You might recall, I shared a couple of extracts from my school reports for ADHD Awareness Month. Some of you may be surprised I still have them, that they were not lost years ago. I found my school reports quite by chance, in the bottom of an old carrier bag full of jumbled up photos,Continue reading “Order and chaos in our AuDHD household”
Category Archives: ADHD
Exclusion from University
I have been watching TEDx talks on YouTube recently, especially from other neurodiversity advocates in the UK. My most shout-out-loud relatable moment yet was from Alex Partridge. Like Alex, I also experienced my parents turning up unexpectedly at my student accommodation bearing a recorded delivery letter confirming I had been excluded from university. For me,Continue reading “Exclusion from University”
Neurodiversity inclusion tips
We all have unique strengths and challenges, so understanding these is key because everyone has specific accessibility and support needs. Autism, for example, is a spectrum condition, which means that it affects people in different ways. It is unhelpful to stereotype people based on their neurological condition, so please do not make assumptions about whatContinue reading “Neurodiversity inclusion tips”
Definitions
Understanding what is meant by ‘neurodiversity’ and ‘neurodivergent’ and some of the associated terminology. ‘Neurodiversity’ short for ‘neurological diversity’ is a portmanteau word coined in the 1990s. The concept ‘neurodiversity’ acknowledges that each human brain is wired uniquely; an incontrovertible biological fact. ‘Neurodivergent’ is an adjective to describe an individual, or a group of people,Continue reading “Definitions”
5 Years of Ausome Charlie Transcript Extract
Extract from my nostalgic monologue at the start of the 5 Years of Ausome Charlie online event with David Gray-Hammond, Katie Munday and Quinn Dexter on 8 June 2023 (see YouTube link at the bottom). “I have been flicked through the old tweets on my Ausome Charlie Twitter. I had been on Twitter longer, butContinue reading “5 Years of Ausome Charlie Transcript Extract”
Neurodivergent school kids with interoception and proprioception issues
Neurodivergent school kids with interoception and proprioception issues. I received this message this morning, from my friend Angela Loynd, of Umbrella Alliance: ‘I heard yet another story today about a young autistic girl refused a toilet break during class time at school, who then ended up wetting her pants as a result. I’m so sickContinue reading “Neurodivergent school kids with interoception and proprioception issues”
Neurodiversity and intersectionality
On neurodiversity (the uniqueness of all human brains) and intersectionality: We are each an individual product of our neurology and physiology and our life experiences. No human fits any neat pigeonholes, so let’s treat all individuals humanely, whatever their characteristics. Why not offer “reasonable adjustments” to all individuals, so they can all thrive at work. Continue reading “Neurodiversity and intersectionality”
Alexithymia
Alexithymia: Difficulty experiencing, identifying, describing our feelings. This is common with autism and ADHD. My emotions can be buried deep under the surface, then bubble up suddenly, engulfing me. I can feel nothing, and compartmentalise my feelings. I lock them up in a box, and do whatever I can to feel something. Often for me,Continue reading “Alexithymia”
How my neurotype affects me at work
I have what you call a spiky profile, which means instead of being competent at everything I am highly skilled in some areas of work and challenged in other areas. Autism and ADHD (AuDHD) are “dynamic” disabilities for me, so some days I am on very good form (hyper-productive, in a “flow state”) and otherContinue reading “How my neurotype affects me at work”
My neurotype and diagnoses
I was diagnosed on the NHS with Asperger’s Syndrome in 2018, aged 42. I reject the wording of this diagnosis, and I just call it autism. I am autistic. I also have ADHD, self-identified in 2021. My GP referred me for ADHD diagnosis in 2022 through Psychiatry UK via NHS “right to choose”, and IContinue reading “My neurotype and diagnoses”
Ausome Charlie 