Reflections

A photo of Australian-based Autism support specialist, Kristy and her husband.

Sensory overload and a social hangover. autism behaviours neurodivergent socialising Jun 10, 2021

Sitting here reminiscing about the good ole masking in social situations; days of extreme and intense anxiety for weeks, months leading up to events with other people.

The day would finally arrive and I’d be frozen ALL DAY, unable to get moving.

A last-minute sprint clean...

Meeting my (now) husband. autism dating neurodivergent May 20, 2021

In the years of my heavily masked unidentified autistic life, dating was an absolute nightmare.

I hated it.

Relationships caused me so much confusion, pain, self-doubt and anguish.

Flirting. Ugh.

Eye contact, words, body language, no clue.

No freaking...

Reclaiming the word "autistic." autism language neurodivergent radical acceptance May 13, 2021

A great beginning point when becoming a friend and ally to the autistic community is to use the term "autistic" rather than ASD.

I see the abbreviation ASD and my skin crawls.

Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Disorder.

"My ASD kiddo" equates to "My autism...

Image descriptions: an illustration of a mother and child saying “Mum is the best.”

When there's not enough processing time. autism neurodivergent parenting Apr 29, 2021

Parenting is tough.

Being autistic and parenting can be challenging when we share the same sensory challenges as our little people and need time and space to be calm.

Today we had a tricky moment and I said with more force behind my voice and energy than usual “I think...

Close up of a blue eye with gold glitter all around.

I'm not looking at you. autism behaviours commuincation neurodivergent Apr 22, 2021

I can’t tell you how concerning it is that we have such an incredibly uninformed requirement for autistic people to make eye contact.

When we understand autism as an identity and culture, we are able to reframe the way we understand eye contact and perhaps stop placing such...

Hello there, passive-aggression. autism behaviours commuincation neurodivergent Apr 15, 2021

This morning whilst packing up from a weekend away, one of my children told me I had been passive-aggressive.

It was a shock.

I had said “I’m sensing annoyance in your tone” and that was their response: “Yeah because you were being...

Photo of two fingers covered gold glitter in a 'peace sign' formation.

This is a difficult time. Let's acknowledge that. autism boundaries neurodivergent radical acceptance Apr 08, 2021

Immerse yourself in communities, places and with people who feel right for you.

A group or page isn't necessarily safe or right because someone else says so.

You get to choose.

Last night I jumped on to have a look around at what some of my neurokin were writing and sharing,...

Awareness month? Nah, not over here. autism language neurodivergent parenting radical acceptance resilience Apr 01, 2021

This morning I'm reminded of an appointment with an obstetrician in the public system seven years ago.

I was heavily pregnant with my last baby.

He was going over my subsequent pregnancies and deliveries and stopped upon something in the notes that was apparently worth dropping...

Image of a person holding a placard with the words 'A smile to protect'

Repeat after me... "I am not my child." autism parenting resilience Mar 25, 2021

People need the space and freedom to feel; to explore and understand the incredibly complex depth and range of their emotional life.

This begins in childhood.

As children, particularly autistic children, it’s important for us to be afforded and provided a safe and secure...

Image of a woman and child playing outside.

Let's discuss: "Living with autism." autism language neurodivergent radical acceptance Mar 18, 2021

I'd like to encourage individuals, professionals seeking out education to be better allies, and families of neurodivergent individuals to be cautious when engaging with any information and education around "neurodiversity".

The word has become the new buzzword for many to hijack, not...

An image of a lady sitting at a desk with a superimposed Jedi mask covering her face

Why wasn't I invited to be a Jedi? (a fun one) autism behaviours neurodivergent Mar 03, 2021

Random weekday memory...

I once went against my better judgement out of curiosity (it's ALWAYS that autistic curiosity and fascination with humans, concepts and belief systems) and sat in on a live webinar on DNA spiritual and energetic cleansing.

Yep, I just said that.

...

You have permission to protect your energy. autism neurodivergent selfcare Feb 24, 2021

It's okay to let others squirm a little; to provide them an opportunity to take responsibility for their discomfort.

It's okay for us to speak up, to correct pronouns, to share our language preferences and to ask for what we need.

I spent so many years of my life never standing...

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