Frequently Asked Questions
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What is this place?
First of all, welcome. And thank you for calling this a place, because it is. I don’t just want you to read my words, kind visitor; I want you to be here.
This is a place for me to document my experiences as an autistic system. Somewhere all my surplus self can stretch its legs.
Who are you?
I’m 23. A hyperverbal, PDA autistic system. Diagnosed in adulthood. Virgo stellium and gemini stellium (if you count three planets as a stellium). Queer! Born in the United States. Half Italian and half Irish in heritage.
Try not to imagine me. I’ll be giving you access to so much of my consciousness that I’m just not comfortable giving you my face.
What does PDA stand for?
Pathological demand avoidance or persistent drive for autonomy. A subtype of autism.
Pathological demand avoidance or persistent drive for autonomy. A subtype of autism.
Is this an educational resource on PDA?
No. Although you’ll sometimes see me discuss psychological concepts and pass along information I’ve learned, I’m not interested in positioning myself as an educator on PDA or systemhood. My work is creative in nature, and it is based on my subjective experiences and perspective. I don’t intend to speak for the communities at large.
I think it’s also worth noting that recently, my journey has led me away from a highly medicalized perspective on the topics at hand and more towards a holistic one. Not everyone will see things that way and that’s fine, but I ask that you respect my opinion and trust that it is well-considered. I will sometimes speak about the cultural context that informs diagnosis, as well as the spiritual dimensions of my experiences.
Do you support self diagnosis?
Absolutely. The medical and psychological industries are deeply flawed and inaccessible, especially where I live in the United States. I believe that nobody knows your experience of life better than you, and that there is no imperative for those of us who have been failed by healthcare providers in the past to place our futures in their hands.
Do you consider yourself disabled?
Absolutely. And although our experiences and perspectives may differ in some ways, I feel tremendously connected to my peers who are more profoundly disabled by their autism than I am. I have higher support needs family and friends, and I’m not a perfect advocate by any means but disability justice lives at the front of my mind.
Do you seek to decolonize your perspective?
Always. Dismantling white supremacy is inextricable from achieving disability justice. I believe that fighting for the liberation of indigenous people and people of color is a moral imperative, and key to our collective wellbeing. I am white myself but have benefitted and continue to benefit so much from the knowledge that people of color share with the world, especially Black feminist theory and indigenous perspectives on healing.
I support a free Palestine, free DRC, and free Sudan, and oppose systemic racism in the U.S. I support the abolition of our police force and carceral system.
Are you COVID-conscious?
Yes. Covid consciousness is also inextricably linked to disability justice. I believe the U.S. government has failed us thus far in their handling of the pandemic because they value productivity and profit above public health. I have witnessed many friends, most of them young, suffer with long covid symptoms. I seek to bring awareness to this topic in my daily life and encourage vaccination, masking, testing and transparency.