Autism Acceptance Month 2018 Day 6: E is for Experience

BSL: experience (specifically: bottom left sign)

E is for Experience

Autistic adults have a wealth of experience of life from an autistic perspective. We come from all walks of life and between us have probably experienced pretty much everything there is to experience.

In this day and age you don’t have to look far for things about autism; just go to your local bookshop and you’ll find at least ten books (my local Waterstones had about 15 when I looked a few weeks ago), there are 168 titles in the Devon Libraries catalogue and there are innumerable entries online when you type “autism” into a search engine. Some of it is good stuff, some of it so-so and some of it downright terrible. I often feel like you need a degree in navigating the limitless stacks of things about autism in order to sift out which is good and which is toxic!

And there are many, many toxic sources out there, which is where people new to the autism world can come unstuck, because they are strangers in our land and don’t know which signposts are right and which will mislead them.

And to those people, and even to those who have been in the world of autism for many years, and to everyone in between, autistic adults are your best resource for navigating autism. Many of us have good access to technology, so you can find us easily, writing blogs and maintaining Facebook/social media pages, writing articles, giving talks, making videos and so on, and we come from every walk of life.

Parent blogs can be OK, as long as they’re respectfully written, with consent given and they don’t violate the child’s right to privacy (including making the child identifiable and delving into intimate details without permission). Alas, these are few and far between (I would like to recommend Diary of a Mom - website and on Facebook - as an example of how you should do things), and are often lost in the sea of Autism Parent™ “tell all”, “the reality of autism”, etc. blogs that almost invariably end up being all about the parent and how terrible autism is for them. I can understand why parents new to autism might be terrified and fearful for the future – but this is not so much that autism is a terrible thing, but rather that the world is not autistic-friendly or -accepting and because the neurotypical-dominated narrative of autism is so much in the tragedy/burden/fearmongering vein. It needn’t be that way!

This is 2018. Autistic adults have access to technology that allows us to connect to the entire world, and we are using that.  We can and do communicate about experiencing the world from an autistic perspective, and these are the best narratives to engage with because we can explain and discuss autism from that worldview, rather than an outside NT perspective attempting to interpret us.

While an individual autistic cannot necessarily be the fountain of all knowledge, we can direct you to others who can help. For example, I cannot accurately answer questions on how male autistics cope with puberty (at some point I may try to put together a collection or resources by those who have that experience), but I can for females, because I have been there, I have been through it, I have experienced it; I cannot tell you what it is like to be a parent (although hopefully in future that will change) but I can tell you what it is like to be an autistic child and I can direct you to people who are parents. I can certainly make suggestions and if I can’t help with something, there are many other resources and people to which I can direct you.

If there is a topic you would like me to address, please just ask! A private message through the AoW Facebook page is probably easiest (unless, of course, we are already friends!) I’m open to all topic requests, including those of a personal, intimate nature (although anything involving specific people, such as sexual matters, would have to have the consent of other parties, such as my husband).

What experiences do I have? In no particular order and probably not comprehensive:

• Mainstream education 
• British education system
• Bullying (being bullied)
• Female
• Adult diagnosis
• Online interaction and safety
• University life (studying, socialising, living, support services, etc)
• Multiple disabilities
• Dealing with the Department for Work and Pensions (ESA, DLA and PIP)
• Roleplay (tabletop and live-action)
• Friendships
• Romantic relationships (including marriage)
• Employment
• Personal care matters
• Communication
• Self-advocacy
• Campaigning and activism
• Sensory issues  
• Meltdowns
• Shutdowns
• Stimming
• Growing up
• Executive functioning
• Self-management
• Passionate/intense interests (a lot of us aren’t so keen on “special interest” as it sounds very clinical and pathologising)
• Play
• Disability accommodation
• Being an autistic child
• Being an autistic adult
• Not knowing I was autistic and discovering that as an adult

 Some of these are topics I have touched on here at AoW in the past, and others are ones I will discuss in the future – my list of future topics is long and growing all the time! Check the tags.

I have found that connecting with fellow autistics has been an excellent way of understanding and accepting myself. We can share experiences, help and support others who are going through things we have already been through and can be fantastic resources.

I encourage you to make autistic adults a priority if you have questions and want information, rather than NTs, however much they may be billed as “experts”. We can tell you how things are in a way that no NT, however informed and qualified, can.

I also ask that you, and that you encourage others, to amplify autistic voices on matters pertaining to autism, rather than allowing NTs to do what is known in the autistic community as “NT-splaining” or “neurosplaining”, where NTs explain and interpret autistics from an NT viewpoint instead of letting autistics speak for ourselves. For example, if many autistics tell you that ABA is abusive, harmful and causes PTSD and long-term mental-health problems, whereas parents insist that it works (when the reality is that the child has learned that they have to comply), listen to the voices of those who have experienced it.

Autistic people should be your priority when seeking information about understanding and experiencing the world from an autistic perspective. We have so much to say if only people let us do so! Ask us and use our experience!

Autism Acceptance Month 2018 Day 5: D is for Diagnosis

BSL: diagnosis

D is for Diagnosis

Getting diagnosed as autistic can be extremely positive for many. The process can be long, hard and slow, but once the point of formal diagnosis is reached, it can be a massive relief. And this is why I am marking "diagnosis" as autism-positive and as part of acceptance.

For parents of children, getting a formal diagnosis can be a tumult of emotions, some positive and some negative. From the various autistics-and-families groups I'm in on Facebook, the positives of having a diagnosis tend to centre around having confirmation and validation of their child's neurology and difficulties, knowledge that they have not been bad parents and access to supports (potentially - it can often be a bit of a postcode lottery!) that can only be obtained with formal diagnosis, such as equipment, support in school and so on. Additionally, it can help them understand their child better (depending on where they look, what they read, etc).

For people like me, who grew up not knowing they were autistic, diagnosis again can cause a mix of good and bad emotions. I've noticed, though, that feelings tend to be overwhelmingly positive, especially for those who have been trying for a long time to get a diagnosis. I spent several years in the self-diagnosed camp because trying to get an assessment as an adult in the UK is difficult; in 2009-10 there was nothing in my parents' area of Essex (I am not an Essex girl; I was born in Hertfordshire but raised by a Lancashire woman so I am firmly a Lancashire lass) for assessing adults, and it wasn't until 2011 that an adult assessment service was set up in the Exeter area. For me, getting that formal diagnosis was 100% positive.

Upon receiving a formal diagnosis, the feelings I and many other adult-diagnosed autistics experienced were a combination of joy, relief and validation. Some do experience negative feelings, such as confusion, anger, frustration and fear - things like, "Why was I not picked up sooner as autistic?", "What does this mean for my future?", "Will it make my life more difficult?", "Will people reject me?" and "I don't want to be autistic" (partly because of the persistently and wholly negative portrayal of autism), to name some. These are perfectly valid responses, particularly in a world that tend to be hostile, overwhelming and confusing to autistics. This is why we need proper acceptance.

Why so positive?

Knowing that your brain is not defective or broken, that it is simply wired differently, can be a massive relief. I was 23 or 24 when I self-diagnosed and 28 when I was formally diagnosed. When a friend suggested to me that I might be autistic, I looked into it and comprehension dawned, everything clicked into place and you know in cartoons when someone has an inspiration, a lightbulb lights up over their head? I could practically see that! For a long time I had genuinely believed my brain and myself to be broken, because I struggled socially, my bluntness was often perceived as rudeness, I was hypersensitive to everything, I was often considered weird and awkward, and things that came instinctively to others (eg. comforting a crying classmate) were very difficult and unnatural to me and were very intellectualised. Once I realised that there was nothing wrong with me, that everything could be explained, I was a lot kinder to myself. And that brings a real sense of peace and self-acceptance.

Once I knew I was autistic, I indulged my inner Hermione and read as much about autism as I could get my hands on! I wanted (and still want) to know everything about autism. And in reading things about it and interacting with other autistics, I came to understand myself so much better than I had previously done. And that's a massive self-esteem boost.

Validation is a powerful thing. I respect that some people do not want to seek a formal diagnosis and they have their reasons. It's something that is currently being researched at Exeter University in the Exploring Diagnosis project, for which I am an advisor on one of the PhD projects. If anyone in the UK is reading this, sought diagnosis as an adult or chose to remain solely self-diagnosed, and would be interested in participating as an interviewee, do let me know and I can put you in contact with the relevant people! For me, being only self-diagnosed was not enough - I found myself frequently questioning and doubting whether I was actually autistic, and wondering if it was mental-health problems masquerading as autistic signs (turns out the mental-health problems were largely a result of difficulties from not realising I was autistic!) In addition, I encountered a number of people who did not see self-diagnosis as valid and I got rather fed up of trying to justify myself to them. Getting a formal diagnosis, for me, silenced the doubters (including myself!) and, more importantly for me, confirmed and validated that my difficulties (and also things I have come to see as strengths) were real, that my experience of the world and how I processed it were true and not some figment of my vivid imagination, and that I was definitely autistic.

As well as this, when I lend my voice to campaigns such as Not Locked In (last year) and the ongoing Judge Rotenberg Center campaign with Cal Montgomery and Kieran Rose, having a formal diagnosis gives more weight to my voice than if I were only self-diagnosed, and means it is more likely (not guaranteed by any means, because people like to throw functioning labels around by claiming that I'm "too high-functioning" to advocate for "low-functioning" (their words, not mine) and the "Not Like My Child" card (of course I'm not like your child - they're 6 or whatever and I'm 33!)) that my voice will be listened to, because I am considered a "genuine" autistic. I wish that self-diagnosed autistics were afforded the same level of value as those of us who are formally diagnosed, but that is not currently the case.

Having that formal diagnosis has given me so much confidence to be authentically me. I don't hide my stimming, I'm open about not making eye contact and why, and it means that I don't hide my autism generally. When I go for job interviews (rare, because my physical disabilities significantly restrict how much I can do, and because I'm autistic certain environments are unworkable for me), I can inform them beforehand that because I am autistic, I will not be making eye contact due to the physical pain it causes me. I am autistic and proud to be so!

As I said in yesterday's post, C is for Community, getting that diagnosis has helped me feel more part of the autistic community than when I was only self-diagnosed, due to the validation and confidence explained above. And I've made some amazing friends there. I'll talk more about that later this month in S is for Social Media.

In getting a diagnosis, I now know that I am not alone, that there are many people out there who are like me and who understand me. And that's such a positive thing! There are people out there who are like me; I'm not some sort of broken freak of nature!

Being formally diagnosed can (not necessarily, as it depends on people and what's available in your local area) enable you to access to (appropriate) supports and accommodations that you may not be able to access without a formal diagnosis, such as support in education, assistive technology, therapists trained and/or specialising in working with autistics, and so on. Many places will only consider those with a formal diagnosis, possibly due to limited resources, the risk of doing harm with an unsuitable approach or for insurance purposes (more in the US than in the UK), for example. While such things are meant to be based on needs rather than diagnosis, having a formal diagnosis can make the process easier and quicker. Also, knowing that you are autistic can make it easier to determine particular techniques that work for us but not necessarily NTs and vice versa.

Diagnosis is today's word because for me, getting a formal diagnosis has been immensely positive and has enabled me to accept and be confident in my being autistic.

Autism Acceptance Month 2018 Day 4: C is for Community

BSL: community

C is for Community

When you are part of a community, you feel welcome, accepted, that you belong.

There are many different types of community and you can belong to many simultaneously. I belong to the following communities: autism, autistic, Catholic, democratic-socialist, Harry Potter, folk, Deaf, roleplay, fanfiction, Exeter University, my local (geographical) community, disability, football (soccer for you non-Brits!) and probably a number of others!

Growing up not knowing I was autistic and that was the reason for my social exclusion and my sense of being different from those around me, I struggled to feel a sense of belonging. I felt that sense most strongly in things I chose to do or be involved in, such as the folk community as I grew up in that, and then as an adult I discovered others, such as the Deaf community; I did not so much feel part of the community at school as many of my classmates picked up on my difference and excluded me.

Once I realised that I was autistic, my perception of myself changed, and I began seeking out autistic groups on Facebook. And the sense of welcome and belonging was incredible! Last year, to mark 20 years of Harry Potter, I wrote a post about the parallels between that and discovering the autistic community, which you can find here.

Since then I have become very active in the autistic community, where I feel very welcome and included. I've made some amazing friends there, people I have not yet met in person (but hope to in future), some of whom I've been working hard with on various campaigns (the NotLockedIn one last year and currently the StopTheShock one to, at absolute minimum, get the Judge Rotenberg Center to stop using torturous electric-shock practices as behaviour control, the petition for which you can sign and share if you have yet to do so), and I have found and been able to contribute so much support.

Autism
In the context of autism, there are multiple communities: the autism community and the sub-group of the autistic community. Some people belong to one but not the other, and others belong to both.

The autism community
This consists of autistics and those who come into contact with autistic people within the context of autism and/or have a personal connection with an autistic person - so the shop assistant who helps the autistic person find an item in their shop is not part of the autism community on that criterion alone (although if they are autistic, or have an autistic friend/family member, that is different and does make them part of the autism community). It is a wide community comprising many different groups of people.

It includes parents, siblings, children and other family members of autistics. Some of these people may choose not to engage with the autism world and thus may decline to be identified as part of the community.

Clinicians, such as psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech & language therapists (often abbreviated to SALTs here in the UK) who assess, diagnose and work with autistic children and adults, are part of the autism community.

Other members of the autism community include support workers, therapists (including counsellors, etc, because many autistics have mental health problems), teachers of autistics, autism researchers, those involved in the creation, design, development, manufacture and promotion of products that improve autistic lives (such as AAC), autism organisations and, miscellaneous allies, such as close friends, could potentially fall into this category.

All of these can be either beneficial or detrimental to autistics - ASAN (Autistic Self Advocacy Network) is a beneficial organisation, whereas Autism $peaks and TACA (Talk About Curing Autism) are firmly in the "detrimental" camp. It is not always easy to ascertain which an organisation is.

The autistic community
This consists of those who are actually autistic. Many of us include the self-diagnosed in the autistic community - it is not always possible for someone to obtain a clinical diagnosis, for a variety of reasons, and others do not want a formal diagnosis (again, for a variety of reasons). Not all autistics are willing to include the self-diagnosed because they do not consider them to be "real" autistics, but as someone who went several years as only self-diagnosed due to the difficulty obtaining an assessment as an adult, I know how difficult that can be and so I do include the self-diagnosed.

The image below is something I put together today to go with this post (may tweak positioning of words a little at some point so that it is more aesthetically pleasing, but it's 9:40pm and I want to get this post completed). It is not in-depth and is meant to be a general guide rather than necessarily an absolute.

Autism Acceptance Month 2018 Day 3: B is for Blogs

BSL: blog

B is for Blogs

Blogs are an amazing resource for learning about autism from autistics. I generally avoid NT-run Autism Parent™ blogs because they tend to be about garnering pity, sympathy and attention for the parent, and it's all about them rather than the autistic, all in the name of "the reality of autism", with intimate details about things such as toileting habits, generally without the consent of the autistic.

Autistic-run blogs are a wealth of information about all aspects of autism, from a huge variety of people. They cover pretty much every topic you can think of, sometimes in great detail, and these provide the best insight of what it is like to be autistic and how autism affects people, from a first-hand perspective. The best thing? Because they are autistic-run, you can be sure that these things are being written with consent. And consent is crucial because a lot of the Parent blogs don't have that. In addition, such blogs are frequently from an outside perspective, so the internal things (emotions, thoughts, etc) are not clear are visible. With autistic-run blogs, the inner thoughts, feelings, etc can be written about accurately.

They're a great way of communicating our experiences. A lot of us find written communication easier than spoken - it allows more time to think, we can structure and rearrange as we see fit, it affords the opportunity to carefully select precisely the right wording, it's far more likely to be coherent, it's a great way for those with speech difficulties and who are nonspeaking to express themselves and their experiences, they add our voices to the autistic community, they can help us realise that we are far from alone in difficulties, experiences and so on, and entries can be revised and edited before anyone ever views them.

Blogs are easily accessible on a variety of devices, they can be really easy to set up and they can be nice and easy to personalise. 

Your best resource for insights into and information on autism is those of us who are actually autistic. We live it, we experience it; we are the experts.

Although not comprehensive, here is a list of blogs (alphabetical order by blog name) by autistics that I recommend, a number of whom I consider as good friends. Many of them also have corresponding Facebook pages and some, like Giraffe Party, are more active there than on their blogs, so if you're a Facebook user, look for them there, too!

A Heart Made Fullmetal

Amy Sequenzia 

An Articulate Autistic

An Autistic Insight

Ann's Autism Blog

Aspergirl Inside

Aspie Catholic

Autism Acceptance Day 

Autism Women's Network

Autistic Academic

Autistic Hoya 

Autistic Not Weird 

Black Autist

Emma Dalmayne

Emma's Hope Book (joint with her mother)

Frank L. Ludwig

Giraffe Party

Hello Michelle Swan (formerly Michelle Sutton Writes)

Jeanette Purkis

Judy Endow 

Neurodefiant

Paula C. Durbin-Westby 

Radical Neurodivergence Speaking

Some Girl With A Braid

The Autism Wars (mother of autistic children) 

The Autistic Advocate

The Caffeinated Autistic 

The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism 

Unstrange Mind

Watch Well (Cal Montgomery) 

We Are Like Your Child

Yes, That Too

You can find a much more comprehensive list here (both active and defunct), compiled by An Autism Observer: 

https://anautismobserver.wordpress.com/

I don't know which ones on the comprehensive list are good blogs and which are bad, pro-Autism $peaks, pro-ABA, ableist, etc. At some point when I get the chance I'm going to check them all out one by one! 

Autism Acceptance Month 2018 Day 2: A is for Acceptance

British Sign Language: "accept"

This one may be slightly rushed as I've not got that much time (and I only came up with the alphabet idea on Friday night so I haven't had the opportunity to give it as much attention as I'd like!) Also, I'd rather keep the April posts more concise and shorter reading; when I have more time to work on things once this month is over, I can go into more depth and detail. This will not be comprehensive (lack of time today) so I will be writing more on this later.

There are so many possibilities for this letter! But as autistics are working to reclaim April for ourselves, are relabelling it Autism Acceptance Month and are pushing for us to be accepted and not merely tolerated, the most important A-word this month for me is:

A is for Acceptance

The word "awareness", particularly when it concerns a condition, generally implies that it is something inherently and exclusively bad. That it is something to be feared with the ultimate goal of eliminating it.

Acceptance moves beyond this, being included as we are, and this is what we are asking for. But what does it mean?

Making adjustments that allow us to access places, events, etc on an equitable basis as NTs. This could include things like non-fluorescent lighting, quiet spaces, ensuring only one sound at a time is going on (there are many accommodations, some of which will vary from person to person; a more detailed post on this will go up at some point in the future).

Remember and respect that our ability to cope with the world fluctuates, and just because we managed/appeared to manage perfectly well with a situation on one day, that does not automatically mean we can always cope with it. Tiredness, stress, anxiety, pain and many other factors influence and reduce our coping abilities, so if we tell you that we can't do that thing, please don't say, "But you were fine with it last month! Don't use autism as an excuse!" and try to pressure us into doing it. Respect that if we say we can't do something on a given occasion, even when we've done it before, we mean that. But also don't assume that means "I can't/won't do it ever again" unless we specifically say that; please do invite us again! It simply means "I can't do it on this particular occasion."

Allowing all forms of communication as equally valid as speech - AAC (Alternative and Augmented Communication), FC (Facilitated Communication), typing, writing, drawing, sign language, Makaton, PECS. This means not forcing speech (some autistics have apraxia, where for various reasons they physically cannot speak) at the cost of other options; this means giving the autistic person access to as many communication options as possible from an early age, and allowing them to use whichever is easiest and most comfortable for them (note: not what is easiest/most comfortable for the parent, teacher, etc). Speech is not the be-all and end-all; just look at the devastating effect forcing speech has had on Deaf people since the 1880 Milan conference. It's 2018 and Deaf people are still paying the price for that. Most of the time I am capable of speaking; however, when I am tired, stressed, etc, I can't, so let me communicate via writing or BSL, and don't pressure me to speak when I can't.

Respecting how the autistic person's brain operates and working with that. You wouldn't force a Mac computer programme to run on Windows or Linux (well, you could try, but you wouldn't get very far). The Mac/PC analogy is an old, well-used one, but it's a pretty good one. If an autistic person works best in a quiet, dimly-lit corner with a divider between them and other people, don't force them into the middle of the room under fluorescent lights surrounded with people and lots of different noises with no dividers.

Using the autistic person's preferred identifying language. If they prefer person-first language ("person with autism"/"has autism"), then use that when interacting with them. If, like the vast majority of autistics, they prefer identity-first language ("is autistic"), use that and don't language-police them (especially if you are NT) by insisting on PFL. Generally, with autistic preferences, either default to IFL or use both. "Autistic" is not a bad word and don't be afraid to use it!

Do not attempt to suppress autistic behaviours like stimming. If the behaviour is harmful (either to the person or to others), then redirect and try to encourage more constructive behaviours - for example, when I have a meltdown, I tend to hit things and scream (I will write more about meltdowns another time), which has the potential to cause damage (primarily to myself - so many bruises and bite-marks over the years). It still happens sometimes. Usually I can feel it building and have enough time to get somewhere safer while I still have some control, so I can direct myself to something like the bed or sofa, which can absorb the impacts and won't cause damage (either to me or whatever I'm hitting). There is nothing harmful about hand-flapping, bouncing, etc unless there is an underlying condition or a circumstance in which it would cause harm (for example, I have fibromyalgia, so if I do either of those too much, it causes excruciating joint pain). So what if an autistic bahves "unusually" (according to wider society) either in public or private? That's perfectly normal and often necessary for self-regulation or self-expression. Embrace it! If more autistics go ahead and do it in public without worrying about the reaction of other people, it will become much more normalised in society's mind and thus less noteworthy! I will happily behave autistically in public and if people stare, it's not my problem!

Following on from the previous paragraph, do not endorse, support or engage with "therapies" or "treatments" that are aimed at changing an autistic's behaviours purely to suit NT preferences and desires. The big one is ABA - its ultimate goal is to render the autistic "indistinguishable from their peers" and thus train them to suppress autistic traits in order to present as NT, in order to conform to society's preferences and comforts. Gay conversion therapy uses the same principles (reward and punishment). These approaches teach (explicitly or implicitly) that being autistic is A Bad Thing and cause lasting psychological damage; I have adult autistic friends who have PTSD from being put through ABA. If you're a parent new to the autism world, seek out autistics for guidance and advice - it can be a scary time and you are vulnerable to being preyed on.

This particularly includes what is going on at the Judge Rotenberg Center, with the electric-shock practices, using pain and fear to control people (autistics and those with various learning and developmental disabilities). You can read more on this link to the petition that was set up recently by Cal Montgomery, Kieran Rose (An Autistic Advocate) and myself. PLEASE sign and share it widely: FDA: End abusive electric shocks.

Learn how autistics communicate and adjust your approach accordingly. We communicate differently from NTs; some classic indicators (though not necessarily set in stone, especially by the time a person has reached adulthood) are bluntness, lack of eye contact, literality, precision, different body language. It's probably why I feel so at home in the Deaf community, as both types of mind are very similar! It is no bad thing for autistics to learn NT communication styles, as it helps us know what to look for and how things work, BUT communication goes two ways and any "social skills training" MUST also include teaching NTs how autistics communicate. Both styles are valid; they're just different.

Educating people about autism, without going down the fearmongering, tragedy-narrative, ableist route. If you see someone making a claim about autism that you know to be false, say something! I tend to be gentle and polite at first because people often don't realise; however, if it becomes clear that they're persisting with falsehoods, I do get more...belligerent!

Listening to and amplifying autistic voices over NTs. We are the experts; we live it in a way that no non-autistic person does. If we are telling you how things are, if something you are doing is hurting us, listen to that. Like with today, I am desperately saddened and frustrated by the number of parents insisting on doing Light It Up Blue and shouting down autistics who are telling them that this hurts us and explaining why, by denying the link between blue and Autism $peaks. If something you are doing hurts us and we tell you so, don't gaslight us. Don't invalidate us. Use this month to promote autistic writers, bloggers, artists, advocates, etc, not Martyr Parents like Judith Newman, Whitney Ellenby, etc, who seek to profit financially (through books, speaker fees, etc), emotionally and publicity-wise (attention-seeking, self-publicising, pity-seeking, etc). And call out people who try to silence autistic voices and promote the just-mentioned autism profiteers.

Presume competence. Being autistic does not mean treating us as though we have no ability to think for ourselves. We have agency, we have feelings, we have boundaries, we are human, we deserve as much respect as NTs.

**********

It's likely I've missed some things (as I said, rather pressed for time at the moment) but if I do think of something else that's pertinent, I will come back and edit this. And will be writing another, more all-encompassing post in the future when I have more time to read, think, organise, etc.

Autism Acceptance Month 2018 Day 1: bracing and preparing

Today, April 1st, marks the start of what is officially Autism Awareness Month. The autistic community is in the process of reclaiming April and working to transform it into Autism Acceptance Month instead. I'm planning to do a post a day for the month, like last year, now I have a new laptop (old one died) I can do that. I'm planning to go through the alphabet, one letter a day, and pick a word or two beginning with that letter, relating to autism and acceptance of autism.

Today is a low-spoons day and I'm not in a very articulate state, as it's been a very hectic week, so I've made the above image in Paint (I love Paint!) in preparation for tomorrow, and I've shared things both on my personal Facebook and on the Autistic on Wheels Facebook page. That's about all I can do right now.

In addition, I purchased the T-shirt below in light grey, ready to wear tomorrow!

I purchased it from Starfire Studios - I recommend this artist, who is autistic. So much cool stuff! The T-shirt itself is wonderfully soft (I'm always nervous about buying clothing off the Internet because I'm so sensitive to fabrics) and I'm looking forward to wearing it with pride tomorrow. I'll get my husband to take some photos of me wearing it and put it both on the blog here and on the Facebook page.