Funkonovo/Allison's autism Blog

The light spectrum ranging from Ultraviolet (invisible to the naked eye) to visible to Infared (also invisible to the naked eye).  Google Image Search I'm going to go out on a limb here. This "What's your superpower?" question has become quite popular. "What superpower do you wish you had?" One response by some autistic adults has been "Autism is my superpower." I cringe, because I, being autistic, see my autism as anything but. I am disgusted by how there is little tolerance for a middle ground or common sense these days. I suppose if you went to college, are gainfully employed, don't have SPD so severe you can't go out into public without help, are married and even have kids, you will view your autism through mostly rose colored glasses. I say mostly, because I DON'T want to undermine the fact you do struggle to do what non-autistic people do with less or no effort each day. If you drive, own a home, have friends, lov...

The author, a white woman with brown hair with pained expression CW: Mention of meltdowns, law enforcement, suicide, the criminal justice system This is going to be a difficult post for me to write, because it will trigger memories of guilt, shame and "if onlys". It isn't my intention to dwell on these negative feelings. I wish to present the facts accurately, without self pity or blame-shifting. I have mentioned before that my autistic meltdowns became more frequent and (yes, I must use the v-word) violent in my mid teens. For me, a meltdown occurs when: 1. I am physically and emotionally drained. 2. I am startled by a trigger sound (a shrill scream or a car horn or explosion) 3. Having to socially interact already bearing #1 and #2. I have always been a take-charge person, impulsive by nature. My parents knew since my infancy that something wasn't right (and no, that isn't a put-down, it is a clinical observation about my neurology based on obse...

A Polaroid with light leaks and fade. Misconceptions and stigma associated (conceptual photography) "You're pretty high functioning," you say, shaking my hand (I can do handshakes), I realize you probably want to make me feel good about myself. Your image of an autistic person might be of someone non-verbal, perhaps in a wheelchair, whose focus is elsewhere. You are correct-in part. A very small part. I'm sure you have heard that autism is a spectrum. You've been made aware of autism, but you don't have a complete picture. Your concept is like a bad photograph where only part of the film got exposed and the rest is light leaks of yellow and red. It isn't your fault. You aren't  autistic. What you likely know about autism mostly comes from the media, which often relies on doomsday scenarios  filled with no light at the end of the story's tunnel. "You seem pretty normal to me." In the here and now. In this room, one of my f...