Blogs by Charlie

  • Support Local Artists over AI Art

    Rather than flooding social media with AI art, why not commission a local artist to create your images? Here, Piper Strange Arts captures one moment when I felt truly seen during my autism diagnostic appointment, and the moment I informed my employer. Yes, I texted the good news to my line manager, the HR Shared Read more

  • Introduction Post for New Followers

    Introduction from me: I am Charlie, my pronouns are she/her or they/them. I am bisexual, pansexual, and gender non-conforming. I am also multiple neurodivergent (autistic, ADHD, complex PTSD). I have been a social media neurodiversity advocate since my autism epiphany in 2018, under the name ‘Ausome Charlie’ with an ‘Au’ for ‘Autistic’ in addition to Read more

  • Reflections on WSPD2024

    As many of my friends and followers here will be aware, the time around 8th to 10th September is hard for me. 8th September is Iggy’s birthday. He would have been 21 this year, but he will forever be 15. 10th September is World Suicide Prevention Day, which I find hard, because Iggy’s death, like Read more

  • Autistic Identity

    When I discovered that I was autistic in 2018, aged 42, I set up the Twitter account @AusomeCharlie and there I found a thriving mutually-supportive community among the hashtags #ActuallyAutistic and #Neurodiversity. After feeling like an outsider and broken, for so many years, the labels #Autistic and #Neurodivergent helped me to accept myself, and learn Read more

  • Grief Awareness Day

    Grief Awareness Day, 30 August 2024. My experience of grief is atypical. Yes, I know the grief curve is only indicative, and it’s not a smooth line for anybody, but… For neurodivergent people, especially those with Alexithymia and Complex PTSD, it can be unrecognisable and baffling. People wonder: – How can I talk about such Read more

  • Autistic takes on hierarchies at work

    Exactly this, thanks for articulating this, Autistic Callum. Here’s my take: Hierarchical seniority at work DOES NOT automatically equal better ideas, and more insight. This is one of the key reasons I eventually decided to become self-employed. I could not take any more bad decisions from senior managers ignoring intelligent people lower in the chain Read more