A Letter To My Younger Self (Before I knew I was #Autistic)

Dear younger me,

I am writing to you from 20 years in the future. I know things are tough right now, but you will get through it. I know you won’t believe me, but everything really is going to be ok. I hope that I can share some perspective with you that will be helpful.

The reason why you are struggling and have struggled so much is not because you are weak or a failure. It’s because you are wired differently to everyone else. You are autistic! Being autistic means that your brain and nervous system work differently to most people. This can make life challenging because the world is not designed for people like us. It’s like we’re always playing the ‘game’ of life on hard mode. It’s no wonder you are so often stressed and exhausted!

Read more: https://medium.com/@zoewilliams_2443/a-letter-to-my-younger-self-before-i-knew-i-was-autistic-5abca86771f9

#ActuallyAutistic

Dear Ms. Phillipson,
We, parents and mentors of SEN* students, are writing to express our concerns regarding your recent statements on school attendance, as reported in The Guardian on February 3, 2025. We feel that the true needs of all families and also the additional challenges faced by SEN students have not been adequately considered in your approach.
We care about the welfare of all young people to be treated with dignity and given the opportunity to learn in environments that care for their well-being.

Sign the petition:
chng.it/62CFrmSY9q

I've just signed up for "People vs Elon" which turns Elon's tweets into a weapon in the fight for social justice.

Every time he tweets, money is donated to a group of progressive charities in the UK.

You can start from 1p per tweet and set a monthly cap.

https://peoplevselon.co.uk/

New blog post, this time over at @stimpunks

One Size Fits All? A story about the education system.

Imagine that one day you decide to go clothes shopping. You go into a clothes shop and realise that the shop only sells one item of clothing, in one size. Let’s say it’s a white long-sleeved dress shirt, and the size is extra large.

Confused, you ask a shop assistant why there is only one type of shirt available in this shop. The shop assistant explains, “This shirt is evidence-based. There are scientific research studies showing that this is the best item of clothing.”

Read more: https://stimpunks.org/2025/01/27/one-size-fits-all-a-story-about-the-education-system/

#ActuallyAutistic @actuallyautistic

New Blog Post: Stigma and Masking as an Autistic Parent

How does becoming a parent affect stigma and masking for Autistic people, and what impact does this have on Autistic parents?

https://www.autisticparentsuk.org/post/stigma-and-masking-as-an-autistic-parent

#ActuallyAutistic @actuallyautistic