Changeling: The Ongoing Journey of an Aspie: October 2018

What I've Been Up To...

It's been quite the year thus far. After relaunching this blog in April, I kind of went...kaput. So much of my research on autism illuminated some of my greater challenges. I frankly wasn't prepared. It's been hard to process and cope with the new information. But I rallied, enough to get a lot of projects rolling this summer. You can see some of what I've been working on in my Quarterly Review Post. Still, things move slow when you have autism...slower than you'd like. I am always trying to juggle the driven, ambitious part of myself with the part that wants to crawl into bed, exhausted from simply coping. It makes it hard to do your own thing, to forge your own path.

Fortunately, I found something that should help with this.

Patreon

Patreon connects creatives with the audience that loves them. It allows them to engage more with each other through exclusive content on a membership-based platform for as little as $1/month. I love it. It means I get to keep creating, and you get to keep getting the benefit of that which I create. Note the orange button up on the left-hand side? Go check out my page, see what you think, and if you like what you see, if you like what I do here, I encourage you to become a patron. Remember, patrons will not only keep getting posts here, but they will also get exclusive and advanced content that is only on Patreon!

For all my fellow Autistics out there that are struggling to do their own thing in a world that doesn't believe they can or should, you might look into this as an option.

What's Next...

Well, that's the question, isn't it? While I haven't had much in the way of time to share my thoughts on here, it doesn't mean I'm not having them. There are a lot of thoughts, and it will take time to process them enough to get them jotted down here. I know I'll be doing more advocacy as time goes on; there's not enough of a voice out there for us. In the meantime, it will probably the new year before I start posting on the reg again.

...and, uh...yeah.

What do you think?

SystemAndromeda.com - Facebook - Twitter

I've been rather absent from the scene over the last few months, due to the projects I've been working on. I finished putting together my photography website this summer. It required putting aside other projects, such as this blog. Shameless plug:

www.trickyfishphotography.com

In addition, I've been putting together a Patreon page, to help me keep up with my other projects and better engage with my audiences. It's launching today, and I'll be doing a post about it here soon.

Between the above, a family vacation, and some other projects and adventures, I've been busy, all spoons used before I could even think about doing autism research, much less autism reflection. So, despite this being three months' worth of finds, it's a bit...*ahem*....sparse this month.

Articles/Sites/Blogs

I was 35 when I discovered I'm on the autism spectrum. Here's how it changed my life. - This could be the story of how my autism discovery/diagnosis went. A good read.
The Protective Gift of Meltdowns - Excellent article on meltdowns. Anyone who experiences them, or has been in the presence of one, should really read this.
a very incomplete list of autistic experiences; no particular order - I related most to the bits about movies, reactions to lights (a particularly sore point with me), and sensory overload.
Hannah Gadsby’s “Nanette” and Disabled Queer Trauma - Thoughts on this recent comedic revelation. I loved Hannah, and it spoke to me on so many levels.
How autistic adults are being let down by the healthcare system - Not a surprising story.
How to Build an Audience on Facebook: 9 Tips That Helped 'Autistic Not Weird' Gather 82,000 Followers on Facebook in Three Years - This is less about the autism, and more about success in social media, but it's nice to see a autism success story.

Memes

In fact, I particularly enjoyed the meme Mr. Bonnello created.

Meme by Chris Bonnello (a.k.a. "Autistic Not Weird")
autisticnotweird.com

I prefer... "albatross"...
Source

Books

Released in August:

My Special Friend Sam: Respecting the Needs of Children with Autism - I like what I've seen of this book so far. There needs to be more books for people outside the spectrum, especially at a young age, normalizing autistic behavior and respecting boundaries for autistic people. If it's done well enough, then I'd like to see it in classrooms everywhere.
Being with Asperger's: So That's How It's Done! - I'm curious about this one. Someone with Asperger's partially viewed by someone who lived with them, and partially through their own words, full of their brand of humor, etc. Could be cool.
Spectrum Women: Walking to the Beat of Autism - Been waiting for this one to come out for a while. Perspectives from several different women on the spectrum. If nothing else, this can tell me which authors I'd like to purchase next based on style and how I connect to their stories.

Released in September:

Asperger’s Syndrome and Jail: A Survival Guide - I can't imagine trying to navigate jail. I think I'd lose my mind. This could be a really important tool, though I'd like to see one for guards and wardens, as well as see the justice system get an overhaul, so that not so many people with developmental disabilities (as autism falls under), are sent to jail in the first place.
Autism in Heels: The Untold Story of a Female Life on the Spectrum - I'm really excited to read this. While most information written about the spectrum from an autistic's point of view is important, I particularly want the perspectives of women on the spectrum, especially as it pertains to our tendency to mask, making our lives a bigger struggle, sometimes, than that of our male peers.

Insights

Though I've been taking time away from the blog, autism is never far from my mind. It can't be. It is part of who I am. I read somewhere that finding diagnosis was like finding a Rosetta Stone to the self (need to find that source). I wholeheartedly agree. If it weren't for my diagnosis, there are so many things I still wouldn't understand about myself; so many things I wouldn't be able to make happen in my life. ...of course, there are a lot of things I can't make happen for the very reason that I am autistic. It's a weird little balance. And I'm doing the best I can.

What kinds of resources and cool things have you found lately? Share in the comments below!