Rhi, a self-advocate, discusses caring for her mental health as someone on the spectrum. This piece was originally posted on Rhi’s website on May 14. It is re-posted here with permission. I take my mental health very seriously; I’m an autistic perfectionist whose favourite pastime is self-criticism, so I have to. I have the additional issue that…
In this piece, a self-advocate reflects on how social anxiety and stress can often be a result of underlying issues or worries. I’m not exactly sure why, but recently I’ve noticed that my social skills haven’t been on point. They’ve never been fantastic, however, right now I feel that my interactions have been more bumpy…
Today’s blog post is written by Garret Mathews, a self-advocate, and includes an excerpt of his two-act play, “Make Me A Perfect (Asperger’s) Match”. There’s this (mostly) cheerful guy named Max, who has Asperger’s. He’d like to go on a date with the (always) overwhelmed Victoria, who also has Asperger’s. Finally, Max summons the courage…
My journey to the United Kingdom for graduate school at Oxford University was an ocean away from any of my prior experiences, a forced opening to a new set of environments, people, and cultures. I like routines so moving to a new country was difficult, to say the least. I’d never been anywhere so different…
Thinking upon three autistics, my middle son (age 20), my adult partner, and myself, I came up with this list of eight suggestions for more effectively interacting with our loved ones, friends, and colleagues: Having predictability in my day. I do best when I know what to expect. I don’t like surprises of any sort; not…
Many children are born with two natural fears: the fear of falling and the fear of loud noise. For me, it all started at a railroad crossing. It was night: the sun had gone down and I was sitting between my mom and dad in the family car. We came to a stop and, all…
OAR’s new online resource focused on sexuality and sex education for teens and emerging adults on the autism spectrum, Sex Ed. for Self-Advocates, is now available on OAR’s website. Sexuality and sex education is an important subject in terms of personal growth, development, and safety, but it can also be a daunting one. OAR is excited…
Rhi, a self-advocate, addresses the misconceptions about those on the spectrum. This piece was originally posted on Rhi’s website in early March. It is re-posted here with permission. I was going to write about what autism is, but as I wrote it transmogrified into what autism isn’t, so here is my list of what autism is not:- 1. Autism is…
I was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome when I was a freshman at an arts-based school for students with learning differences, but I was not told about that diagnosis until I was a junior. The same year that I was diagnosed, my mom died of melanoma. She was only in her 50s. It was challenging to…
This piece by Amanda Van Slyke, a self-advocate, was originally posted on The Mighty and is re-posted here with permission. Since before I can remember, I’ve lived with traits I now know are from being neurodiverse: Trouble understanding sarcasm, having a hard time communicating verbally, panicking at a change in plans and becoming irritable from too much…
