Category: Being Autistic
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Do you know that feeling of being uncomfortable? Maybe your jeans are feeling too tight after a heavy meal, or itchy wool against your skin. It can be distracting, but most neurotypical people can cope with the feeling; they can set it to the back of their mind or ignore it. Sadly, this is not…
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It’s a good thing your daughter can mask; it will stand her in good stead for her adult life. This is an actual quote from my daughter’s ex-teacher; they did not last very long at the school, surprisingly. In my blog today, I want to talk about masking and the need to help autistic women…
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‘They were singing along,’ the words of my autistic daughter after act one of Starlight Express. She was most disgruntled because we had been asked not to sing during the performance to avoid ruining the experience for others. Why would anyone dream of not obeying the rules? Seriously, rules are there to be followed! Many…
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Forgive me for the lack of blog recently. I am trying to juggle motherhood, my job and life, whilst avoiding burnout. New stuff has to go last, annoyingly. So today I want to talk about sensory issues in Autistic girls (and many boys) and when these issues become dangerous for the individual. I am not…
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April is Autism Acceptance Month. It aims to raise funds, share resources, and support a society that works for autistic people (1). I have published a toolkit aimed at music services, but useful for any employer to understand the needs of autistic people, so they can support autistic teachers in their roles. The reason I created the…
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Autism really is the gift that keeps giving. I came across RSD on social media, in a post by a parent who was struggling. I had never heard of it before, but once I read about it, I immediately knew it was something I had always struggled with, and it explained a lot about my…
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This week, I have been undertaking my biggest theatrical challenge ever, playing the Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. This role is arguably one of the most challenging female roles in theatre, as half of it is sung in a legit style and the rest in a much more modern vocal style. However,…
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The comments of Uta Frith this week have caused deep concern in the autistic community. Whilst just one person’s opinion, it is polarising because it aims to shut down the late-diagnosed and the concept of masking. The other issue is that here are more comments about the autistic community from somebody who is not autistic.…
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I hyperfocus on many things. It is something I am very used to, and I don’t really enjoy it, but I accept it as part of my life. Hyperfocus is a recognised trait of autism, in some autistic children, particularly boys this can be on a specific subject or item. This could be trains, buses, or…