Know the costs — and the legal risks. — I literally wrote the book on the large and diverse population of Autistic adults who, for a variety of reasons usually related to marginalization, make it well into adulthood before discovering they have a disability. I call this group of Black, brown, trans, gay, female, elderly, and impoverished Autistics “masked…

A “deleted scene” from my book Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity — Eric, a Black queer parent in his forties had to spend years looking for a psychiatrist who would even entertain assessing him as Autistic. He knew he wanted the potential legal protections that a diagnosis could afford him, particularly the option to take qualifying exams for graduate school in a…

Throughout 2020, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot emphasized the role irresponsible individuals played in the spread of COVID-19, leveraging shame to downplay the role city policy played in rising case numbers. In Lightfoot’s response, we can see a microcosm of how COVID-19 was bungled by public institutions at just about every…

It’s time to stop spreading unscientific, unhelpful mind-body dualism. — If you have been in therapy before, or have ever picked up a cognitive behavioral or dialectical behavioral therapy book, you have likely encountered the adage that “thoughts are not feelings.” This observation is often intended to help a therapy client distinguish between their interpretation of a situation (and what…

I’ve spent my life shutting out my surroundings. It’s time to try embracing reality instead. — There’s a foot-sized painted ceramic salamander sitting on a stone next to my neighbor’s garage. He’s so charming to me, with swirls of navy, burnt sienna, and pale green snaking across his white flesh. His tail is broken. His eyes are bewildered and hollow. I come to a halt in…

If it’s situational, is it still a ‘personality’ disorder? — The news that an expert witness in Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against Amber Heard diagnosed Heard with Borderline Personality Disorder has gotten me thinking a lot about my past. So has the ensuing public discussion about Borderline, and the public reflections some BPDers have written about the immense stigma the…

It is sensory torture for Autistics like me. — I’m curled up in a booth at a local coffee shop, editing a manuscript while I wait out the rain. The place is bustling with activity and lots of loud conversations, which I know to expect, and is usually fine. …

An excerpt from Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity. — When Crystal was young, she exhibited many behaviors psychologists today would recognize as traditionally Autistic: she lined up toys in rows instead of playing pretend with them, chewed on her blanket while staring at the wall, and had trouble understanding in-­jokes and teasing. But she didn’t “look Autistic enough” to…

My social media accounts have been on strict lockdown for the last few months. I’ve never known such peace. — I’ve been working on setting better social media boundaries lately. The more my follower count climbed on platforms like Twitter and Instagram, the more comments and direct messages I received —and the smaller the percentage of worthwhile messages became. …