As I moved from school to university and slowly dragged myself into adulthood, labels - self-definitions or professional diagnoses - have kept me anchored to identities and to communities when I would have otherwise drifted. They helped me make sense of who I am, and they gave me some sense of purpose when I was …
Continue reading "Anxious self-identification: a personal reflection on identity labels"
X-post from Blueprint Zine CN: 'Autism mums', eugenics, forced sterilisation, functioning labels, disablism “[It’s] not for the disabled students at Cambridge to condemn the idea of a cure for autism.” – Judith Newman, To Siri With Love For the most part, autistic people vocally object to the search for a cure for their condition. While I …
Continue reading "Should Cambridge students speak on behalf of all autistic people?"
A few months ago I met with a friend who I hadn't seen in about a year. They suggested we go to the Wellcome Collection - and, though I'd never been, I'd heard it was good - so we went, without knowing much about what we might see. All three exhibitions on display turned out …
On homesickness, routines, and sinking not swimming in the first weeks of higher ed. Content note: food, calories, disordered eating, depression When I moved to Cambridge in October 2012, I didn't know that in three years' time I'd be diagnosed with autism after the most difficult and painful three years of my life. I did …
