How to do it strategically to develop your writing career — Like many writers on Medium, I don’t publish under my actual name. It’s not a pseudonym exactly, more of a variation of my name that has evolved over time. I chose to write under a different name not because I had anything in particularl to hide, but for the freedom…

An article by a neurotypical writer made me cringe more than the idea of speed dating — When I came across an article about “neurodiverse speed-dating” my cringe reflex was immediately activated. As middle-aged queer AuHD person I can’t think of anything worse. A response was already agitating itself in my brain. Reading the article gave me the irks pretty much straight away but for other reasons…

They got more than they bargained for — Recently I participated in a university research project about women and the mental load. It’s a concept that I find endlessly fascinating and multi-layered so I jumped at the chance to put my two cents worth in. The idea of the mental load first rose to prominence as a rallying…

The complicated relationship neurodivergent folks have with our emotions — My mother used to cook a dish made by stewing lamb chops with vegetables until it all became a grayish-brown slop. The ingredients were indistinguishable, their color and flavor long gone. I hated it. My heart would sink when I learned that was to be the evening meal. …

When your brain needs rest but craves stimulation and activity — When I first learned about Autistic burnout, I thought I was just Autistic. I deep-dived into the research, wrote about it and pretty much absorbed it as part of my story. Burnout is still part of my story, although these days I’m happy to say I’m avoiding it more than…

They should be able to wear whatever they damn well want — I’m the parent of a fourteen-year-old daughter, so I have skin in the game, so to speak. She’s had an evolving relationship with her body. When she was little, her body was for twirling, dancing, cartwheeling and generally filling the space around her as she saw fit. The dark clouds…

Can we please stop holding this up as the ideal because it’s far from it — A child having only one of their parents as their primary carer is still held up as optimal parenting in many circles. Extra points if the primary carer stays home and resists the temptation to fob their child off to strangers while they selfishly pursue a career. And yes, the…

They’re masterfully building their brand and aesthetic — My writing on this platform typically involves deep introspection as I excavate parts of my life previously unexposed to light. But now and again I’m inspired to write about something that has nothing to do with me or my life. …

We are the experts on what it means to be Autistic — As an Autistic person, it can sometimes feel as though our lived experience doesn’t count for much. Existing in a world where baseline awareness about autism is still abysmally low means we have to work hard to be understood. We’re constantly trying to explain ourselves while correcting misconceptions and opening…