Neurodiverse rather than Autistic.

Thank you Judy Singer for liberating me and creating a word with new positive connotations of a presentation that was once a ‘disorder’. Nah, I am not that individual who wants to fit in to unfittable space anymore, or has to become a chameleon to appear to communicate with apologies for not getting ‘it’, whatever it is or was. I have acted in these roles that would warrant an Oscar nomination such is my skill to convince others that I am one of them. False laughs, pretending to know what you mean with regards to intimacy but I am raped instead, blaming myself for not initially understanding.

Title: Invisible . Image by Jill Boyd

A civil rights movement akin to my feminist beliefs is understood and I embrace and celebrate my neurodiversity rather than say I’m autistic. I always look for role models. It’s the bonus of camouflaging where I can mimic approaches to a situation. Empowerment is something I have worked towards for others but I seem to have forgotten myself along the way. It remains the unexpected situation that throws me and I am at a loss of who I can empower within myself from my role model repertoire. I don’t believe this is just applicable to autistic females, or neurodiverse females. I believe it is applicable to the majority of females. In 2015 I came across some children’s books in a shop that shocked me by their indoctrinating propaganda. See some of the pages below.

  • Children’s Book

I decided to explore these gender roles after looking at Cindy Sherman’s work on brides and film stills.

The idea of bridal photographs struck me as a moment in time that was devoid of realism and a fantasy sold through propaganda. Each to their own I suppose but I wanted to explore providing an antidote.
Me in the ‘male’s role, in the form of film stills like Sherman’s. An old man on a bench and a forlorn husband. Photographs taken by my own partner David Thomas.

References

Bartlett, E. (2021) ‘Girls on the spectrum are still very much in the shadows’ : Autism and feminism, The Gryphon. Available at: https://www.thegryphon.co.uk/2021/03/16/girls-on-the-spectrum-are-still-very-much-in-the-shadows-autism-and-feminism/ (Accessed: 9 July 2021

Craft, S. (2020) ‘Meet Judy Singer Neurodiversity Pioneer’, My Spectrum Suite. Available at: http://www.myspectrumsuite.com/meet-judy-singer/ (Accessed: 8 May 2021).

Hewitson, J. (2018) ‘We’re Failing Autistic Girls’, Grazia, 28 March. Available at: https://graziadaily.co.uk/life/real-life/girls-autism-diagnosis-research/ (Accessed: 17 July 2021)

Sherman, C. (1995) Cindy Sherman: photographic work 1975 – 1995. Edited by Ausstellung Cindy Sherman – Photoarbeiten 1975 – 1995 et al. Exhibition ‘Cindy Sherman – Photographic Work 1975 – 1995’, München: Schirmer Art Books.

Sherman, C. et al. (1997) Cindy Sherman: retrospective. New York: Thames & Hudson.

Sherman, C. (2007) A play of selves. Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz.

Singer, J. (2017) Neurodiversity: the birth of an idea. 2nd. Judy Singer (Self Published).

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