When I (or rather, baby autistic me) wrote my TEDx talk I had been diagnosed for two years and only a handful of people knew. This speech was a turning point. I knew that I had less to lose than many other autistics by going public. I had the privilege of feeling secure in my […]

“What do you look like under stress?” I’ve never been asked that in an interview, so it threw me. What do I look like under stress? I kicked off my answer with a bit of initial rambling, um, yep, well I probably talk less, work longer, eat more chocolate… But actually? However you’re seeing me, […]

I haven’t left the house for a couple of weeks (as in, no outside requirements, not sick or anything). It’s been awesome. I’ve been buzzing around in my head and there’s soooo much I want to do! (I have To Do lists of To Do lists. And I love it!) So many exciting things are […]

Disclaimer: Staying home saves lives. Do what you need to do to get through this: for some people that will mean cleaning, for some that will mean creating, and for some that will mean sleeping, eating, or gaming. There’s no right way to do this, except to get it done the best way for you […]

You say yes; then you figure it out. Because when you know, just know, that you’re making a difference, it stops becoming a choice. Fear doesn’t get to be a reason to say no. The door opens; you go through it.     Event poster (Theresa Tongi) Velvety Goodness Legends Arohanoa Matthews & Paul Quicke. […]

The last time this happened, I lost a summer. The longest was nine months or so. At least I have a word for it now. Before my diagnosis, I thought of it as me being “weak/useless/wrecking everything” (ha, I still think that a lot of the time; acceptance is a journey..!) and then, when I […]

Counting down to the Asia Pacific Autism Conference🌱 I’m juggling the last deadlines and projects before we leave. The mission now? Memorise my speech, and forget everything else – forget that the 1800 strong conference is sold out, forget that just attending a conference of this size and level of awesomeness is going to be […]

22 April is Jellybean Day. Any excuse to talk candy! A friend sent me an article about a late-diagnosed Autistic, and this part jumped out at me: “Emma’s childhood was marked by odd behaviours that concerned her mother, but were dismissed by the family doctor as “quirkiness”. If she had a packet of lollies, she felt […]

It’s kind of silly because we’re Autistic every month, but kind of awesome because it puts a (red or gold) light on – even just for 30 days. Here’s my tip: you can’t tell who’s who by looking. Autism isn’t always male. It isn’t always non-verbal. It isn’t always flapping, mimicking, pacing, melt-down-shut-down, touch-avoiding, head-phone-wearing, […]