An #introduction! I’m a #disabled, #autistic, and #queer Canadian author! My latest book, Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space won the 2023 Indie Ink Award for “Writing the Future We Need: Disability representation by a Disabled Author!” I love being a disability advocate in literary spaces and really, really, really love baking!
Hiii!
Step One In Figuring Out What You Want
What a different day. Still a long way off being okay but feeling better. Amazing what a difference, not having to deal with unexpected problems with no obvious solutions, certainly none that I could accomplish, makes.
Don't know if:
OPTION 1) someone at my internet provider leaned on the wrong button between me going to bed Thursday & me getting online on my PC the following morning & finally noticed early afternoon today.
or
OPTION 2) I need to keep Firefox installed for their forks to continue behaving properly from now on.
Either way, it's good to have things functioning again.
A few nuggets plucked from the PsiAN listserv:
The HHS recently stated that they are retreating from their plan to create an autism registry. However,
"'NIH is investing $50 million to launch a comprehensive research effort aimed at understanding the causes of [autism] and improving treatments by leveraging large-scale data resources and fostering cross-sector
collaboration,' HHS told BHB."
There are already required autism registries in seven states!
https://resiliencymentalhealth.com/2024/07/08/state-autism-databases/
Indiana
North Dakota
Utah
West Virginia
Delaware
New Jersey
Rhode Island
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #autism @autism @autisticadvocacy #rfkjr #nih #hhs #DOGE #autism #autistic
Whatever is going on, you have the power to figure out yourself and to figure out solutions that work for you.
The Cass Review was not only dismissive of trans identities, but it infantilised #autistic people, suggesting we don’t know our own minds until our 20s.
https://medium.com/prismnpen/does-neurodivergence-explain-gender-diversity-in-young-people-7c68d394744c?sk=804ecbb67176c988d8388bb66f61ec67
I hate being in a weird post stress mode. My face & eyes feel like I've spent half the day crying when I haven't. I also feel like anything could tip me over emotionally for no reason.
Not knowing when I'll snap out of it as I can't communicate properly when I'm locked into this , I don't know, major stress incident aftermath mode.
I think maybe my depression got a power boost or two or three & I got the opposite. Would love to crawl under a rock but that would mean, getting changed, going out into the world & finding a suitable rock. I can't face going out.
Taken care of stress headache with painkillers & a litre of blackcurrant.
Feeling a little more chill & will make tomorrow a 'do-over' as nobody should be this let down & stressed about shit on their one day a year.
Movie next, Joker DVD whilst I figure out if I still want a takeaway.
Last month I did a little fund raising for Move4Kids. I also bid on and won a watch (I always wear one. It's the only way I know I'm always running late!) at the gym raffle.
Thanks to those who donated. I even noticed couple of donors I have never met, so that was extra kind.
Here are a few words from Charles and his mother, on how MOVE benefits him.
#autism #autistic #CognitiveImpairment
https://www.goodlifekids.com/story/how-the-move-program-enriches-charles-life/
Want more content from me? I send out a newsletter with all my latest, best stuff, every other Tuesday. The next one is this coming Tuesday.
If you stay small, if you don’t rock the boat, if you don’t make waves, if you don’t break out of the mold – who doesn’t have to change? Who benefits? Who gets off the hook?
Nightly #GermanShepherd post: this is Larissa, the first Assistive-Search-Alert dog I trained for an #autistic child in 2001. After graduation she volunteered to expand her job description because she was convinced all babies, of all sizes and all species, in all the world, belonged to her.
Honor your capacity. You’re not going to get out of it what you want if you’re trying to push so hard that you’re hurting yourself in the process.
In some ways, unmasking created a lot more internal distress than when I was masking, because it was offering up more of my authentic self, and when that was rejected, it hurt more.
When I was offering up a mask, the rejection wasn’t as personal.
I remember in the 90s thinking all I want is to be a positive in the world. To be more good than bad. I'm pretty sure I have achieved that with my activism compared to my consumption. - That is I think I have reduced CO2e significantly below my own emissions. I also work in healthcare. I work numerous days a week helping people. I donate to global charities.
I don't feel very positive.
#Autism #autistic #neurodiverse #lgbtqi #ActuallyAutistic
Every time I read about disability #accommodations from universities and workplaces for #autistic, #ADHD, #dyslexic etc folks, which are only given to students/workers with proven diagnosis/doctor’s note about needing those accommodations - I just don’t understand: if all those things - lecture transcripts, accessible fonts, written/audio instructions etc - already exist, and others - like more flexibility with time cost next to nothing to provide - why people should prove bureaucratically their right for it? Why can’t it be the standard? Why can’t it be provided to anyone who simply requests? Like, what to they gain for not giving it to everyone asking?
I’m 38 years old and I finally got an official dyslexia diagnosis today.
… yeah. 
I will need to sit with this for a while as I process the grief of late diagnosis juxtaposed with feeling the relief of finally knowing. I’ll continue to conquer anything that stands in the way of my dreams. 
Side note: There is a lot of discourse going on about whether #autistic folks should get an official diagnosis. It’s complex, and I respect that it’s different for everyone. For me - Over 4 years, it also led to an #ADHD diagnosis, and now #dyslexia. It’s allowed me to go back to University and study like I always dreamed because now I have access to disability accommodations.
I’m brave. I’m proud of myself. 
(Also, ty all for always being kind to me about my infinite number of typos and grammatical edits to my posts)
Autistic Coach 
