.Being.Us

"I'm taking lessons with you because my friend took lessons with you last month, and he said you're the best instructor in [company name omitted]. He highly recommended you, and, when I saw that he got high scores on his exam, I was encouraged to contact you." That's what a new student told me this morning, and, to be honest, I was surprised. It's not that I'm a bad teacher. My unique way of thinking seems to work very well for most students, actually. Because my brain translates most things into the kind of thought-process involved in mathematical proofs, I'm able to assess a student's strengths and weaknesses and customize the curriculum for their needs as we go. My mind also works very systematically, which means that I present the material clearly and thoroughly, highlighting the "why" behind my recommendations. This also lets me provide detailed written feedback on each lesson. I'm not a bad teacher, but I'm inconsisten...

People with vision disorders often have a sort of sixth sense that enables them to tell when something is in front of them. This sense can be developed intentionally over time in sighted people, as well. The sensation is something like feeling the object in front of your face as a force. Scientists say that we are actually using echos and sounds to locate things when we perceive distance that way. Although I am by no means blind, I have some vision disorders, as well as headaches that come with extreme light sensitivity, and I have developed this sense over time. That's actually really cool, but it does create some different needs for me regarding personal space when coupled with autism, PTSD, and anxiety. For me, autism means experiencing things around me more intensely than neurotypical people do. Specifically, I'm more aware/hyperaware of things near me because my brain does not “tune out” or “filter” sensory input to select what’s important very well. Also, my feeling of ...

      Sleep is a difficult thing to come by, and it's not just me. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have categorized insufficient sleep as a "public health problem" due to its prevalence and consequences. Among those consequences are difficulty concentrating, remembering, participating in hobbies, driving or taking public transportation, managing finances, and/or working. [ Source ] Problems with sleep are even more common in people, like me, who are autistic, mentally ill, chronically ill, or trauma survivors. This is especially frustrating since many of us already struggle with concentration, memory, travel, finances, work, etc. Sometimes, pain, cluster headaches, or asthma keep me from sleeping at night. Here's what cluster headaches look like: They feel a lot like migraines for me but are accompanied by restlessness. Other times, it's flashbacks, nightmares, paranoia or delusions that get in the way. I'm also a really light sleep...