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A short Q&A for Autism Acceptance Month
I was asked these questions as part of a bigger project and thought I would share here too. How has being diagnosed as autistic impacted on your life? Being formally diagnosed has allowed me to understand myself and to put into place things which help me. It has given me the validation and permission I…
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When living authentically isn’t safe: Autistic, trans and OCD
This is the transcript from my OCD Family Podcast: When living authentically isn’t safe. Listen to S1E30 Part IV here. Nicole: Whoa, welcome back to the OCD family podcast and I am just so excited to introduce our guest today Katie Munday, they are late diagnosed autistic person with OCD and ADHD. You can catch…
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Understanding Autistic friendships
Friendships have always been something I have struggled with, I have always been more ‘in to’ the person than they are me. I used to put so much of myself into my connections that when things ended it felt heartbreaking. I was basing friendships off TV shows like Friends and Fraser – that friends should…
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Autistic Shielding: Being authentic is a privilege
Cw: racism, violence, murder, police brutality. Autistic Shielding is not a tool or headstate that we can all obtain in our current world. A lot of us fear being our authentic Autistic selves for many reasons. We can be vulnerable people due to our trusting nature and differences in reading social interactions. Add intersecting identities…
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My on and off relationship with writing
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Navigating online advocacy
When I started online advocacy a few years back I felt like I had a vision, an aim. I was ushered into groups lovingly and with open arms, some I was massively interested in and others were more problematic. Some were very unsafe places for me. I navigated myself round these during lockdown and whilst…
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Trans and Autistic: the importance of online groups
The internet has become a place in which transgender+ Autistic people can gain access to resources, ideas and language to describe our gender and neurological identities. Using online support groups allows me to find out more about myself and how I relate to others as a late diagnosed Autistic gender divergent person. Having safe spaces…
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Why youth work gives me Autistic joy
As a Neurodivergent and Disabled youth worker I learn so much from the Disabled kids I work with. I realised I was Autistic after doing home visits and writing kids paperwork which could have come straight from my own childhood – the anxiety, the need for sensory input, the inability to be quiet or sit…