M.E. Purfield's Blog

Autism Moms, Medical Quacks, and the innocently uninformed harp on how autism is horrible. It destroys the children and the lives of others around them.

(remember this fantastic commercial?)

Yes, autistics feel pain. They are human. And like all humans, most of their suffering comes from outside sources. Not from autism.

Give an autistic autonomy and they will create an environment free of discomfort or pain.

But the world doesn’t want to work that way.

Most neurotypicals need to be saviors and in control. They need to feel good about themselves so they try to change the autistic into an allistic. The greatest human is the one who helps others!

Bullshit.

Here is a list of autistic traits:

Attention to Detail Deep Focus Observation Skills Pattern RecognitionAbsorb and Retain FactsVisual Skills Expertise Methodical ApproachNovel ApproachesCreativity Tenacity and Resilience Accepting of Difference Integrity 

This list is not complete and all autistic have these traits. I do.

(Here is a fine article about positive autistic traits)

Oddly, these traits are considered a “disorder” by the fine people I brought up in the beginning. The traits are negative. They don’t move along with the norms of society. They don’t fit into a culture that needs to control each other.

Maybe allistics are threatened. After all, they were told that we are defective.

Subhuman.

Retarded.

We need help.

We’re disabled.

(some do need physical help like any physically disabled person. There is a communication deficit between the brain and the body. Like the physically disabled, autistics need accommodations. Accommodations are a right, not a hand-out or privilege)

What right do we have to be equal in a world that thrives in hierarchy?

So throw us in ABA therapy to wipe out our autism, and make us the complete opposite of all those traits. If we fight you on it, you can always send us to an institution where they can give us electric shock.

Make us more comfortable and easier to be around you.

After all, we’re soulless objects. Dolls. Broken toys.

It’s useless. There’s no erasing neurology.

Studies have shown that conversion therapies have a 48% success rate. Do you know how much kicking, screaming, and torture an autistic child does to fulfill this rate?

(see here and here what the therapists report)

The autistic always reverts to their true self given time.

I guarantee those in the 48% are faking neurotypicality. They’re scared. They want to fit in. They don’t want to be alone. They fall into depression and realize that if they can’t be themselves, they don’t belong in this world.

That is true loneliness.

The autistic commits suicide.

But this is a happy post.

This is a positive post.

Those traits listed above are positive, not negative ones. Although some allistics may feel uncomfortable with them, the best therapy for their autistic family member is to…

Can you guess?

Yes.

Accept them.

Don’t try to change them.

Maybe change yourself.

The true expression of love.

© 2023 M.E. Purfield

Had a productive week.

Two short stories. One is 5,000 and the other is 6,000 words, and are both different.

The first story concluded The Sentinels and another Radicci Sisters Mystery. 

I expected it to be between 5,000 to 10,000 words but because of all the character development that happened in the previous stories I was able to focus on the action. And, there’s a lot of action. A big old car chase with psychics on both ends.

I had fun writing The Sentinels and I hope it comes through when you read it.

Now that I’m done with 7 stories altogether, I was thinking about releasing them in two-packs.

But there are 7 stories, no?

Yes, but I can include the 7th with the whole novel that I’ll sell in the store and Patreon. A bonus, but also necessary, story.

The second one I completed was the pulp one I’ve been wanting to do for ages. A bio-punk, sci-fi pulp with high adventure. I tried to add as much action and twists as I could in such a short space while including a political and social voice.

Sadly, it has sparked other stories in this universe. Expect more bio-punk adventures with these characters.

What’s the plan for next week?

Two more stories.

I want to do another sci-noir Kharma story and maybe another of those pulp formula stories as described above. Pulp formula is a lot of fun. Heck, maybe I’ll apply it to the Kharma story.

Mike

Hello all!

Due to the lack of space of living in the city, I must run a paperback clearance sale.

Paperback book run from $3.00 to $5.00.

I have a few Miki Radicci Series, a few Radicci Sisters, and a bunch of stand-alone novels.

All are signed my me.

So, please check them out here. PAPERBACK CLEARANCE SALE!

Thanks!

M.E. Purfield

When a parent confronts the discovery that their child is autistic, they have a few choices.

Do nothing and ignore the issue.Work hard to research the therapies and medication the child needs to act normal in a judgemental and highly social society so their child can live a happy and normal life.Work hard to research autism and try to understand your child so that you can give them what they need to be themselves and move through a judgmental and highly social society so their child can live a happy and normal life.

I have met many parents that chose 1 and 2 and still run into them today. I’m not popular with those parents of autistic children.

Thankfully, I have also met a few who chose 3. I am one of them.

It seems weird that parents would not want to understand their child’s condition whether it is autism or ADHD or etc. Perhaps the fear of losing their accustomed tribe is a motivator. After all, if the tribe doesn’t accept the child, they will not accept the parents and will often punish them for how the child ‘behaves’.

Or, maybe the parent is scared to confront what is inside them.

As I read as many books about autism as I could to understand my child, I stumbled upon a few autistic authors, one being John Eldar Robison. His memoirs Look Me In The Eye and Be Different not only helped me understand my child but understand myself.

A lot of Robison’s life experiences mimicked my own. It forced me to question my own neurology. It forced me to question society always labeling me evil, a narcissist, difficult, and strange.

Am I autistic?

As continued to read, take tests, and soul search, I came to the conclusion that

Yes, I am autistic.

Like many who reach this diagnosis, you have to retrain your brain. You learn to understand that what everyone punished you for (sensory difficulties, attention to detail, communication issues, strict boundaries and routines, etc) was how your brain worked. It was our naturally instinctive way to live, much like how people breathe, that didn’t fit with society.

Now knowing about myself and understanding the similarities between my child and me, I can make their life easier. At least offer them a safe environment where they can be themselves until they can find other autistics that will accept them.

I appreciate my autistic child.

They saved my life.

Changed my life.

Like my allistic child, if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be alive.

I hope other parents that chose 3 feel the same.

I also hope the ones that chose 1 or 2 become fearless not only to support their autistic child but maybe to support themselves.

© 2023 M.E. Purfield

For a long time now on social media, I have witnessed the rise of the nonfiction autistic author.

More and more autistics are claiming their stories and experiences and writing memoirs or niche books on being autistic. Some are written by autistic advocates who want to help others and some by autistics who only want to get there story out in hopes of connecting with others, to not feel alone.

That’s amazing and much needed considering the shit storm of misinformation that clutters our history.

We don’t need whiny allistic moms of autistic children telling us how miserable their lives are since the phantom vaccine took their child away and ruined their marriages. Or, the politician who wants to be reelected so he picks a phantom menace his followers, er, voters, can rally against.

Let’s not give them any more attention.

Continue to read those nonfiction books by autistic authors. I do even though I’m autistic. The spectrum is so wide and different that I love to learn about my tribe.

But nonfiction is not exclusive to learning about our tribe. Fiction plays a big part of it, too.

Great fiction focuses on a moment of time or experience of the authors through their unique voice. Hence, autistic authors create a story that reflects their experience in that time. As the work of fiction grows older, perhaps the next generation will read it and learn about that part of history, that part of the time.

Here are five to start you off:

I have read these authors and loved the experience. Each one, despite sharing a genre, is different from the other.

Unique.

Like an autistic person.

The Left Hand of Dog by Si ClarkeDead in the Garden by Dahlia DonovanThe Blueprint by Will HadcroftOptimate by Gil Lianebefore Crazytown by Duane Pesice

linkage: https://mailchi.mp/2a9276ce58b1/two-new-ebook-bundles

3/26/23 Linkage

I needed to make a decision on the best way to draw people to my Auts series on Pateon.

The best I could come up with is a sampler of stories. 

Free reads are the best practice in my experience. If they read the first free part of one of my series, and they like it, they will buy the others. It’s how I make my money.

But how do I release this free sampler to maximize my Tier?

Continue here.

Finished a short story this week. Actually, started one and finished one in five days. I haven’t done that in a long time.

It’s called A Knock at My Box and falls into 4,800 words. Was inspired by how someone described autism on this doc series I watched last month. She said being autistic is like being in a box. I took it literally, imagining communication through a box, etc.

Continue reading here.