So, you want to teach autistic students? Here are 12 tips from an autistic teacher.Ever since adolescence, I’ve wanted to spend my life building people. Whether in terms of confidence, intellect, life skills, or...
Twenty tips for aspiring writers, from an autistic novelistOne commonality I’ve found among autistic people is that many of us love creating our own universes. The real world...
Ten vital reasons to never, ever share an autism meltdown videoWe see them far too often. Videos of an autistic child (or adult) in extreme distress, shared across the internet...
Dear perfectionists – it’s ok to do things imperfectlyThere’s something falsely positive about the word “perfectionist”, isn’t there? The first time I remember hearing the word, I was...
Why Autism Awareness Month can be traumatising for autistic peopleIt doesn’t seem quite right, does it? That a month designated for raising public knowledge of autism would be so...
To everyone who tells me not to say “autistic person”This is going to be one of my shorter articles – largely, I imagine, to be posted in reply to...
When should I tell my child they’re autistic, and how do I tell them?The two questions above are among the most commonly asked by parents of newly-diagnosed autistic children. And wouldn’t it be...
Ten years ago today, I learned I was autistic. Here’s how my life changed.On 29th November 2009, my life started to take the opening few steps towards beginning to make some kind of...
Respectful autism awareness: how to discuss the struggles without increasing the stigmaA few years ago, one of my articles received this comment. “F*** YOU F***YOU F***YOU. You don’t even know anything...
Finding employment as an autistic personThe most depressing period of my life was spent jobsearching, but I picked up a bunch of lessons from it. Here they are.
50 ways to help autistic peopleSo it’s World Autism Awareness Month again! Those who follow Autistic Not Weird’s Facebook page [links open in new tabs]...
A brief guide to coping with being differentI wasn’t very old at all when I first noticed I was different. I didn’t have a word for it...
An autistic person’s guide to an autism-friendly ChristmasI don’t like Christmastime. And I should be allowed to say that without being criticised for it. Don’t get me...
Fifty pieces of advice from an autistic adult, written for autistic childrenThe internet is full of advice articles for parents. So just for once, this one’s for children themselves! I can’t...
11,521 people answered this autism survey. Warning: the results may challenge you.Prepare yourselves. This article’s a big one. (But for those looking at the scrollbar and thinking “wow, this is long”,...
Five tips for autistic students starting college or universityOn paper, I’m an amazing student. I have a Bachelors degree in Mathematics with Education (with honours), a postgraduate primary...
“Hating autism” and the damage it doesIf this article challenges you, it may be a good thing. I’d encourage people to read this with an open...
Navigating the autism diagnosis journey as an adultMore and more adults are coming to realise that they’re on the autism spectrum. Sometimes the possibility of autism is...
Autism and exam stress: 10 tips from personal experienceWhen I was sixteen, I took fourteen exams in three weeks. In the next two years, I took another sixteen...
When you’re “not allowed” to have mental health issuesOfficially, I’ve had mental health issues since 2013. Or at least, that’s when the therapy started. I might have had...