Status Updates From Sincerely, Your Autistic Ch...

The chapter that I'd just finished had a part that covered stimming. As somebody who has stims, I really used to feel bad or awkward whenever I felt the need to do so. When I wasn't able to do or felt like I couldn't, it was draining and exhausting. I'm grateful to learn about the experiences of autistic individuals, and who encourage allistic folks to allow their autistic children to stim if/when they have to.

The chapter I just finished was so moving. It was a poem by Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, an autistic woman with kids who went undiagnosed until she was an adult. I honestly resonated with her words because as an individual who went undiagnosed with ADHD for a long time, I also feel for the younger me who struggled so much thinking that I was just “broken.”

It’s really wholesome to read the chapters written by autistic people. I like hearing their perspectives and worldviews, and it’s so eye-opening.

Learning a lot, but this lowkey makes me sad for all of the girls who are so misunderstood in the autistic community. I’m so glad I have the chance to read this.