Autistic and Living the Dream

Category: Blog

  • The difference between Autistic masking and Autistic shielding

    The difference between Autistic masking and Autistic shielding

    “Autistic shielding appreciates that there is no such thing as invisible differences or disabilities – simply that people do not care enough to educate themselves and really see other people. Shielding is projecting the most intense, strange and wonderful things about yourself – waving our freak flags high for all to see. ”

  • What is Autistic shielding?

    What is Autistic shielding?

    Autistic shielding is leaning into your neurological differences and behaviours. It is embracing neuro-anarchy: being who you are, doing what you do and bollocks if others don’t like it. Shielding for me is being aggressively Autistic and Attention Hyperactive and doing my OCD rituals and behaviours with no shame. Shielding is liberation; protecting myself by…

  • My over-empathy blurring my boundaries

    My over-empathy blurring my boundaries

    I used to go on automatic ‘help mode’ in every support group I was in. I wanted to help people, send resources, send sympathy and ask questions to better understand. Most of the time it didn’t seem like it was appreciated: “I’ve already tried that”“That won’t work for me” And I’d feel less than useless.…

  • Alexithymia: emotional processing ‘gone wrong’

    Alexithymia: emotional processing ‘gone wrong’

    An example of my experience with alexythima… This morning I woke up feeling a feeling. It felt like a big feeling but I couldn’t explain what is was let alone what it meant. I went on with my day with this weird feeling sitting somewhere in my stomach and chest. I fed little man, put…

  • My experiences in a long-covid support group

    My experiences in a long-covid support group

    Joining a Long-Covid online support group has definitely been an experience. Listening to people who were able-bodied experiencing disability for the first time definitely brings up some serious feelings for me, anger, frustration, annoyance, to name a few. I just want to shout through my computer screen “some of us live like this all the…

  • The switching of the flags: Pride take 2

    The switching of the flags: Pride take 2

    Today,  we take down one pride flag and put up another – Disability Pride. This ceremonial changing of the flags is done by so many of us who are both LGBTQIA+ and Disabled. I wanted to look at Disability Pride flags, their colours and their meanings whilst also sharing the journey it has been on…

  • Another Pride month fades to black

    Another Pride month fades to black

    So, my plan for #PrideMonth was to write something every day. It’s my plan every Pride Month but Attention Hyperactivity, brain fog and life gets in the way! It is so vital that we share our stories, resources, information, love and acceptance all year round but especially in a month where big corporations make rainbow…

  • The price of ‘functioning’

    The price of ‘functioning’

    To most people I would appear to be a well ‘functioning’ human being – I work, have a home, am studying a post graduate degree and I’m a parent. I appear to have my shit together but often, under the surface, this couldn’t be further from the truth. I am incredibly privileged to be able…

  • Autistic parenthood: inertia – my get-up-and-go got up and left

    Autistic parenthood: inertia – my get-up-and-go got up and left

    The lack of sleep, inconsistency in sleep and the constant change in hormones has done a number on my energy levels. I no longer have energy for the most trivial of tasks, cleaning, house work, cooking and self care. These are all things I struggled with before having a baby and now they are seemingly…

  • Autistic Pride: joy, pain and activism

    Autistic Pride: joy, pain and activism

    As I explored in What Pride Means to Me, pride is a confusing emotion. It is love for yourself, self care and appreciation. Pride is self love in the face of oppressive systems which constantly try to break us down. So what am I proud of today? I am proud to be a non-binary, neuroqueering,…