Stories from the Autism Spectrum.
by m kelter
I.
In 2005, at the age of 30, I began therapy and received a diagnosis of autism. It caught me off guard, because I had gone in specifically to receive help with depression and social anxiety. A spectrum diagnosis was not on my radar, and it took me over a year to fully come to terms with the reality of it.
by m kelter
She has a travel-for-work kind of job, so I tag along sometimes.
by m kelter
During college, I had an easier time making friends with students from other countries than with my own US classmates. We seemed to share a confusion with the surrounding social world, although for presumably different reasons.
by m kelter
This is a collection of stories about a friend I made during college. I can count on one hand the number of friends I’ve made in my life- it has never been an easy thing- so experiences like this stand out in my mind.
by m kelter
I don’t know. I suppose there is a theme here. Possibly.
I.
I’ve never been able to remember what I look like. I can look in a mirror and think, Oh yeah, that’s me. For a split second, it’s always kind of a shock to see my reflection, but then I understand, it’s just me.
by m kelter
Being at a social event…it never feels like you’ve simply entered a space with other people. It feels more like waking up in another person’s dream…like being thrown there. You find yourself in an unfamiliar space. The context and reality are inscrutable, cryptic. Nothing works the way it’s supposed to. At a basic level, you don’t know how to be.
by m kelter
I.
“Let’s make a friend.”
The earliest memory I can recall is probably from a time when I was three or four years old.
by m kelter
A parent recently asked a question about her autistic child and radical self-acceptance.
She described him as being very inquisitive about his differences and having a strong sense of self. He is aware of his diagnosis, has terrific self-esteem…but he is currently quite young. The mom is worried about adolescence and whether or not he will continue to feel good about himself once there is more social pressure to conform and hide differences.
by m kelter
Let’s call it a personality screensaver…
by m kelter
Two questions this time around. One from a parent…and one from a lady diagnosed with Aspergers who wants to know how anyone could feel good about life on the spectrum.
Thoughtful questions. My non-expert, answery type things: in effect.