Strangers saying they’re sorry when they hear my children are autistic. Acquaintances telling me what a good parent I am just because I love and accept my children. A society that is scared of my children because they move, communicate or experience the world differently.
We all have many aspects to our character that make up part of our identity. We have identity defining characteristics associated with gender and gender roles, our interests, employment, family situations, the culture we grew up in, our financial status, and our perceived value in society. Most of these characteristics are assigned a value of […]
Autism “professionals” tell me you need a lot of help and intervention. NOW, before the window closes. They say. They meet you and talk of deficits. They check boxes and tally scores. I disagree. You are not a thing in need of fixing. They are really missing out, these people who cannot see how perfectly […]
“Briannon is a proudly queer, autistic woman with three autistic children” Sometimes I feel my ‘intro to Bri’ should swap the word ‘proudly’ with ‘fearful’, because most days my Autistic pride feels more like fear. That’s because identifying as autistic in my 30s is my second coming out.My first coming out was when I fell […]
This is my first April as an autistic person. That’s not true, of course. I’ve been autistic my whole life. But this is my first time getting through “Autism Awareness Month” knowing that I’m autistic. You see, I was officially diagnosed just this April after about a half year of gradually realizing that I was […]
Child of mine, I see you. I see you. How much you love and accept your neurodivergent family members – without conditions. How you flap along with your younger siblings even though flapping doesn’t come naturally to you, because you want to share in their joy. How you willingly partake in scripts because you […]