I’ve met Aspies with and without Personality Disorders... including some with NPD, BPD and Antisocial… but more often those with Avoidant, Dependent, Obsessive-Compulsive or Schizoid personality disorders… so if their PDs constituted 50-70% of what they and others termed their AS, and they were proud of their ‘AS’, are THOSE ONES actually inadvertently saying they are celebrating ‘Personality Disorder pride’? Read the rest of this entry »
I grew up with someone who likely fitted psychopathy, Narcissistic (NPD), Borderline (BPD) and Sadistic personality disorders who was also an alcoholic. So whilst each of these disorders contributed to my developing Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), and I do not have BPD, I’ve been traumatized by the idealisation/demonisation extremes of my abuser’s BPD within this mix. Read the rest of this entry »
There are bigots and purists who can’t cope someone having autism and co-occurring mental health issues. I am diagnosed with autism AND Dissociative Identity Disorder. Anyone who lives with someone with autism will know that most people with autism dissociate (cut off, shutdown) more commonly than most, yet somehow tell people you have a dissociative disorder along the spectrum of dissociative disorders AND that you are a person diagnosed with autism, well, seems for some people, their head falls off. Read the rest of this entry »
Katy Harrison
Hi Donna, what are your thoughts on antidepressants and the dosage for people with Aspergers? I have read that a lower dose is best. Really would love to hear what you think about it. Read the rest of this entry »
I have worked with attachment disordered kids with autism and those who are not. Sometimes its a matter of the level of sensory perceptual chaos they live with, sometimes its about growing up treated more as a case/condition than a person, SOMETIMES its about being in an intensive program your particular personality PERCEIVES as repeatedly invasive, abusive, traumatizing even if an achievement driven (such as those with OCPD), pleaser types (those with AvPD) might thrive in exactly the same program. Of course if we acknowledge any of this we’d have to lose the idea of one-size-fits-all approaches. Read the rest of this entry »
I was asked if I’d ever heard of Disorganised Syndrome. Wow! At first I thought, how funny, don’t we ALL have disorganized syndrome! Then I thought, what a stupid, stupid world, that we are labeling and pathologising everything we consider ‘imperfect’. BUT…. yes, I did some quick research and yes, there IS a condition called Disorganised Syndrome! Read the rest of this entry »
DID is Dissociative Identity Disorder. It is a DISSOCIATIVE DISORDER and part of a SPECTRUM of DISSOCIATIVE DISORDERS… so is PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and all human beings dissociate, especially before age 5. Read the rest of this entry »
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 »
Donna Williams is an Australian born adult with autism who was assessed as psychotic at the age of 2 in 1965, labelled disturbed in the 1970s and diagnosed as autistic in her 20s in 1991.
She acquired functional speech in late childhood and went on to become a qualified teacher with an honors degree in Sociology and a degree in Linguistics. She is the author of two international bestselling autobiographies and has 10 published books including 4 text books widely used in autism education and two books of poetry and prose.
As a screenwriter, she wrote the screenplay to “Nobody Nowhere”, the first book in her 4 book autobiographical series. That screenplay is currently under option to become a Hollywood film. She is an professional artist, singer-songwriter and published poet as well as a world renowned public speaker on autism now living with her husband in Australia. In her presentations she draws not only on her own experiences but on international experience as a professional autism consultant since 1996.
Donna’s is a speaker in demand around the world due to her unique perspective and ability to share her feelings and experiences on a very personal level. More information about her and her life’s work can be found on her website at http://www.donnawilliams.net .