Essential Reading

At the time of this writing (10 March 2017), there are over 350 posts on this blog.  (Yikes! Lol.)

Because so many have expressed how these posts have been helpful, I want to help more! 🙂  You might find some of the “older” posts helpful as well.

I’ve decided to feature specific blog posts in categories, for easy navigation, to make these older posts easier to find.

Please Note: I haven’t categorized every post; I’ve selected those posts that are most likely to be relevant; thus, these categories may not contain all posts that apply.

Another Please-Note: this page will likely be a work in progress, and possibly updated frequently, as new posts are written, or, upon reviewing existing posts, I come across any that I decide should actually be selected for this page after all. 🙂

My Own (And Others’) Asperger’s/Autism Discovery, Diagnosis, and Subsequent Realizations/Reframing:

• The Silent Wave – April 2016
• No One Knew Me – May 2016
• Now I Know Why – May 2016
• A Day in the Life of One Aspie – May 2016
• My Experience of a Late Asperger’s Discovery, As Seen Through a Creative Writing Filter – July 2016
• The Emotional Torrent of Asperger’s / Autism Discovery – August 2016
• They Thought I Was Lazy…When I Was Just Actually Autistic – September 2016
• How It Feels To Find Your Tribe – September 2016
• Standing at the Gates (of Formal Asperger’s / Autism Diagnosis) – October 2016
• Relief & the Waiting Game – October 2016
• No Longer Pretending – October 2016
• Standing at the Mirror Gate – November 2016
• 30 Things I’ve Learned Since Learning That I ‘Have’ Asperger’s / Autism – November 2016
• Looking Back On 2016 ~ My Personal Asperger’s / Autistic Blogging Journey Thus Far – January 2017
• They Said I Had ‘Anger Issues’…When I Was Just Actually Autistic – January 2017
• (Un?)awareness – February 2017
• Dear Recently-Diagnosed Aspie / Autistic Adults – March 2017
• The Depth of the (My) Asperger’s / Autism ‘Rabbit Hole’ – March 2017
• A Letter To My Younger Self – March 2017
• The Unlearning Process – March 2017

Life on the Asperger’s/Autism Spectrum ~ General, Internal, Misc, Etc:

• The Asperger’s / Autism ‘Sub’culture, The Way I See It – October 2016
• Asperger’s / Autism and Puberty, Gender Identity, and Non-Binarism ~ One Aspie / Autistic Person’s Experience – October 2016
• Asexuality Is Different, Not Weird ~ One Asperger’s / Autistic Person’s Perspective – October, 2o16
• Because I Can’t – November 2016
• The Freight Train Brain – November 2016
• Let Me Tell You About My ‘Mild’ Form of Autism – November 2016
• So Maybe I Don’t Have My Shizz Together: an Aspie / Autistic Mini-Meltdown – November 2016
• Because Rainbows!  A Tale of ‘Special Interests’ – December 2016
• How I ‘Hid’ (or ‘Coped With’) Asperger’s – December 2016
• Gender Stereotypes, Expectations, Assumptions, and … The Asperger’s / Autism Spectrum – December 2016
• The Silent Glacier ~ The Winter World Is My Asperger’s / Autistic Sensory Deprivation Tank – December 2016
• Coming Out of (Recovering From) An Asperger’s / Autistic Shutdown – December 2016
• Asperger’s / Autism Support – December 2016 (my personal supports)
• (My) Asperger’s / Autism and Resentment – January 2017
• Creating My Alternative World – January 2017
• Autistic, Staring, and Silent – January 2017
• Make It Stop – March 2017
• Sometimes I Don’t Know What I’m Feeling – March 2017

Life on the Asperger’s/Autism Spectrum ~ Social (Friendships, Relationships, etc):

• Asperger’s / Autism and Marriage / Relationships – Part 1: My General Point of View – July 2016
• Asperger’s / Autism and Marriage / Relationships – Part 2: The Dating Pool – July 2016
• Asperger’s / Autism and Marriage / Relationships – Part 3: What Worked For Me/Us – July 2016
• Aspie / Autistic Communication – My Forms – July 2016
• What Your Asperger’s / Autistic Friend Probably Wants You To Know – November 2016
• When the ‘Mask’ Begins To Crack – November 2016
• Distant, Aloof, … and Embarrassed – November 2016
• The Challenges of Relationships For People ‘With’ Asperger’s / Autism – November 2016
• Navigating the Potential Pitfalls of Relationships For People ‘With’ Asperger’s / Autism – November 2016
• What Your Asperger’s / Autistic Partner or Significant Other Probably Wants You To Know ~ Part 1 – November 2016
• What Your Asperger’s / Autistic Partner or Significant Other Probably Wants You To Know ~ Part 2 – November 2016
• Making Friends – December 2016
• Sometimes I Go Mute – January 2017
• (My) Asperger’s / Autism and People-Pleasing – January 2017
• Small Talk Sucks(TM) – January 2017
• Reaching Out vs Drawing In ~ A Social Quandary For Many Autistic People – January 2017
• The Downside To Being (Autistic and) ‘Bright’ – January 2017
• The Wrong Planet – January 2017
• Let Me Tell You About My ‘Inability To Handle Criticism’ ~ One Asperger’s / Autistic Perspective – January 2017
• Please – Don’t Make Me Use the Phone – February 2017
• Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t I? – February 2017
• Unwritten Rules, Expectations, and Faux Pas – February 2017
• I Tried To Be Cool – February 2017
• Friends on the Asperger’s / Autism Spectrum – February 2017
• Asperger’s / Autism and the Conundrums of Honesty, Bluntness, Diplomacy, & Lying – March 2017
• When Mimicking Fails – March 2017
• The ABCs of Social Awkwardness – March 2017

Life on the Asperger’s/Autism Spectrum ~ Career, Profession, Workplace:

• Self-Employment For People on the Asperger’s / Autism Spectrum – September 2016
• How I ‘Came Out’ as an Aspie / Autistic To a Patient – December 2016
• Choosing and Landing a Job as an Asperger’s / Autistic Person – January 2017

Life on the Asperger’s/Autism Spectrum ~ Education/School:

• Invisible Division ~ School Life As an Aspie / Autistic Girl (The Condensed Version) – September 2016

Informative Posts About Asperger’s/Autism:

• Asperger’s / Autistic People Feel, Too – July 2016
• What Does a Meltdown Feel Like? – July 2016
• Meltdowns & Showdowns: How To Prevent a Meltdown? – July 2016
• Eye Contact and Shaking Hands Can Be Hard For Aspie / Autistic People – July 2016
• Positive Aspects of Asperger’s / Autism – July 2016
• Asperger’s / Autism and Shutdowns – August 2016
• Myths About Asperger’s / Autism ~ Part 1 – August 2016
• Myths About Asperger’s / Autism ~ Part 2 – August 2016
• Myths About Asperger’s / Autism ~ Part 3 – August 2016
• Truths About Asperger’s / Autism – August 2016
• Asperger’s / Autism vs Non-Autistic / Neurotypical (NT), as Illustrated in a Mac-vs-PC ‘Operating System’ Analogy – September 2016
• Asperger’s / Autism Vocabulary 101 ~ An Introductory Primer – September 2016
• When Asperger’s / Autistic People Appear Soulless… – October 2016
• Dear Employers ~ How To Work With Employees ‘With’ Asperger’s / Autism ~ Part 1: Making Your Office an Autism Friendly Environment – November 2016
• Dear Employers ~ How To Work With Employees ‘With’ Asperger’s / Autism ~ Part 2: Creating an Autism-Friendly Atmosphere – November 2016
• Dear Employers ~ How To Work With Employees ‘With’ Asperger’s / Autism ~ Part 3: Thoughts of Interviewing, Hiring, and Promotion – November 2016
• Dear Employers ~ How To Work With Employees ‘With’ Asperger’s / Autism ~ Part 4: Why Bother?  Here’s Why – November 2016
• Dear Employers ~ How To Work With Employees ‘With’ Asperger’s / Autism ~ Part 5: You Hired an Aspie / Autist!  Now What? – December 2016
• The Sensitivity Yin-Yang ~ One Aspie / Autistic Perspective – December 2016
• Aspie / Autistic Operating System (AOS) ‘Apps’ – January 2017
• Asperger’s / Autism and Traveling – January 2017
• Inside One Asperger’s / Autistic Brain ~ Making Decisions – February 2017
• Asperger’s / Autistic Characteristics Are a Double-Edged Sword – February 2017
• Asperger’s / Autism and ‘Black and White Thinking’ – March 2017
• Do Asperger’s / Autistic People Always Have To Be Right? – March 2017
• How To Love Someone on the Asperger’s / Autism Spectrum – March 2017

Diagnostic Criteria, Self-Diagnosis/Identification (and Related Aspects) of Asperger’s/Autism:

• Self-Diagnosis on the Asperger’s / Autism Spectrum: Yay or Nay? – July 2016
• When An “Official” Diagnosis Is Just a Formality – August 2016
• Land of Confusion: Thought-Clouds On Whether or Not I Should Go For an Official Asperger’s / Autism Diagnosis – September 2016
• So…About That Asperger’s / Autism Self-Diagnosis Poll – October 2016
• The Potential ‘Dark Side’ of Asperger’s / Autism Self-Diagnosis – October 2016
• Going Ahead ( … I Think?) – October 2016
• Sifting Through the Diagnostic Criteria For Autism ~ Part A: Persistent Deficits In Social Communication and Interaction – October 2016
• Sifting Through the Diagnostic Criteria For Autism ~ Part B (1): Stereotyped or Repetitive Motor Movements – October 2016
• Sifting Through the Diagnostic Criteria For Autism ~ Part B (2-4): Restricted, Repetitive Patterns of Behavior – October 2016
• Sifting Through the Diagnostic Criteria For Autism ~ Part C: Symptoms Present In Early Development – October 2016
• Sifting Through the Diagnostic Criteria For Autism ~ Part D: Symptoms Cause Significant Impairment In Multiple Areas of Functioning – October 2016
• How Objective Is An Asperger’s / Autism Diagnosis? – October 2016
• File Under: Say What??  Asperger’s / Autism Is Considered a ‘Fluid and Variable’ Status – November 2016
• A Year Later, Self-Diagnosis Is Still Valid (Duh) 🙂 – February 2017

Historical, Legal, Legislative, and Educational/Academic (and Sometimes Activist) Aspects of Asperger’s/Autism:

• Seeking Official Autism Diagnosis in the United States May Get (Much?) Riskier – October 2016
• An Interesting Look at the Asperger’s / Autism Spectrum and Its Ties With Mental Illness – October 2016
• I Probably Would Have Preferred Not To Be Mainstreamed In School – November 2016
• How To Get an Asperger’s / Autism Diagnosis in the US Without Potential ‘Issues’ – November 2016
• Once Autistic / An Aspie, Always Autistic / An Aspie – February 2017

Social Advocacy/Activism Involving Asperger’s/Autism:

• Star-Shaped Peg in a Square-Pegged World – Part 1: Curing Out of Convenience – May 2016
• Star-Shaped Peg in a Square-Pegged World – Part 3: Cure, Prevention, and Eugenics – June 2016
• Most People Don’t Practice Acceptance of Autism – June 2016
• Why “The Rest of the World” Is Largely Unaware of People on the Spectrum – July 2016
• Dear Joel Stein & Time Magazine: You Really F**ked Up: An Open Letter From an Asperger’s Person – September 2016
• Why Autism Speaks Is Bad: It Hurts Actually Autistic People – September 2016
• The Importance of Storytelling for Asperger’s / Autistic People – October 2016
• Reality Check: Autism Speaks Is Still Chasing a ‘Cure’ – October 2o16
• Complaining About Your Husband ‘With’ Asperger’s?  I’m Talking Back… – November 2016
• Asperger’s / Autism and Identity – January 2017
• My Personality Is Not a Disease and My Characteristics Are Not ‘Symptoms’ – January 2017
• People on the Asperger’s / Autism Spectrum Are Not ‘Undomesticated Humans’ – March 2017

Visionary Activism Involving Asperger’s/Autism (any type of proposal/solution):

• An Aspie / Autistic’s Bill of Rights – June 2016
• If the World Were Built For/By Asperger’s / Autistic People (My Idea for an “Aspie (Autistic) Utopia”) – July 2016
• A World Dominated By Aspie / Autistic People – August 2016
• A World Dominated By Aspie / Autistic People… Part 2 – August 2016
• Asperger’s / Autism Vocabulary 201 ~ A Proposal Toward a 21st-Century Shift – September 2016
• How To ‘Opt Out’ of Neurotypical Culture (According To One Aspie / Autistic Person) – October 2016
• Depathologizing Asperger’s / Autism ~ The Diagnostic Criteria Edition – November 2016
• Depathologizing Asperger’s / Autism ~ It’s a Normal and Healthy Neurological Orientation – November 2016

Mental Health, Psychology, and Emotions on the Asperger’s/Autism Spectrum:

• Asperger’s / Autism and Self-Doubt – July 2016
• Advice For Counselors / Therapists / Professionals Working With Asperger’s / Autistic People – July 2016
• Asperger’s / Autism and Anxiety Seem Like An Old Married Couple – August 2016
• Asperger’s / Autism + PTSD – September 2016
• Asperger’s / Autism and Loneliness – September 2016
• Asperger’s / Autism and Depression – September 2016
• The Asperger’s / Autism Spectrum and Anxiety ~ The Reality – September 2016
• The Asperger’s / Autism Spectrum and Anxiety ~ That ‘Informational’ Post I Promised – September 2016
• Asperger’s / Autism and Embarrassment – September 2016
• Asperger’s / Autism and Shame – September 2016
• Asperger’s / Autism and Suicide – October 2016
• Therapy / Coaching For Asperger’s / Autistic People: A Need, Or Simply a Benefit? – October 2016
• How ‘Functional’ Am I Really? – October 2016
• Who Says Asperger’s / Autistic People Lack Empathy? – November 2016
• Creating an Asperger’s / Autism-Friendly Home Sanctuary – December 2016
• Standing at the Intersection of Asperger’s / Autism and PTSD – January 2017
• Asperger’s / Autism and Regret – January 2017
• How To Choose a Good Counselor / Therapist as an Asperger’s / Autistic Adult – January 2017
• Asperger’s / Autism and Vulnerability – February 2017
• Building a Depression Survival Go-To Kit – February 2017
• Asperger’s / Autism and Aging ~ I’m a Little Worried – February 2017
• Asperger’s / Autism Is Asperger’s / Autism and Antisocial Behavior is Antisocial Behavior – February 2017
• Asperger’s / Autism and the Significance of Self-Talk – February 2017
• The Importance of Self-Care For People on the Asperger’s / Autism Spectrum ~ Part 1: Self-Care and Its Deterrents – February 2017
• The Importance of Self-Care For People on the Asperger’s / Autism Spectrum ~ Part 2: Ideas and Strategies – February 2017
• Asperger’s / Autism, Inertia, and Motivation – February 2017
• Asperger’s / Autism vs Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) – March 2017

Asperger’s/Autism Science, Medicine, Neurology, and Research:

• So…About That Empathy Quotient Quiz ~ From One Asperger’s / Autistic Point of View – September 2016
• Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism ~ Here’s Why – January 2017
• Asperger’s / Autism, Genetics, and MIT ~ Part 1: Consent? – February 2017
• Asperger’s / Autism, Genetics, and MIT ~ Part 2: Jurautistic Park (Nature Likes Us!)  – February 2017
• Asperger’s / Autism, Genetics, and MIT ~ Part 3: The Lernaean Hydra – February 2017
• Asperger’s / Autism, Genetics, and MIT ~ Part 4: A (Mistaken) Utopia – February 2017
• Autism Research Progress ~ Hopeless Without Anecdotes? – March 2017

Etiquette While Interacting With People on the Asperger’s / Autism Spectrum:

• 20 Things Not To Say To Aspie/Autistic People – May 2016
• 20 Things To Say To Aspie/Autistic People – May 2016
• 12 More Things Not To Say To People “With” Asperger’s / Autism – July 2016
• 12 More Things To Say To People “With” Asperger’s / Autism – July 2016
• 16 Words and Phrases You Might Want To Strike From Your Vocabulary Right Now, When Referring To Asperger’s / Autism – September 2016
• What Happens When You Say, ‘No Way–You Can’t Be Autistic’ – November 2016
• Non-Autistic: ‘Everybody’s Like That.’  No.  You Aren’t.  – February 2017
• Why Neurotypical People Might Say ‘Everybody’s Like That’ – February 2017
• Dear World: Please Withhold / Reserve Judgment.  Thank You ~ One Autistic Person – February 2017

Turning the Tables on the Neurotypical World:

• The Hitchhiker’s Guide To Neurotypicality: A Handbook on the Rest of the World for Asperger’s / Autistic People – August 2016
• Depathologizing Asperger’s / Autism ~ In a Way, Neurotypical People Might Meet the Criteria, Too – January 2017
• Dear Neurotypical Population: We Know More About You Than You Know About Us – February 2017

Writing of Other Aspergian/Autistic Writers/Bloggers:

• Unschooling Myself After All These Years – August 2016 (From Aspie Under Your Radar)
• The Point of Neurotypical “Small Talk” – August 2016 (From Aspie Under Your Radar)
• What If Autistic People Need To ‘Lose Words’ When We’re Young? – November 2016 (From Aspie Under Your Radar)
• Diagnostic Criteria For Neurotypical Spectrum Disorder – January 2017 (From Anonymously Autistic)
• 70 of the Absolute BEST Actually-Autistic Blog Posts I’ve Ever Read (300th Post) – February 2017
• Getting Rid of Us Won’t Keep You Safe: Autistic Rage, MIT, and Eugenics – February 2o17 (From A Sunny Momentum)
• Basic Accommodations ~ I’m Not Disabled By My Autism, I’m Disabled By Unaccommodating People – February 2017 (From Anonymously Autistic)
• Letting Go of Fitting In – March 2017 (From Eclectic Autistic)
• Functioning Labels 101: What’s the Big Deal? – March 2017 (From Feminist Aspie)

Debates and Conflicts Surrounding the Asperger’s/Autism Community:

• Failing At Asperger’s / Autism…? – September 2016
• The Post I’ve Been Holding Out On: An Open Letter to the Anti-Self-Diagnosis ‘Elitists’ – October 2016
• Knock It Off ~ An Open Letter to the Recent Twits (Twitter Trolls) – January 2017
• Inclusion, Exclusion, and … the Autism Spectrum – February 2017
• The Great Divide – March 2017