Neurodiversity
Autism is often conceptualised as a condition which nullifies a person's ability to socialise. Because of this, Autistic people are often viewed as asocial and devoid of community. Despite this, the Autistic community is a rich and vibrant place with a sociality all of it's own
Addiction
Autism and ADHD are often reported to have vastly different relationships with regard to the smoking of cigarettes. Research suggests that among Autistic people, we see a reduced rate of smoking, while ADHDers generally report smoking more frequently (nearly half reported daily smoking by age 17). I believe, however, that
General Wellbeing
TW: This article talks about specifics of suicide among Autistic children and young people.
Autism
When I first started this blog, I was writing largely about my own personal experiences. Back then, the only diagnoses I had (that would stick) were autism and a substance misuse disorder "in remission". I wrote largely about my experiences as an Autistic addict in recovery, and not
Autistic Wellbeing
I recently posted about Autistic people and the expression of pain. One thing that has become clear to me is that not only do we not have the same relationship with pain as non-Autistic people, people in the wider environment constantly invalidate that relationship because they don't want
Mental Health
This article was co-authored by David Gray-Hammond and Katie Munday When Katie and I set out to write today, we knew we wanted to do something new. While there has been a great deal of discussion around parenting school-age Autistic children, Katie and I are both parents to younger children
Neuroqueering
"Mother is God in the eyes of a child" William Makepeace Tackery The above quote, whilst pertinent to this discussion, is only half of the picture. Adults control most aspects of a child's life, and whether or not we realise it, we do this by being
Autistic Wellbeing
When we consider power dynamics, we often consider our external environment and how power flows through the various parts of society, and where privilege is afforded by that power. While discussion of intersectionality and power dynamics is important when considering where discourse comes from and how it affects groups of
Autistic Rights
This article was co-authored by David Gray-Hammond and Tanya Adkin The NHS defines the role of social care as being; "...about providing physical, emotional and social support to help people live their lives." This sounds like a wonderful, albeit vague, concept. Perhaps it would help to look more
Mental Health
As a Schizophrenic person, I see many talk about me as being mentally "ill" and in need of medicine. I do take medication, but for me, medication usage is similar to what one might see within ADHD communities. Medicine is a tool, not a treatment. It allows me
Addiction
Rat Park was an important experiment, but not entirely accurate. It misses one key factor.
General Wellbeing
This article was Co-Authored by David Gray-Hammond and Katie Munday Trigger Warning: Discussion of mental health It is a surprisingly contentious discussion to have, but the neurodiversity paradigm does not just apply to autistic people and ADHD'ers. Neurodivergent is a broad and inclusive term that applies to any