I am an Associate Professor at a well-regarded Australian university. I am also autistic, having been diagnosed at age 60 after suspecting I was autistic for a few years (mostly following the diagnostic process for my younger daughter, as is often the case for late-diagnosed parents!). My motivation for writing this blog post is to describe, to more than just my family and therapists, the effects on my mental health and professional performance during life as an autistic person, and particularly following my late autism diagnosis. Some readers may have had a similarly late awakening to their own neurodivergence, and I hope they find some encouragement and connection here.
Read More »Tag: AUTISM
Considerations and Challenges of Overseas Research Visits: My Experience as an Autistic Woman by Lucy Rodgers
I recently had the privilege of being funded to travel overseas (UK to Australia) to visit a leading academic in my field. I am sharing my experience with you because I am an internally presenting autistic woman (the kind often subjected to the “but you don’t seem autistic” comments). Perhaps because of how I appear, it might be assumed that travelling across continents to a completely new environment, solo, would be no less challenging for me than for a neurotypical person. Autism is not a mental illness, but I experience generalised anxiety in response to trying to fit into a hectic, unpredictable world, which is incompatible with my brain.
Read More »How to be a Productive Tortoise: Neurodivergence and Asking for Academic Adjustments by Vicky Bowskill
Asking for reasonable adjustments can be hard, especially for hidden disabilities like autism. It took me over three decades to learn how to do it and I’ve finally made it to graduate school. Writing about it is also hard but I’m sharing part of my story here in the hope that this will encourage anyone who is struggling with asking for academic help to speak up. And give a glimpse into why seemingly minor adjustments can be so important. Oh, and I’ll explain about the tortoise…
Read More »Finding Self-Acceptance: Autism Spectrum Disorder and a PhD by Daisy Shearer
I’ve been an anxious person for as long as I can remember, but it wasn’t until late high school that I started to develop depression, and I was not formally assessed for my mental illnesses until the penultimate year of my MPhys degree. Armed with a diagnosis of Generalised Anxiety Disorder as well as Major Depressive Disorder (which are often comorbid), I was put on anti-depressants (which I still take to this day) as well as starting therapy. Both of these treatments have helped me somewhat, but I continue to have a lot of trouble just navigating life without getting overwhelmed and still struggle to understand the social world around me at times.
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Voices of Academia 