People feel afraid, awkward etc re co-occurring (co-morbid) mental health issues. A lot of those interested in autism are unnerved if I talk about DID, as if they can’t reconcile that someone with a mental health problem is still functional, knowledgeable, empathic, fully ‘human’. Yet, ironically, 30% of adults with autism will have co-morbids, including those which commonly occur in people with DID and PTSD which is part of the same spectrum of dissociative disorders as DID. Read the rest of this entry »

How would you know your child was BORN autistic? How could you be sure your autistic child was not born autistic? How old was your child when you saw the first signs that your child was autistic? Read the rest of this entry »

As an autism consultant since 1996, I thought I’d do some Autism myth busting. I asked the 5000 people on my FB page to suggest a stereotype, assumption or belief about autism and lets do some myth busting. Here’s how it went: Read the rest of this entry »

A man diagnosed with autism, Paul Isaacs asked me: How big do you think the Autism Spectrum is? So far there seems to be many subgroups such as Classic Autism, Mid-Functioning Autism, High Functioning Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, Atypical Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, Broader Autism Phenotype. Do you think there is room for more? Read the rest of this entry »

I know of adults and teens with autism who have spoken or written about losing awareness of parts of their body… they’ve felt they are floating without awareness of volitionally using their legs, or felt they are just a head and the body is working ‘without them’. I wanted to know about other people’s experiences so I put it to those on my Facebook Page:
Read the rest of this entry »

I am diagnosed with both autism and a dissociative disorder called DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder). I have met others with both diagnosed conditions so the two can certainly co-exist. Read the rest of this entry »

To answer this we really need to ask several questions. Read the rest of this entry »

Merry Jesus, Happy Santa, all insane things to those happy to indulge them, happy puppy clips with gift wrapped Santa bones, merry Christmas lights to you all with baubles, blissful ignorance, glorious kitsch, may it rain wrapping paper and bubble wrap, rejoice in E-cards and ensure no cat will go without tinsel-topped gourmet cat food, indulge your milk and cookies, roll in your aerosol snow. I’ll send your regards to Oxfam.

Madly and warmly,

Donna et al.
Donna Williams, BA Hons, Dip Ed.
Author, artist, singer-songwriter, screenwriter.
Autism consultant and public speaker.

http://www.myspace.com/nobodynowherethefilm
http://www.donnawilliams.net
http://www.aspinauts.com

Dear Ms. Williams,
My name is Sofia Piedrafita, the daughter of Toni Ortiz. I am a 5th grader at Flora Vista Elementary School in San Diego (California) and I am working on a project about Autism. Thank you for helping me with my report.I would love you to answer my next three questions. Read the rest of this entry »

Interestingly, the majority of those with Asperger’s Syndrome have Alexithymia, an inability to read their own emotional states or even know if they are having any.

My Core Self though well dented and fragmented had taken a backseat in the body around age 2-4. As an adult it is finally able to begin to present in and through the body. But my question is whether Alexithymia could be the product of living as a split off self which became like a satellite, doing social interface on behalf of the Core Self and that once the Core Self was ‘replaced’ by this ‘meta self’, the meta self went on to experience itself as Alexithymic? Read the rest of this entry »