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.
Autistic Pride 2018
This meme was first published in Spectrum Women Magazine for Autistic Pride Day on June 18, 2018.
THE NIGHT I SAID “I HATE AUTISM” AND WHY I WAS WRONG
Earlier this week, Chris Bonnello wrote an excellent blog about why he believes saying “I hate autism” is wrong. He approached a difficult subject in a fair, balanced and constructive way, and with some trepidation. He was right to be nervous. This is an emotive and neuralgic issue which can quickly drive autistic adults and autistic…
Maura Campbell: Meet the Spectrum Women Book Authors
This article appeared on April 13, 2018 on Spectrum Women Magazine by Maura Campbell As our book Spectrum Women: Walking to the Beat of Autism is now in its final stages of publication, preparing to be printed for the wide world to see by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, we, the Spectrum Women and authors of this book, felt it…
Parenting, Spectrum Style
This article appeared on April 9, 2018 on Zoom Autism Magazine by Maura Campbell My son is the most adorable child on the planet. This irrefutable, undeniable fact has been independently verified – by both his grandmas. I am immensely proud to be his mother. Don’t just take my word for it: he’s bewitched pretty much…
It all made sense when we found out we were autistic
This article appeared on March 26, 2018 on BBC News Website I was delighted when the BBC OUCH team invited me to provide an introduction for this excellent piece on autism in women. Follow the link to see all these women's stories. “I'm Maura Campbell. I was born with the social skills of a used…
WHY WE THINK OUR PETS MIGHT ALSO BE ON THE SPECTRUM
This article appeared on March 29, 2018 on Spectrum Women Magazine A Spectrum Women collaboration, edited by Maura Campbell Kate Ross, Anita Lesko, Jen Elcheson, Lisa Morgan, Becca Lory, Christine Jenkins, Terri Mayne, Jeanette Purkis, Barb Cook Spectrum Women share a love of animals and we definitely reckon Kathy Hoopmann was on to something in her…
Neuro Dizzy 