Beyond 6 Seconds: Neurodiversity Stories

Text in image is a quote from Caroline: “Writing about these experiences [of deafness and OCD] that are already so misunderstood and often come with a lot of stigma, and to have it received well, felt really good.”

Text in image is a quote from Caroline: “Writing about these experiences [of deafness and OCD] that are already so misunderstood and often come with a lot of stigma, and to have it received well, felt really good.”

I talked with @caromincks.bsky.social, creator of the award-winning audio drama @seenandnotheard.bsky.social, about writing the main characters based on their lived experience of deafness and OCD. Listen to my interview with Caroline at https://www.beyond6seconds.net/244 .

My latest guest @caromincks.bsky.social describes the premise of their award-winning audio drama, @seenandnotheard.bsky.social.

Text in image is a quote from Caroline: “[Deafness and OCD] are such different experiences, but at the same time, they're not. They both come with a lot of misunderstanding. They come with a lot of very life-altering things that happen as a result.”

Text in image is a quote from Caroline: “[Deafness and OCD] are such different experiences, but at the same time, they're not. They both come with a lot of misunderstanding. They come with a lot of very life-altering things that happen as a result.”

In my latest episode, @caromincks.bsky.social talks about disability representation in their award-winning audio drama @seenandnotheard.bsky.social. Listen at https://www.beyond6seconds.net/244.

There are some awareness weeks in October too: Dyspraxia Awareness Week, OCD Awareness Week (also recognized all month) & Invisible Disabilities Week.
Who are your favorite content creators to follow on these topics?

An autumn themed design with the rainbow infinity symbol. A list of neurodiversity themed awareness months in October: AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) Awareness Month ADHD Awareness Month Down Syndrome Awareness Month Dyslexia Awareness Month Learning Disability Awareness Month National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

October is a busy month for #neurodiversity awareness! It’s the awareness month for AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication), ADHD, Down Syndrome, Dyslexia, and Learning Disability. It’s also National Disability Employment Awareness Month (not specific to neurodiversity, but still relevant).

Caroline Mincks' @caromincks.bsky.social award-winning audio drama @seenandnotheard.bsky.social is about navigating hearing loss as an adult... but almost anyone can relate to the experiences in the show. Caroline and I talk about it on my latest podcast episode: https://www.beyond6seconds.net/244

Autistic moms are livid after Trump and RFK Jr blame Tylenol — and them Autistic moms tell Eric Garcia that they fear Trump’s outlandish and conspiratorial claims about autism and Tylenol both erase their needs and those of their children

One of the full-circle moments? In high school, I was friends with Rebecca Smith. I was diagnosed as autistic. Now, she learned she's autistic and is a teacher down in Texas and I interviewed her about how she helps students accept others. @the-independent.com
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...

Image text is a quote from Sally: “So many people were frustrated with me: ‘Why can't you just snap out of it? Why can't you just accept the help? Why don't you listen to the doctor?’ Unless you go through it yourself, it's really easy to underestimate the grieving process involved in accepting that you have schizophrenia.”

Sally Littlefield, a mental health advocate with schizoaffective disorder, shares how hard it was for her to accept that she has a #schizophrenia spectrum illness. Listen to Sally's story at https://www.beyond6seconds.net/243 .

If my writing about autism does anything, whether it be in my books, my columns or my reported stories, I hope it advances the idea that autistic people are whole human beings as they are with legitimate needs and inner lives that deserve to be told the same as other stories.

Sally Littlefield describes her experience of being in psychosis. Hear more from Sally on my latest podcast episode: https://www.beyond6seconds.net/243

Some people consider giftnessness to be neurodivergence, but I'm not sure about that. I've learned from @sonnyjane.bsky.social that neurodivergence is a marginalized social position where people who diverge from neuronormativity are viewed negatively. That doesn't tend to happen with giftedness.

A quote from Sally: “When I was in psychosis for 10 months, I felt like a ghost in my own house. People would talk about me in front of me, like I wasn't there. But people in psychosis are still people. They can still hear everything you say. They still have feelings, they still have thoughts, they can still remember things.”

Sally Littlefield, a mental health advocate with schizoaffective disorder, promotes empathy, dignity, and understanding for people with schizophrenia spectrum illnesses. Hear more from my interview with Sally: https://www.beyond6seconds.net/243

On my latest episode, Sally Littlefield talks about experiencing a 10-month long psychotic episode, where she believed her life was a hyperreality psychological experiment. Hear my interview with Sally at https://www.beyond6seconds.net/243 #schizophrenia

Neurodivergence is so much more than just autism and ADHD! For example, this year on my podcast we’ve also talked about cerebral palsy, dyslexia, dyspraxia, Down syndrome, Tourette’s, and FASD. Tomorrow’s episode is about schizoaffective disorder. Neurodivergence is purposely broad and inclusive.

"…and Magda Goebbels made a great strudel.”

A collage of 5 surreal horror and abstract artworks. A monochromatic scene with a glowing white oval at the top and a stream of bright energy descending into a circular basin. A red anatomical heart with a blue highlight, surrounded by a glowing aura. A bold red and pink inhuman horned person with tears streaming down from their closed eyes. A black-and-white landscape with circular, spore-like shapes on thin stems, resembling dandelions or fungi. Text "Tas the ARTIST" is on a black background.

“Horror is an exaggeration of trauma. With horror, there's nothing that I can create that would be worse than what I experienced, but what I experienced is always in my art.” Hear more from my conversation with Tas The Artist: https://www.beyond6seconds.net/242

In my latest episode, Tas The Artist talks about creating surrealist horror art, to help process the real-life horror and trauma they experienced as an autistic and queer child in a religious cult.

Image text is a quote from Tas (continued): "...I've always had a deep passion [for] any kind of creative outlet, because it's that escape from the situation I was in.”

Image text is a quote from Tas: “I have always been one of those kids that love to create things. I loved the sensory aspect of watercolor paints, and the feeling of acrylic paints and finger painting...

The featured image is a split graphic showcasing two abstract artworks created by Tas. On the left, a hand holds a red and white circular fractal design on a tabletop next to a coffee cup and a brown sleeve. On the right, a vibrant digital painting features sweeping strokes of blue, green, and yellow on a bright blue background, with art supplies positioned nearby. At the bottom, the text "Tas the ARTIST" is displayed in bold, stylized fonts against a pink and green background.

Tas The Artist talks about their love of creating art, and how it helped them survive through their childhood trauma. https://www.beyond6seconds.net/242

Tas The Artist grew up as an autistic child in a religious cult. In my latest podcast episode, Tas talks about how they left the cult, and how they use surrealist horror in their art to process their trauma. https://www.beyond6seconds.net/242

A quote from the latest episode of Beyond 6 Seconds.

“Having a good understanding of who you want to be, who you are, and what sorts of things you're interested in is really important.” Hear more from Charis Hawkley, #neurodivergent disability advocate, on my latest episode: https://www.beyond6seconds.net/241

Hot of the presses. Hope it speaks to you ❤️
#ActuallyAutistic #AutisticWhileBlack #Autism #Autistic

A quote from the latest episode of Beyond 6 Seconds.

“Even if you haven't got your diagnosis (or you do), self-awareness and acceptance is a very important thing to go through.” Hear more from Charis Hawkley, #neurodivergent disability advocate, on my latest episode: https://www.beyond6seconds.net/241

We do not comply: how do we disrupt the momentum of Trump’s cruelty? | V (formerly Eve Ensler) Every day brings more devastation. But daily forms of rebellion can restore our sense of purpose

We do not comply: how do we disrupt the momentum of Trump’s cruelty? | V (formerly Eve Ensler) www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

On my latest episode, I talk with award-nominated disability advocate Charis Hawkley about growing up with late-diagnosed dyslexia, #dyspraxia and autism, her work with @dyspraxiamagazine.bsky.social‬ and finding community with other neurodivergent people: https://www.beyond6seconds.net/241

A quote from the latest episode of Beyond 6 Seconds.

“We're living in an era now where it's way overdue that we talk about and really bring change to how we view #neurodiversity. It really needs to get the attention that it deserves.” Preeti Kalra shares her story and perspectives on my latest episode at https://www.beyond6seconds.net/240

Preeti Kalra talks about her academic struggles in medical school, before she realized she was #neurodivergent: https://www.beyond6seconds.net/240