An image from a wedding reception. Five people in their thirties are positioned underneath a gazebo. The bridegroom (white, dark hair, dressed up to the nines) is in a cardboard boat, in the centre. With him, a thirty-something year old white woman smiles kindly. Next to her, a thirty-something year old dark-haired white man in a suit is biting his lower lip as he appears to pull down the gazebo. In the centre of the image is Jorik, a 36-year old autistic white gay in a suit wearing his father-in-law's tie, with a face that describes a self-insert teacher character in an Alan Bennett play. To my other side, a white man wearing glasses giving double middle fingers and wearing a facial expression of deep rage. The last man in his thirties is wearing a hat, dark sunglasses and is leaning in a fashion reminiscent of a human doing an impression of a motorbike. These were my colleagues when I was teaching English as a Foreign Language in Oxford, 2017-2020.

Monday 23rd September 2024: Long Covid + Wedding + How to Rest (again)

Hi everyone! Miss ‘Rooonnnaaaahhh…. Okay, so, bad news out of the way first. I’ve definitely got Long Covid. Why? For much of this past week, I’ve been kicking myself for not getting enough done. I’ve been tired, felt uncreative and emotionally flappy. It wasn’t a good week, even if I do now have the majority..

Monday 20th March 2023: Now on Youtube! Conversion Therapy and Neurodiversity: Where is the Line?

Hi everyone! Not much from me today, I’m mostly writing this quick blog to inform you that my talk at the University of Exeter this Friday will go live tonight at 20:00 GMT. Some of this you will have heard me talk about these things before: in talks, on blogs and, if you’re the editor..

Monday 7th March 2022: Covid + Work + Addiction – The Terrible Trio!

Hi everyone, Really sorry for the long absence. Two weeks ago, I was mainly busy with job applications and interviews. Good news: I got my second summer EAP job. It will be for Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. I was very happy when that came through. At this stage in my EAP teaching career, it’s a..

Monday 17th May 2021: On Operations, Medical Misunderstandings and Outcomes

CW: descriptions of operations, medical language and trauma; medical abuse, institutional ableism, descriptions of systemic failure and disabled people being the victims of this Hi everyone! Apologies first of all about last week’s blog’s date being incorrect. When I found out about it today, I couldn’t change it. That was a bit annoying, but I..

Jorik and Carebear Smiling

Monday 7th May 2021 – Autistic at Times of Covid-19: Covid-vaccines! Or: how to neurodiversify research.

CW: Medical research, descriptions of physical illness. Hi everyone! I hope you’ve been doing great. I’ve really appreciated being able to prepare my blog in the week, too, so I don’t feel too caught out if I am severely lacking in spoons on a Sunday. Don’t worry, though, I’ll still post them on the day..

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