Race, ethnicity, heritage, ancestry... some of the most tense subjects out there, yet so central to our identities. My own family is very outspoken and proud of being Mexican American. In addition to talking about it regularly within our family, I was often asked about it growing up. "What ARE you?" people would ask me. …
Adult Autism Resources
Autistic people face a unique obstacle in being understood compared to many other minority groups. With other subjects, you can educate yourself in a fairly straightforward manner by reading about those things online. Just googling it is a great starting place for people who want to learn more. But with autism, there are a lot …
The Impossibility of Diagnosis
The average age of receiving an autism diagnosis is 4 years old. When I was in elementary school, my mom recognized some similarities between me and a cousin she grew up with who happens to be autistic. She brought me in to Vera French, a local mental health center, to see if I might also be …
Synesthesia
My sister (who is not autistic) and I both have grapheme-color synesthesia. There is a genetic component to it, so it often runs in families. Having the grapheme-color form of synesthesia means that letters and numbers have colors for us. It’s been this way our whole lives. We agree on some letters and numbers, but …
Drugs & Addiction
Disclaimer: I do not condone the use of substances where they are illegal. When I was a kid, we had the DARE program to teach us about drugs in school. I only remember two things. First, the officer brought in drunk goggles once, which I thought were really cool. Second, he told us a story of a …
Health Issues
Unfortunately, being autistic is linked to a whole host of health issues. For example, autism is associated with epilepsy, cerebral palsy, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, congenital heart disease, type 1 diabetes, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, and chronic pain. I have had severe mid-to-upper back and neck pain since early childhood. The Quad Cities, where I live, is home to the …
College
The spring before I left for college, I had a small graduation ceremony (just a few family members) and then a graduation party. The party was a joint event, celebrating both my belated high school graduation and my grandpa’s retirement. It worked out well because both events involve random relatives you’ve never met coming by …
Hoarding & Depersonalization
I am not particularly interested in collecting things, at least in the sense of buying something just for the sake of adding to a collection, but I do find it very difficult to throw things away. Maybe some would call me a hoarder. But to me, hoarding conjures up the image of hanging on to …
Appearance & Style
One thing that seems to be a pattern among autistic people is being read as much younger than we actually are, which can be both a blessing and a curse. This has always been the case for me, especially since I am only 5 feet tall. When I worked as a grocery bagger from 17-19 …
Dentistry: The Experience
Nobody loves going to the dentist, but it can be particularly stressful for autistic people, especially young children. Luckily, no one told me that, and I didn't find dental cleanings to be dreadful experiences in general. Well, of course, it's not just a matter of choosing not to be anxious; the main culprit behind many …
Autistic Thoughts 