Having a voice: Blogs and sites run by others in the autistic community
Since becoming aware of my own autism as an adult, I have become somewhat interested in finding other autistic voices to help me to understand how my brain works and how my world is slightly different from that of neurotypical people. I wanted to share a few of the ones that I have found the most interesting and helpful:
Autistic not Weird. This was probably the first one I came across ten years ago when it first started. Chris Bonnello writes insightful blogs from his perspective as a late-diagnosed autistic, former teacher, and more recently, autistic advocate and speaker. His blogs cover a wide range of topics and I frequently find myself referencing them in my own as he often puts things more succinctly than I can! He has a Facebook page which has a real community feel about it, and is well worth checking out. He also writes the fantastic Underdogs book series, which feature a group of neurodivergent young heroes (for those of you who like things like The Hunger Games).
Musings of an Aspie. I first discovered Cynthia Kim through her fantastic book, Nerdy, Shy and Socially Inappropriate. This is the blog that led to that book being written. This is very on point for autistic women, and also has a good range of links to other sites and books which might be of interest too.
I am Cadence. This blog used to have an accompanying Facebook page which seems to no longer be active. The posts are written by a young non-speaking autistic girl and her family about life from her perspective. I found it very helpful when I was first looking into autism for myself.
Autability - This website and its associated Facebook page is full of information and resources about autism and ADHD, and has really simple and effective graphics to illustrate their point. It’s been really helpful to me and my family.
Autastic has a very useful resources section which gives ideas and tips for those already identified as autistic, as well as a lengthy checklist of how autism may appear in women. They also have a Facebook page.
Bristol Autism Support has a wealth of information and sources of support. They also have a very good list of autistic bloggers and YouTubers.
The Girl with the Curly Hair has cartoons and a blog, and has a wonderful series of books on various topics which my family has found extremely helpful. They also do training and webinars.
Blogger and comedian Joe Wells has made me laugh a lot with his stand-up comedy, particularly the one about his non-autistic brother. Well worth a look, particularly if you would like insight into autistic humour!
The book The Secret Life of Rose by Rose and Jodie Smitten has been a real source of help and support for my eight-year-old daughter. There is also a YouTube channel of the same name. Rose describes life from her perspective as an autistic child.
There are many other sources of information by autistic people out there – this is just a tiny fraction! I hope it helps you and your family to hear the authentic autistic voices.
Laura Webb is a director of NeonDaisy
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