I remember years ago when I visited an art gallery for extra credit. I saw a door with a note telling me to take off my shoes after I enter and before I proceed down the dark passageway. It also told me to do whatever felt natural. I followed the light to an enclosed space with dirt and leaves all over the floor. A swing was hanging from the…read more

A toast to the ones
Who attempted to crush my
Heart of diamonds.

A toast to the one
Who left me hanging without
A single answer.

A toast to the one
Who made me cry for sharing
A giggle or two.

A toast to the one
Who told me to know my place
And left me to drown.

A toast to the one
Who put their reputation
Before a best friend.

A toast to…read more

I grew up without knowing that I was autistic.
I saw autistic adults on TV, but I didn’t have a clue.
Maybe if I saw an autistic child like me on my little TV set,
I would’ve accepted myself the moment I learned the truth.
Alas, I didn’t see myself on the screen.

Autistic-coded characters have helped me accept myself.
I saw myself in Lilo when…read more

Dear seventeen-year-old me,

Now that you’re aware of your autism, let me give you some advice. Your first thought will be to wrap up your autism and lock it up in the closet. I will advise you to keep your autism hidden from your peers for the time being because they will pretend to be your friend to make themselves look good. However, you m…read more

Dear Future Child That I May Or May Not Have,

I want to be honest with you and tell you that I’m autistic. I can’t fully explain it all at once, so I’ll tell you what it is as simple as I can. It means that I extremely admire certain things and topics that most people wouldn’t. It means that my surroundings can be pure hell from the sounds that I…

read more

Dear Future Child That I May Or May Not Have,

I want to be honest with you and tell you that I’m autistic. I can’t fully explain it all at once, so I’ll tell you what it is as simple as I can. It means that I extremely admire certain things and topics that most people wouldn’t. It means that my surroundings can be pure hell from the sounds…read more

Dear Chloe Hayden,

You don’t really know me and you’ve only responded to some of the things I’ve tagged you in, but I’ve been a fan of yours for about three years now. Even though we’ve never officially met, we have some things in common; we’re both autistic writers, actresses, and advocates. We’ve both challenged how autism is represented;…

read more

Dear Chloe Hayden,

You don’t really know me and you’ve only responded to some of the things I’ve tagged you in, but I’ve been a fan of yours for about three years now. Even though we’ve never officially met, we have some things in common; we’re both autistic writers, actresses, and advocates. We’ve both challenged how autism is represented;…read more