Neurodiversity Acceptance Month

As shown here: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=674917597975147&set=pcb.675005351299705, the topic of week one is ‘Autism Advocacy’.

I suppose by writing this blog, my aim is to contribute towards the wealth of autism advocacy available on social media. In particular, I wanted to add to the adult PDAer voice, as most of the PDA work online is by parents for parents. That’s an important perspective, but late diagnosed PDAers need resources too, and we deserve for our voices to be heard.

Autism advocacy was so important for me learning about my own neurotypes. I was manically hyperfixating on all things neurodivergent for around 6 months before ending up in hospital, which I think contributed to experiencing burn out at the same time and losing my speech for around a month and a half.

Something I found difficult was that April was early on in my journey, and that month reminded me all the ways my Autistic traits have lead to oppression and trauma. Even just the counter-responses by Autistic advocates in that month was unpleasant. So I’m trying to work to make April a more pleasant experience now, and engage in these blogging events to share a rounded Autistic experience, without directly engaging in the stuff that fights back against Autism Speaks etc.

Outside of that aspect of Autism advocacy though, I’m so glad for the #actuallyautistic communties on the web, and the people discussing ADHD. I’d never have understood the nature of these neurotypes well enough to realise it was my experience without it. It also helped me feel like there were people out there that understood me, all of me for the first time (particularly meeting fellow PDAers).

I think it’s actually a really impressive lived experience body of knowledge that is being created, and it deserves to be valued as much as research studies – that are often dehumanising, and from the Allistic perspective, rather than our own. It’s important that we listen to Autistic people about our own lives, what works for us, and what we find traumatising. Autistic adults are best placed to say what will help Autistic children, having lived through that experience.