Being seen. Being heard. Being felt. As I am. Without masks. ‘La Trahison des Masques (This is not real),’ digital image by the author. Digital tools included AI.This Is Not My #AltText. But I got my reasons for starting off with my Claude 3-assisted work: ALT TEXT: This digital image by the author, ‘La Trahison des Masques (This is not real),’ is a nod to Magritte’s exploration of reality through Surrealist art. Framed by the imposing architecture of New York’s Financial District, a distinguished businessman in a sleek suit holds a sign reading ‘This is not REAL,’ echoing the Parisi ..read more

The Signs that Were Staring Me In The Face Image created on Canva by Shamiha Said. It’s been two years since I was diagnosed with autism and ADHD, and I honestly can’t believe that I went my entire life not knowing that I was autistic. Looking back, it was painfully apparent that I was autistic, but instead of questioning why I am the way I am, I ended up believing the whispers of others…that I was ‘too sensitive’, ‘bookish’, ‘an overachiever’, and a certified ‘weirdo’. It isn’t surprising that over 80% of autistic girls and women are not diagnosed by the age of 18, which means that ..read more

Being rejected by those society has rejected, I must be censored to protect you from your darkest thoughts. Photo by Jakayla Toney on UnsplashThis article was censored/rejected by a sensitive Medium publication. I’m up to about 3,500, perhaps more, rejections in the last 12 months, all-inclusive (friendship, work, dating, etc.). The publication must’ve felt that it was more important to protect people from the awful truth of what people feel when they are on the receiving end of 50 years of unjust, irrational discrimination, followed by a grand finale of 6 years of constant rejection. Sui ..read more

This Autism Awareness Month, learn about Autism from Autistic People. Image created on Canva by Author (Shamiha Said) In 2024, autism and ADHD have taken the spotlight, as many adults are now being diagnosed late because of many neurodivergent adults raising awareness and sharing their experiences online. However, there are still far too many misconceptions about autism and autistic people, many of which are harmful stereotypes rooted in shame and stigma. As an autistic woman, all I want to experience is true acceptance of autism so that more autistic women, particularly those o ..read more

Wow. Am I conflicted. “In the Back Row…,” original digital image by the author. Digital tools included AI. Are AI-generated images… Art? Wow. Am I conflicted. A friend wrote me yesterday, “Most people seem to use ‘AI Art’ in such a low-effort manner that it’s actively distracting…” “In the Back Row…,” original digital image by author. Digital tools included AI. I get it. You can spot a Dall-E or Midjourney image… I dunno, around the corner before you even smell it coming into view? Right? Otoh, there’s the democracy thing… “Ceci n’est pas une joie autistitique,” original di ..read more

The Autistic Traits That Are Misconceived As Red Flags Image created on Canva by the author (Shamiha Said) It is a dangerous myth that autistic people are incapable of doing bad things, which stems from infantilisation, and it’s essential to recognise that we are just as flawed as our allistic peers. As an autistic woman, there have been many times when others do not understand why I say the things I do or why I don’t behave the way people expect me to. Through years of therapy, I have now realised that I have the red flags that I have been blind to, too focused on the red flags ..read more

“Synthonic Love,” digital illustration by author. Tools included AI. Damn. Aren’t YOU fed up with AI & junk info? I have an idea… maybe. How to teach AI to VALUE human expertise. A SERIOUS proposal… let’s talk about it! I’m autistic and struggle with ADHD. I use AI daily as an assistive device, largely for research and understanding the typical world. But AI doesn’t always know when it’s making stuff up. Or even providing incomplete or fringe info. Not ideal for neurodivergent folks, right? What if we could add already established human-expert credentials ..read more

The Everyday Signs That Scream ‘Autistic’ But Are Heavily Masked Image created on Canva by author. More women than ever before are discovering that they’re autistic, and from experience, this is a ‘canon event’ for many of us. Autistic girls are four times less likely to be diagnosed with autism than boys, which is why it is no surprise that many of us are only realising we’re autistic in adulthood. This goes a step further for women of colour and for those who don’t reside in Western countries, as many societies are still not familiar with autism and neurodiversity. Racial, ethnic a ..read more

The heightened senses, the hormones and the expectations…it’s all too much!!! Image created on Canva by Author (Shamiha Said) Autistic women are more likely to have heightened sensitivities and emotions, and therefore, many of us have problems with emotional regulation. This goes a step further for those of us who are high-masking, as I find that when I am masking, I feel highly irritated by everything around me. Although I was only diagnosed with autism when I was 27 years old, I’ve felt irritated every single day for as long as I can remember. I desperately wish it wasn’t so e ..read more

The ‘Miracle Of Life’ Can Be Torturous For Us Image created on Canva by Author. Autistic pregnant women are rarely acknowledged and are often left unsupported throughout their pregnancy, birth and postpartum. There is an endless amount of information available for allistic parents with autistic kids, but there is very little information or support for Autistic pregnant women. When I became pregnant four years ago, I had no idea that I was autistic, but I experienced intense sensory overload, meltdowns and autistic shutdowns. I tried to explain this to the maternity professionals ..read more