Autistic and Living the Dream

Tag: Community

  • LGBTQIA+ and Autistic: Community and belonging

    LGBTQIA+ and Autistic: Community and belonging

    This article, originally from Autistic Revolution magazine, addresses the intersection of LGBTQIA+ and Autistic identities. The author explains their personal connection to both spectrums and discusses the challenges faced, including discrimination in LGBTQIA+ and Autistic spaces. They emphasize the importance of creating inclusive spaces and embracing diverse identities.

  • Shedding my labels

    Shedding my labels

    The author reflects on their journey to understanding their neurodivergent identity and the impact of labels and diagnoses on their sense of self. They express frustration with how others perceive and react to their labels and seek connection beyond their specific identities. They acknowledge the importance of labels in some contexts but strive to move…

  • It’s not ok to not be ok

    It’s not ok to not be ok

    I shall be joining the online campaign ‘It’s Not Ok To Not Be Ok’ by Autistic Inclusive Meets CIC. Too often we are told that it is ‘ok to not be ok’. This is used to destigmatise mental health issues, which is validating in some ways but also puts the onus on the individual to…

  • I won’t be unbiased in the face of violence

    I won’t be unbiased in the face of violence

    It’s not the job of the oppressed to meet our oppressors ‘half way’. There is no half way. There is no half violence, half stigma, or half isolation. I don’t need to engage with people who are harmful to me and the people I love, and that absolutely goes for ABA practitioners. I don’t want…

  • OCD in one word

    OCD in one word

    I’ve been trying to write some poetry around the words you all gave myself and Autistic Realms about your experiences of OCD. My rewording couldn’t do justice to the powerful words you shared with us, so I created this instead. The other work in the Autistic Dream Realms project can be found here and here.…

  • Tired but not broken

    Tired but not broken

    I asked the community: If you could let people know one thing about being Autistic what would it be? This blog is based off your amazing answers. Anyone of any identity, culture or heritage can be Autistic so we obviously aren’t all the same! However, we do seem to experience similar things across cultures, namely…

  • Are Mental health groups accessible to Autistic people?

    Are Mental health groups accessible to Autistic people?

    Content warning: mention of abuse, neglect, suicide, hospitalisation, food, body image, mental health. Autistic communities exist on and offline, some of them are based in charities, some of them are less formal, and some are Autistic led. They may not suit everyone but there is a choice for most Autistic people, if you have the…

  • Lateral ableism in the Autistic community

    Lateral ableism in the Autistic community

    When I got my formal diagnosis (see my diagnosis story) I could not wait to tell the members of the Autistic groups I was in on Facebook. I made a joke about leveling up because I got a ‘level one’ diagnosis. Some people received that well, there were even a few laughing reacts, but there…

  • Advice for a newly diagnosed Autistic person

    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…

  • Pushing the boulder up the hill: How Autistic advocates and academics are changing ‘autism’ research

    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…