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. …

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. …

Conventional dating “rules” limit us — whether we’re neurodivergent, neurotypical, gay, or straight. — In honor of the upcoming release of my new book, Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity, I’ve decided to start my Autistic Advice series back up! I’ve also created an Autistic Advice publication on Medium so readers can easily find all the previous entries, as well as other…

We can’t keep begging our political system for the ‘right’ to exist — Bans on healthcare for trans youth are passing throughout the country. So are bans on trans participation in youth sports, and the acknowledgment of queer people’s existence in classrooms. Until now, I haven’t had the will to write about any of it. Hell, for weeks I could barely bring myself…

At the emotional low point of the pandemic, I tried becoming a woman again. — I. Summer When I came out as trans in the summer of 2016, my then-boyfriend was irreproachably supportive. We had one heartfelt conversation about my identity, sitting on the couch in the night, then he shifted into using my new pronouns the very next day, after which he never mistepped. He complimented…