Healthy Change

January 13, 2021

Autism and the Good Enough Mum

Nearly every autism parent I connect with, at conferences, at talks, and online, has this sneaking fear.  And sometimes the fear isn’t very far in the background. This niggling, nasty, voice says things like: I did something wrong I must have made some mistake(s) I am the problem because my […]
August 15, 2018

Autism Naturally Optimized – Registration

You’re a: Social Worker Support Worker Therapeutic Professional, and/or Educator   You work with children or adults in the autistic spectrum, and you’re looking for: Consistently better results for your autistic clients Simple methods – ones which require no additional support or resources Effective, evidence-based, and experience-based tools   Shore […]
January 2, 2017
photo of an abandoned storefront

Autism and RIP for Toronto’s ABC Sports Store

What on earth could mourning the many-years-ago passing of a sports store have to do with autism? Bear with me. There are a bunch of factors.  But they essentially amount to: The way we design, use, and either maintain or replace our gear has an impact on autism. The way […]
October 18, 2016

Autistic Adventures in Gut Repair, Diet Change, and Embracing Change

WARNING:  very long post Have I ever told you about some of my food exploits, the ones that brought me to what I’m now doing?  Maybe not… When I left my parent’s home for a pre-meds program, I knew that the foods I ate at that wilderness canoe camp left […]
September 7, 2016

Range of Tolerance: Why Autism Rates Double Every 10 Years

Since the first world war (WWI), autism rates for new primary school students have been roughly doubling every ten years (click here to see one of many similar graphs available online from around the world). We know from records that behaviours and attributes we now call autistic have been recognized […]
February 23, 2015

Autistics at Play

It’s not an easy thing for an extreme introvert with sensory sensitivities to spend a whole day at a conference.  Even though I’m really motivated to change the world’s understanding of autism, and am driven to do my absolute best, I often have a difficult few days afterwards, as my […]
December 10, 2014
It's About Time: Woman pointing at a clock

Autism Research Discriminates Against Women

Autistic Women’s Rights Challenge: Please ask your national, provincial, territorial, or state autism organization to include the voices of autistic women who have NOT been able to access an ASD diagnosis.  Request that they add a women’s diagnostic questionnaire to their current survey of adult needs. It is often well-nigh […]
April 26, 2014

Do you want autistics to pay their way?

Does right livelihood hold any interest for you?  I mean, helping people to find work that they are uniquely suited to, and enjoy? This is of keen interest for the adult autistics I’ve met.  Because our sensory sensitivity means that unpleasant or toxic work environments are more damaging and stressful, […]
April 9, 2014

Name-Calling: Autistic Person vs. Person with Autism

Last week, someone contacted me with some concerns about my language on this website.  I am quite cavalier about how I refer to the autistic state.  It may seem offensive to people who are politically minded, for me to be so direct or blunt.  It is not my intention to […]