Psychology Today

Looking back at my life, if I were to identify a common theme, it is feeling misunderstood. It sounds so much like a cliché, that many roll their eyes when hearing the phrase. “Everyone feels misunderstood,” they say. But what’s interesting is that those in my life who have said that, have gradually come to realize that it is true.

I have recently come face-to-face with a fact about myself: I have a problem with silence. I’m not really sure why.

It’s the holiday season...a time for reflection, togetherness, and joy, so they say. As I’ve written before, it hasn’t always been that way for me. This holiday season has been an especially difficult one. One of my best friends passed away over Thanksgiving weekend.

How do you react, as a parent, when you have a child who faces judgement and danger, because of his or her racial and neurological differences? Here is one mother's perspective from activist, advocate, writer, and researcher Kerima Çevik.

I admit, I’ve developed a fascination with what some have called “collaborative consumption,” exemplified in sites like Airbnb, Uber, and Taskrabbit. I see real possibilities in these technologies to make my life easier — but there are aspects of it that trouble me.

"There's a pattern that has existed in my life for as long as I can remember. Not only do I do it, many other people that I know do it as well. I learn about some type of problem—a robbery, a shooting, a murder...I close my eyes for a moment, and then I brace myself as I await more information. And all the while one thought/prayer/chant/fear is running through my head..."

A few weeks ago, during a weekly Twitter chat that I host about autism, a mother of an adult on the spectrum mentioned how, when her daughter was a child, structure had been crucial in helping her to learn flexibility. It sounds like an oxymoron, but I found it to be absolutely true in my life as well.

When a child has a diagnosis or difference, it’s easy to get caught up in treatments and therapies to the exclusion of everything else. But my experience is the right attitude can have just as much impact. It shapes how you relate to the child, and how they relate to you. Most importantly, it shapes how they feel about themselves.

Earlier this year, a video clip went viral. Taken at Comicpalooza in Houston, Texas, it took on topics one wouldn't have expected for such a venue — domestic violence and trauma. And it touched a lot of hearts in the process.

They say that time heals all wounds – but does it? Does ignoring trauma, suppressing it, or distracting yourself from it really work? My experience suggests no – not without help.

Can the sensitivity to certain stimuli in autism make us more prone to trauma? In my case, I can say it’s unequivocally true. However, I’ve also found the opposite to be true. So, what does that mean? Are autistic people more sensitive to trauma or less so?

The other night, I had a dream. I came home to my house to find the front door wide open. A half-drunk bottle of water stood on the floor in the doorway, and all the lights in the house blazed bright.

Albert Einstein once said, “Learning is experience. Everything else is just information.” I am often surprised by what I learn from experiences and how that learning varies from my own expectations.

Since the 1970s, April has been known as Autism Awareness Month. Some groups are now saying that awareness isn't enough…that it needs to go further. That is why they are pushing for April to become known as Autism Acceptance Month.