One of the first things anyone asks when I reveal that I received an autism diagnosis at age 37 is “What’s the point of getting that at your age?” Sometimes it comes with an undercurrent of scepticism – “Well you got by for this long… it must be pretty mild.” Sometimes there is disbelief or… Read More The post Forgiveness and Permission: Why seek an adult autism diagnosis? appeared first on Someone's Mum ..read more

As an autistic adult who was not diagnosed until she was thirty-seven, it is so often the subtle differences in communication, processing and assumptions that have led to a breakdown in relationships with neurotypical friends. I feel like I am a good person – I am empathetic, generous, honest. But if I count the number… Read More The post How to lose friends and annoy people as an autistic adult appeared first on Someone's Mum ..read more

This is a paid collaboration with Laptop Outlet . Please see our Disclosure Policy for more information. It has always been difficult to get Biggest to complete homework. As he gets older, the demands on him become more rigorous; he is expected to write more and be more independent. Homework time eats into the time… Read More The post The Lenovo Chromebook Makes Homework Accessible appeared first on Someone's Mum ..read more

It’s official – I’m a bad listener. In the white-hot energy of an introductory conversation, I will not ask you questions. I won’t inquire about your work, your family, the ages of your children. I know which questions should be asked. They press on my chest, tug at my sleeve, get stuck on my tongue.… Read More The post The Bad Listener appeared first on Someone's Mum ..read more

I am anxious. I’m anxious about the virus. I’m anxious about medical tests and the fact that I have not had any work this month. I am anxious about money and the future and about the driving I have to do tomorrow and how my son will cope with exams and my daughter’s cough… and… Read More The post An Ode to Anxiety appeared first on Someone's Mum ..read more

There is an expectation, an implication, a pressure when you are the parent of an autistic child. Sometimes that pressure is very clear – when a therapist forces a child to make eye contact, for example. Sometimes it is unspoken but felt. It can come from relatives, professionals and the general public alike. It is… Read More The post I won’t force him to ‘learn to cope’. appeared first on Someone's Mum ..read more

I have not left you crying in a very, very long time, gorgeous boy. This morning I did. I left your classroom as tears were streaming down your face. I left you in anguish. The knowledge will sit with me, like a stone in my gut, until I collect you again. I know you will… Read More The post I have not left you crying appeared first on Someone's Mum ..read more

I may not be as vocal as you, gorgeous boy, but uncertainty scares me just as much as it scares you. When you started school, the weight returned. The unanswered questions pressed down on my chest. The heaviness of our responsibility made my movements feel slow, sluggish. When you were distraught, when you told me… Read More The post Luck, Change and Uncertainty appeared first on Someone's Mum ..read more

Over the autumn half-term holiday, we visited Paulton’s Park near Southhampton. I knew Biggest would need a place to retreat and time spread out in the park, so we booked two days with a stay in the Jury’s Inn Hotel, Southampton. We hope this Paulton’s Park review will add a little bit more information for… Read More The post Paulton’s Park Review with Accessibility Information appeared first on Someone's Mum ..read more

This is not a post about climate change. This is not a post about the ecological nightmare that our planet is facing. It probably should be. We should probably be united, screaming about climate change, screaming about the plastic in our oceans, screaming about the thousands, hundreds of thousands, of animals facing extinction. After all,… Read More The post Greta Thunberg shows us that Autism Awareness is Dead. appeared first on Someone's Mum ..read more