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Different from penguins: Representations of polyamory in Netflix’s Atypical
Sam Gardner, the protagonist of the Netflix series Atypical, has an obsession with penguins and Antarctica. He tells us early on that penguins have a pattern of behaviour that is not true when it comes to humans: they mate for life. Throughout the series, Sam will explore (like the great explorer and researcher that he is) different ways of connecting with women. In this article we will delve into this issue and analyse how the series addresses love in general and polyamory in particular.
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Auti-influencers
Various autistic people have found ways around singling out as a minority to actively engage in global politics. In this blog post, I will discuss three autistic influencers: Greta Thunberg, Daryl Hannah and Temple Grandin. The term ‘auti-influencers’ will be used to refer to a global movement of people with autism who actively participate in discussions on global topics.
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Rituals of an Urban Monk
As your typical Aspergirl, fixed patterns and structures are important to me. That is why I am so attached to rituals. They bring peace to my mind and give me something to hold on to when I am sad or confused.
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Letting Go is Difficult But Allows Us To Grow
Let it Go! Let it Go! 😉 – people with autism are notorious for their inability to let go – and I am no exception to this. That is why I wrote the following blog post for The Art of Autism: Letting Go is Difficult But Allows Us To Grow. A Dutch version was already published at Ik Overtref Me. Hope it helps! <3
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I am not your Manic Pixie Dream Girl
Dating is difficult, complicated, messy, and awkward for everyone, I assume. But autism adds an extra layer of turmoil to that already unstable cocktail. Especially if you’re bisexual—and those last two identities often go hand in hand. Still, relatively little has been published about these intersections. In this essay I would thus like to share something of my experiences, somewhere in the triangle of dating, bisexuality, and autism.
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Purpose as a Brain Hack to boost your Resilience
A while ago, I received a postcard of a beautiful Japanese art print. On the backside, someone had written a joke about “fighting like a girl” and concluded with the words “Thank you for being a strong woman in our dojo.” I was happy and touched by this act of kindness. But I also felt a bit puzzled. Being a “strong woman” – or any person, for that matter – when you have autism… is that even possible? In this blog post for the website Art of Autism, I explore this question through the lens of neuropsychology.
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Happy with the lockdown – the last taboo?
In April 2020, when the Netherlands just entered into a “smart” lockdown, I wrote the following blog for the Art of Autism website. It offers an autistic perspective on staying at home, and now that we seem to be opening up again, it also serves as a reminder to myself, to create a “new normal” with all I enjoyed during the lockdown. Of course, my experience of lockdown was a very privileged one, on many levels. Still, I hope to contribute by sharing my story.
