This article was first published in Spectrum Women Magazine on 22 July 2020. A tabby white cat dancing on a stage. Imagine you’re standing on a makeshift stage. Just you. It’s time to dance. You start to move around the stage, the dancing getting better as you feel more comfortable. Then somebody removes some of…
“WHAT CAN I SAY INSTEAD?”
Alternatives to ableist slurs More and more people are recognising why you should avoid using terms like ‘retard’, ‘idiot’, ‘imbecile’ or ‘moron’ as an insult, though they may struggle to think of terms to use instead. These types of slurs have become so normalised, and are used so commonly, it can seem like a hard…
AUTISM: A BRAVE NEW WORLD?
A silhouette style illustration of a woman superhero with sun setting in the valley background This article was first published on 9 February 2020 in Spectrum Women Magazine. "You’re very brave.” I get that a lot. In fact, I’ve been hearing it constantly ever since I ‘came out’ as autistic. It’s usually said kindly (I…
Who’s to blame for Whorlton Hall?
A recent BBC Panorama programme uncovered horrendous abuse taking place in an institution in the UK meant to provide care for autistic people and people with learning disabilities. I must confess, I didn’t watch it: I have a hard enough time as it is getting a good night’s sleep. It would be convenient to be…
The five things I loved most about ‘The Rosie Result’
I honestly didn't realise how much I'd missed Don Tilman, the character Graeme Simsion first brought to life in 'The Rosie Project' and revisited in 'The Rosie Effect', until I dived into the final instalment of the Rosie trilogy as soon as it was published in the UK. Here is a list of some of…
TEN REASONS WHY I DON’T FIT THE AUTISM STEREOTYPE
There are still many myths and misconceptions about autism. Here are ten reasons why I don't fit the popular stereotype of an autistic person: I have two x chromosomes. I'm over twelve years old. I need a calculator to do big sums. I don't know my Bluetooth from my Blu Ray. (Seriously, is there a…
On being an autistic civil servant (and why I fall down stairs a lot)
I don’t do fluorescent lighting. It pixelates my vision, gives me a headache and makes me nauseous. My office has the ambience of a vampire’s lair. I dread the weekly fire alarm test. I am super-sensitive to loud noises and combinations of noises. Two words that strike fear into my soul are ‘sandwich lunch’. Dairy…
“I OVERTHINK, THEREFORE I AM”
I have a brain like a runaway train Oh, what will the next station be? Death or disaster? I need to work faster I think the cat might need de-fleaed… I have a brain like a runaway train It’s powered by guilt, fear and caffeine Memories cramped in the vaults that store tales of my…
If Neurodiversity Doesn’t Challenge You, You’re Not Doing It Right
by Maura Campbell Posted on June 23, 2018 on Spectrum Women “Would you like to pet the lambs?” This story comes back to me whenever I have to check in with myself on whether I’m ‘doing neurodiversity right’. Let me explain. It was shortly after my son’s autism diagnosis, and many months before I’d cottoned on that I…
‘THINKING DIFFERENTLY ABOUT DIFFERENCE’
I was honoured to be invited to speak at a live recording for BBC Radio 4’s Four Thought programme in May on the theme of ‘Thinking Differently about Difference’. An edited version aired on June 6, 2018 and this is the link to the full podcast version, including Q&A.
Neuro Dizzy 