Autism (late diagnosis)
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On the Double Empathy Problem: it changes the whole autism paradigm
Recently, one of my clients mentioned the Double Empathy Problem of Dr. Damien Milton, a sociologist and psychologist and himself autistic, and how it helped them understand that one of the daily traumas of being autistic, is to be forced into the position of the “abnormal’ versus the norm. Discovering this theory helped them immensely
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Ostracized, infantilized, ridiculed, not believed? About autistic women and confidence
But weren’t we all so tolerant ? Have you ever had the feeling people did not really take you seriously? Or treated you as though you were actually quite incapable? Like when a person takes your tasks out of your hands, “Let me do this”, or when you do your work, they ask you repeatedly
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How the neurotypical brain works in one meme
So let’s talk about neurotypical people and their problems with communication. Lately it has happened to me again: a person says something to me to be nice, or to look good in the eyes of others, and I take it seriously. It’s a very autistic problem, to just believe what people say. Like when a
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Autism and context blindness
I am not yet plunging into academic reading on the subject, but rather enjoying discovering and sharing different aspects of autism from the inside. Right now, my inner work is on ‘context blindness’ in autism. I find it not only to be fascinating, but am also discovering its deep impact on my own life. So
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One more on alexithymia, the less known cousin of Autism
Le site de Marlene en français se trouve ici photo : made with love by @Nathalie Frennet On alexithymia and relationships – how you always seem to be walking at a different pace, in time and depth – how you can’t necessarily express your feelings and desires when the other person asks you to –
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Healing through sound : I tried SSP (Safe & Sound Protocol)
I have always been sensitive to sound, having hyperacusis, and wanted to give SSP a go – a therapy that works with sound (pop songs from the 70s-80’s) that are filtered in such a way that the inner ear gets stimulated as well as the whole vagus nerve, in order to create a sense of
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On hypocrisy, autism and Sinéad O’Connor
(image : painting by (c) Herr Seele – with permission ! ) The most difficult part is relationships, be it before or after the diagnosis. I didn’t think it would be when I was 20 years old, but it is. Friends used to just come and go, and were not super important to me except
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Unmasking (in) relationships : letter to my younger self
Dear teenage Marlene, Of course it is painful when you realize that your friend(s) never really knew you. It hurts when you understand they never saw your distress, your problems at home, your sensitivities and your daily struggles. Of course at times you feel freaking lonely. But how could they know? You have become so
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Today, I went to the Supermarket
They are having ‘Autistic and Hypersensitive Friendly Hours’ at my local Carrefour. I usually go there once every 3 months or so. Today, I was in the area, and remembered that between 2 and 4 PM their store is now autism friendly. Curious as I am, I just had to try it out. What is
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Special skill or handicap? Thoughts on ‘detail orientedness’ and alexithymia
I want to talk about a typically autistic talent: finding patterns in the weirdest places, combined with a difficulty to identify one’s emotions. A few weeks ago, I noticed a series of subtle differences in the movements and behavior of my neighbors : their car was there at hours it normally wasn’t, a window that