years later!) defining these…
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The chaotic mind
I am Autistic, Attention Hyperactive (see Ditching the Disorder and Deficit) and OCD, that means there is a lot of chaos within me. As an Autistic person I love routine, I thrive when I go to the same places, eat the same food and wear the same clothes. It erases so much anxiety around the unknown.…
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Autistic and ADHD: Who’s driving this car!?
Being Autistic and ADHD, I am in a constant struggle to keep both of these elements of myself content, and sometimes, under control. They’re like young siblings, sometimes they love each other and play along nicely, and the rest of the time it’s pure chaos. My Autistic self wants routine, to eat the same foods…
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Autistic parenthood: I hope I remember
When you’re older, I hope I remember… Your gorgeous 2-year-old smile. The way you scream when you run. You’re running off with my body butter. You’re banging on the door in the morning to start your day. You’re throwing the dolly out of your pushchair before you run around with it, crashing into walls. How…
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What does the DSM say about autism?
CW: ableist terms and language, mention of mental health. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the DSM) is published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and is used to classify cognitive differences. It covers many different neurotypes and mental health issues including schizophrenia, bi-polar, gender dysphoria, and autism. It is used across the USA…
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Hyper-organised or ADHD?
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Advice for a newly diagnosed Autistic person
Breathe. You have probably been sitting with this information for a while but it hits differently when it’s formally validated. All the feelings you are having about this are valid. Try to find Autistic community, either face to face or online. It’s nice to be around people who just ‘get it.’ This is a life…
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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.…