Welcome! I’m Emily, and this is Woman on the Spectrum.
This blog exists for a very specific reason: I got tired of feeling like I was constantly translating myself – my needs, my reactions, my brain – into a language other people could tolerate. I’ve also grown tired of the version of autism that gets talked about the most: the one that’s either flattened into cliches or framed as a tragedy, a superpower, or a quirky personality trait.
None of those stories fully capture my experience.
So I created this space for the real human middle ground: the practical stuff, the emotional stuff, and the “why does this feel impossible when it looks so easy to everyone else?” stuff. The kind of content I wish I had found years ago.
Why “Woman on the Spectrum”?
Because autistic women (and anyone socialized as female) are often missed, misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or just ignored into silence. Many of us learned early that being “easy” was safer than being honest. So we got good at masking and performing. We worked hard at making ourselves understandable, even when it costs us our health.
And because that story deserves to be told without shame, without infantilizing language, and without pretending it’s simple.
What this blog is.
A reality-based place for autistic adults, especially women, who want clarity, tools, language, and validation that doesn’t feel like being patted on the head.
You’ll find posts about things like:
–Masking: what it looks like, why we do it, and what it costs.
-Burnout: the slow creep, the crash and what recovery can actually require.
-Anxiety and nervous system: not as a personal failing, but as data.
-Sensory experiences: lights, sounds, texture, overwhelm, shutdowns, meltdowns.
-Work and communication: scripts, boundaries, misunderstandings, survival strategies.
-Identity: grief, relief, anger, humor, and the weird peace that can show up after diagnosis.
-Resources: research, tools, books, and communities that are actually useful (and not condescending).
I’m also interested in the overlap between autism and other things that tend to ride shotgun, such as ADHD, OCD traits, trauma responses, chronic stress, and how all of that can complicate “simple” advice. If something is nuanced, I’m not going to sand it down to a motivational quote.
What this blog isn’t.
This blog is not:
-a place where autism is treated like a quirky aesthetic.
-a “just try harder” productivity sermon.
-a space for debating whether autistic people are “really” autistic.
-A constant positivity party where we pretend everything is fine.
-A substitute for professional medical advice (I’ll share resources and research, but I’m not a clinician).
It’s also not a place where I’m going to perform to be palatable. I’m not here to make autism easier for allistic (non-autistic) people to digest. I’m here to make autistic life easier for autistic people to live.
Who I’m writing for.
I’m writing for the person who:
-feels like social interaction is a job with no training manual.
-can look “fine” while internally running on fumes.
-is sensitive to noise/light/chaos but also feels guilty for needing accommodations.
-has spent years being told they’re “too much” or “too intense” or “too sensitive.”
-is trying to untangle what’s personality, what’s trauma, what’s autism, and what’s just exhaustion.
-wants language for what they experience, not platitudes.
If that’s you: welcome. You’re not broken. You’re not lazy. You’re not “dramatic.” Your brain is doing its best in a world that wasn’t designed with you in mind.
What you can expect here.
My goal is for this blog to be both honest and useful.
This means a mix of:
-personal stories (with enough privacy to keep my life intact).
-practical tools (scripts, checklists, frameworks, “try this first”).
-research-backed explanations when they help.
-a tone that isn’t clinical or cutesy, just real.
Some posts will be short and sharp. Some will be longer and more reflective. Either way, I want you to leave with at least one of these:
- A new piece of language for your experience.
- A tool that makes your life easier.
- The sense that you’re not alone.
A quick note about comments and community:
The rules are simple: be kind, be curious, and don’t turn other people’s lived experiences into debate prompts.
With that said, I’m glad you’re here. Truly.
XO
Emily
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