Autism and Neurodiversity
“Music, touch, smiles - they all tell a story if we pay attention. Without speech, we have to use all our senses to connect on a more direct level”. Rami Kripke-Ludwig ”... I found my voice through pointing on my board. It was so frustrating (before then) to not be able to tell anyone how… Continue reading Ten Facts About Communicating Non-verbally
“The difference in how language is acquired and used means the vocabulary is different, the nuances are different, the structure of language and how words are formed is different, and our relationship with language is different”.
Autistic Pride Day, on the 18th June, is a growing grassroots initiative by the Autistic community. It is a day initiated and led by Autistics individuals themselves to celebrate their neurodiversity. It is distinctly separate from the Autism Awareness Day / week held in April each year, which tends to focus on Autism from a… Continue reading Autistic Pride: I am Proud of Who I Am
When did you get diagnosed with Autism? Have your feelings towards Autism changed since then? I was diagnosed Autistic when I was little. It’s something I’ve always known, so I don’t know what it’s like not to know I have Autism.Some people call my Autism ‘Classic Autism’ and they think it’s a bad thing. But… Continue reading Autistic Girl Describes What Autism Means to Her
Perhaps one of the greatest challenges currently confronting the Autism community is the diversity of Autism itself and the associated challenges this presents Autistic individuals, parents, professionals, schools and service providers in having a shared understanding of Autism - what it is, and what it is not. The diversity of Autism is often further complicated,… Continue reading What’s the Difference between Autism and Personality?
"When my friends go up to someone and talk, I don't understand how words just come out of their mouth. I wish I could do that. How do they do that? It's not uncommon for an Autistic child's thinking to be profound or ahead of their peers. It is common for them to have significant… Continue reading
"I always thought everyone noticed me because I notice everything. I don't like being noticed. But I notice everything because I am autism. I maybe don't need to worry about people noticing me because if they are not Autism, they don't notice everything I notice. On reflection, it makes perfect sense that a child born… Continue reading Sensory Differences & Social Anxiety
Sometimes its big things. Sometimes just little things. But, big or small, in can appear to others that my little Miss has an almost obsessional desire for what others might perceive as ‘bold face lying’. Just recently to her psychologist of all people, Miss declared that she didn’t have a white board. Now, anyone who… Continue reading The Truth about Lying
It’s not uncommon to see small children at the local shopping centre pretending to be all manner of things – animals, superhero’s, fairy’s and cowboys - just to name a few. It was only last week my little Miss nine and I saw a pint-sized gold fish traversing the aisle of our local shop! Typically,… Continue reading Sometimes when ‘stuff’ happens, you just have to be a dog!
“First … My brain stops. There is nothing. I cannot see. I cannot hear. I am not there. I don’t feel anything.Next … My heart is pounding, booming so fast. Can you feel it? Can you hear it? My fingers tingle, feeling strange. Goosebumps all over; they prickle me. Feel so cold; can’t get… Continue reading 7 year old Autistic girl describes what ‘overwhelmed’ feels like.
I am Cadence 