Autistic and Living the Dream

Tag: Actually Autistic

  • Autistic parenthood: I wasn’t ready for this!

    Autistic parenthood: I wasn’t ready for this!

    Until I became a parent I didn’t quite knew how much having a child would completely turn my life upside down. In the blink of an eye I went from a single person to a wife, from an individual to a mother. I created the most amazing person and I was not ready for his…

  • “Equality and diversity” – I am not your tick box exercise

    “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…

  • 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…

  • 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.

  • My on and off relationship with writing

    My on and off relationship with writing

    Writing has always been a part of my life in one way or another, I used to write poetry and short stories when I was younger and then lost the joy for writing during college and when I went into full time work. I had no energy and the creativity was crushed from me anyways.…

  • Trans and Autistic: no coercion, only care

    Trans and Autistic: no coercion, only care

    There is a strange fear around trans young people transitioning. So much of this is based in ignorance and very little understanding on the systems which support said young people. The words ‘coercion’, ‘forcing’ and ‘grooming’ are used by some people to deny children the chance to explore their gender in a safe environment with…

  • 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,…