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I Wouldn’t Change It

Now that you’ve got a clearer picture, hopefully, of what autism looks like in my life and the mechanisms involved, I want to explain a bit about why I, personally, would not want my autism “cured,” were I offered the choice. Maybe you think that it sounds awful. Being frequently assaulted by unfriendly sensory stimuli, not understanding the unspoken social rules, feeling distress at small changes that you feel you really shouldn’t mind, losing communities because you just can’t let go of things that no… Read More »I Wouldn’t Change It

Monotropism, the DEP, and the Neurodiversity Paradigm

In my post about my autism diagnosis, I mentioned Monotropism, a theory of autism from the minds of autistic scientists. I’d like to come back to it, because I really think it’s the best way to explain autistic traits. For a brief introduction to the ideas behind this theory, you can visit its home on the web. Please take a moment to check out the homepage as well as the Explanations page – there’s a short video there that gives you the basics, which is very… Read More »Monotropism, the DEP, and the Neurodiversity Paradigm

Masking

Maybe you’re wondering how I got to this age without being diagnosed. After all, I’ve been seeing psychologists and psychiatrists since I was in high school. Surely someone should have noticed? There are several parts to the answer. One is simply that most people, even your average psychologist, don’t actually specialize in autism, and wouldn’t know what to look for. I mean, we had a lecture about it in one of my university classes, and I certainly didn’t have a clue what it really looked like. Another… Read More »Masking

Sense of Justice and Meltdowns/Shutdowns

You may have heard the phrase, “autistic sense of justice.” If you have, maybe you took it to mean that autistic people always follow the rules. Maybe you’ve heard that autistic people can’t lie.1 Here’s what “autistic sense of justice” means to me. I have a history of getting absolutely irate over rules being applied unevenly. From dress codes that are only enforced when the clothes in question are on a girl, especially a girl with big boobs, to rules about returns that are thrown… Read More »Sense of Justice and Meltdowns/Shutdowns

Sensory Sensitivities

Note: I’ve elected to start with discussing some aspects of the criteria for diagnosis in the DSM-5, out of convenience, before branching out to less medicalized/deficit-based facets of the conversation. Please don’t take this to mean that I think the DSM criteria are the most accurate or complete explanation of the autistic experience, nor is this a complete discussion of those criteria. — One of the more widely known things about autistic people is that we may have sensory sensitivities. But what does that actually… Read More »Sensory Sensitivities

Special Interests

Note: I’ve elected to start with discussing some aspects of the criteria for diagnosis in the DSM-5, out of convenience, before branching out to less medicalized/deficit-based facets of the conversation. Please don’t take this to mean that I think the DSM criteria are the most accurate or complete explanation of the autistic experience, nor is this a complete discussion of those criteria. — I really like Sailor Moon. I’ve watched every episode (and the movies) of the original anime multiple times, as well as all of Sailor… Read More »Special Interests

Sameness and Routines

Note: I’ve elected to start with discussing some aspects of the criteria for diagnosis in the DSM-5, out of convenience, before branching out to less medicalized/deficit-based facets of the conversation. Please don’t take this to mean that I think the DSM criteria are the most accurate or complete explanation of the autistic experience, nor is this a complete discussion of those criteria. — I’m not a particularly tidy person,1 but it distresses me in a way I can’t quite explain when things end up in the… Read More »Sameness and Routines

Stimming

Note: I’ve elected to start with discussing some aspects of the criteria for diagnosis in the DSM-5, out of convenience, before branching out to less medicalized/deficit-based facets of the conversation. Please don’t take this to mean that I think the DSM criteria are the most accurate or complete explanation of the autistic experience, nor is this a complete discussion of those criteria. — Another one of the perhaps better-known features of autism is mentioned in criterion B-1: “stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects,… Read More »Stimming

Relationships

Note: I’ve elected to start with discussing some aspects of the criteria for diagnosis in the DSM-5, out of convenience, before branching out to less medicalized/deficit-based facets of the conversation. Please don’t take this to mean that I think the DSM criteria are the most accurate or complete explanation of the autistic experience, nor is this a complete discussion of those criteria. — Criterion A-3 of the DSM criteria for autism spectrum disorder refers to “deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships.” When the psychiatrist… Read More »Relationships

Nonverbal Communicative Behaviours

Note: I’ve elected to start with discussing some aspects of the criteria for diagnosis in the DSM-5, out of convenience, before branching out to less medicalized/deficit-based facets of the conversation. Please don’t take this to mean that I think the DSM criteria are the most accurate or complete explanation of the autistic experience, nor is this a complete discussion of those criteria. — You may have heard that many autistic people struggle with making eye contact. Criterion A-2 in the DSM criteria for autism spectrum… Read More »Nonverbal Communicative Behaviours