10 Results in loneliness

The Dissociation Effect

The Dissociation* Effect is a way to describe what autistic people might experience during a group social situation. It also describes what neurotypical people might experience in comparison. *Note that 'Dissociation' is a recognised psychological experience with trauma. It is not the same as what I am talking about in this article. Watch our awesome animation to see The Dissociation Effect explained:

The Glass Jar Theory

The glass jar represents the difficulties that an autistic person has, which makes them feel that they are living inside a glass jar. Watch our amazing video to see how being inside a glass jar might make a person feel:

How to cope with not being able to integrate

Even though I always think that no one can tell I have ASD, there is at least one sign that I think should lead some people being able to work out that I do. I wasn't diagnosed with ASD when I was a child. Nobody thought anything was 'different' about me, but to be honest it was obvious there was something 'different' about me because I was...

What is my personality and what is my autism?

I was once asked by someone, "How do I know if my behaviour is because I'm ASD or is it merely who I am?" It was a good question and one that I have many times pondered over myself. There's not a clear or easy answer.

How to feel more connected with the world

Lots of people on the autistic spectrum feel very lonely and isolated. I have been thinking about one way that a person might be able to feel more connected to the world. There are other things people can do, but here is something I haven't talked about much before.

What to say to a friend who is suffering

When you have ASD, it can be very hard to know what to say and how to respond to people. Even under 'normal' circumstances, such as having a coffee and a chat with a friend or speaking with colleagues at work, this can be difficult. So what happens when someone you know becomes involved in a far more unusual situation, such as when they are suffering because of a loss or an illness? How do you know what to say to them then? Mourning and suffering occur for lots of reasons. It can be the more obvious, e.g. the death of a loved one or a pet, but it can also mean a break up, an illness, moving away from your birth town, etc. All these things can cause a person to suffer and trigger grief or mourning. It is never easy to deal with, and finding the right words to help someone who is suffering can be tricky. Here are our 5 tips on how to communicate with a friend who has known loss, illness, depression…or is faced with any type of suffer or mourning.

“Autism” means “self”

The word "autism," comes from the Greek word "autos," meaning "self." I've been thinking this in more depth and there are a lot of aspects to "self", it doesn't necessarily mean selfish nor does it just mean the need to be alone... Social impairments The most obvious etymology of the word describes the social impairment symptoms. The way I describe it is that the social impairments cause the glass jar to exist around every person with ASD. This glass jar makes it very hard to connect with people, even if there is a desire to. Neurotypical people don't have the social impairments - at least not to the same severity - therefore there is no glass jar (it's more like a shell if the person is "shy").

Loneliness: a part of being on the spectrum?

‘Ella (28, ASD) has promised her dad to go and watch his performance with the guitar school he takes classes with. The performance takes place in a theatre, and every seat is taken as the performance was sold out. Ella finds that a lot of people want to talk to her about the unique coat… Join The Curly Hair Project Community Today This article is available only to members of our community. If you would like to continue to read this article, along with receiving access to our e…

A day at secondary school for the girl with the curly hair

Following on from the previous post which showed a typical primary school day from the point of view of the girl with the curly hair and how her experiences might differ from neurotypical children, here is a post about a secondary school day. Here is a typical Monday:… Join The Curly Hair Project Community Today This article is available only to members of our community. If you would like to continue to read this article, along with receiving access to our exclusive animati…

Finding friends if you are an adult on the spectrum – 5 tips

As an adult on the spectrum, socialising may be just as tricky – if not more – as when you were a child. You may have learned various coping mechanisms, but with the added pressure and expectations to be a responsible, independent adult, socialising may become more difficult as you find yourself retreating and isolating. Adult life… Join The Curly Hair Project Community Today This article is available only to members of our community. If you would like to cont…