trimalkin

The views below are personal musings on faith, or my inability to embrace organized religion, while still being in awe of life and nature. I don't speak for all Autistic people or all faiths. Faith is like having a favourite colour, food, or song.  You just 'know' and can tell people what resonates for you but rarely change their mind and that's okay to have different beliefs. I admire and respect people of faith who use it for 'good' not war. I think I'm lacking the 'faith gene' though.  (And no, there isn't a gene for that as far as I know).   I don't know if there is really a correlation but I feel like my inability to follow dogma unquestioningly / to have 'faith' or just 'believe' without proof stems from being Autistic.   In University I took a religious studies course and explored dozens of religions from A to Z (Agnostic to Zoroastrian) by intellectually reading about them and just found a set of rules and beliefs and ...

  My Mega List of Autistic-friendly Activity Suggestions This list has grown over time with ideas from friends, colleagues, social groups.  They are activities I would feel comfortable hosting or co-hosting, or attending and I have shared many with local groups already.  Posting it here for easy access because sharing is caring.   Special thanks to LM for the huge starter list.  Some activities are local to Calgary but many could be done anywhere you are. Some I would bring foam earplugs for, or call ahead for gluten-free options. photo source: Canva Considerations low demand / easy sensory friendly (bring stim toys & fidgets, scent-free, quiet, temperature not extreme, reduce visual clutter, flashing lights) allergy informed (if food is involved offer gluten-free, nut-free, vegan etc. depending on who RSVPs) accessible (wheelchairs, walkers, walking sticks) drop in - come/leave freely (no fear of being late) ask community what else they’d like to see O...

  When you think of a spectrum, do you visualize a linear gradient from 0-10, or from white to black, or from low to high ‘functioning?’ People are not generally brilliant at everything or nothing, and that’s especially true for Autistic people. It seems like people are expected to be at least 'average' at 'most things,' especially in school. I felt bad about struggling in math and physical education until I learned that dyscalculia and dyspraxia are common in Autistic people. I excelled in English, French and Art classes, but that never felt to me like it made up for my struggles, until I learned (in adulthood) about this uneven distribution of abilities and began to understand the 'spiky profile' of Autistic abilities and struggles. Many artists, authors, scientists, engineers, doctors, and inventors over the years were likely Autistic (never diagnosed), based on descriptions of their ‘quirkiness’ and their hyper-focus on their passions or intense interest...

As I have found, obtaining an adult autism diagnosis can be elusive for a variety of reasons including:  Out of date stereotypes about what autism looks like.  Stigma and deficit-based terminology in diagnostic manuals. A lack of knowledge and confidence in diagnosticians.  Autism traditionally not being recognized in women, trans and non-binary folks. Camouflaging/masking to fit in and be accepted by others.  Dismissal/invalidation of discomfort in childhood, leading living with constant discomfort and believing everyone else does too. Lack of accessibility for patients to diagnosis (location, cost, and wait times). Isolation and lack of digital literacy. Autism - Barriers to Late Diagnosis for Adults The inaccessibility of official diagnosis is one of the main reasons that self-diagnosis is acceptable within the Autistic community. But without an official diagnosis, many of us may continue to feel a bit of imposter syndrome. In Calgary in 2022-23, there were no kno...