Autistic and Living the Dream

Tag: Ableism

  • Support needs are human needs

    Support needs are human needs

    The use of special and additional needs when taking about Disabled people puts the burden of support on us. Special is not only infantalising, it also softens some serious support needs that so many of us have. Epilepsy medication and procedures are not special, they are life saving. So are many other of the medications…

  • Trans and Autistic: Gate-keeping kills

    Trans and Autistic: Gate-keeping kills

    CW: transphobia, gate-keeping, ableism, mental health crisis, police brutality, murder. Lack of support and validation for trans Autistic children and adults can culminate in fatalities, such as the case of Kayden Clarke, an Autistic trans man who was murdered by police when they responded to his suicide call. Clarke had experienced gate-keeping throughout his transition,…

  • My reflections on our cancer service accessibility research

    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…

  • Spectrum 10K: potential amniocentesis study shows the ARC for who they really are

    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…

  • Stories from across the “double rainbow”: trans and non-binary Autistic narratives [plain language summary]

    Stories from across the “double rainbow”: trans and non-binary Autistic narratives [plain language summary]

    In my research I spoke to 13 trans and / or non-binary Autistic people (people said to live under the double rainbow of neurodivergence and queerness). I wanted to know about their lives, what they thought about representation and their recommendations for double rainbow research. It was important for me to do this work as…

  • Spectrum 10K: What worries us about the theory behind this project?

    Spectrum 10K: What worries us about the theory behind this project?

    Spectrum 10K, started more than 18 months ago to collect 10,000 DNA samples and medical histories of Autistic people across the UK. There are some valid concerns around the efficacy of this work but also the theory and tools which are used within it. Some worrying tools and theories used within Spectrum 10K– The Autism…

  • Trans and Autistic: Accessing gender identity healthcare

    Trans and Autistic: Accessing gender identity healthcare

    I’m excited to finally be able to share a paper I have been working on with Harley Bruce and Steven Kapp entitled: Exploring the experiences of Autistic transgender and non-binary adults in seeking gender identity healthcare. Harley spoke to 17 Autistic trans and / or non-binary people from across the globe to better understand the…

  • Spectrum 10K – unpaused and still unethical

    Spectrum 10K – unpaused and still unethical

    In August 2021 the Spectrum 10k (S10K) research project was announced. It aimed to collect 10,000 DNA samples and medical records of Autistic children and adults (there is more information on the study at Aucademy). After a well thought-out and planned boycott from Autistic advocates, academics and many others, S10K was paused so the ethics…

  • Navigating the Confusing PhD Application Process

    Navigating the Confusing PhD Application Process

    Navigating the PhD application process is convoluted, heavily reliant on administrative skills, and often leads to mismatched supervisory teams. The experience highlights systemic barriers, including racism and classism, that deter applicants, especially neurodiverse individuals. The author expresses frustration with the bureaucratic hurdles that hinder deserving candidates and emphasizes the need for inclusive research representation.

  • Autistic shielding: reclaiming my weird

    Autistic shielding: reclaiming my weird

    As I have written before, Autistic shielding involves being authentic in our Autistic embodiment (What is Autistic shielding?). This allows us to turn away intolerant people and find our neurokin. My Autistic embodiment involves an uncontrollably expressive face, singing the same jingle or song over and over, talking to myself, narrating all my daily activities,…