Autism information that actually makes sense
Plain-language articles for parents, autistic adults, and everyone who loves someone on the spectrum. No clinical jargon. No judgment. Just honest, useful information.
Latest Articles
Autistic Splitting: All-or-Nothing Thinking in Autism
All-or-nothing thinking. People are either completely trusted or completely not. One event can flip the category entirely.
Autistic Rigidity: Why Routines Aren't Stubbornness
The strong need for sameness and routine. A regulatory strategy — not stubbornness.
When the Words Won't Come: Situational Mutism in Autism
The inability to speak in certain situations. Not a choice — the words are genuinely inaccessible.
Autistic Dissociation: When the Mind Steps Outside
Feeling detached from present experience. A protective response to overwhelm.
Object Permanence in Autism: Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Out of sight, out of mind — applied to people. Not indifference.
Sensory Seeking in Autism: A Drive, Not a Behaviour Problem
Actively seeking sensory input. A regulatory behaviour, not a behaviour problem.
Hyperfocus in Autism: Total Absorption, Faded World
Total absorption in a topic or task. A cognitive state, not wilful ignorance.
The Spiky Profile: Brilliant in Some Areas, Struggling in Others
Uneven abilities — very high in some areas, very low in others. The rule, not the exception.
Autistic Regression: When Skills Temporarily Disappear
Temporarily losing previously held skills under stress or overwhelm.
RSD in Autism: When Rejection Hits Like a Physical Blow
Intense emotional pain triggered by perceived rejection or criticism.
Autistic Joy: The Intense, Full-Body Happiness You Don't Hear About
The intense, full-body happiness of a special interest in full flow.
Gestalt Language Processing: Learning Language in Whole Chunks
Learning language in chunks and scripts, not word by word.
Interoception in Autism: When You Can't Feel What Your Body Is Telling You
The ability to sense internal body signals. Often reduced in autism.
The Double Empathy Problem: It's Not Just an Autistic Issue
Mutual misunderstanding between autistic and non-autistic people.
Autistic Unmasking: What Happens When the Performance Finally Stops
Letting go of the performance. What happens when masking stops.
Alexithymia in Autism: Not Knowing What You Feel
Difficulty identifying and describing emotions. Common in autism.
Monotropism: Why Autistic Attention Goes Deep, Not Wide
Attention flowing intensely into one thing at a time.
Autistic Masking: The Hidden Cost of Fitting In
Hiding autistic traits to fit in. Exhausting, effective, and costly.
Scripting in Autism: Rehearsed Words for an Unrehearsed World
Using rehearsed phrases to navigate social situations.
The 6-Second Rule: Why Processing Time Changes Everything
Giving extra processing time before expecting a response.
Penguin Pebbling: How Autistic People Say "I Love You"
Showing love through giving objects. Autistic love language.
Palilalia in Autism: Repeating Your Own Words to Regulate
Repeating one's own words or sounds. A self-regulatory behaviour.
Autistic Looping: When Thoughts Won't Stop Replaying
Repetitive thinking cycles that are hard to interrupt.
The Rumble Stage: The Warning Signs Before a Meltdown
The warning signs before a meltdown. The window where support helps.
PDA Profile: When Demand Avoidance Is the Core Feature
Pathological Demand Avoidance. A distinct autistic profile.
Waiting Mode in Autism: Frozen Until the Thing Happens
Unable to do anything else while waiting for an event.
Emotional Permanence: Out of Sight, Out of Feeling
Difficulty holding the feeling of a relationship when not in contact.
Autistic Shutdown: When the Nervous System Goes Offline
Going offline under overwhelm. The nervous system's emergency brake.
Autistic Inertia: Can't Start, Can't Stop, Can't Switch
Difficulty starting, stopping, or switching tasks. Not laziness.
The Social Hangover: Why Socialising Costs Autistic People So Much
Exhaustion after social interaction. The cost of masking.
Autistic Burnout: When the System Has Nothing Left to Give
Long-term exhaustion from sustained masking and overwhelm.