I thought everyone experienced the world as I did, until I realised, they didn’t! By Jane McNeice
One thing is true of us all. We only know our own experiences of the world and the intricacy of what is going on in our own minds. We may interpret and filter what others share with us about their minds and their inner world, perhaps through the ways they behave for example, or in what they choose to share with us (and only as effectively as it’s communicated and received according to the effective method of communication for each), but that’s as close as we will get. This being the case, it...
Read MoreAutism: Does everyone just want a label? By Jane McNeice ‘The Umbrella Picker’
This Autism Awareness month (and beyond) you may hear comments like “Everyone wants a label these days”, or “There was none of this Autism in my day!”. This is stimulated by the increased number of people self-identifying Autism, and in many cases seeking assessment and formal diagnosis, which is currently being driven by two things: A considerable number of Autistic people are receiving a diagnosis of Autism late in life. Why? Simply because they weren’t identified in childhood,...
Read MoreBook Review: ‘Strength not Deficit’ Reviewed by Dawn Mills
Like Jane McNeice, I too discovered myself as Autistic in 2021. I did what Autistic people do; became obsessed with the stories of my late identified neurokin, especially the women, and the academic research behind our differences. Jane’s was a story I identified with closely, helped me feel less alone and strengthened my resolve to do my little bit to help find other ‘lost girls’ too. Jane’s new book extends beyond the journey toward identification as autistic; giving us a guided tour of her...
Read MoreMy Difference was my Strength all Along, By Jane McNeice
Mum-of-three, and grandmother of four, social entrepreneur, Jane McNeice shares her life changing diagnosis that took her from feeling broken, to the knowledge that she was different to the recognition that her difference was her strength all along! At age 45 Jane McNeice learned she is Autistic. Her memoir and debut book The Umbrella Picker documents her journey to finding her neurological truth (which was self-identified), through to accessing a formal diagnosis a year later and the journey...
Read More“You’ll need to grow a thicker skin!” by Jane McNeice
“You’ll need to grow a thicker skin!” I half wondered what the senior colleague was saying at the time, my highly visual brain dragging me to a literal vision of thickening skin tissue. Eventually, I understood it to be that I needed to toughen up, not cry to the point of inconsolability, and to have some control. It was 1995, I was 19. I had a 20-week-old baby at home, an extremely low mood, and I had started a new job 12 weeks earlier due to a lack of understanding of my maternity rights and...
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