The first session of the neurodissent theory circle will end in June 2022. During our first session, I posed the question “Who are WE to theorize neurodivergence and the neuronormative world?” to a group of 25 neurodivergent scholars. We read texts that affirmed the value of and need for our neurodivergent perspectives. They also challenged […]
“Are you disabled?” my therapist asked me, during one of our sessions several months ago. Her question came in response to something I said that, in hindsight, sure sounded like I thought I was disabled. The question made me immediately uncomfortable, and I backed away from the label “disabled”, saying something like, “I wouldn’t go […]
Content warning: In this essay, I discuss transphobia and ableism. I also write about a serious car accident I was involved in. —//— “There’s been a great pressure to affirm these children as trans… without appropriate exploration,” said David Bell, a psychiatrist from the United Kingdom, in an April 2022 appearance on the BBC. He […]
Looking for the neurodissent PODCAST? You can find that here. This is an old post about a now defunct learning community. I am excited to announce a new project: neurodissent, an online community of neurodivergent scholars theorizing against neuronormativity. I invite neurodivergent scholars to join the new neurodissent theory circle. I use the phrase “theory […]
Several months ago I started seriously exploring the possibility that I was autistic, and I found myself struggling to find information about autism that I could relate to. I wanted to know if my struggle with mental and emotional health was similar to other autistic people’s struggles. (I now know the answer is yes.) When […]
Content warning: This post contains a discussion of sexism, racism, and eugenics within autism research and advocacy —//— I’m a weirdo. That’s what everyone says. Sometimes, I don’t know what people mean when they say things, and that can make me feel alone even when there are other people in the room. And all I […]
Content warning: This post contains a discussion of police brutality —-//—- I have recently learned that I am autistic. For me, this word – autistic – provides an explanation for a lifetime of confusion about the mismatch between my and others’ perceptions of the world. I am aware, however, that there is profound misunderstanding about […]