Tag: autist

Autism in ‘Elsbeth’

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

This week I’d like to take a look at the neurodivergent character Elsbeth Tascioni, a character that I have been watching for years, first as a recurring guest on The Good Wife and it’s spin off The Good Fight, and now finally in her own show Elsbeth. Played by Carrie Preston, Elsbeth is a quirky, unconventional lawyer who has been assigned to oversee the NYPD as part of an anti-corruption decree, but quickly finds that she has a knack for solving murders! Unlike conventional crime solving dramas, we see the whodunnit portion at the start of each episode, refreshingly sitting back to watch how Elsbeth is going to catch her killer (spoiler alert- she always does🙃).

So to autism- how does this show fare?

Whilst this is another show that does not directly label their lead as autistic, Elsbeth certainly displays many traits of autism and ADHD, with many autistic fans praising the show for a positive female depiction of neurodivergence and executive dysfunction. She is an endearing, unique and highly eccentric character marching to her own beat at all times, never caring what anyone else thinks. Whilst Elsbeth doesn’t tend to display signs of sensory issues, she is often oblivious to social cues, overstepping boundaries, talking about unusual subjects and regularly making people uncomfortable (I mean she’s trying to catch killers- cages need to be rattled 🤣).

She get’s distracted very easily by shiny objects and other items of interest to her, going off on tangents mid conversation and explanations, floating around in her own little bubble without any notice of how the world perceives her. What I particularly like about Elsbeth is how she notices details that no one else does, a trait which makes her incredibly adept at crime solving. Too often we focus on disability, but this show really drives home the unique skills that neurodivergents can bring to the workplace. Elsbeth’s tendency to get distracted at first appears problematic, but it is this eye for detail that makes her an excellent detective. She’s constantly underestimated by her peers for her quirkiness, but always shows her worth by the end of each episode, proving there is method in her perceived “madness”.

Autistic or not, Elsbeth is a delightful and refreshing take on the crime solving drama genre, and I highly recommend it for anyone seeking a wholesome, easy watch- you will leave with a smile on your face for certain 😀

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings!

Have a lovely weekend! 🙂

Aoife

2

Autism and Meltdown-proof Makeup

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

Following a recent messy meltdown whilst wearing a full face of makeup (a late night car clamping situation 🙈), this week I’d like to discuss some of my must have products if you want to meltdown proof your face 🙃

If you’re anything like me when a meltdown hits, your eyes unfortunately betray you, tears cascading down your face, often destroying the makeup you spent ages applying that day! On one particularly bad occasion, I had a minor meltdown from the frustration of my car failing it’s NCT, and within seconds my eyes formed pools of congealed black mascara…😂

As such, I now invest in higher quality makeup that can withstand a good cry! Here are some of my top products to meltdown-proof your makeup:

  • Smashbox Studio Skin- this is my go to foundation (on the few occasions I choose to wear it). It’s lightweight, but buildable and most importantly, durable. Once set, it will barely budge. You won’t find tear track marks down your cheeks from the slightest leak. I once wore this to a Green Day concert where it drizzled for the evening. While some did naturally come off in the rain, by 3am my makeup still looked intact 💪 If you want a day time foundation with SPF, I can also recommend Max Factor’s Facefinity (although I’m not the biggest fan of the smell)
  • Benefit’s Bo-oing concealer- this industrial strength concealer can hide a multitude of blemishes and truly lasts against the tide of tears. I also highly recommend YSL’s Touche Éclat concealer for touchups after a meltdown. I often carry this concealer pen in my handbag for nights out as its precision head is ideal to fix any dark smudges round your eyes if your makeup fails you
  • Urban Decay Naked Eyeshadow range– These eyeshadow palettes are a must have. They have great pigment and longevity when paired with a decent eye-primer, and won’t run off your face during a meltdown
  • Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal liner- this eyeliner pencil has been going viral the last couple of years and for a good reason! It’s creamy, waterproof, smudge free and the pigment will last all day, even against an unexpected flood of tears
  • Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-Eyes Mascara– and now to the heaviest hitter. The new Exagger-Eyes Mascara has been going viral in recent months and I am here to tell you to believe the hype! It’s smudge proof, humidity proof, flakeproof and clump proof, that can last through sweat, tears and meltdowns! I have even worn this during a spin workout and it did not budge one bit. Word of caution though, if you are spraying a setting spray after applying, make sure that the mascara has dried or else you will find yourself with black rings under your eyes🙈 I also highly rate Benefit mascaras. I started wearing these shortly after my diagnosis and they have survived many a meltdown- there’s a very good reason that Benefit’s mascara range is one of the top sellers in the world. For an everyday option, I recommend their waterproof Badgal Bang- great volume, great pigment and takes industrial strength remover to scrub off 😂

Pro-tip– Avoid NYX Worth the Hype mascara. Worth the hype it may be in terms of look… but that’s exactly the brand I was wearing in the meltdown I described at the beginning 🙈 They have since brought out a waterproof formula though, so if you must wear that brand, make sure to get the waterproof one 🙃

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings! Never let a meltdown get in the way of looking fabulous 😎

Have a lovely weekend! 🙂

Aoife

0

Autism and Constructive Criticism

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

Leading on from my previous posts about rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) and teaching students with autism, this week I’d like to focus in on the topic of constructive criticism.

Naturally, no one likes to be criticized, but with autists criticism can be quite devastating. As I’ve discussed many times, autists are black and white thinkers so when criticized, even constructively, we don’t tend to see the positives. Things are wrong and right, so if a mistake is made or an error pointed out, then it’s not just this one tiny thing that’s wrong, we perceive everything about us to be wrong. This can be particularly problematic in an educational setting where constructive criticism is essential to the learning process.

I found criticism particularly difficult in school. As a high achiever, it was a very bitter pill to swallow when I made a mistake. To this day I still cringe about the time I confused Lee Harvey Oswald and Mark David Chapman (I mean they were both high profile assassinations after all, it’s an easy mistake!) and had to embarrassingly hang my head after eagerly waving my hand around like an eejit to answer 🙈😂

In particular I struggled with constructive criticism when it came to art. It was one of my favourite subjects at school, but I was always butting heads with the teacher every time she tried to provide me with constructive feedback to the point that she felt she couldn’t give me any feedback at all based on my reactions. My parents had words with me, but while I adjusted my attitude as best I could, my teacher and I were at odds right up ’til the end of school as neither of us could seem to see the other’s perspective.

When it comes to education, this sort of relationship doesn’t help anyone. The teacher was frustrated with me, I was upset and frustrated with her, and my creative education was suffering as a result. While it is difficult for an autist to deal with constructive criticism, there are some ways to manage the situation.

  • Time and place– Be conscious of the situation and environment. Autists are often hyperaware of their differences, so you don’t want to make a scene in front of their peers that will only add to their distress. Moreover, you need to consider the timing and state the student might be in to avoid conflict. In one particularly memorable moment during my leaving cert (Irish state exams to get into university), my teacher attempted to question my approach and design for my piece DURING MY FINAL EXAM. Naturally in my stressed state, I had a moment and quite loudly gave out to her for disturbing me during my exam! Pick your moments carefully- and try not give feedback in a test setting 😛
  • Be specific– Don’t give vague feedback on areas for improvement. We need specific, concrete advice, otherwise we will catastrophize and drive ourselves demented wondering ‘What did they mean by X?’, or we may invest time working on the completely wrong thing. Don’t say ‘Your essay needs improvement’. Tell them they need to make it longer, include quotes, better spelling and punctuation, make a plan etc. When I worked in a lab and my experiments kept failing, each day for several weeks I was told ‘Not good enough‘, but no one took the time to sit with me and find out that I was missing one step every time (a step that they had failed to include in my instructions). All I knew was that I had failed and had to try and blindly figure it out on my own, which didn’t help anyone. I kept failing, they kept getting angry and my education suffered. Like any construction project, constructive criticism requires clear instructions
  • Focus on solutions, not problems– Similar to the previous point, focus on problem solving when giving constructive criticism. If the focus of feedback is all negative, this will likely overwhelm the student and trigger a meltdown (especially if they suffer from RSD) and they will learn nothing
  • Compliment sandwich– Lead with praise, deliver negative feedback, and close with praise. This can help to soften the blow for an autist making it clear that they didn’t exactly go wrong, but improvements can be made. This piece of advice is not just for those teaching an autist, but can also be useful for an autist who has to deliver constructive criticism to avoid complete bluntness and seeming lack of empathy . The TV show The Good Doctor used this technique to help autistic doctor Shaun Murphy educate his new autistic intern

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings!

Have a lovely weekend! 🙂

Aoife

1

Teaching a Student with Autism

Greetings Earthlings! 😀

This past week it’s been brought to my attention that I’ve written very little about autism and education/schooling (don’t know how I missed that 🫢), so for the next couple of posts I’d like to dive into this important topic. I’ve previously discussed the topic of learning and autism, so today I’m going to focus in on some pointers for teaching students with autism.

There are so many different pieces of advice for teaching an autist, but here are a couple of the stand out items based on my schooldays:

  • Find positive ways to keep them stimulated– I have a tendency to get bored pretty easily, which would happen a lot in school once I had completed my work. I’d often take out non-school books from my bag to read, or scraps of paper to write and doodle on to keep my mind and hands busy. Buuuuut some of my teachers didn’t like it, and confiscated my stuff 🙈. I understand it feels like an insult to the teacher and the lesson plan, but many autists have ADHD and need stimulation in these moments of downtime. If you notice that your student has a tendency to race ahead of the class, keep extra worksheets or puzzles around, encourage them to read a book (you could recommend a book on the class subject), do their homework or revise something for a test. If they’re already being productive as I used to be, leave them be- check in if you feel they’re not working, but if they aren’t causing trouble let sleeping dogs lie
  • Avoid routine disruption (if possible)- I know this can’t always be helped as schedules change from day to day, but try not to rock the boat where possible. In my experience, I was generally fine with changes to timetables, as long as I had advanced notice. Fire drill during Maths? Fine. A talk from a guest speaker during PE? Super. But drag me out of class when I was already settled in the middle of something… During my final year of secondary school, I had just settled down to my painting in double Art when a teacher pulled me out for a meeting about an upcoming debate (which I was already doing under duress). Well…I threw my paintbrushes down in frustration, I stormed into the meeting with my sleeves up and my apron on and I maaaaayyy have given out to him for interrupting me🙈 I get it, teachers have to try and organize extra curriculars around their free periods, but plucking an autist out of class without warning is best to be avoided (unless it’s something they hate, like if I’d been taken out of Business class😜). Try to catch them between classes and give advanced warning if you can
  • Try to understand their behaviours and perspectives- growing up undiagnosed, I was very lucky with the school that I was in. As a rule follower I didn’t generally have behavioural issues in class, buuuut as any autist will tell you, you’re not in a rational state during a meltdown. I had moments where I acted in ways that would have garnered a note home or detention for other students, but thankfully as I was a good student that was frequently bullied, my teachers put it down to stress and looked the other way. Now I know that we can’t look the other way for everything, autists have to be held accountable like everyone else, but take the time to try and understand the situation and assess why something might have happened. If they didn’t get homework done for example, it could be that they didn’t understand it, or were too overwhelmed. Giving out for non-completion won’t help anyone, but if you take a moment to talk to the student, the issue could be resolved calmly, and may help you to better support them in the future
  • Avoid sarcasm- autists can be so literal, it’s best not to use sarcasm to avoid any issues on clarity. When I was a teenager, we were discussing entering a drama competition in class. I can never remember the exact sequence of events and context, but my teacher seemingly asked me to write the play. I was so excited when I went home feeling privileged to have been asked. In the end however, I got busy, the teacher never circled back and so I never wrote anything. After years with this teacher I eventually realized that she was quite sarcastic. To this day, I still don’t know if the request was genuine or if it was a sarcastic comment to something stupid I said (and with my lack of filter that’s highly likely 😛 ). There were many other incidents with sarcasm and teachers which left their mark, so if you know/suspect that you have a spectrum student, just avoid it
  • Keep your cool, be kind, and don’t let them see you frustrated– this one’s a biggie. I know for a fact that I was difficult to teach at times, and you know how I knew? My teachers didn’t always hide their feelings. It made me feel awful, especially when I would be put down for being myself, never really understanding why they were mad. In one particular incident, I was struggling with a mathematical concept as a young teenager. I didn’t get it immediately and I had a crying meltdown. The teacher went over the concept a second time on the board, and when I still didn’t get it, she was annoyed and frustrated, and angrily moved on implying I was stupid for not getting it. Naturally I understood it perfectly after I had calmed down and my friend went over it slowly with kindness and patience. That incident stayed with me for many years. In Freya Harte is not a Puzzle by autistic author Méabh Collins, this book is full of similar moments like this, moments that can be devastating for a vulnerable student. I know how hard it can be to teach a ‘Me’, I have found myself equally irritated by autists like myself, but you can’t let them know. Patience and kindness are the biggest tools in your arsenal

This list of tips for teaching autists is also a really helpful resource, especially for teachers at the primary level: http://capacity-resource.middletownautism.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/04/21-Tips-for-Teaching-Students-with-Autism-Spectrum-Disorders.pdf

As I am high functioning who was largely educated undiagnosed, I can only speak to my own experience. No two autists are the same, what would have helped me may not work for someone else, but I hope you find this post helpful nonetheless 🙂

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings!

Have a lovely weekend! 🙂

Aoife

1

Autism 10 years on

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

This week marks a bit of a milestone in my autism journey- the 10 year anniversary of my diagnosis. It’s mind boggling how fast these years have flown by, not to mention how much my life has changed in that time.

In September 2014, I was a complete wreck. I was suffering with social anxiety, my mental health was a mess, and I was struggling with work and the social dynamics of my workplace. I had never been so stressed in my entire life (which is saying something given that I was bullied in school) and was at breaking point. Out of nowhere, I found myself tricked into an autism assessment (kudos to my parents for that 😛 ) and my entire world flipped- but in the best possible way.

Admittedly, things were rough for the first year as I learned to adjust to this newfound knowledge, and it took an additional year to relax enough to not mention the diagnosis every 5 minutes, but my life has ultimately changed for the better. I spent my first 24 years on this earth feeling like I didn’t belong, like a wonky puzzle piece that couldn’t slot into society. Everyone misunderstood me, but I guess when I didn’t even understand myself, how could the rest of the world? Most twenty somethings will have a quarter life crisis on their journey of self discovery, but I had the ultimate one. One little word held the key that allowed me to fully embrace the person I was always meant to be.

10 years later, I barely recognize myself. I’m in a job that I enjoy, I have amazing, supportive friends, and a (very) busy social life. Looking back on my past through the lens of autism, I have become a lot kinder to my younger self, learning to laugh and channel my experiences to help others like me. I feel less self conscious of my differences, know my triggers and how to sidestep them. This has enabled me to grow in confidence to a point where I have never felt more comfortable in my own skin.

Before my diagnosis, I was always shy and introverted, but by fully understanding myself, I’ve been able to unleash my inner extrovert, comfortably smiling and chatting with strangers wherever I go. Having a name for my differences normalized my feelings and gave me ownership, allowing me to overcome my anxieties and manage my sensory issues. I have autism, but autism does not have me.

If you had told me ten years ago what this one little word would do to my life, I don’t think I would have believed you.

I find it quite hard to imagine what my life would look like now had I not received my diagnosis. I have previously discussed if parents should tell their child about their diagnosis, and while the decision depends on the individual, based on my experience I would highly recommend divulging. It was initially a tough pill to swallow, but my life is better for it.

There’s so many things I wished I knew about autism before I was diagnosed, even now I’m still learning every day, but I suppose the biggest thing was to know that I would still be me at the end of it all- just a shiny, happier model. As I’ve discussed on many occasions, while an autism diagnosis shouldn’t change anything in theory, knowledge changes everything for the autist. It’s a lot to process, and it can be hard to see beyond the label, but you will emerge from the chrysalis a fully fledged butterfly. Initially it seemed like autism weighed me down, but that was just my wings poking through ready for flight 🦋

So for those of you working through your diagnosis right now, cringey cliché that it is to say, it does get better. To quote ‘The Middle‘ by Jimmy Eat World:

“It just takes some time
Little girl, you’re in the middle of the ride
Everything, everything’ll be just fine
Everything, everything’ll be alright, alright.” ❤️

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings! 🙂

Have a lovely weekend!

Aoife

3

Autism and T-Rex Arms

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

This week I’d like to talk about a somewhat unusual aspect of the spectrum that has been brought to my attention in recent months- T-Rex arms.

Yes- you read that correctly, and no I have not joined the spectrum dinosaur brigade (I don’t think I’ll ever understand the fascination 🙈).

So what on earth are T-Rex arms?🦖

Well, it’s pretty much what it says on the tin. T-Rex arms are when an autist holds their arms in a position reminiscent of the mighty T-Rex- arms shortened and tucked into chest, hands bent forward and curled in like claws.

Ok… but how does this behaviour relate to autism?

This unique posture is commonly observed in autism (and in some overlapping ADHD cases) with many autistic and ADHD content creators poking fun at the behaviour. Since I’ve been made aware of this phenomenon, I keep catching myself holding my hands in this position at random times- most notably when I’m in the middle of a busy task like baking or cleaning.

So why do we do it?

The reasons are quite varied. Some autists say it’s because it feels natural and comforting, some say it’s because they don’t know what to do with their hands. Others, like myself, see it as more of an accessibility issue, where you keep your hands close to your chest ready for action mid-task, or a spatial issue where you have greater control of your hands by clutching them close rather than at your sides.

@clairebowmanofficial

Mr Burns Hands 😭 💁🏻‍♀️ #adhshe #trexarms #adhd #adhdinwomen #audhd #adhdandasd

♬ Funny – Gold-Tiger

But is there a scientific reason?

Here’s where things get interesting. Scientists think that T-Rex arms are a form of stimming, so it’s likely to be a sensory related behaviour. They believe that autists keep their arms close to their chest as a natural coping mechanism to comfort and calm when experiencing sensory overload. In some cases T-Rex arms can be viewed as a sign of impending sensory overload, a form of non-verbal communication that experts advise parents to look out for so that they can anticipate a meltdown and take action as needed.

T-Rex arms have been particularly linked to sleep, with many autists adopting this position when they lay down at night. Experts believe that this helps neurodivergents to relax and sleep better, kind of like how weighted blankets work on the nervous system by applying deep pressure to release calming neurotransmitters. Maybe this explains why I often wake up with numb arms in the morning 🙈😂🦖.

@drjimcostello

Trex hands may mean your system is overloaded #adhd #neurodivergent #fyp #adhdtok

♬ original sound – Jim Costello

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings! 🙂

Have a lovely weekend!

Aoife

2

Autism and AuDHD

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

Leading on from my previous post about autism and ADHD, this week I’d like to expand on the topic by discussing the concept of AuDHD- aka autism + ADHD.

ADHD has been getting a lot of online attention in the last couple of years with many adults getting late life diagnoses as knowledge of the condition has advanced. Up to 10 years ago, it was thought that both autism and ADHD were completely separate diagnoses with no overlap. Now, it’s thought that 30-80% of autists also have ADHD, with many discovering they had autism during an ADHD diagnosis and vice versa.

When I previously wrote about this topic, I estimated that I was mildly ADHD, but the more stories I have been hearing about the experiences of female ADHDers, I exhibit a lot more traits than I originally thought. Because I wasn’t fitting the classic impulsive/hyperactive model of ADHD, I never thought to dig much deeper, buuutttttt, just like autism, it turns out that there are differences in symptoms between men and women. The original research observed more men than women (there’s a whole history of women being under researched in medicine) and so it was believed to impact more males than females, but, as with autism, sex differences and masking behaviours have made it very difficult to diagnose ADHD in women. ADHD also operates on a severity spectrum which can make it difficult to pick up on.

@adhd_chatter_podcast

How to spot ADHD in women ❤️ #adhd #adhdwomen

♬ Emotional Cinematic Sad Violin and Piano – ISAo

With all this overlap, enter the concept of AuDHD.

One of the most fascinating aspects of AuDHD is it’s paradoxical nature:

  • Autists like routine, but ADHD makes it difficult to maintain
  • ADHDers crave stimulation, but autists get easily overstimulated
  • Autists are rigid with rules, timekeeping and planning, but ADHDers suffer from time-blindness, impulsivity and hyperactivity making it difficult to follow plans and rules
  • ADHDers can be messy and chaotic, but autists like order and systemising

Effectively in AuDHD, the paradoxes can camouflage each other, making it much harder to diagnose either disorder. It’s like having 2 different brains fighting for control, but only one or the other will win out at any given time. For example, today you might do a weeks worth of work, tomorrow you might struggle to find the dopamine to do anything.

@speechdude

#adhd #audhd #autism#neurodiversityaffirming #speechtherapist

♬ original sound – Chris Wenger, CCC-SLP

At other times, the symptoms are symbiotic. For example in my case, I can have complete time-blindness when I’m in the middle of something, but if I need to keep an appointment, the social rules governing lateness force me to be on time. AuDHD is a constant seesaw between the two conditions, a separate presentation in itself.

While it’s not a separate diagnosis yet, given the prevalence of comorbidity, who knows what the future will hold as neurodivergent research increases.

Hope you liked this post dear Earthlings! 🙂

Have a lovely weekend!

Aoife

2

Patron Saint of Autism- St. Thorlak Thorhallsson

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

In the midst of some recent Googling, I accidentally came upon a suggested search for the patron saint of autism and was surprised to learn that there is such a saint- Thorlak Thorhallsson (Icelandic: Þorlákur Þórhallsson)! Naturally as a practicing catholic, I had to investigate.

So who was Thorlak Thorhallsson and how has he come to be associated with autism?

Relatively little is known about this saint compared with many others of the time, but here’s a snippet of what researchers have found:

Born in Iceland in 1133 (he’s also the Icelandic patron saint), Thorlak grew up on a farm in Hlíðarendi. A child prodigy, Thorlak taught himself to read at a very young age, and impressed the locals round the farmstead with his kindness, curiosity and knowledge of the world around him. At age 7 due to a bad fishing season, his mother moved with Thorlak and his sisters to a different farm where influential locals educated him, leading to his ordination as deacon at age 15 and a priest by 18. He later went abroad to study theology in England and France, returning to Iceland in 1168 where he set up an Augustinian monastery. 10 years later he was ordained bishop of the diocese of Skalholt.

Thorlak was often rigid with a fondness for rules, as evidenced by his decision to reject marriage and remain celibate in line with church laws- a rule (one of many) which the Icelandic clergy generally did not observe. After studying the strict monastic rules of St. Augustine abroad, Thorlak dedicated himself to church reform after he became bishop, implementing many reforms of the Western Church from Pope Gregory VII. He enforced stricter religious observance to improve public morality, his efforts resulting in the expansion of the church in wealth, power and influence, often going head to head with powerful chieftains who almost killed him on several occasions. He died on the 23rd of December 1193 at the age of 60 and was officially cannonized in 1984 by St. Pope John Paul II.

Thorlak is believed to have had many autistic traits which is why autists have adopted him as their patron saint. His intelligence, determination, love for the rules (and rigidity in enforcing them) and fondness for strict routine moulded by his monastic life all indicate that he was quite likely autistic.

So for any autists of faith out there, be sure to spare a moment to pray to St. Thorlak Thorhallsson for your intentions 🙏🏻

Bonus fun fact– for those of you who also have co-morbid ADHD or other mental health issues, Irish St. Dymphna is your patroness.

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings!

Have a lovely weekend!

Aoife

2

Autism in ‘Geek Girl’

Greetings Earthling! 😀

This week I’d like to talk about the new young adult series Geek Girl on Netflix (they’re really on the ball with neurodiversity the last few years!) and it’s accurate depiction of the struggles of an autistic teenage girl.

Based on the Geek Girl books by Holly Smale (which I have purchased and will write about eventually), the series follows awkward “geek” Harriet Manners who’s life completely changes after being scouted by a modelling agency. Mercilessly bullied at school, she sets out on her modelling journey to reinvent herself. You can check out a trailer for the series here:

But you haven’t mentioned anything about autism yet Aoife?

So- the author Holly Smale wrote these books based on her own experiences of being an awkward teen model, BUT Holly was diagnosed with autism at the age of 39 and has retrospectively described Harriet as autistic. As such, it seems that the TV series is planning to incorporate an autism diagnosis down the line, as lead actress Emily Carey is autistic, and there have been many hints to her neurodivergence including a conversation between her agent and her father about seeking a professional and not wanting to label her.

So what did I make of the show?

Well I absolutely loved it- a lovely wholesome show with an authentic portrayal of neurodivergence, I was hooked! Harriet’s autistic traits were subtle (as they are for most high functioning autists)- stimming, coordination issues, minor issues reading social cues etc. What really sets the series apart from others though is Harriet’s narration. We get to see her internal monologue, how she thinks and processes, which really helps to give an insight into what we autists go through on the inside (though I will say that my internal monologues speak waaaaaaay faster than Harriet’s 😂). Harriet’s friend Toby is also clearly on the spectrum, albeit he presents far more like the traditional autistic oddball that we often see in media depictions of autism- which while a little stereotypical, really helps to show how different male and female presentations of autism can differ.

One of the other things I found most interesting was how Harriet’s dad also appears to be neurodivergent. He seems to struggle with work, is quite nerdy and eccentric (he drives Harriet to school in his PJs one day) and is described by his wife as very childish. At one point during an online job interview his wife holds up flashcards for him coaching him on what to say, reminding me of how people have tried to guide me in certain social situations. Very often with on screen portrayals of autism we focus on the child or the oddball single adult, we don’t tend to see neurodivergence in the wider family like between parent and child 0r other spectrum siblings. Autism is highly genetic with many parents discovering their neurodivergence after their child is diagnosed, and there can often be multiple autistic children within a family (I once came across a family with 5 sons on the spectrum).

My one criticism, again like Dinosaur, was Harriet’s stereotypical love of dinosaurs and desire to be a paleontologist, buuutttt as a real autist wrote the show, I can’t really argue with lived experience 😜. I’m really starting to wonder- did I miss the autism memo that you need to be obsessed with dinosaurs cause I have never really seen the fascination 🤣🙈 Dogs are much more my vibe!

Interestingly, many critics have branded the show an “inauthentic” representation of autism… to which Holly Smale had the following to say:

“It’s based on books written by me (autistic), about me as a teen (autistic). I wrote all of Harriet for the show (still autistic) and the lead actor is autistic. It’s the DEFINITION of authentic. I think people are so used to seeing inauthentic representation they don’t recognise it when it’s in front of them.”

You can’t get more authentic than that folks! 🤣🙈

All in all I highly recommend this show and look forward to seeing Harriet’s journey in future seasons!

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings! 🙂

Have a lovely weekend!

Aoife

0

Autism friendly festivals

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

This week I’d like to talk about the subject of autism friendly festivals.

Yes- you heard me correctly! 😀

Festivals and autism are not really two words that tend to go together, what with the crowds, noises, smells and flashing lights, but recent years have seen large music festivals such as Electric Picnic and Glastonbury set up specific sensory friendly tents for neurodivergent attendees. In addition to this, there are now a number of specific autism friendly festivals.

Autism charity ASIAM recently launched the Sensoria festival in Dublin as part of a 3 year plan to make Dublin the world’s first autism friendly city. A free ticketed event, the festival took place at two different times in the day to keep crowds to a minimum, offering sensory domes, pods and gardens, a messy play tactile zone, neurodiversity information tents and therapy dogs. In addition to these sensory friendly modifications, a number of sensory activities and performances were arranged including non verbal street theatre, sensory movement workshops, sensory silent films, and a unique show titled ‘Squish, Stomp, Spin – The Magic of Stim’ by ADHD artist Moss Russell.

Similarly in the UK, the Spectrum Autism Friendly Festival has been running since 2017. The festival is run by staff that are fully trained about autism, and offers attendees an enriching experience with sensory areas and quiet spaces in addition to fun activities such as cooking classes, arts and crafts, bouncy castles, treasure hunts, pedal carts, and even light saber training!

Whilst these autism friendly festivals are a great incentive, they are largely geared at children, which is a little disheartening for autistic adults with sensory issues. In Reading in the UK however, the A Different World Festival has been established to cater to older autists. Inspired by their teenage son who could not access the Reading Festival as an autist, the organizers set up A Different World to allow young people and adults with additional needs to experience a real rock festival. This festival follows normal festival formats, but limits numbers to reduce crowding and ensure space, allows no strobe lighting or pyrotechnics, has a sensory village, a service dog tent, and a wellness tent to cater for everyone’s needs.

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings!

Have a lovely weekend 🙂

Aoife

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