Women And Autism

Dear Reader,

I how you are doing well. I have been attempting to return to my blog to share what I have gathered with the topic of women and autism. As I had written here, I have learned about Hannah Gadsby while listening to episode 82 of “We Can Do Hard Things” podcast with hostess Glennon Doyle (along with Abby Wambach and Amanda Doyle).

Listen to the podcast by clicking here.

Read the transcript by clicking here.

This was the first time I heard the word “neurotypical” and “neurodivergent.” Hannah Gadsby was the ones that stated both words. She is on the autistic spectrum and has written a book called Ten Steps to Nanette (click here to read my book review).

Many episodes later, Glennon Doyle had another woman who is on the autistic spectrum to speak on “We Can Do Hard Things” (episode 220). Her name is Katherine May. She is a New York Times bestseller author and, as Glennon stated she would like to be able to say, “she lives by the sea in Whitstable, England” (2023).

Listen to the podcast by clicking here.

Read the transcript by clicking here.

Katherine stated those that experience autism can hear, see, and feel a lot more things in comparison to someone who is neurotypical. For example, she stated she used to ask others if they can see the rainbows when light is reflected a certain way and has learned to stop asking because no one else could see the rainbows. Another example is hearing the humming of electronic items such as the buzzing or humming of a fluorescent light or a radiator. When it comes to touch, Katherine May stated she feels a feeling of an electric shock.

After listening to both podcast episodes with guest speakers Hannah Gadsby and Katherine May, I started to wonder if I am in the autistic spectrum. While growing up, I (as well as my family members) noticed I couldn’t stand being around bright lights as well as not liking loud sound for such a long time (I felt drained). Like May, I wanted to hide somewhere during parties (as in find a calm place that wasn’t so loud) or, if I forced myself to endure, I would feel so tired. I used to say it’s because I’m an introvert but when I kept pondering how too much touch throughout the day and noticing obsessively the humming that occurs in the room where others seem to be obvious of the noise caused me to think otherwise. The thing that really confirms it to me is what is called a meltdown. In hearing Katherine May’s (as well as Robyn Steward’s) definition, I stated “That explains my so-called outbursts that family members have often attempted to correct me while I was growing up.” May states it this way (2023):

But then, sometimes [extreme distress] really pushes you over the edge. You can get really upset or lose your temper. When you see autistic people having a meltdown or seeming to behave irrationally, we’re behaving in exactly the same way that a neurotypical person would if they had a loudspeaker blaring in their ear and having to wear a Velcro shirt turned inside-out or something. That’s the level of discomfort we’re at. When you see neurotypical people in pain, they react in exactly the same way, but for us, we’re at that threshold in just everyday life, and it’s just really, really difficult to cope with.

Why So Many Women Don’t Know They are Autistic with Katherine May (2023)

The final “hmm” for me (as in thinking I might be on the autistic spectrum) is not just feeling my own feelings so much but also feeling the feelings of others that are in the same room and also connecting how one person is having “beef” with another person. This is tiring and I often find myself saying “I’m going to take a nap” after being around my family for a long time (I even said it today but I decided to come to my blog before taking a nap). One small clip of demonstrating feeling so much feeling would be what I saw in Barbie movie; when Barbie was given the view of what it is to be human—seeing the light come through the leaves, hearing the laughter of others, and the other quick glances of things in life in which I cannot recall right now. I attempted to find the clip on YouTube but couldn’t find it. 😦

I would like to end this blog entry by sharing a song I found when creating a reel at Instagram. It’s called “Autism Speaks” by Kaylah Taylor.

To learn more about Katherine May and her insight on autism, click here. For independent women that are searching for a resource on how to be safe while being on the autistic spectrum, I recommend The Independent Woman’s Handbook for Super Safe Living on the Autistic Spectrum by Robyn Steward (click here to read my book review).

Reference

Doyle, G. (2023). Why So Many Women Don’t Know They are Autistic with Katherine May. Apple Podcasts Preview. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/220-why-so-many-women-dont-know-they-are-autistic-with/id1564530722?i=1000617648736