👉 ABOUT THIS BLOG... 👈
Bio & More.
I'd like to tell you about AutisticAF Out Loud.
A different kind of Autism resource. About…
Living Autistic... Out Loud.
We talk symtptoms, diagnosis, survival strategies, etc. Of course.
But we focus on authentic, lived experience of adult autistics...
Thoughts and memories.
Challenges… and survival strategies.
Successes… and defeats.
Special Interests...
Music. Poetry. Cooking. Gardening. Politics. Spirituality.
Real 3D, neurodivergent life.
No Filters. No Apologies. No Credentials.
Tbh, AutisticAF Out Loud may not be to everybody's taste.
I can be blunt. I can drop the occasional F-bomb & talk about forbidden topics…. And I am no member of any group or movement.
So being a total outsider… with no in-group allegiances… by purpose… I am guaranteed to offend you from time to time… if you are a member.
Usually not by purpose. But by sheer ignorance... and social awkwardness.
See I'm out to reveal… and, frankly, learn from you. So I'm taking chances… not pulling punches. Cuz I'm not worried about donors, boards, the approval or acceptance of neurotypical folks -- or even family.
AutisticAF Out Loud is not about cures, controversial therapies, philosophies, speculations, nonprofit charity…
It IS about our autististic, life-long struggle. To transmute leaden dysfunction into pure gold… Autistic Joy.
So, here you may learn... most of all... those of my mistakes that you wisely wish to avoid committing…
I’m Johnny Profane Âû. In my 70s. Pretend Rock Star…
Cuz it’s ALL Cosplay.
I was born before autism was invented… More or less.
1953...
Long before autism or or even the now controversial term, Asperger’s1, were widely discussed in medicine or pop culture. That didn’t happen til the 70s.
I’ve been here for the WHOLE movie.
First, I played That Know-It-All Kid.
Then I was a Genius.
Til I was a Fairy,
Nerd,
Spazz,
Homo,
Geek,
Weird,
Loner,
Schizo,
Maniac,
Black Sheep,
Loser,
Finally Autist…
Been a meditation teacher,
cult member,
typesetter,
editor,
magazine publisher,
ad agency owner,
marketing veep,
non-profit activist,
3-time grad student,
3-time husband,
homeless in Manhattan,
mental health counselor,
substance abuse counselor,
cult counselor,
homeless in California,
singer/songwriter,
homeless in Bloomington, Indiana,
fast-food clerk,
Pretend Rock Star…
I’ve chatted with Bill Gates. Argued with Bill Joy. Touched the Maharishi. Discovered anonymous geniuses in university cubicles, office bull pens, trailer parks, homeless on the street…
So...
I have no credentials to offer.
At least none that matter to me.... Anymore.
So I offer my life in this blog. It’s all I have left to give.
If you know, love, or are... Actually Autistic, Neurodivergent, an ally of Neurodiversity…
Or are just wondering about your own possible neurodivergence…
I predict you will recognize a lot of what you read here.
Footnote
1 The term, Asperger's syndrome, is controversial within the Neurodiversity community.
Partly because it's linked to Hans Asperger. A psychiatrist involved with Nazi eugenics policies. These policies are alleged to include sterilization and extermination of individuals deemed unfit. They reflect a dark chapter in medical history.
At the time of this writing, "Asperger's" remains in use in some regions under the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), as opposed to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5).
Many neurodivergent advocates callfor a unified understanding of autism without subdivisions. They find the term "Asperger's" offensive.
Our family includes several autists, identified during early childhood, and their lives are flourishing because of individuals like my friend Johnnie Profane. Knowledge is power. #AUTISTICAF OUT LOUD BLOG & NEWSLETTERS are gems!