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Anti-work, Atheism, Adventure
I recently finished reading The Last Night: Antiwork, Atheism and Adventure by Federico Campagna. The interesting title and fact it’s published by Zero Books attracted me to it. It is rather short and...
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A Highly Sensitive Introvert’s Guide to Enjoying the Holidays
Christmas baubles I ©martinak15/Flickr The holidays are a hectic period for many people. But the higher than usual levels of social and sensory stimulation can make them especially challenging for...
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Could lowering your expectations make you happier?
It’s the new year, and many people around the world have made resolutions encapsulating ways they’d like their lives to improve over the next few months. Setting goals and habits is all well and...
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Book review series
I’m starting a new series of blog posts which will consist of me reviewing some of the best books I’ve recently read. I got into reading non-fiction on a pretty regular basis a couple of years ago and...
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Everything I Know, Paul Jarvis
So I’m breaking the main rule that I set myself for doing book reviews on the every first one. I said in the introductory post that I’d note just the top 10 ideas in the book. But this book –...
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Top tips for introverted travellers
Travel is often painted as an extrovert’s dream, yet many introverts feel strongly drawn to exploring the world beyond their doorstep. There are also many ways in which travel lends itself especially...
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Should you travel alone or with others?
To travel alone or with others is perhaps the one variable that can make the biggest difference to your trip. You can be in the same place, under the same circumstances, doing the same things, but...
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Show your work!
Here are my top 10 takeaways from reading Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon Don’t be afraid to create your own work In terms of media, art and content, most of us are consumers before producers. But...
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Healthy eating on an adventure – Can it be done?
It’s one thing to commit to eating healthily from the comfort of your own home. Supermarkets, health shops, markets, fridges/freezers, ovens, plenty of storage, counter space and kitchen tools are all...
View ArticleThe Art of Stillness, by Pico Iyer
Here are the best ideas I extracted when reading Pico Iyer’s TED book on the art of stillness. You can learn more about the art of stillness here. I’d also recommend watching the associated TED talk....
View ArticleIntroduction to the blog
Welcome to the Autstanding blog, the place where understanding autism and autism understanding come together! After first coming across the concept of autism just a couple of years ago and then...
View ArticleAutism discovery & diagnosis series
It’s exactly one year to this day since I received my autism diagnosis (and about two and a half years since I first properly came across the concept of autism/Asperger’s Syndrome). In honour of this...
View ArticleDiscovering autism
In this post (and the next) I discuss the pre-diagnosis circumstances leading me to: a) first come across the concept of autism/Asperger’s Syndrome (in any meaningful detail, and beyond the...
View ArticleDiscovering an Autistic Self
This is a follow-up from my previous post, “Discovering Autism”. It continues the discussion around how I gradually came to the realisation I might be autistic. Then it provides some more general...
View ArticleSeeking a professional autism diagnosis
There are many different paths to arriving at a professional autism diagnosis. Some people are already convinced of their autistic identity, and seeking a diagnosis is simply to validate and confirm...
View ArticlePreparing for a diagnostic assessment
In this post I’ll be discussing the period leading up to my diagnostic appointment – how I prepared in practical terms, some thoughts about how I was feeling, along with a few tips about the process...
View ArticleAutism diagnostic assessment
The day of my autism diagnostic assessment was to be one of the most important days of my life, and I knew it. I knew that it could potentially change things forever and I had a million thoughts and...
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Post-diagnosis: the immediate aftermath
I could write an entire book about the impact of receiving an autism diagnosis, detailing both my personal experience alongside more general reflections on the process. But I’m really going to try to...
View ArticleProcessing emotions post diagnosis (part 1)
An autism diagnosis (as well as the often ongoing process of disclosing and witnessing other people’s reactions) can play on your mind and heart in innumerable ways, giving rise to a whole host of...
View ArticleProcessing emotions post diagnosis (part 2)
This post continues on from part 1, starting from point 6. I’ve included the table from the first post just below as a reminder of all 12 points. PROCESSING AN AUTISM DIAGNOSIS: A road map for...
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