April is Autism Acceptance Month. Because our understanding of Autism is rapidly evolving, so too is the language we use. In this article, I’ll discuss current best practices for language and address some of the common misunderstandings around Autism. Autism is a neurological status (“neurotype”) characterized by differences from Neurotypical brains. To qualify for a…
Tag: #endthestigma
it’s oh so quiet
there are time when the world is quiet enoughbut there are times when it isn’tthe swell creeps up slowlywhile i’m not paying attentionwhile i’m otherwise occupiedwhile i’m thinking that the world is quiet enoughbut then it’s screamingand i’m screaming so loudlythat i can’t hear myself thinkthat everything is so loudand bright and janglyand all the…
okay, so
okay, so i just wanted to let you know that i hope it’s okay for me to have even thought about saying what i was thinking about saying if it isn’t, please let me know (although i feel like you won’t) (i feel like your lack of saying anything is because you’re so offended that…
in that order
in the morningas i leave for work:i start the car,back out of the garage,close the garage door,and put on my seat belt in that order i’m annoyed by the nagging chimereminding me to put on my seatbeltbut it’s part of the routine if i don’t hear it,i will wonder(halfway to work)if i left the garage…
once upon a time
back in the dayswhen i was an alien(before i’d crawled into the fleshthat now calls itself me): i was free to soaramong the stars this is the freedomi seek to find againhidden deep in the labyrinthof my soul inside the husk of humanityi pretend to inhabitthere is a mei used to beuntil i decided it…
monsters and jigsaws
sixth grade: i hid my monstersin the closetat the back of the trailerthat was our classroom it had once been a bathroom,when the trailer had once been a home,but now it was a storage areafilled with stacks of papersand booksand the sort of office suppliesthat only teachers kept i was wedged in that closethiding from…
On “They’re Just Faking It”
Imagine that people didn’t believe in blindness. That being unable to see was perceived to be a matter of defiance or laziness. Seeking excuses. Being stubborn. “Everybody’s a little blind, when you think about it.” “How do you know you’re really blind?” “So many kids these days are acting blind to get attention.” In this…
On Simone Biles and mental health
When commenting about Simone Biles’s decision this week, I made a mistake. I was meaning to respond to people mocking her for giving up, so I pointed to her accomplishments. To how hard she worked. To how complicated her decision was. In other words, I gave her permission to be mentally overwhelmed. In so doing,…