#Life in an Autism World (Facebook)

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

Life in an Autism World

[mariacallous]

Remember ivermectin? The animal-deworming medication was used so avidly as an off-label COVID treatment during the pandemic that some feed stores ended up going out of stock. (MUST SHOW A PIC OF YOU AND YOUR HORSE, a sign at one demanded of would-be customers in 2021.) If you haven’t heard about it since, then you’ve existed blissfully outside the gyre of misinformation and conspiracies that have come to define the MAGA world’s outlook on medicine. In the past few years, ivermectin’s popularity has only grown, and the drug has become a go-to treatment for almost any ailment whatsoever. Once a suspect COVID cure, now a right-wing aspirin.

In fact, ivermectin never really worked for treating SARS-CoV-2 infections. Many of the initial studies that hinted at a benefit turned out to be flawed and unreliable. By 2023, a series of clinical trials had already proved beyond a doubt that ivermectin won’t reduce COVID symptoms or mortality. But these findings mattered little to its fans, who saw the drug as having earned the status of dissident antiviral—a treatment that they believed had been suppressed by the medical establishment. And if ivermectin was good enough to be rejected by mainstream doctors as a cure for COVID, health-care skeptics seemed to reason, then surely it must have a host of other uses too.

As a physician who diagnoses cancer, I have come across this line of thinking in my patients, and found that some were using ivermectin to treat their life-threatening tumors. Nicholas Hornstein, a medical oncologist in New York City, told me that he’s had the same experience: About one in 20 of his patients ask about the drug, he said. He remembers one woman who came into his office with a tumor that was visibly protruding from her abdomen, having swapped her chemotherapy for some ivermectin that she’d picked up at a veterinary-supply store. “It’s going to work any day now,” he says she told him when he tried to intervene.

The idea that ivermectin could be a cancer-fighting agent does have some modest basis in reality: Preliminary studies have suggested that antiparasitic medications might inhibit tumor growth, and at least one ongoing clinical trial is evaluating ivermectin’s role as an adjunct to cancer treatment. That study has enrolled only nine patients, however, and the results so far show that just one patient’s tumor actually shrank, according to a recent scientific abstract. But these meager grounds for hope now support a towering pile of expectations.

Cancer is just one of many illnesses that ivermectin is supposed to heal. According to All Family Pharmacy, a Florida-based company that promotes the compound to fans of Donald Trump Jr., Dan Bongino, Matt Gaetz, and Laura Ingraham on their podcasts and shows, the drug has “anti-inflammatory properties that could help keep the immune system balanced in fighting infection.” (The company did not respond to a request for comment.) In sprawling Facebook groups devoted to ivermectin’s healing powers, the claims are more extreme: The drug can combat a long list of conditions, members say, including Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, diabetes, autism, carpal tunnel syndrome, crow’s feet, brain fog, and bee stings.

As a medication that supposedly was censored by elites—if not canceled outright by woke medicine and Big Pharma—ivermectin has become a symbol of medical freedom. It’s also a MAGA shibboleth: Republican-leaning parts of the country helped drive an astounding 964 percent increase in prescriptions for the drug early in the pandemic, and GOP members of Congress have used their official posts to advocate for its benefits. Ivermectin can now be purchased without a prescription in Arkansas and Idaho, and other states are considering similar measures.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been a particularly strong proponent. In his 2021 book about the pandemic, Kennedy referred to the “massive and overwhelming evidence” in ivermectin’s favor, and invoked its “staggering, life-saving efficacy.” He also argued at great length that the pharmaceutical industry—with the support of Anthony Fauci and Bill Gates—had engaged in a historic crime by attempting to discourage its use. Jay Bhattacharya, the director of the National Institutes of Health, has similarly backed the conspiracy theory that the use of ivermectin was dismissed by “the powers that be” in an apparent ploy to ease the approval of COVID vaccines. (Not everyone in the current administration is a fan: Before he became the FDA’s vaccine czar, the oncologist Vinay Prasad publicly disputed Kennedy’s views on ivermectin, and earlier this year he called its use for cancer “the right’s version of masking on the airplane and praying to Lord Fauci.”) In response to questions about Kennedy’s and Bhattacharya’s current views on ivermectin, the HHS press secretary Emily Hilliard told me that they “continue to follow the latest scientific research regarding therapeutic options for COVID-19 and other illnesses.” She did not respond to questions about Prasad.

The idea of using antiparasitic drugs as cancer treatments was already taking hold by the late 2010s, Skyler Johnson, a Utah radiation oncologist who studies medical misinformation, told me. In January 2017, a man with lung cancer named Joe Tippens started on a dewormer called fenbendazole, which had been suggested to him by a veterinarian. Daniel Lemoi, who had Lyme disease, had started taking ivermectin in 2012 after reading a paper on the genetic similarities between humans and horses. Tippens would go on to achieve global fame among desperate cancer patients, and Lemoi became an ivermectin influencer during the pandemic.

Since then, a gaggle of dubious doctors has worked to bolster the credibility of deworming drugs within alternative medicine and anti-vaccine circles. Their underlying pitch has become familiar in the past few years: Health experts can’t be trusted; the pharmaceutical industry is suppressing cheap cures; and patients deserve the liberty to choose their own medical interventions. For the rest of the medical establishment, the worldview this entails is straining doctor-patient relationships. Johnson told me that many of his patients are now skeptical of his advice, if not openly combative. One cancer patient accused Johnson of bias when he failed to recommend ivermectin. The drug is so cheap and effective, this patient had concluded, that Johnson would be out of a job if everyone knew about it. (Johnson told me that he offers patients “the best possible treatment, no matter the financial incentive.”) Ivermectin has become a big business in its own right. Online pharmacies and wellness shops are cashing in on the deworming craze, with one offering parasite cleanses for $200 a month. Meanwhile, fringe doctors can charge patients who have cancer and other diseases thousands of dollars to prescribe such treatments.

Johnson’s own experience suggests that the cult of ivermectin is growing larger. He told me that he’s seen his patients’ interest in the drug explode since January, when the actor Mel Gibson went on Joe Rogan’s podcast and claimed that three of his friends had beat back their advanced tumors with ivermectin and fenbendazole, among various other potions. “This stuff works, man,” Gibson said. Meanwhile, in the ivermectin Facebook groups—including one with close to 300,000 members—the public can read posts from a woman with breast cancer considering using ivermectin in lieu of hormone treatments; a leukemia patient who has given up on chemotherapy to “see what happens” with antiparasitic drugs; or a concerned aunt wondering if the drugs might help her little niece with Stage 4 cancer.

But ivermectin advocacy is most disturbing in its totalizing form, wherein parasites—which is to say, the pathogens against which the drug truly is effective—are reimagined as the secret cause of many other unrelated problems. In the Facebook groups, members will share images of what they say are worms that have been expelled from their bodies by treatment. (This phenomenon brings to mind a different disease entirely: delusional parasitosis.) One recent post from the daughter of a Stage 4 lung-cancer patient showed a bloody glob that had “dropped down into her mouth.” Commenters debated whether this might be a worm or something else. “Blood clot from Covid vax?” one suggested. A few days later, the daughter gave an update: Her mom had gone to see the doctor, who informed her that she’d likely coughed up a piece of her own lung.

The whole exchange provides a sad illustration of this delirious and desperate time. Before it turned into a conservative cure-all, ivermectin was legitimately a wonder drug for the poorest people on Earth. Since its discovery in 1973, it has become a leading weapon in the fight against horrific infections such as river blindness and elephantiasis. Yet now that substantial success seems to have given birth to a self-destructive fantasy.

A decade ago, the co-discoverers of ivermectin—William Campbell and Satoshi Ōmura—were awarded a Nobel Prize in recognition of their contribution to reducing human suffering. In his formal lecture to the Academy, Campbell offered some reflections on the simple science that gave rise to the treatment, and to its wide array of applications. But his speech contained a warning, too, that any medicine that works so broadly and so well runs the risk of being handed out too often. The more benefits that such a drug provides, he told the audience in Stockholm, “the more we must guard against the hazards of indiscriminate use.”

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

New SpaceTime out Friday

SpaceTime 20250502 Series 28 Episode 53

Large carbon deposits discovered on Mars

NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover has discovered evidence of a carbon cycle on ancient Mars.

The billion-dollar Square Kilometre Array project

Construction work is now well underway on what will be the world’s largest radio telescope the Square Kilometre Array in outback Western Australia.

A busy time aboard the International Space Station

Three crew members from the International Space Station have successfully returned to Earth landing on the Kazakhstan Steppe 27 and a half hours after undocking from the orbiting outpost.

The Science Report

New study casts doubt on the dangers of the deadly H5N1 bird flu’s spread to humans.

Claims social skills may not be the most useful indicator of autism.

A major threat to the Australian regent honeyeater.

Skeptics guide to 15 paranormal myths that just won’t die.

SpaceTime covers the latest news in astronomy & space sciences.

The show is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through your favourite podcast download provider or from www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com

SpaceTime is also broadcast through the National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio and on both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

SpaceTime daily news blog: http://spacetimewithstuartgary.tumblr.com/

SpaceTime facebook: www.facebook.com/spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime Instagram @spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime twitter feed @stuartgary

SpaceTime YouTube: @SpaceTimewithStuartGary

SpaceTime -- A brief history

SpaceTime is Australia’s most popular and respected astronomy and space science news program – averaging over two million downloads every year. We’re also number five in the United States.  The show reports on the latest stories and discoveries making news in astronomy, space flight, and science.  SpaceTime features weekly interviews with leading Australian scientists about their research.  The show began life in 1995 as ‘StarStuff’ on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) NewsRadio network.  Award winning investigative reporter Stuart Gary created the program during more than fifteen years as NewsRadio’s evening anchor and Science Editor.  Gary’s always loved science. He was the dorky school kid who spent his weekends at the Australian Museum. He studied astronomy at university and was invited to undertake a PHD in astrophysics, but instead focused on a career in journalism and radio broadcasting. Gary’s radio career stretches back some 34 years including 26 at the ABC. His first gigs were spent as an announcer and music DJ in commercial radio, before becoming a journalist, and eventually joining ABC News and Current Affairs. He was part of the team that set up ABC NewsRadio and became one of its first on air presenters. When asked to put his science background to use, Gary developed StarStuff which he wrote, produced and hosted, consistently achieving 9 per cent of the national Australian radio audience based on the ABC’s Nielsen ratings survey figures for the five major Australian metro markets: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. That compares to the ABC’s overall radio listenership of just 5.6 per cent. The StarStuff podcast was published on line by ABC Science -- achieving over 1.3 million downloads annually.  However, after some 20 years, the show finally wrapped up in December 2015 following ABC funding cuts, and a redirection of available finances to increase sports and horse racing coverage.  Rather than continue with the ABC, Gary resigned so that he could keep the show going independently.  StarStuff was rebranded as “SpaceTime”, with the first episode being broadcast in February 2016.  Over the years, SpaceTime has grown, more than doubling its former ABC audience numbers and expanding to include new segments such as the Science Report -- which provides a wrap of general science news, weekly skeptical science features, special reports looking at the latest computer and technology news, and Skywatch – which provides a monthly guide to the night skies. The show is published three times weekly (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and available from the United States National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio, and through both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

[ingravinoveritas]

I feel like this went by really quickly a few days ago, and I thought it deserved to be seen because this is just so utterly lovely. For context, the person Michael is replying to is one of the participants who was chosen for this year's A Writing Chance program (Michael's organization is one of the founders and partners of said program).

When I saw this two days ago, though, it made me genuinely emotional. The fandom that I was in before Good Omens was for a band from the 1960s. I'd been a fan of theirs since I was a kid and found one of my dad's old cassette tapes, and ten years ago or so, I had the opportunity to meet all of the band members and ended up on a first-name basis with three of them, and I become close friends with one member in particular. We were friends online first, on Facebook/Google chat/video chatting on Skype, before meeting in person later on.

In 2011, I was invited to speak at the UN (United Nations) for World Autism Awareness Day, and I posted a status about it on FB. This was just a few months after we'd started talking, and apropos of absolutely nothing, this man left a comment in response to my status update that I will never forget:

"Amy, I am so proud of you! To think I knew you when."

To this day, that comment means more to me than being asked to speak at the UN. I had watched this man and his bandmates on TV as a young autistic teenager (their show aired in reruns on Nick at Nite), and every time I watched, it felt like I suddenly had four friends, which meant the world at a time when I was being bullied relentlessly and didn't have friends in real life. Growing up, I also didn't feel as though anyone was proud of me, even my parents...so to have someone that I had admired and looked up to say that to me years later was beyond anything I could have imagined.

It's for all of these reasons that I was so touched by what Michael tweeted, and I am so happy for this person that they got to have this kind of moment with someone they also admire. And I love that Michael cares so much, not just to offer people these opportunities as a philanthropic endeavor, but to let it be something that means something to him personally, because it's personal to them...

[mdlnnys]

Tumblr Talk: Between Empowerment and Romanticisation

Tumblr has long had a reputation for being a digital sanctuary for marginalised voices such as feminists, LGBTQ+ individuals, and neurodivergent individuals.

But here comes the question… how did this specific platform manage to attract such communities?

According to scholars like Keller (2019) and McCracken (2017), Tumblr’s unique combination of anonymity and customisation plays a major role. Unlike platforms such as Facebook or Instagram, Tumblr allows users to adopt pseudonyms, build their own personal spaces, and engage with those that have the same experiences or interests, all without the constant fear of judgement or real-world repercussions that may occur on other platforms. The possibility of separation from the offline-self on Tumblr creates a rare opportunity for honest self-expression. It’s no wonder that even in 2025, Tumblr still maintains a strong and active presence, especially among niche and underrepresented groups (despite being an underdog in the social media platform category).

One example of a group that is thriving on Tumblr is the neurodivergent community. Individuals who are diagnosed with autism, ADHD, bipolar disorder, or even those who identify as cognitively or neurologically atypical have found more than just a corner of the internet on the platform; they’ve built entire ecosystems of solidarity, humour, education, and resistance (Kirkconnell, 2019). In contrast to the “normal” side of the Internet where neurodivergent experiences are often misunderstood, sidelined or even clowned on, Tumblr offers a sense of belonging to these individuals. Popular tags like #ActuallyAutistic and #ADHDLife showcases everything from more light-hearted posts like meme-based humour and sensory-friendly life hacks to deeply personal reflections and political critiques. For example, there exists a community called "Memes, neurodivergent/neurospicy and other things." revolving around neurodivergence with almost 16,000 members on Tumblr where memes about the topic are often shared and joked about. However, once in a while when a user posts about personal experiences or issues, other users will gather to give advice, trying to support one and other, like when user @umbratamer (2025) revealed that they were having issues communicating with their partner due to both of their neurodivergence, users offered support and advice to them. These digital “micro-publics” (Bruns & Highfield, 2016) act as support networks and cultural movements rolled into one, redefining what it means to live, function, and thrive outside of the neurotypical mould.

But like many online spaces, the conversation around neurodivergence on Tumblr isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. There seems to exist a trend where the more visibility sensitive topics like mental illness, sexual orientation, and gender identity receive, the more susceptible they become to romanticisation. User @glowsticks-and-jesus (2025) posted about this particular issue, mentioning the growing trend of self-diagnosing which was and still is harmful to those with actual conditions. What originally grew out of empowerment and self-acceptance can, at times, slip into content that glosses over the real difficulties involved. Posts that are meant to normalise neurodivergent behaviours such as hyper-fixations and meltdowns are often played-down. Whether by accident or purposefully, it can risk encouraging self-diagnosis without context, downplaying the complexity of certain conditions, or framing neurodivergence as quirky and endearing rather than deeply challenging and nuanced.

McCracken (2017) warns that the narrative control Tumblr offers—while empowering—can also feed echo chambers where misinformation and stereotypes spread unchecked. Kruse et al. (2017) echo this concern, arguing that a healthy digital public sphere relies on access to credible, well-rounded information. And this is where Tumblr sometimes falters. Its decentralised, community-driven nature means that posts can be shaped more by what’s popular or aesthetically appealing than by science or lived experience. As a result, nuance is occasionally lost in favour of digestibility.

Still, Tumblr’s role in uplifting neurodivergent voices shouldn’t be underestimated as it remains one of the few platforms where someone can openly post about a meltdown without the fear of judgment or share a hyperfixation-fueled info-dump and be met with enthusiasm rather than ridicule. That said, users should be mindful of the content they share or reblog, as Tumblr continues to offer a rare space for self-discovery, connection, creativity, and activism, with minimal moderation and censorship (keyword — minimal).

References

Bruns, A., & Highfield, T. (2016). Is Habermas on Twitter? Social Media and the Public Sphere. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315716299-6

Keller, J. (2019). “Oh, She’s a Tumblr Feminist”: Exploring the Platform Vernacular of Girls’ Social Media Feminisms. Social Media + Society. 1-11. DOI: 10.1177/2056305119867442 

Kirkconnell, A. D. (2019). #ActuallyAutistic: Neurodivergent identity and the performance of cultural competence on Tumblr (Master’s thesis, McMaster University). McMaster University Institutional Repository. https://macsphere.mcmaster.ca/bitstream/11375/24989/2/kirkconnell_andrew_d_201909_anthropology.pdf

Kruse, L. M., Norris, D. R., & Flinchum, J. R. (2017). Social media as a public sphere? Politics on social media. The Sociological Quarterly, 59(1), 62–84. https://doi.org/10.1080/00380253.2017.1383143

McCracken, A. (2017). Tumblr Youth Subcultures and Media Engagement. Cinema Journal, 57(1), 151-161. https://doi.org/10.1353/cj.2017.0061

@glowsticks-and-jesus. (2025). (Personal opinion on autism and self-diagnosis). https://www.tumblr.com/glowsticks-and-jesus/783072909768982528/as-a-person-with-diagnosed-disorders-such-as

@umbratamer. (2025). I don't fucking know what to do now! https://www.tumblr.com/communities/unklejunkle/post/783100818523095040/i-dont-fucking-know-what-to-do-now

[swordofazrael1992]

list of fundraisers i received, september 1st

hey y’all, this is a list of palestinian people and families that have reached out to me today. i know i don’t have much reach but it would mean the world to me, and these families, if you could share this post and donate if you can.

VETTED FUNDRAISERS

@olagaza gofundme RAISED $41,910/$50,000 vetted on this spreadsheet (line 205), by @90-ghost here, @northgazaupdates here

@saveyouseffamily gofundme RAISED €8,392/€20,000 vetted on this spreadsheet (line 406), reblogged by @90-ghost here

@wafaaresh6  gofundme RAISED $8,110/$50,000 vetted by 90-ghost here, and vetted by association (sister of @mohiy-gaza, vetted here

@aseelo680  gofundme RAISED $18,509/$50,000 vetted by 90-ghost here, with further proof in the last reblog

@save-amal-family gofundme RAISED €21,111/€25,000 vetted on this spreadsheet (line 475), by 90-ghost here

@abeeribrahim2006 gofundme RAISED $15,185/$70,000 vetted on this spreadsheet (line 157), campaign vetted by 90-ghost here

@mohiy-gaza (reached out through @mohiy-gaza2) gofundme RAISED $23,118/$31,000 campaign vetted here by 90-ghost, and has an instagram here going back several years with multiple old posts with gaza geotagged. mohi is also wafaa’s brother

@fidaa-family (reached out through @fidaa-family2) gofundme RAISED $20,925/$30,000 campaign vetted by 90-ghost here, and vetted by association (fidaa is mohi and wafaa’s sister)

@hassanmadi2 gofundme RAISED €542/€50,000 vetted by @gaza-evacuation-funds here, vetted by association (nephew of @aya3mohammed, number 166 on this spreadsheet), and boosted here by @ibtisams 

@ahmedabuloay  gofundme RAISED $16,097/$50,000 this campaign is vetted on this spreadsheet (line 137), ahmed’s wife fatin is vetted by @nabulsi here and @el-shab-hussein here

@jody-family (reached out through account @omargaze) gofundme RAISED £7,082/£20,000 created fairly recently (aug 4th). there is evidence here that the campaign organizer is palestinian and living in the uk. the @/jody-family account is also vetted by association by @mohiy-gaza (who is vetted here), with proof here (same posts as before, i just didn’t want to make things too confusing)

@dinamahammed99 gofundme RAISED $4,393/$15,000 vetted by association: dina is the sister of @mahmoud1995 who was vetted here by 90-ghost (proof)

@lobnaalser gofundme RAISED €4,528/€50,000 vetted here by 90-ghost

@yousefjehad3 gofundme RAISED $5,803/$15,000 vetted on this spreadsheet (line 255), vetted here by 90-ghost, line 132 on this spreadsheet

@eman-kha gofundme RAISED $855/$40,000 this campaign was started august 22 and is VERY LOW on funds. eman has been vetted here by 90-ghost. please please donate!!

@dodoomar12345 survival fund RAISED kr171,381/kr300,000 (note: $1usd is a little over kr10, please keep this in mind when choosing your donation level) business fund RAISED $6,254/$12,000 jad al haq family fundraisers  doaa has been vetted here by 90-ghost (business fund vetted here), and is @aseelo680’s sister reading this campaign hit close to home: doaa has a 5 year old autistic child who needs help after experiencing skill regression in gaza. i am autistic, and i know for a fact that i have autistic followers. please please donate to doaa’s campaign, i cannot imagine the pain and suffering this family and young omar is experiencing. we know autism can make even the most normal, safe, ordinary life difficult; now think about what omar must have experienced in gaza. doaa and omar still have family in gaza, including her father who had a stroke and is still in gaza here is the facebook page for doaa’s sewing–her work is absolutely amazing

@asmaayyad gofundme RAISED €15,139/€45,000 campaign vetted here by 90-ghost

@samarsh12 gofundme RAISED €7,199/€45,000 campaign vetted by 90-ghost here

@yazanfamily2 gofundme RAISED €12,645/€50,000 campaign organized by mohammed alanqer, vetted here by @northgazaupdates 

@bara-belal gofundme RAISED $6,214/$50,000 line number 249 on this spreadsheet 

@hala-15 gofundme RAISED €2,295/€5,000 vetted according to this post abdul is a baby with hirschsprung’s disease and needs surgery! please please donate, they are almost halfway there

@abdelmutei gofundme RAISED €11,834/€25,000 vetted by 90-ghost here

@freepaleatine95 gofundme RAISED $7,521/$50,000 campaign vetted here by 90-ghost 

UNVETTED FUNDRAISERS

@wajihmadi gofundme RAISED €105/50,000 this campaign is only a week old and VERY low on donations. as far as i could find through reverse image search, the images are original. if anyone is able to vet this campaign or can get in touch with those who can, PLEASE reach out to them. otherwise, please please boost this

@anasfamilys gofundme RAISED €1,912/€50,000 this campaign very new (created august 23) and is unvetted, although reverse image search does not bring up any duplicates.  anas is a 17 year old diabetic who has multiple martyred family members, including 14 year old brother ahmad, and a sister who is sick, as well as a newborn niece. this campaign hits very close to home for me. both my father and one of my sisters are type 1 diabetic and reading about anas’ struggles with high blood sugar and no insulin broke my heart. i’ve seen the struggles to access insulin and properly manage t1 diabetes in america–i can’t even begin to imagine how much harder it is in gaza. please take a chance on anas and anas’ family. and again, please please boost this campaign so it has a chance to be vetted.

@saveomarfamily gofundme RAISED $163/$36,000 paypal RAISED $95/$25,000 this campaign was created august 15 and is VERY low on funds. while it is unvetted, reverse image search comes up clean. please please help out if you can, and boost this campaign

to my mutuals and followers: please, please reblog and share these campaigns, and donate if you can.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Christina Buttons

Published: Mar 12, 2025

Last year, a series of Yelp reviews surfaced on social media, written by a young man named Yarden Silveira. Silveira was a detransitioner—a person who once identified as transgender but no longer does—who suffered severe complications from gender-related genital surgery. In these reviews, he castigated his doctors, claiming they had mistreated him.

Yarden died only two months after posting the reviews. Their discovery briefly made waves on social media, but details of Yarden’s life and death remained obscure, hidden behind multiple aliases and a vanished online presence.

Now, through investigative work and interviews with his mother, Kendra, and his aunt, Ginger, it is possible to tell his story. This evidence reveals a boy on the autism spectrum who struggled to accept his homosexuality. Health professionals facilitated his transition when he was a teenager. After traumatic surgical complications, Yarden tried to detransition, only to be rebuffed by the same medical community that had readily agreed to operate. He died at just 23, in what his mother believes was a suicide.

Yarden’s last wish was for accountability from the medical establishment. His story is a devastating testament to the failures of that establishment. Rather than help a healthy gay man come to terms with who he was, doctors “affirmed” his insecurities and led him down a path of surgery. Later, when he begged for help reversing or repairing what had been done to his body, he found only closed doors.

The timeline and assertions that follow are based on Yarden’s online posts and conversations with his family. The physicians mentioned either did not respond to comment requests or declined to comment.

Yarden was born Jorden Matthew Dykes on February 20, 1998, in Santa Clara, California. His parents separated when he was young, and his father was largely absent. His mother, Kendra, gave birth to him in her early twenties. She raised him alongside two younger daughters in modest circumstances. She later remarried briefly, with a man whom Ginger described as “abusive.”

From early childhood, Yarden showed signs of experiencing the world differently. As a baby, he would stare at ceiling fans for hours. In childhood, he developed an intense fixation with vacuum cleaners. He had been in therapy since around age five for anger and anxiety and had received multiple diagnoses, including ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder. Doctors finally identified Asperger’s syndrome (now classified under autism spectrum disorder) when he was about ten.

Ginger described Yarden as both loving and quick to anger, with a tendency to speak or act impulsively. He struggled socially, seldom making friends. He preferred instead to absorb himself in “special interests,” a behavior typical of children on the autism spectrum. At 13, he came out as gay on Facebook, triggering conflict with paternal relatives who had conservative religious views. His mother’s side, however, embraced him.

[ Jorden Matthew Dykes at age five ]

Two years later, at 15, Yarden told his mother that he was transgender. He believed that he had a “female brain”—the still-prevalent but scientifically flawed notion that transgender-identifying individuals’ brains resemble those of the opposite sex.

Kendra and Ginger recalled that transgender issues quickly became an all-consuming fixation for Yarden. Within months of announcing his transgender identity, Yarden began making plans to seek medical assistance.

By 16, Yarden had socially transitioned. He began using the name Emily, adopted female pronouns, grew out his hair, and wore feminine attire. It was 2014—the year of the “transgender tipping point.” Public awareness of trans issues was surging, and the number of children identifying as transgender spiked.

[ Yarden, then identifying as Emily, pictured at age 17 ]

A year later, Yarden was on cross-sex hormones, prescribed by a Fresno clinic. His mother noticed that he frequently changed his name, with monikers often tied to fleeting fixations or short-lived friendships. He spent much of his time online, cycling through intense interests—social justice, genealogy, Communism.

He also began seeing a Fresno-based gender-affirming therapist, Carol Montgomery Brosnac. Yarden later claimed that Brosnac and other health professionals had encouraged his transition and fostered unrealistic expectations, setting him up for failure. “My doctors and therapists said it was possible to change genders and even recommended that I transition,” he wrote. “Given how naive I’ve always been, I genuinely believed them.”

[ Yarden, then identifying as Emily, pictured performing community service at age 18 ]

At 18, Yarden was preparing for the next step in his transition: a penile-inversion vaginoplasty, in which an otherwise healthy penis is surgically dissected, with its tissue rearranged to construct a facsimile of a vagina. He underwent the procedure shortly after his nineteenth birthday, in early 2017, at Align Surgical Associates in San Francisco.

The surgery marked the beginning of a downward spiral. Soon afterward, he was back in the hospital with severe complications, including excessive blood loss that required a transfusion. According to medical records, Yarden developed necrosis of the “vaginal” tissue. Over 2017, he was hospitalized repeatedly to undergo corrective surgeries, including stomach-tissue grafts, in which sections of tissue from his abdomen were transplanted to replace the lost tissue.

Complication rates for penile-inversion vaginoplasty vary widely, with estimates ranging from 20 percent to 70 percent. But Yarden felt his doctors had downplayed the risks and overpromised on outcomes.

Thomas Satterwhite, a plastic surgeon and founder of Align Surgical Associates in California, performed Yarden’s vaginoplasty. Satterwhite is a leading figure at the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), the controversial professional association for gender medicine. He has a focus in “non-standard” genital surgeries—customized procedures that do not conform to conventional male or female anatomy.

[ Kendra (left) and Yarden, then identifying as Emily (right), pictured before a therapy appointment ]

In May 2019, Yarden underwent what he hoped would be a final revision vaginoplasty, this time performed by surgeon Maurice Garcia at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles. The procedure utilized a segment of Yarden’s colon in an attempt to replace tissue lost in previous surgeries.

Only a week later, Yarden expressed profound regret, telling Garcia that he wanted a reversal. Garcia refused to comply unless Yarden waited six months, underwent consistent therapy for at least three months, and continued with post-op dilation—despite Yarden’s desire to close the “vaginal” canal. In medical notes that Yarden later shared, Garcia wrote that Yarden showed a “lack of insight” about the “irreversible” nature of closing the surgically created canal and appeared to have “unreasonable expectations.”

Between the ages of 19 and 21, Yarden also underwent breast augmentation and facial feminization surgery—both, like his genital surgery, deemed “medically necessary” and covered by Medi-Cal, California’s publicly funded insurance program. He pinned his hopes on each successive procedure, hoping it would bring him the happiness that had eluded him. “[I]f this one surgery is a massive success,” he wrote in 2019, “then I wouldn’t have wasted so many years of my life for nothing.”

After his latest surgery failed to bring that happiness, Yarden’s optimism gave way to frustration and despair. He was in constant pain and rapidly losing faith in the doctors who had once promised to help him. As his desperation grew, he sent increasingly distressed and sometimes menacing messages to Satterwhite and Garcia. Both doctors filed restraining orders against him.

Around this time, Yarden became absorbed in religion, exploring various faiths before converting to Judaism through online courses. At the same time, he was searching for a solution to his worsening surgical complications and believed that doctors in New York could help.

Using a Birthright trip to Israel as an opportunity, Yarden took his return ticket to New York, where he spent six months homeless before securing a spot in a Brooklyn supportive-housing program. During this time, he began the process of detransitioning, adopting the name Yarden Matityahu Silveira—Yarden being the Hebrew equivalent of his birth name, Jorden.

By 2021, he had joined the Detransitioner community on Reddit using the name “Mindless-Mistake-176.” The forum was then a small community, one of the few spaces where detransitioners could share their experiences. Today, it has some 56,000 members.

Through his posts, a clearer picture of Yarden’s circumstances emerged. Struggling with chronic pain from his surgeries, he attended weekly therapy and regularly used cannabis to cope. He chronicled ongoing suffering, a sense of betrayal, and futile attempts to find medical help, detailing one doctor after another who refused to assist him.

In a post from February 2021, Yarden claimed that he had his breast implants removed by plastic surgeon Aron Kressel at Metropolitan Hospital in Manhattan. Yarden was unhappy with the result, maintaining that Kressel left him with uneven nipples and residual breast tissue. His desperation escalated; he saw plastic surgeon Alyssa R. Golas at New York University, who reportedly told him, “I can’t help you. You’re honestly the first detransitioning patient of mine.” Then, Yarden said, Miroslav Djordjevic at Mount Sinai, a specialist in sex-reassignment surgery, refused to operate without additional requirements. Shortly after, Djordjevic’s office warned Yarden to stop contacting them or face police intervention.

He approached other surgeons at Mount Sinai, who were unwilling to assist. An appointment with Frank Fang at Mount Sinai’s Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery was canceled; an email from the clinic stated that it would not provide him with surgical services. He sought a consultation with Loren Schechter in Chicago—now the president-elect of WPATH—who, he claimed, acknowledged the severity of his case but declined to take him on. David M. Whitehead of Northwell Health, he said, simply wished him “the best of luck” on his “gender journey,” providing no care plan.

Around this time, Yarden began posting scathing reviews on Yelp and the doctor-review site Vitals.com about the physicians who had operated on him and those who allegedly refused to treat him. In a March 2021 review of Rachael Bluebond-Langner, he claimed that she dismissed his concerns and suggested physical therapy as a solution.

Ultimately, Yarden felt deceived by the idea that he could ever become a woman. “It isn’t possible to biologically transition from one sex to another, which really smacked me in the face when that reality became clear to me,” he wrote. He felt that he had been “lied to” from the start.

[ Yarden at age 22, after his detransition ]

Yarden seemed to recognize that his autism may have influenced his decision to transition. “Maybe if I didn’t have autism, maybe if my brain wasn’t so defective, I would have caught on before it was too late,” he wrote.

Autism is increasingly prevalent among those who identify as transgender. Research links autism to higher rates of same-sex attraction and gender nonconformity—to behaviors, preferences, and traits atypical for one’s sex. Many autistic individuals develop strong moral convictions, spend excessive time online, and gravitate toward social justice spaces that reinforce transgender narratives. The high rates of depression and anxiety among people with autism, combined with black-and-white thinking, can lead them to believe that transitioning will solve all of their problems.

In 2016, Yarden claimed that he had been sexually assaulted by a man and was deeply distressed when some peers didn’t believe him. Autistic individuals are at higher risk of sexual assault, often because of their difficulty reading social cues, greater naïveté, and tendency to trust others too easily.

When Yarden turned 23, he should have had a long life ahead of him. Instead, he was growing hopeless. “I can’t continue living like this,” he said. In one of his final posts, he reflected on seeing a happy gay couple on the subway, acknowledging that his discomfort with his homosexual desires played a role in his decision to transition. “You just really wanted to escape the label,” he admitted.

On May 20, 2021, Yarden died in New York. The medical examiner listed “unknown circumstances” on his death certificate. According to Kendra, no autopsy was performed because some Jewish traditions discourage it.

Nonetheless, Yarden’s mother believes that he ended his own life. He had been open about suicidal thoughts. She also acknowledges that complications from his surgical issues might have played a role. Yarden described his worsening condition in graphic detail—a significant blockage caused by scar tissue and an exposed colon, which he feared could be life-threatening. Either way, his physical and mental suffering were inextricably bound together.

He was laid to rest at Mount Richmond Cemetery on Staten Island, a burial ground managed by the Hebrew Free Burial Association, which provides Jewish burials for those in need. He was buried without a tombstone.

If we can draw any lesson from Yarden’s short and painful life, it is that blind affirmation can do irreparable harm, especially for autistic or otherwise vulnerable youth who cling to the hope that adopting a transgender identity will solve their deeper struggles. When that hope shattered, Yarden was left without options, without support, and finally, without life itself.

“He was a light, and important to this world, and now the world is a little darker without him,” his mother, Kendra, told City Journal. “Yarden was so loved.”

--

[roamingwithrohmer]

Exploring Tettegouche State Park in My 1971 VW Bus Camper | Minnesota Vanlife Adventure Come along for a scenic drive to Tettegouche State Park in northern Minnesota in my fully restored 1971 VW Bus Camper Westfalia. I take you inside the Tettegouche Guest Center to show what it's like and then head to one of the park's stunning overlooks for some unforgettable views of the North Shore. Whether you're into vanlife, classic VW buses, or just love Minnesota state parks, this video gives you a laid-back look at one of the best spots on Lake Superior. 👉 Subscribe to follow more vanlife adventures: https://www.youtube.com/@RoamingWithRohmer 🌲 Shop Vanagon gear and merch: https://ift.tt/9mbugs6 #Tettegouche #Vanlife #VWBUS #MinnesotaRoadTrip #LakeSuperior #RoamingWithRohmer #VWCamper #StateParks ✨ Stay updated on the latest in music, world events, and gaming-check out Punk Rock Press here: https://ift.tt/j3lDgha 🔗 Stay Connected With Me. Facebook: https://ift.tt/NTGxiM8 Facebook Group: https://ift.tt/lsvkE1t Instagram: https://ift.tt/7hrZfyu Threads: https://ift.tt/hygSJGB Twitter (X): https://ift.tt/c0uf8HR Linkedin: https://ift.tt/Jj3xcnM Website: https://ift.tt/uMy0S8x 📩 For business inquiries: antonehempstock@icloud.com ============================= 🎬Suggested videos for you: ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQm0K3hj5oY ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEKLL7Hoock ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R8iub1irS4 ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VfZ6MTcgTE ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cBmuA65v8c ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeSdyCelyc8 ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODdu3wCzeaU ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cq_8ABjmRY ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saVQLWCOYDg ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlzE0NVDO_A ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLAOOP5NsBs ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6Z7dQKhPuI ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VfS1IT7MZ4 ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dykse49vVEE ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW-VHX-Kh48 ================================= ✅ About Roaming with Rohmer. Welcome to Roaming with Rohmer, where the open road meets honest storytelling. I'm Antone Hempstock, an entrepreneur, punk rock fan, and mental health advocate, traveling in my 1987 Volkswagen Vanagon Syncro Camper, "Rohmer." Here, I share real experiences about living with anxiety and autism, navigating grief and resilience, and embracing the healing power of nature. From my journey as the founder of Lemon Squad to van life adventures-camping, hiking, and exploring the unexpected-this channel is about authentic living and mindful travel. If you're looking for adventure, mental health support, or inspiration to live life, you're in the right place. For Business inquiries, please use the contact information below: 📩 Email: antonehempstock@icloud.com 🔔 If you love van life & real talks about mental wellness, hit subscribe! Stay tuned for raw storytelling, travel adventures, & insights into resilience & authentic living. https://www.youtube.com/@roamingwithrohmer/?sub_confirmation=1 via Roaming with Rohmer https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQeKwqX0OIY5aMpvlPfFmzg May 04, 2025 at 11:02PM

[kittygamer2888]

Real talk: I genuinely believe that, no matter how low my reputation is on the internet, no matter how low the likes are on both sides, I believe that that's probably better than having Twitter or Instagram, maybe even Tik Tok, ruin your mental state.

I may be the odd one out just because I still love cartoons, but that has to be the most beneficial thing for me to even like since most of the time people just become pessimistic due to the countless times they've been watching the news, hearing terrible events, or how the world is becoming more sh***er than it already was, and that's actually something I've noticed a few times in my school. I may be negative sometimes, but you know things aren't right when you always feel this negativity or tension in the air when you're in high school filled with kids that are most likely tainted by Tik Tok and even recording themselves dancing in the bathroom, because while they spend the rest of their time looking at irl vids, it feels like I'm the only one who at least still has some of their childhood shows intact inside. Who knows if me having the curiosity to play toys at random or still enjoy kid's shows could be some sign of autism, but even then, I'm just glad I didn't end up like the people in my school always watching real people dancing to Tik Tok videos or hearing some type of reagetton music in it, cus in my whole life of being in school, I've been starting to assume that's what stereotypical people watch.

I never really liked the reality of, when you grow up, you start to dislike your childhood shows or start seeing anything that looks like it's for babies as cringe all because you feel that maturity in you like as if you're better than those kids you used to be yourself, and because while some of it is a bit cringe, I think it's just hard for adults to understand again what that felt like since their minds have developed more as they grew up, eventually forgetting the fact that adults used to be kids at some point and whatever happened in their childhood probably impacted them in some way or they just don't have the same interests as they used to have with things that they used to like as kids, that's just how I see it at least. Who knows if I'll even have the confidence to sell my own art in the future, but I know I won't be downloading apps like Twitter, Snapchat or any of those things all because I just know that those apps probably effected my mom in a negative way. The only reason why I still have TikTok is because I enjoy watching edits, and I joined Facebook because that's just my family members being there, so with that in mind, I wouldn't be surprised if I downloaded Instagram just to see art, but I know I'll never be downloading Twitter even if my life depended on it.

My dad keeps saying how one day I'll surely find someone and that I just still don't understand yet due to how young I still am. And I'll admit it, yea, maybe my dislike for romance is because I'm still young, but at the same time, it's mostly because I don't want to have to deal with that restriction when I'm older. I've always wanted to have a house where I can finally enjoy all of the things I like, but falling in love with someone while having that life?? I mean, if you want to do that, that's your choice, but me? Yea, no, I don't feel like getting together with someone anytime soon. Being alone in a house that's all your's to pay for has to be the most free a person could ever be, even if you have to work your butt off for it, it'll still be worth it if you somehow manage to have the time and money to have posters or figures in your room.

But besides that, in a nutshell: I feel like I'm the only one in my school that still has some humanity in me, but that could just be my biased hate towards schools in general and how I view people just by hearing them talk and what audios I could hear from their phones while I'm not looking. I never really liked looking into it that way too much, but with the way the teachers repeatedly mention that and the way they're somehow right a few times, it's just predictable at this point. Of course not all people are the same, but I know almost no one in this new school, so I don't even know what to expect. What I do expect to see are my old classmates, but besides that, my school is just filled with people who actually have Iphones, and have the Gen Z and Gen A humor written on the English teacher's whiteboard.

You get used to the brainrot after a while, and because gibberish is probably another form of comedy, I can't help but giggle at how stupid some Gen Z and Gen A jokes are.

Now you might be wondering, "Kit, why are are you saying this all of a sudden?" Because I was watching Jacksepticeye's recent video called "Help".

So uh.

Yah

I'm just here hopping I'll still love cartoons and anime when I grow up and not become boring and soulless ;v;

And that, people, is how i overthink🫠👍

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

Life in an Autism World

[halentinverrera]

Today was pretty good. 1st period the work wasn’t hard but that ogre of a troll Sergio came. I don’t like Sergio he’s like idk. First of all his name isn’t even Sergio his birth name is Alexander Araujo. But there’s already an Alex so everyone called him Sergio. Imagine having a person with your same name but they are better and they deserve the name more so you have to get a new name. Whack. Also he’s one of those guys that has no personality. All he does is drink, smoke and drive his truck. All he does with his life I swear this to god. His dumbass gorilla friend too Jose Esquivel. Dudes beard looks like pubic hair and his nostrils blend into his nose his skin is dark and his neck is dark as fuck. Literally a gorilla. Im gonna start calling him silver back. Eric and Kevin are cool tho i like them. So in general i don’t like Sergio. 2nd period was just second period nothing fun just do your work. Brunch I hung out with the same guys I do every brunch. 3rd period we had a sub but I don’t like where I sit. If we have a sub it’s Manuel, Nuviah, Pedro, Delilah, serbando and Analee in the same table. That tables cool I’ve sat with them and Manuel’s one of those people that can just get anyone talking. Very social. Than there’s Joniel, JJ, Issac and Kaelob. They are funny but it’s not like real funny you know what I mean i don’t like the energy there. Than it’s Adrianna’s group i don’t like her one bit SHES terrible. Frankie Anthony R and Anthony M sit together but they just talk about smoking and gang stuff I don’t want to surround myself with people like that. Than it’s my group. Daniela, Hendrick and Karizma. They don’t really have friends in that class so they sit same seat they always do. We were supposed to do a TQE online but I didn’t do it didn’t feel like it. 4th period we did squats for sports weight I saw Benny semi squat 405 pounds. There’s people that are just stupid strong and Benny is one of those. You’ll see guys like him with the rack full of 45 plates stacked. Meanwhile I struggle with 25 pound plates just one of them. For lunch we went to Vegas room for the pizza. Since wrestling season ended coach promised us pizza but it kept getting cancelled so we just did it today during lunch. It was cool I ate 7 slices and drank 2 doctor peppers. For biology we had a sub and I sat with Carry, Jordan and Fernando. Jordan has autism or something. Henry has severe ADHD. Like he literally can’t help himself. He talks to back to adults not in a rude way but he’ll never stop trying to prove his point. Today in class he kept playing audios on his computer. But there’s so many instances of him just being like idk how to explain it. Sometimes I wonder if he takes medication for it i don’t think so. If he does it’s clearly not enough he needs a way higher dose. While I was making my way to 6th period I seen Daniela and Nayeli and Nayeli asked “Valentin why do you walk like that?” Idk why but she always criticizes the way I walk. I asked “walk like what?” And she walks really straight up with her chest out. I told her about how I have scoliosis and while we’re going to class they talk a long way and I ask “why are you guys going this way class is over there?” And she says because we like to go on adventures and Dani wants to see her man. So I walked with them for a bit and Nayeli showed me a picture of her and her boyfriend. It was a really nice picture actually like Facebook worthy. I got to class and class was good because I finished the handout from Friday all I had to do was color but I labeled everything so I grind Jurassic world and banana Kong on my phone all period. For history we just watched a WW2 video and did a fill in the blank worksheet. Schools over i go home and just chill in bed all day. And watch YouTube. Good start to this week.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

New SpaceTime out Wednesday

SpaceTime 20250618 Series 28 Episode 73

Solar Orbiter captures unprecedented views of Sun's turbulent south pole

Astronomers have had their first ever detailed look at the Sun’s spectacular south pole thanks to the Solar Orbiter spacecraft.

Moons of Uranus surprise scientists

Scientists are surprised by new surface data from largest of the moons Uranus.

Europe’s new Ariane 6 prepares of launch

The European Space Agency are now counting down to the launch of their new heavy lift booster rocket the Ariane 6.

The Science Report

A new study suggests that the Dead Sea Scrolls are even older than traditionally thought.

People on the autism spectrum often have difficulty sleeping.

A new study has found the world’s first reported stomach contents of a sauropod dinosaur.

Alex on Tech liquid glass

SpaceTime covers the latest news in astronomy & space sciences.

The show is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through your favourite podcast download provider or from www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com

SpaceTime is also broadcast through the National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio and on both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

SpaceTime daily news blog: http://spacetimewithstuartgary.tumblr.com/

SpaceTime facebook: www.facebook.com/spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime Instagram @spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime twitter feed @stuartgary

SpaceTime YouTube: @SpaceTimewithStuartGary

SpaceTime -- A brief history

SpaceTime is Australia’s most popular and respected astronomy and space science news program – averaging over two million downloads every year. We’re also number five in the United States.  The show reports on the latest stories and discoveries making news in astronomy, space flight, and science.  SpaceTime features weekly interviews with leading Australian scientists about their research.  The show began life in 1995 as ‘StarStuff’ on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) NewsRadio network.  Award winning investigative reporter Stuart Gary created the program during more than fifteen years as NewsRadio’s evening anchor and Science Editor.  Gary’s always loved science. He was the dorky school kid who spent his weekends at the Australian Museum. Gary studied astronomy at university and was invited to undertake a PHD in astrophysics, but instead focused on a career in journalism and radio broadcasting. His radio career stretches back some 34 years including 26 at the ABC. Gary’s first gigs were spent as an announcer and music DJ in commercial radio, before becoming a journalist, and eventually joining ABC News and Current Affairs. He was part of the team that set up ABC NewsRadio and became one of its first on air presenters. When asked to put his science background to use, Gary was appointed Science Editor and quickly developed the StarStuff Astronomy show, which he wrote, produced, and hosted. The program proved extremely popular, consistently achieving 9 per cent of the national Australian radio audience -- based on the ABC’s Nielsen ratings survey figures for the five major Australian metro markets: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. That compares to the ABC’s overall radio listenership of 5.6 per cent. The StarStuff podcast was published on line by ABC Science -- achieving over 1.3 million downloads annually.  However, after some 20 years, the show finally wrapped up in December 2015 following ABC funding cuts, and a redirection of available finances to increase sports and horse racing coverage.  Rather than continue with the ABC, Gary resigned so that he could keep the show going independently.  StarStuff was rebranded as “SpaceTime”, with the first episode broadcast in February 2016.  Over the years, SpaceTime has grown, more than doubling its former ABC audience numbers and expanding to include new segments such as the Science Report -- which provides a wrap of general science news, weekly skeptical science features, special reports looking at the latest computer and technology news, and Skywatch – which provides a monthly guide to the night skies. The show is published three times a week (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and it’s available from the United States National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio, and through both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

[one-autisticperson]

Don't Infantilise Autistic Adults, We Are Not 8 Years Old and We Are Not Faking It For Attention! As autistic people, we are often compared to children in a way that is reversed in any other area of society, it needs to stop. #enablingautism #autism #enablingautism #neurodivergent #neurodivergence #autismspectrumdisorder #understandingautism #neurodiversity Hello Everyone And Welcome To One Autistic Person's Channel. In this video, which I have to admit is a little on the ranting side, I look at infantilisation of autistic people (many disabled people feel the microaggression of this but I look at from my own autistic experience). Infantilising is when you see someone as a child, who is actually an adult because of your preconceived ideas and stereotypes of a condition or disability a person has, rather than seeing them for the fully rounded, functioning adult they are and that asking for any accommodation is a sign of them being younger in maturity than they are or when you liken a younger persons behaviour or traits to the person when it would not be expected for any other adult of their age to act like a child, if you take away your perception of the condition they have. Many autistic people face this discrimination in adulthood and it is tiring, frustrating and hurtful. 🔔𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬. https://www.youtube.com/@OneAutisticPerson/?sub_confirmation=1 🔗 Stay Connected With Me. Tiktok: https://ift.tt/OTRIJs0 Facebook: https://ift.tt/UW49QCM It's Just Autism Facebook Group: https://ift.tt/XmCp5I6 Living Reasongs: https://ift.tt/ZIcPS1E ============================= 🎬Suggested videos for you: ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF3QPTgRKl0 ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cP8xrM6AIE ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzVcKIC6M7c ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXPy-ER9Hgc ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOXbKKGSb6k ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb8O0h4vPg8 ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9etrvP3awX8 ================================= ✅ About One Autistic Person. Welcome to One Autistic Person! I’m Jason, and this channel is my space to share the real and raw experiences of living as a neurodivergent person. Diagnosed with autism at 37, I created One Autistic Person to explore the journey of late diagnosis, its impact on life, and how it intersects with comorbid conditions like ADHD and mental health challenges. Here, you’ll find personal stories from my life, honest discussions about autism, and advice on managing life as an autistic individual. I also invite conversations with others—neurodivergent individuals and those with lived experience of mental health conditions—through engaging podcasts and meaningful discussions. Let’s learn, share, and grow together! 🔔 Curious about life with autism? Subscribe now to explore authentic stories, honest discussions, and real advice on living with autism and neurodivergence! https://www.youtube.com/@OneAutisticPerson/?sub_confirmation=1 ================================= 🔎 Related Phrases: Autism And Infantilisation. Infantilising Autism, Autistic People And Discrimination, Autism Experiences, Neurodivergent Community, Navigating Autistic In A Neurotypical World Hashtags #enablingautism #autismawareness #autismacceptance #autisticpride #autisticcommunity #autistictraits #autisticperson #autisticchild via One Autistic Person https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp77VOc0feeDsV3Q6i3cYHA February 01, 2025 at 09:26PM

[servin-up-surveys]

survey #215

Do you have a laptop or desktop? I have a laptop right now, but I want a desktop computer. As my anhedonia improves, I've been getting much more into gaming again but my laptop has zero space for games. I can only fit WoW on this laptop and that's literally it, even to update that I have to go through and clean things I don't even know if I should remove from my computer 'cuz there's just no space, and I don't even have much on this laptop.

Do you own any television series box sets? Yes, the first four seasons of Meerkat Manor. Idk if the 5th has a boxset.

When did you last receive a hug and who was it from? My boyfriend, before he went home the other day.

Do you plan your outfits ahead of time? Nope.

Have you ever spent the night in jail? Nah.

Do you have long hair or short hair? Short.

How much makeup do you wear on a daily basis? None.

Do you have weak upper body strength? YES

Do you think hugs are awkward? I mean, they CAN be, but I generally love hugs.

Do you think facial hair is gross? No? I mean, if you don't clean yourself then facial hair can certainly become gross, but as a rule, it's definitely not. I'm generally attracted to it.

Would you ever dye your hair an unnatural color? I've already done that and am literally dyeing it lilac this week.

What is your favorite band of all time? Ozzy Osbourne's solo career.

Are there any paintings on your wall? We moved into this house with a copy of some famous Monet painting above the fireplace. It's one with lily pads.

What do you think is the best smell in the world? Cinnamon rolls.

How old is your oldest sibling? She's like, 40? Somewhere around that?

Do you enjoy dancing? Not anymore. I like watching dancing.

Can you handle scary movies? Yeah, I like scary movies.

Would you date someone 5 years older than you? Yes.

Have you ever been to California? Did you like it? No.

Do you like deviled eggs? I've never tried them and I never will, I would almost be willing to stake my life on the fact I would hate them because of the yolk. They smell foul anyway.

What is your favorite horror movie? The Blair Witch Project.

Has a little kid ever fallen asleep on your lap before? Yes.

What foods can you absolutely not eat? Beans are one; I literally cannot get them down. There is honestly A LOT of food I can't eat, I'm absurdly picky, but in my defense autism plays a big part in this. My reactions to food I don't like aren't intentional, I will literally just shudder and gag.

Do you like hot, cold, or lukewarm showers? Hot.

Have you ever taken part in a threesome? No, I'm not interested.

What is your oldest sibling’s middle name? Kathryn. I think she ~technically~ has a two-part first name and no middle name, but w/e. She doesn't go by her actual name though.

Have you ever been to Disneyland or Disney World? Disney World, yes.

Have you ever been the victim of a crime? Yes. We had a basketball hoop stolen from our front yard, and our house was also egged one Halloween. We also had an attempted break-in by the Bloods gang. I grew up in a bad town, and to this day I don't understand why we were targeted for so much, we bothered absolutely nobody. My one and only assumption is because we were the first house on a street of the "better" houses; we didn't quite live in the hood or whatever, but the road adjacent to us had more cookie-cutter houses that I'm aware were cheaper and with less yard space than our road. I haven't an inkling of any other idea of what the issue might have been.

What colour are your brother’s eyes? Blue, if I remember correctly.

Have you ever played a drinking game? Which ones? No.

How many friends do you have on Facebook? 112. I'm picky with who I add on there.

Do you regularly check anyone’s profile online? Nope.

Is there anything unusual about your house? No.

What is your favourite type of cookie? Just your basic bitch gooey chocolate chip.

Have you ever taken care of a newborn baby? No, I'd have an anxiety attack.

Do you snore when you sleep? I do, and I'm very self-conscious of it. I never did when I was a healthy weight and I'm aware my sleep apnea is obesity-induced, so I'm hoping I won't forever.

Who do you (romantically) love? Girt.

Do you wish you could go back and change anything about your childhood? More than anything, I wish my dad was a better dad. I wish he was never an alcoholic. Even though I have very fond memories of playing outside and stuff, I do wish we'd lived in a better, safer town. I wish my parents were stricter about us doing chores.

What would your mom do if you told her you were pregnant? Panic, cry. She knows I'd need an abortion and I have no income so she'd probably assume she'd be paying for it, and even though she's pro-choice by her age (she wasn't always), paying for the extermination of her potential grandchild would basically be the same as tearing her limb from limb. For clarification though I wouldn't ask her to pay for such a thing, I'd be talking to Girt way before her. Hell, I'd ask my DAD before her, just because I know she'd probably rather die herself.

Do you think you have nice feet? No, they're extremely calloused from when I was a teenager and would walk for hours. They just never went away. I also have extremely small toes in a way I think is slightly disproportionate.

Where did you get your name? My mom just liked it. My middle name runs in my family.

What’s the most unique or exotic food you’ve tried? Idk, nothing very weird at all.

Who was your first online friend? A girl nicknamed Kat from the Meerkat Manor forums. Mazzy was extremely close behind or honestly about the same time, both were there when I joined the forums, I just remember I got closer to Kat first.

What’s a condition you have that you haven’t been officially diagnosed with? Autism. I KNOW I'm a high-functioning, high-masking autistic. The revelation that I have it has changed my life and how I face certain issues I have. I've been professionally tested for it, and the results were "yeah, probably a high-functioning autistic, somewhere on the spectrum, we just need further observation for an actual diagnosis." So, the issue is, I don't know the next step to GET an actual diagnosis. Am I supposed to return to this specific location after some amount of time for another test or what? Who has the ACTUAL authority to say, in this moment, "yeah, you have it?"

Do people tell you you have cold hands? Yeah, actually.

When was the last time you held an umbrella? I have zero idea.

Do you feel that the shape of the pasta alters the taste? No.

In games, do you like to roleplay as good or bad? Well in actual writing RP, I tend to enjoy RPing baddies. I try to be a good person, so I think RPing characters that don't give a fuck is a fun experience lmao

Is there an instrument you don't like the sound of? I'm sure there's something, if I actually thought about it. Nothing I have a strong opinion about.

Would you rather be a kangaroo or a sea turtle? Kangaroo. I like social animals and I also don't want to live in fear of getting caught in plastic and shit lol

Do you like to get ready in the bathroom or the bedroom? Bedroom, usually.

What's your favourite Coldplay song? "Paradise"

Do you have a favourite insect? Butterflies and moths. I also love orchid mantises.

What colour is your ceiling? White. We have those godawful popcorn ceilings.

Do you own a scooter? No.

When did you last play a Mario game? Oh jeez, it had to be Mario Kart YEEEEAAAARS ago. I was never really into Mario games.

Are your bedroom curtains long or short? I don't have curtains, this house has shutters.

Have you ever attempted to sculpt something from ice? No.

Have you ever had to wear an oxygen mask? Yes, from an asthma attack as well as another ER visit from a severe asthma flare-up that bordered on an attack.

What’s your favorite thing you own that YOU made? Drawings.

[TW: EATING DISORDERS/SIMILAR] Have you ever starved yourself? I've tried to. I react to severe hunger pains badly though so I never lasted very long.

Has anyone ever had to physically restrain you from doing something? Attempting to kill myself, yes. This happened twice, first with Jason and then with Mom.

Do you like the pretzel M&Ms? I do! Man, that sounds good. The bit of salt adds so much.

Have you ever been accused of thinking you’re too good for something? No.

Have you ever stolen someone’s boyfriend? In technicality, I guess so. Joel broke up with Jenna because he wanted me instead, but thankfully I came to my goddamn senses and cut ties with him.

Do you have a locket? What’s the picture inside of it? No.

How do you react when you feel embarrassed about something? I react to embarrassment the worst out of any emotion. I get VERY short and defensive and want to flee the situation, and it's entirely probable I'll cry.

Have you ever tried to "fix" someone? Sure haven't, that ain't my job.

When’s the last time you were carried by someone? Hell if I know, I weigh almost 300 pounds and have been obese for many years, no one's carrying me lmfao

Are you in possession of any currency that isn’t used in your country? No.

Did anyone witness your last kiss? No, Mom wasn't in the room at the time.

Do you have any younger siblings? Yes, Nicole.

Are you cool with them, or do they annoy you to no end? I love and respect her immensely. It's hard to believe she's my "little" sister. Oftentimes I feel like she doesn't like me though, but both Mom and Ashley agree Nicole is very weird about showing affection or anything similar with anyone but like, kids.

Last person you flipped off? Probably Girt haha, but playfully of course.

Anyone who’s way over-protective of you? No.

Have you ever been to a rave? No, I feel like I'd hate it.

[bogkeep]

How would you describe your experience with being half Czech and half Norwegian? Really curious cus I never see alot of osmosis between nordic and slavic countries.

oh boy that's a really big question that's pretty difficult to answer! this is kind of a major part of my life and identity and not really possible to crystallize into a concise point, since it's just... my whole life :')

one part of this is just the experience of not fully belonging to one place and culture, of being caught inbetween, which is something a lot of people all over the world understand and relate to, i think. this might sound niche but i have a fondness for graphic novels about coming of age where the protagonist is is the child of immigrants and has to navigate their way through honoring their heritage and fitting in with the culture they live in at the same time. maybe this sounds dramatic for someone who belongs to two european countries that are only 2-3 days of driving apart, but that's my truth haha.

another part is the more specific differences between czechia and norway as countries and cultures with different language families, which is something i can talk about at length, for sure, but like... every place has its differences, even two towns in the same country. sometimes it's difficult to know what's a real difference between two places and what's just differing personal experiences.

some things:

- one of the most iconic christmas movie that plays in norway is Three Wishes for Cinderella, a czech made cinderella adaptation (tři oříšky pro popelku). the version that plays in norway has been dubbed over by the same voice, a method referred to as russian dubbing. this movie is so iconic and beloved they have done a remaster of it, making it crisper and more colorful, but they cannot make a better dub or the people of norway would revolt. for a while i had no idea this was such a big deal, because i would spend every christmas on czech, and for me, cinderella was just one of many fairytale movies. my grandfather would always tape the fairytale adaptations on VHS and would get me to watch them when i visited for the summer. it took me a while to get into any of them, since i vastly preferred cartoons over live action TV (i have many fond memories of czech cartoons. víla amálka, rumcajs, rákosníček, krteček, lots of classics), but i enjoyed a lot of them eventually. i think the first one i liked was one called Nebojsa, about a guy who feels no fear. my eventual favourites would become Král Sokolů (the king of falcons) and S Čerti Nejsou Žerty (give the devil his due) - the latter becoming a christmas movie For Me.

- a big difference between norway and czech, culturally, is politeness conventions. norway is very informal and introverted, more first name basis than last names - in fact, i don't know the last names of any teachers i had at school except for ones i've found on facebook. i used to spend a couple months every year of grades 1 - 5 in czechia, to go to school there and practice the language. not only was school more advanced and stricter, but i'm pretty sure i was supposed to refer to teachers as Mr or Ms Last Name and i did not know this. i apparently caused quite a ruckus in first grade, but i only have my family's word for it. i remember almost nothing of my time in czech first grade except crying on my first day because i was so overwhelmed. another thing i did not realise until i was a teen was that when talking to strangers or people Of Respect, you refer to them with a Plural You until you've reached enough familiarity to switch to Singular You. it's accepted for kids to refer to everyone with the singular - same vibe as referring to every familiar adult woman as your auntie - but i've made quite a fool of myself multiple times calling cashiers and waitresses by singular you when outside of the Acceptable Age Slot. if it sounds like an autism nightmare that's because it is :'D

- i think every person in europe has been to prague at some point. every person i tell i'm half czech to tells me they've been to prague. it's a pretty city though! check out the astronomical clock

- there is a small community of czech and slovakian immigrants in my norwegian hometown. obviously it's not Every Czech Person in town, i've run into a lot of czech speaking people at random every now and then, but yeah! i think the biggest community event that gets arranged every year is Mikuláš in december. it's very reminiscent of Krampus celebrations. essentially kids are expected to perform a song or poem in front of st. Nicholas, an angel and a devil (that's the krampus in this instance), and then they get evaluated and told if they've been Good or Bad this year before being given candy (with a piece of coal or potato in it because everyone is a Little naughty sometimes). after growing out of being one of the children, i've contributed by playing the devil or the angel a couple times each.

for some reason there's a lot of people from the czech community in the historical archery club my mom and i are both part of. we actually have a lot of immigrant members, so for something so viking aesthetically coded it ends up being a fairly multicultural experience!

[the-autistic-agoraphobe]

I was scrolling through my Facebook when I came across this monstrosity. There is alot wrong with this post and I am going to discuss it.

First Autism isnt something that should be prevented or cured  to "prevent" or "cure" Autism is like trying to stop me from existing in a way because if I wasn't Autistic I wouldn't be the person that I am. Being Autistic affects every aspect of my personality and my life. When I hear the words "preventing Autism" or "curing Autism" I hear that people like me shouldn't exist. Which is very harmful and hurtful. Autism is not a bad thing it is a neutral thing and a natural variation of humans. To "prevent" or "cure" Autism is like trying to "prevent" or "cure"  gayness which isn't right. Autism isnt a disease or illness.

Secondly most Autistic folk don't believe the colour blue should be used to represent Autism because it is associated with a group known as Autism Speaks. Autism Speaks has been very problematic to Autistic folk as they advocate for a "cure" for Autism and subject many Autistic people to abusive therapies. They don't listen to the voices of Autistic folk when it's our disability. Most Autistic people prefer to use the colours red and gold instead.

The next problem is that Charlie Brown and Snoopy are wearing shirts that depict a puzzle piece symbol. Even though some Autistic folk like to use the puzzle piece as the missing piece to the mystery about why they have felt different for many years and found out that they're Autistic many Autistics are against the puzzle piece symbol for Autism. There are a few reasons for this. One reason is that Autism Speaks which was mentioned above uses it heavily. Another reason is that it implies that we are a puzzle that needs to be solved. Again Autism doesn't need to be cured. Only Autistic people should use the puzzle piece. A popular symbol amongst the Autistic community is the infinity symbol which implies that there are infinite ways of thinking.

The last thing I want to mention that it is highly likely that the business "Cooly sunny" isn't ran by Autistic people as they have made many mistakes with his post that an Autistic person wouldn't make. I feel as though they are taking advantage of Autism to make money. If you wish to support Autistic people this April I would advise buying Autism stuff from businesses owned by Autistic people. There is plenty of good Autism stuff for sale on Etsy.

I would advise that Cooly Sunny should stop selling these shirts and make an apology to Autistic folk and learn more about Autism from Autistic folk. They also contradict themselves by saying that they want to get rid of Autism but yet to accept Autism that doesn't make sense. Remember this April to listen to Autistic people about Autism. It's our disability and we know what being Autistic is like through first hand experience.

Image Descriptions:

1: There is an advertisement on Facebook from a brand called "Cooly Sunny". There is black text on a white background that says "Autism Awareness & Prevention Autism Awareness Month is is coming! We Wear Blue to rep the love, support and attention we give to those we love. Join the fight to end Autism with our new Autism Awareness & Prevention T-shirts. Care more about the vulnerable groups around you, they are kind but need your love! To help others is to help yourself, let's unite, give this cold world some more warmth! Everyone is matter! Everyone is loved! Shop Now (link to shop)

Hashtag AutismAwareness hashtag Autism hashtag Blue hashtag Love" Their profile picture is "cooly sunny" written in black text on a white background.

2: There is a blue shirt with white text on it. The white text says "I wear blue for Autism Awareness accept understand love" Snoopy who is a cartoon black and white beagle dog is on the shirt beside his owner Charlie Brown. Charlie Brown is a white cartoon boy. Both Charlie and Snoopy have their heads tilted up so you can see underneath their chins. They are both wearing blue shirts with puzzle pieces on them. End Descriptions.