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I’m a late-identified autistic who loves writing about autism. How much do I love it? I’ve written over 150 essays on it in the past six months alone.
How do I think of so many autistic topics to write about? I’m an art therapist who specializes in late-identified autistic adults. That means I not only have my personal experience to draw from, but also the hundreds of hours spent listening to my clients.
I share most of my essays here on Medium, which means it has now become quite the library. In an effort to make my essays more accessible to those wanting clear, relatable information about late-identified autism in adults, I’ve sorted my essays into topics below. While I wish I could provide a link to each of them for you… I’ve got to prioritize my time and energy. So if a specific essay interests you, just pop it into the search and it’ll come up
Autism in a Neurotypical World
What Would a World Designed by Autistic People Be Like
The Harm in "They're a Little Autistic"
Autism Does Not Directly Cause Socializing Problems
Please Trust My Lived Autistic Experience
Can Someone Please Create a Neurodivergent Intentional Living Community
What if I Accept that Most Neurotypicals Won't Like Me
How Neuro-Bias Shows Up in Professional Testing
Your Autistic Experience Sounds Just LIke my Neurotypical One
Neurotypical Words that Don't Work for Autistics: Overachiever
But Neurotypicals Experience That, Too!
Neurotypical Norms That Don’t Work for Autistics: Hustle Goals
The Fear of Being a Hypocritical Autistic
Neurodiversity: Us vs Them?
How to Meet an Autistic Adult Exactly Where They're At
Autism Characteristics
The Autistic Mind Loves to Take Detours
4 Reasons Why Autism Symptoms Lists are Confusing
My Autistic Brain: Sunshine and Detours
The Joys of Being Autistic: Part 1
Stop Saying Autistic People Can't Empathize
Redefining Fun for Autistic Adults
9 Reasons Why Autism Looks So Similar to CPTSD
We Need More Depictions of the Interior Experience of Autism
Clarity is What my Autistic Mind Craves
How Trauma and Autism Can be a Confusing Mix to Decipher
Why am I like This? Understanding the Autistic Brain
My Autistic Mind Does What it Wants
The Dissociated Autistic Performance State
The Joys of Being Autistic: Increased Creativity and Innovation
My Autistic Memory Is Not the Same as Others
The Firehouse Dilemma: Autism and Infodumping
The Variability of the Autistic Sensory System
Challenges
5 Reasons Autistics are Especially Hard on Themselves
The Shame That Often Accompanies Autism
Knowing You’re Different as an Autistic Adult
3 Reasons Autism is Worse After You Learn You're Autistic
Disability and Internalized Ableism
I Had to Dismantle My Fear of Autistic People
Is Autism a Disability?
I’m Ok With Saying I have a Disability, Right?
Dog Training
The Difficulties of Adjusting to a New Dog When You're Autistic
Tips for Adjusting to a New Dog When You're Autistic
5 Tips to Integrate a Dog into Your Autistic Life
Defining and Explaining Autism
What I Wish Others Knew About Autism
Let’s Drop the “Disorder” From Autism Spectrum Disorder
How Low and High Autism Labels are Misleading
We Need All the Autism Theories and Models
Autism Can Be a Murky Thing To Understand
How I Explain Autism to Someone Unfamiliar With It
What is Late Identified Autism
Autistic Statistics are Not Accurate for Late-Identified Autistics
I'm Here for the Autistic Awakening
How It Helps to Know You’re Autistic
Why It Matters to Know You're Neurodivergent
What is Neurodiversity and Why Does it Matter
How Neurodivergent Acceptance Can Improve Our Lived Experiences
Masking
How Unidentified Autistics are Taught to Socially Camouflage and Mask
Is There a World Where I can Be Unmasked?
The False Dichotomy of Masked and Unmasked Autism
6 Reasons Why UnMasking Is Harder Than it Sounds
What if You have to Mask Everywhere?
My Personal Experience as an Autistic
Hating Cooking as an Autistic Adult
I Make Giant Lists About Autism for Fun
The Challenges of Writing Publically About Autism
The Risk of Sharing my Autistic Passions with Others
I'm Reclaiming Weird for My Autistic Self
I Expand and Then I Contract
I Stopped Seeing Myself As Broken When I learned I was Autistic
Respecting my Limits as an Autistic Business Owner
I Need to Lessen the Pressure on my Autistic Self
My Autistic Brain Doesn’t Want to Watch TV Right Now
Embracing Who I am as an Autistic Adult
I Used to be a Very Judgemental When I Didn’t Know I was Autistic
A Letter from An Autistic Adult to Trust
Don’t Get So Upset: A Line that Doesn’t Work for This Autist
Why This Autistic Writer Didn't Respond to Your Comment
Relationships
Is Dating Worth it as an Autistic Adult?
Is it Possible to be Happily Partnered as an Autistic Adult?
Not Liking People as an Autistic Adult
Self-Identification
So You Think You Might Be Autistic
Dearly Newly Identified Autistic Person
Am I Actually Autistic?
Dearest Smart, Weird, and Caring Autistic
I Am Deeply Unsure About Autism
How to Self Identify Autism as an Adult
When the Past Makes Sense after a Late-Identification of Autism
Where to Start When You First Learn You’re Autistic
Strategies
6 Strategies to Harness the Hyperfocus Power of an Autistic Mind
Leave the Gremlin In the Cave: Self-Isolation as a Necessary Autistic Tool
No Plans Days as an Autistic Tool
Making Accommodations for Myself as an Autistic Adult
How Many Accommodations Can We Ask for as Autistic Adults?
Using Art to Help Your Autistic Mind
Dissociation as an Autistic Tool
The Power of the Home Environment for Autistics
Is It Ok to Honor My Autistic Needs?
Recognizing When It's Not Time to Make Decisions as an Autistic
Therapy for Autistics
Dearest Autistic Client of Mine
8 Ways Therapy Can Help With Late Identified Autism
So You Think You Might Be Autistic
Gaslighting the Autistic Experience
Dearest Therapist Who Knows Barely Anything About Autism
I'm an Autistic Therapist: Sometimes It's Easier Than Everyday Life
Does Your Therapist Know Enough About Autism to Help You?
Questions to Ask a Potential Therapist When You're Autistic
How I Work with Newly Identified Autistic People
What to Ask When You're Seeking Therapy for Late-Identified Autism
12 Ways Therapy Can Enhance Life for Late Identified Autistic Adults
Therapy is Not for Fixing Autism
The Harm I Caused When I Didn't Know about Autism
A Newly Identified Autistic Therapist Working with Newly Identified Autistics
Common Therapy Advice That is Counterproductive for Autistics
A Therapist Told Me Treating Autism is Like Treating Depression
Who Can Diagnose Autism in Adults?
Autistic Adults Deserve Better from the Mental Health Field
Undiagnosed Autism
The Correlation Between Intelligence and Undiagnosed Autism
10 Consequences of a Life with Unidentified Autism
The Gap Between “Diagnosable Autism” and a Lifetime of Unidentified Autism
Autism Diagnosis Criteria are Limiting for Men Too
No Autistic Should Receive a Diagnosis Letter Like Mine
Identifying Autism in Undiagnosed Women Abstract
How I Identify Autism in Undiagnosed Women
Autistic Stereotypes Block People From Knowing They're Autistic
Thank you for reading. If you’d like to read more, sign up for my FUNletter. If you would like to explore your autistic identity with an autistic therapist, you can learn more about my therapy services here.