Published in Thought Jumps·PinnedMember-onlyHow I navigated social gatherings as an undiagnosed autistic young adultJoin the kid party or eavesdrop on the adults? Growing up, this was the decision I faced at each church or family social gathering. Up into my teens, I managed to do both: run around with the little kids and then sit quietly in the background of adult conversation for…Neurodiversity2 min readNeurodiversity2 min read
Published in Thought Jumps·Mar 14Member-onlyAre conscious stims better than unconscious ones?An autistic adult wonders — My goal is to write clearly about chosen topics but this topic might be less clear because I’m connecting a theme across multiple subjects. So bear with me, okay? Thank you. In 2021, I learned about stimming from autistic content creators and authors. I let myself stim more at home…Autism Spectrum Disorder2 min readAutism Spectrum Disorder2 min read
Published in Thought Jumps·Mar 8Member-onlyI didn’t know what stimming wasBut I’ve done it my whole life — When I first realized I was autistic, I felt sad because I didn’t have a major trait: I didn’t stim. At least, I thought I didn’t stim… And then I watched more videos by actually autistic people. I listened and watched. And I remembered. At church, we stood and sang…Autism Spectrum Disorder2 min readAutism Spectrum Disorder2 min read
Published in Thought Jumps·Feb 21Member-onlyHow I learned to make phone callsAnd why I’m still upset about it — Today I made a phone call, inquiring about a public event with unclear instructions on its website. It was a simple call, lasted less than 5 minutes and I hung up, relieved to be done, as always. This time was a little different, though: I randomly remembered how upset I…Autism2 min readAutism2 min read
Published in Thought Jumps·Feb 14Member-onlyDon’t call me Queen(Though I appreciate the sentiment) — Black Women1 min readBlack Women1 min read
Published in Thought Jumps·Jan 24Member-onlyA tale of the over- and understimulated AuDHDerWhen watching a video is too much and not enough — I stare at the carpeted floor, annoyed. Earlier, I had started playing a video from my YouTube watch later list. Seconds passed. Inside, a swirling turmoil protested “This is too much.” Each new sound from the small speakers poked my ears. …Autism2 min readAutism2 min read
Published in Thought Jumps·Jan 17Interpreting human emotion isn’t just about facial expressionsHow this autistic woman uses information to read people — Previously published on my Substack and edited for clarity. I recently learned that we all have more than 5 senses. The 3 other senses are: vestibular (our movement and balance sense), proprioception (awareness of the body’s position in space) and interoception (feeling internal body signals like hunger and thirst). Clearly…Autism4 min readAutism4 min read
Published in Thought Jumps·Jan 12Member-onlyDo I wish I knew that I was autistic as a child?That’s a hard question for this black woman to answer — I met up with family this past fall who hasn’t seen me since I was a little girl. Interacting with them, I noticed some neurodivergent traits. The possibility was confirmed when I found out one of my little cousins is officially diagnosed with ADHD. When I met him, I could…Autism4 min readAutism4 min read
Published in ArtfullyAutistic·Jan 4Member-onlyThe struggle to converse as an undiagnosed autistic teenThe oppressive nature of expectant silence — This was a familiar situation while growing up. I sit on the passenger side of the car and watch the road outside the window: gas station, dollar store, house, house, house. It’s been a minute and no one has said anything. That’s okay, begins my inner pep talk. You still…Autism2 min readAutism2 min read
Published in Thought Jumps·Dec 27, 2022Member-onlyAutistic “Bottom-up” thinking my way to body confidenceHow research gave me style — I like to research. “Bottom-up” thinking, the process of taking in a lot of information, processing it, and finding patterns is fun for me. And sometimes, I use those skills to solve a seemingly simple problem, like figuring out why I look weird in pictures. The issue Years ago, a…Autism5 min readAutism5 min read
