Autism Spectrum Disorder

Stimming is a necessity in the lives of many neurodiverse people — including autistic people, people with ADHD and those with anxiety. Everybody stims in some way or another. I love having easily accessible wearable stim toys and things for my sensory needs with me at all times. There have been many times when I [...]

Autistic shutdowns happen when life starts to get too much for us. We’ve overwhelmed our processing skills and our brains begin to close down certain systems to preserve energy. Open too many windows on your computer, and you’ll find that everything starts to run slowly, the mouse might freeze and all that’s left is to [...]

Damn social media. I have such a love-hate relationship with it. I love that we can meet in this little community huddled in our very safe, comfortable corner in the internet universe and share our common concerns, triumphs and general bitch sessions. But I hate that social media is a regular reminder of how alone [...]

Stimming, or self-stimulatory behaviors, are behaviors people with autism may exhibit to counteract an overwhelming sensory environment or alleviate the high levels of internal anxiety, according to Temple Grandin’s post in Autism Digest. Some examples of stimming are rocking, spinning, pacing, repeating words or flapping of arms or hands. Autistic people aren’t the only ones who [...]

After Richard Bagby was paralyzed due to a spinal cord injury 13 years ago, he wondered how he would be able to live independently. First, there were the practical aspects of adjusting to his new physical abilities, and then he faced a new financial reality. Richard depends on state and federal programs that require him [...]