Introduction and About Me

Welcome to my new blog, Dogwood, which documents and explores my research into autism. It focuses primarily on the experiences of people who have a diagnosis of Level 1 autism (ASD-1) and who also have significant support needs. 

I was driven to create this blog in large part in part because I noticed that the support needs of many people with Level 1 autism have dramatically shifted during the pandemic, in ways that have not been fully explained, and that many are struggling to find sources of information or community in the wake of these changes. Many find themselves identifying with some aspects of Level 2 and 3 autism and are wondering whether they should be reassessed; others are struggling with previously unprecedented autistic “burnout” (a condition which itself is not well understood) and don’t know how to live their lives. Many find themselves baffled and frustrated by the lack of research and medical understanding into adult autism. Many find themselves confused and even traumatized by the medical community’s failure to understand how autism overlaps with other disorders. Many are currently struggling with comorbidities: they may have PTSD, catatonia, ADD, major depressive disorder, or other troubles that overlap in a range of ways with autism. At the same time, many people have been previously misdiagnosed with OCD, BPD, or other disorders; these people have often been subjected to counterproductive or even traumatic therapies as a result of misdiagnosis. This blog is designed to discuss these matters openly and to honor the experiences of the autistic community; even where it cannot provide answers, it is designed to validate and foreground these important questions. 

In my writing here, I aim to learn from the experiences of those with Level 2 and 3 diagnoses; where I can, I center the experiences of those with substantial support needs, treating them as experts and teachers. I am an avid reader of online fora, and I will sometimes comment on what I have learned from those communities. I also do what I can to read into scientific research on autism and to present some of what I learn, here, in an accessible format. Wherever I can, I share online resources. Some of my posts here may be longer explorations of important issues, but for now many of them are and will be quite short. 

In the spirit of disclosure, I should note that I belong to the community whose experiences I am exploring and documenting: I am an autistic person with a Level 1 diagnosis and significant support needs. Like those of many Level 1 people, my support needs and impairments can fluctuate. At times I am completely nonspeaking/nonwriting; sometimes I can use an AAC;  at other times I am fluent and hyperarticulate. While I struggle with ARFID (formerly known as restrictive food intake disorder), I find that my eating challenges also change dramatically over time: sometimes they are completely disabling, while at other times they are merely a minor inconvenience. I could go on, but I will stop here, because the focus of this blog is not personal disclosure. 

As an autistic person, I have many special interests, and one of them is flower symbolism. This blog is titled after the dogwood —a blossom that has sometimes represented resilience, or love in the face of adversity. It has historically been one of my favorite, or at least most personally significant, flowers. To me, it represents the potential of human connection and the value of  love or generosity, even in the face of profound challenges or rejection. It is a gift that I wish for autistic people who feel the need for a gift of strength and beauty when they deal with any kind of hurt. It is also a gift of resilience that I wish for all people.