Category: My Evolving Path
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The Slow Retreat: What an Autistic Shutdown Really Feels Like for Me
Ever feel like you’re slowly retreating from the world? For many, this isn’t social awkwardness but an autistic shutdown. A late-diagnosed autistic dad shares his story.
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The Crushing Weight of a Word: Navigating Autistic Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria
It can start with something so small. A message left on ‘read’. An exclamation mark that feels… off. A fractional shift in someone’s tone of voice. For me, that’s all it takes for the spiral of autistic rejection sensitive dysphoria to begin. My mind, which I’ve learned through mindfulness practice should know that thoughts aren’t…
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A Kinder Approach: The Triune Brain and Emotional Regulation
As a teacher, parent, and autistic adult, understanding the triune brain and emotional regulation was my key to self-compassion.
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Feeling in Full Colour: The Bright Side of Autistic Empathy
For years, I believed the myth about autistic empathy. Now I know the truth is often the opposite. This is my story of hyper-empathy and learning to embrace it.
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Autistic Rumination: I’m Autistic, So Why Can’t I Stop Worrying?
For many autistic adults, that feeling of being unable to stop thinking about something is all too familiar. It’s called autistic rumination. This post explores what it feels like to live with a brain that loves to deep-dive, how this can be both a strength and a source of great anxiety, and shares gentle, creative…
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My Autistic Sense of Justice: That Fire in My Bones
Ever felt a sense of right and wrong so intensely it feels like it’s physically part of you? For many late-diagnosed autistic adults, this powerful, unshakeable conviction isn’t a personality quirk—it’s a core part of our neurology. This is my story of understanding my own autistic sense of justice, from confronting racism to shifting my…
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My Autism Diagnosis Journey: How I Found Out I Was Autistic as an Adult in the UK
If you’re here, you might be asking yourself a question that, until recently, was a constant in my own mind: “Am I autistic?” It’s a profound question, and figuring out the answer can feel like navigating a maze without a map. I wanted to share my autism diagnosis journey with you, in the hope that…
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The Uncharted Territory: Navigating Friendships with Late-Diagnosed Autism
Right, let’s talk about something that’s been on my mind a lot lately – something a bit tender, if I’m honest, and a path I’m still very much figuring out. Friendships. For many, they seem to blossom with a natural, almost effortless grace. But for me, and perhaps for other late-diagnosed autistic adults, the landscape…
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My Autistic Fear of Being Late: A Journey with Time
For many autistic individuals, the concept of time can be a significant source of anxiety. This post explores a personal journey with a pathological fear of being late, the elaborate coping mechanisms developed (like being aggressively early), and how a late autism diagnosis brought understanding and self-compassion to this lifelong “quirk.”
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My Autistic Ears: Navigating the Noise
Finding Calm with Sound Sensitivity Let’s discuss a significant topic for many on the autistic spectrum, and certainly for myself: sound. More specifically, autism sound sensitivity. It’s an experience that, until one truly understands or lives it, can remain somewhat elusive to others. For me, it has been a lifelong companion, though its intensity has…
