A Way Illuminated
@awayilluminated.bsky.social
I'm Mark a late diagnosed autistic guy from the UK. I'm Gay, married and have two adopted sons.
awayilluminated.com
awayilluminated.com
Tired of the internal war I feel inside. I've finally built up the courage to approach my GP for a referral for an ADHD assessment.
awayilluminated.com/the-war-insi...
awayilluminated.com/the-war-insi...
The War Inside: Why I’m Finally Pursuing an ADHD Diagnosis - A Way Illuminated
I’ve always felt a conflict between craving structure and embracing chaos. Here is why I am finally pursuing an ADHD diagnosis.
awayilluminated.com
December 7, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Tired of the internal war I feel inside. I've finally built up the courage to approach my GP for a referral for an ADHD assessment.
awayilluminated.com/the-war-insi...
awayilluminated.com/the-war-insi...
Identity is a complex beast. We are all multifaceted beings hurtling through space, clinging to a rock. I'm examining my masks and the role they play in my life.
awayilluminated.com/unpacking-th...
awayilluminated.com/unpacking-th...
Unpacking the Double Mask: My Life at the Intersection of Autism and LGBTQ+ Identity - A Way Illuminated
A personal look at the intersection of autism and LGBTQ+ identity, and the difference between masking and code-switching.
awayilluminated.com
October 27, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Identity is a complex beast. We are all multifaceted beings hurtling through space, clinging to a rock. I'm examining my masks and the role they play in my life.
awayilluminated.com/unpacking-th...
awayilluminated.com/unpacking-th...
This week has been better than last. But that's because I've made an effort. I've deliberately been careful and have been looking after myself.
awayilluminated.com/pulling-back...
awayilluminated.com/pulling-back...
Pulling Back from the Brink: A Gentle Guide to Recovering from (Almost) Autistic Burnout - A Way Illuminated
Felt like you were heading for a crash? Here’s an account of recovering from autistic burnout and the gentle, practical steps I’m taking.
awayilluminated.com
October 16, 2025 at 10:38 PM
This week has been better than last. But that's because I've made an effort. I've deliberately been careful and have been looking after myself.
awayilluminated.com/pulling-back...
awayilluminated.com/pulling-back...
Beautiful
October 16, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Beautiful
There are a lot of factors that affect how well I might handle a sudden influx of competing demands or stress in general. But recently I've been running on fumes in a car with a dodgy engine and wheels that are falling off.
awayilluminated.com/when-youre-a...
awayilluminated.com/when-youre-a...
When You're Autistic and Feel Like You're Falling Apart: Finding Your Way Through Burnout - A Way Illuminated
Feeling like you've fallen off a cliff? A late-diagnosed dad shares an honest look at overwhelm, autistic burnout and ways to start healing.
awayilluminated.com
October 10, 2025 at 7:56 PM
There are a lot of factors that affect how well I might handle a sudden influx of competing demands or stress in general. But recently I've been running on fumes in a car with a dodgy engine and wheels that are falling off.
awayilluminated.com/when-youre-a...
awayilluminated.com/when-youre-a...
When I'm masked, I avoid conflict. I've developed complex strategies to try to stay on the right side of others.
awayilluminated.com/permission-n...
awayilluminated.com/permission-n...
Permission Not Required: My Journey with Autistic People Pleasing & Conflict Avoidance - A Way Illuminated
As a late-diagnosed autistic man, I realised I was constantly asking for permission I didn't need. A personal look at autistic people pleasing
awayilluminated.com
October 1, 2025 at 10:04 PM
When I'm masked, I avoid conflict. I've developed complex strategies to try to stay on the right side of others.
awayilluminated.com/permission-n...
awayilluminated.com/permission-n...
I wear a mask. It's so complex and elaborate that I don't know what is mask and what's me. I'm beginning to examine who I am. Maybe I'll begin to unmask... perhaps some aspects have kept me safe.
awayilluminated.com/my-exhaustin...
awayilluminated.com/my-exhaustin...
My Exhausting Performance: Beginning the Journey of Autistic Unmasking - A Way Illuminated
'Masking' is an exhausting performance. Follow my personal journey of autistic unmasking —from burnout and confusion to discovering an authentic self
awayilluminated.com
September 24, 2025 at 9:23 PM
I wear a mask. It's so complex and elaborate that I don't know what is mask and what's me. I'm beginning to examine who I am. Maybe I'll begin to unmask... perhaps some aspects have kept me safe.
awayilluminated.com/my-exhaustin...
awayilluminated.com/my-exhaustin...
Learning how my brain functions and working with that rather than against it is really helping me. Especially at the moment when I've so much going on.
awayilluminated.com/my-monotropi...
awayilluminated.com/my-monotropi...
My Monotropic Mind: Finding Calm and Focus in a World of Spinning Plates - A Way Illuminated
Multitasking too much? For many people, it’s a sign of monotropic thinking. Understanding this trait helps me at work and as a parent.
awayilluminated.com
September 16, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Learning how my brain functions and working with that rather than against it is really helping me. Especially at the moment when I've so much going on.
awayilluminated.com/my-monotropi...
awayilluminated.com/my-monotropi...
I've been reflecting on our family's adoption journey. 6 years have passed in, what seems, the blink of an eye.
awayilluminated.com/our-adoption...
awayilluminated.com/our-adoption...
Our Adoption Process UK: Navigating Stage One - A Way Illuminated
Embarking on the adoption process in the UK? A warm, honest look at the first step towards becoming parents.
awayilluminated.com
September 8, 2025 at 8:15 PM
I've been reflecting on our family's adoption journey. 6 years have passed in, what seems, the blink of an eye.
awayilluminated.com/our-adoption...
awayilluminated.com/our-adoption...
Representation is important. To see yourself represented and portrayed positively is immensely empowering. To see minorities represented is good for everyone, increasing acceptance in a world that all too often would see us separated.
#actuallyautistic
awayilluminated.com/death-strand...
#actuallyautistic
awayilluminated.com/death-strand...
Death Stranding's Autistic Coding: My Journey Through Kojima's Connected World - A Way Illuminated
I share my personal journey through Death Stranding, exploring how the repetitive tasks and monotropic hero mirror the autistic experience.
awayilluminated.com
September 1, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Representation is important. To see yourself represented and portrayed positively is immensely empowering. To see minorities represented is good for everyone, increasing acceptance in a world that all too often would see us separated.
#actuallyautistic
awayilluminated.com/death-strand...
#actuallyautistic
awayilluminated.com/death-strand...
It's important to advocate for the communities you belong to.
I talk about my experiences as a gay man; an autistic adult, and as an adopter. My own unique voice is one among a chorus of nuanced voices with beautifully diverse experiences.
awayilluminated.com/the-gentle-a...
I talk about my experiences as a gay man; an autistic adult, and as an adopter. My own unique voice is one among a chorus of nuanced voices with beautifully diverse experiences.
awayilluminated.com/the-gentle-a...
The Gentle Art of Autistic Advocacy: Speaking from Our Own Corner - A Way Illuminated
This post explores the gentle art of autistic advocacy, from the personal bubble to the wider community.
awayilluminated.com
August 25, 2025 at 10:01 PM
It's important to advocate for the communities you belong to.
I talk about my experiences as a gay man; an autistic adult, and as an adopter. My own unique voice is one among a chorus of nuanced voices with beautifully diverse experiences.
awayilluminated.com/the-gentle-a...
I talk about my experiences as a gay man; an autistic adult, and as an adopter. My own unique voice is one among a chorus of nuanced voices with beautifully diverse experiences.
awayilluminated.com/the-gentle-a...
I have a voice inside that whispers that I'm never enough. It's been there forever, and it's convincing.
My journey to quieten that voice has been long and hard. But this last year, I've made so much progress towards doing just that.
awayilluminated.com/caring-too-m...
My journey to quieten that voice has been long and hard. But this last year, I've made so much progress towards doing just that.
awayilluminated.com/caring-too-m...
Caring Too Much? My Autistic Journey with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria - A Way Illuminated
I explore caring too much about what others think; Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD), and how I'm learning to quiet my inner critic.
awayilluminated.com
August 17, 2025 at 9:46 PM
I have a voice inside that whispers that I'm never enough. It's been there forever, and it's convincing.
My journey to quieten that voice has been long and hard. But this last year, I've made so much progress towards doing just that.
awayilluminated.com/caring-too-m...
My journey to quieten that voice has been long and hard. But this last year, I've made so much progress towards doing just that.
awayilluminated.com/caring-too-m...
Reposted by A Way Illuminated
Today in research backing up autistic common knowledge: Yes, it is a LOT harder for autistic people to process conversations and other audio streams, if there are competing noises in the area.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40755170/ #autism #autistic #neurodiversity
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40755170/ #autism #autistic #neurodiversity
Auditory and Semantic Processing of Speech-in-Noise in Autism: A Behavioral and EEG Study - PubMed
Autistic individuals often struggle to recognize speech in noisy environments, but the neural mechanisms behind these challenges remain unclear. Effective speech-in-noise (SiN) processing relies on au...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
August 5, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Today in research backing up autistic common knowledge: Yes, it is a LOT harder for autistic people to process conversations and other audio streams, if there are competing noises in the area.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40755170/ #autism #autistic #neurodiversity
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40755170/ #autism #autistic #neurodiversity
Reposted by A Way Illuminated
More Realms Blog: Living fully as ourselves isn’t just about inclusion — it’s a reworlding. Neuroqueer politics challenges norms & builds worlds where difference thrives.
Neuroqueer Revolutions: Difference, Becoming, and the Politics of Refusal
Living fully as ourselves isn’t just about inclusion — it’s reworlding. Neuroqueer politics challenges norms & builds worlds where difference thrives.
morerealms.com
August 13, 2025 at 8:39 AM
More Realms Blog: Living fully as ourselves isn’t just about inclusion — it’s a reworlding. Neuroqueer politics challenges norms & builds worlds where difference thrives.
Our journey to adoption was interesting and full of twists and turns. But like every good story there's a beginning.
The start of our adoption journey was very much like anyone else's. It started with lots of research and knocking some on metaphorical doors.
awayilluminated.com/our-journey-...
The start of our adoption journey was very much like anyone else's. It started with lots of research and knocking some on metaphorical doors.
awayilluminated.com/our-journey-...
Our Journey to Dads: Adoption as an Older Gay Couple - A Way Illuminated
Follow an older gay couple's authentic journey to becoming dads through adoption in the UK, from the initial dream to navigating the process.
awayilluminated.com
August 10, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Our journey to adoption was interesting and full of twists and turns. But like every good story there's a beginning.
The start of our adoption journey was very much like anyone else's. It started with lots of research and knocking some on metaphorical doors.
awayilluminated.com/our-journey-...
The start of our adoption journey was very much like anyone else's. It started with lots of research and knocking some on metaphorical doors.
awayilluminated.com/our-journey-...
As a recently diagnosed autistic individual, recognising and respecting my strengths and limitations is important
My energy is finite and I'm learning how to manage it so that I can avoid meltdowns, shutdowns and becoming burned out.
awayilluminated.com/the-spoon-dr...
My energy is finite and I'm learning how to manage it so that I can avoid meltdowns, shutdowns and becoming burned out.
awayilluminated.com/the-spoon-dr...
The Spoon Drawer is Empty: A Guide to Autistic Energy and Finding Your Flow - A Way Illuminated
Ever feel like your energy just vanishes? Let's explore spoon theory, autistic energy management; navigating a world that can be so draining
awayilluminated.com
August 3, 2025 at 7:56 PM
As a recently diagnosed autistic individual, recognising and respecting my strengths and limitations is important
My energy is finite and I'm learning how to manage it so that I can avoid meltdowns, shutdowns and becoming burned out.
awayilluminated.com/the-spoon-dr...
My energy is finite and I'm learning how to manage it so that I can avoid meltdowns, shutdowns and becoming burned out.
awayilluminated.com/the-spoon-dr...
I got stuck wallowing in the past earlier this week. Dwelling on past hurts but experiencing them afresh.
A friend pointed out it was hurting me... That I was hurting me. And he was right.
I've stopped poking at the wound and have focused on other things and I'm feeling so much better.
A friend pointed out it was hurting me... That I was hurting me. And he was right.
I've stopped poking at the wound and have focused on other things and I'm feeling so much better.
July 24, 2025 at 2:46 PM
I got stuck wallowing in the past earlier this week. Dwelling on past hurts but experiencing them afresh.
A friend pointed out it was hurting me... That I was hurting me. And he was right.
I've stopped poking at the wound and have focused on other things and I'm feeling so much better.
A friend pointed out it was hurting me... That I was hurting me. And he was right.
I've stopped poking at the wound and have focused on other things and I'm feeling so much better.
I'm a little obsessed with KPop Demon Hunters and here's why... awayilluminated.com/the-song-tha...
The Song That Sounds Like My Autistic Soul: Finding Myself in an Animated Movie Soundtrack - A Way Illuminated
For this late-diagnosed autistic, gay man, a song from a movie perfectly captured the pain of masking and the joy of finding your true self.
awayilluminated.com
July 21, 2025 at 10:39 PM
I'm a little obsessed with KPop Demon Hunters and here's why... awayilluminated.com/the-song-tha...
So sad 😢
The new Section 28 is Section 72.
🆕🚨 New statutory Relationships and Sex Education guidance published today will:
- Restrict schools from using materials that "encourage pupils to question their gender"
- Teaches children the laws about "biological sex"
- Removes all references to the word transgender
What we know so far 🧵
- Restrict schools from using materials that "encourage pupils to question their gender"
- Teaches children the laws about "biological sex"
- Removes all references to the word transgender
What we know so far 🧵
July 15, 2025 at 5:24 PM
So sad 😢
I kind of love it when you accidentally stumble upon something that resonates with who you are so strongly it takes your breath away.
KPop Demon Hunters... Who would have thought it.
open.spotify.com/track/5sBDrr...
KPop Demon Hunters... Who would have thought it.
open.spotify.com/track/5sBDrr...
What It Sounds Like
HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI, KPop Demon Hunters Cast · KPop Demon Hunters (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film) · Song · 2025
open.spotify.com
July 14, 2025 at 1:10 PM
I kind of love it when you accidentally stumble upon something that resonates with who you are so strongly it takes your breath away.
KPop Demon Hunters... Who would have thought it.
open.spotify.com/track/5sBDrr...
KPop Demon Hunters... Who would have thought it.
open.spotify.com/track/5sBDrr...
For the longest time, I've retreated into myself. But, I'm learning it's my brain's way of protecting me.
#actuallyautistic
awayilluminated.com/the-slow-ret...
#actuallyautistic
awayilluminated.com/the-slow-ret...
The Slow Retreat: What an Autistic Shutdown Really Feels Like for Me - A Way Illuminated
Slowly retreating from the world? This may be an autistic shutdown. A late-diagnosed autistic dad shares his story.
awayilluminated.com
July 8, 2025 at 9:09 PM
For the longest time, I've retreated into myself. But, I'm learning it's my brain's way of protecting me.
#actuallyautistic
awayilluminated.com/the-slow-ret...
#actuallyautistic
awayilluminated.com/the-slow-ret...
In my new post, I explore my sensitivity to criticism (or even perceived criticism). I'm not alone in feeling this way.
#actuallyautistic
awayilluminated.com/the-crushing...
#actuallyautistic
awayilluminated.com/the-crushing...
The Crushing Weight of a Word: Navigating Autistic Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria - A Way Illuminated
What is autistic rejection sensitive dysphoria? I share my journey with the crushing pain of perceived rejection and the tools I use to heal.
awayilluminated.com
July 5, 2025 at 9:51 PM
In my new post, I explore my sensitivity to criticism (or even perceived criticism). I'm not alone in feeling this way.
#actuallyautistic
awayilluminated.com/the-crushing...
#actuallyautistic
awayilluminated.com/the-crushing...