Written by Alex* “She laid aloneduring her best daysas a work of artreading naked on the bed …”– Pearl Jam, Vitalogy album booklet Most people think of inertia as a manifest difficulty in getting started. The term conjures images of immovable boulders. In common parlance, an object is “inert” if it is motionless. It came as a surprise to me, studying physics at university (I switched from psychology because the “obviousness” of the content bored me – perhaps, in retrospect, another sign of my neurodivergence) to discover that the term “inertia” is not just about starting, but also stopping! I ..read more

Written by Amy Adams Each of us experience the world, at least in part, through our senses. Sensory processing is the process by which our nervous system receives, organises, and interprets incoming sensory information. Sensory information includes what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and our sense of movement, balance, and perception of interoceptive cues (internal body sensations).  Our sensory processing systems are there to help us figure out how to respond to our environments and our body. Most people’s brains filter out sensory information that is safe to ignore – that is, sensor ..read more

Monotropic minds tend to have their attention pulled more strongly towards a smaller number of interests at any given time, leaving fewer resources for other processes. Early researchers of Autism, including Leo Kanner in 1943, have observed that many Autistic individuals exhibit a narrowed and emotionally charged focus. This particular characteristic continues to be recognised as a significant diagnostic criterion for Autism. It is described as “highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus.” In 2005, Autistic researcher Dinah Murray introduced the concept of m ..read more

It is every child’s basic human right to access inclusive education. But what does it mean to have emancipatory inclusion? Join us as we move beyond the traditional notion of inclusivity and delve into the essence of emancipatory inclusion, in which all children receive an equitable and participatory learning experience. Emancipatory inclusion is characterised by supports that allow children to communicate using their preferred method, and an environment where their presence and diverse perspectives and experiences are genuinely valued. It recognises that true inclusion requires Autistic chil ..read more

Passionate, young, Autistic advocate, Patrick Saunders, is a 14-year-old, non-speaking teenager with a lot to say. Growing up, Patrick couldn’t talk reliably and stopped talking almost altogether when he was nine year’s old. At the age of seven he started to learn how to communicate using a letterboard and found his spellers voice around 12 years of age. In this insightful webinar he shares his views from the social model of disability to his hopes for the future. Patrick’s blog, ‘What I Wish People Understood About Non-Speaking Autistics Who Spell to Communicate’ is available here.   Tr ..read more

Spelled by Patrick Saunders Listen to an audio file of the blog here. Content note: depressive thoughts and medical procedures I first started toe walking later than other Autistic children who toe walk.* I was around six or seven years of age. When I walked I would balance on the tips of my toes as the pain in my Achilles tendon would prevent me from placing my heel on the ground. People would always comment and ask me to walk with flat feet but it wasn’t possible because my tendons were too short and were not growing as I was growing. This made me angry. In my opinion, I don’t think my to ..read more

Written by Chantell Marshall aka Shy Little Pixie “What a curious feeling!” said Alice. “I must be shutting up like a telescope!” This quote from my beloved special interest, Alice in Wonderland, flashes through my mind when I am falling into shutdown. I see myself shrinking in size, falling down the well of my inner world until I am deeply hidden within my core, curled up in the foetal position in the darkness. I don’t imagine any of this experience is visible, externally. I am still present in a physical sense, all 157cm of me. It is the essence of who I am as a person that has gone into hi ..read more

Autistic individuals frequently experience stress and overwhelm as part of their daily lives. Simply navigating a culture and environment that do not align with their needs can be a source of constant stress, often resulting in sensory and emotional overload. This stress can originate from various factors, such as anxiety-inducing social scenarios, unwelcoming work environments, or excessively stimulating surroundings. Moreover, it can manifest in manners that may appear perplexing to those who are neurotypical. One of such results of chronic stress, overwhelm or sensory overload is an Autist ..read more

Everyone experiences ‘demand avoidance’ from time to time – that is, resisting the idea of doing something that has been requested of you. However for those who experience Pathological Demand Avoidance, things can feel significantly more intense. Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) refers to a specific profile within the Autism spectrum, where individuals exhibit a strong desire for independence and have an increased sensitivity towards demands that challenge their autonomy. Tasks as simple as putting on shoes, going to sleep, brushing one’s teeth or having breakfast can evoke significant emot ..read more

An Autistic meltdown, also sometimes referred to as an autonomic storm, is a reaction to feelings of intense overwhelm, distress, or dysregulation. Although some may see an Autistic meltdown as a tantrum, or worse – as someone being manipulative to get their way – that is not the case. A meltdown is not a conscious behaviour that can be changed, but rather an uncontrollable response to overwhelming feelings; a physical reaction to an overwhelmed brain. Too much information from sensory or cognitive stimuli triggers the automatic nervous system, which then signals to the brain that the person ..read more