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Autism, Neurodiversity and Employment: Working Together for Positive Futures
Autistic people are confronted with an array of barriers in many situations throughout their life. These situations centralise around what general society expects of all people, a one size fits all model, without the distinct consideration of disability, difference and inclusion. With the added...
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Navigating Neurodiverse Relationships: Disclosure and Self-Advocacy
If you are an adult who has had a longstanding diagnosis of ASD or a newly diagnosed individual, then you probably grapple with these ongoing decisions: If and when to disclose your diagnosis to others The pros versus the cons of disclosure How to go about sharing this information with...
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Neurodiversity – The New Normal
Over the years, many terms have been used to describe the various neurological conditions that result in developmental, cognitive and behavioral disorders. In the early days of diagnosis and treatment, diagnosis’ ranged from relatively neutral terms like Hyperkinetic Impulse Disorder, (Kimberly...
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Neurodiversity: An Idea Whose Time Has Come and A Call for Unity
When I hear the word “neurodiversity,” I immediately become concerned that it will be dismissed as simply another form of “political correctness,” and not seen as encompassing a wide variety of serious issues that affect virtually everyone in the Asperger Syndrome / autism spectrum...
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The First Step in Bullying Prevention Is Normalizing Our Differences
“When I was young, getting through each day wasn’t just hard, it was painful to my soul. In school I was cast aside, manipulated and laughed at. Friendships were made solely based on the bond my classmates would form over their common interest in teasing me. My teachers didn’t understand me,...
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The Superpowers of Neurodiverse Couples
While many articles focus on the challenges associated with being in a neurodiverse partnership, there are countless strengths that are unique to relationships in which one or both partners are on the autism spectrum. When partners search online forums, read books, or even access clinical services,...
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Stuck Between Two Worlds: Having a Brain that is Half Autistic and Half Neurotypical
We often talk of Neurodiversity in terms of a binary between Autistic and Neurotypical when in reality it is much more complicated. We all know Autism exists on a spectrum but commonly assume if someone is on the spectrum, they are one side of a binary line, regardless of where they fall on the...
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The Importance of Communication in Neurodiverse Relationships
Neurodiverse relationships, in which one or both partners are on the autism spectrum, can be among the strongest partnerships. However, neurological differences present unique challenges, particularly related to communication in neurodiverse relationships. Partners may report feeling as though they...
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Neurology Matters in Couples Therapy – and Training is Now Available
“Working with neurodiverse couples is more complicated than neurotypical couples. In order to help the couple work as a unified team, the therapist first has to help the partners understand each other’s neurological differences. The therapist has to understand each partner’s unique language...
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Prognosis? The Sky’s the Limit
When I published my first memoir in January, I expected to receive a fair amount of feedback from readers. I didn’t know what my readers would say, exactly, but I assumed that, for the most part, their responses would be positive. I imagined that people would write to me and offer such opinions...