Recent content by Muffinator

I think I can fake neurotypical eye contact if I meet a client (is that the right term?) who wants me to do that. I will know for sure when I'm not in the introduction class. Facial expression has never been a problem. If anything I've been internally screaming at the other ASL students who...

Hi. I hope I am not being too nosy or making you feel like a zoo exhibit. I am Autistic and recently became hard of hearing, but not ready to call myself Deaf. I started learning ASL 2 years ago, and last week I started my 1st class working towards becoming an interpreter. The director of my...

If deafness alone counts as neurodivergence then blindness certainly would as well. That reminds me of a documentary that I can't remember the name of: A paid research participant was blindfolded 24/7 and taught how to read braille. After just two weeks, the researchers were able to demonstrate...

They're not disorders either. That's why I use the word neurodivergence instead. It's not a value judgment like disorder is.

Autistic signer here, curious about perspectives from both Deaf and hearing. Neurodiversity is not well-known, so let me explain two important terms: Neurotypical - This means your brain works the way most people's brains work. You think, speak, act, and process input in the typical way...

The way my teachers taught me is that you fingerspell the whole word, with a little movement like you're tracing a woman's curves.

By meatspace I mean not on the internet. I don't say "in real life" because the internet is part of real life.

Isn't that the plot of R Kelly's "Trapped In the Closet"?

They're useful if the group is geared towards organization or meatspace events, but should never be mandatory. Some people can't write, and some people can't be safe while giving out certain information.

Not to mention that having a child with someone to sue a sperm bank is a preposterous idea that no one who cares about their own wellbeing (pregnancy can cause death) or even executing a good scam (do you ever any idea how much raising a child costs?) would ever attempt.

Dating websites that aren't specifically for deaf people: Do you use them? How easy is it to find someone who isn't prejudiced? At what point in the process do you disclose the fact that you're deaf? Any success stories?

Are there any signs for autism-related concepts like echolalia, meltdowns, special interests, or stimming? I really don't want to fingerspell E-C-H-O-L-A-L-I-A every time somebody asks why I'm signing at no one. Also, completely different question: How would you sign the English expression "I...

I got a group of friends together two weeks ago to watch the first episode of the new season, but for the rest I have to wait until we can all meet again since it doesn't work on my Mac.

It's easy to read "lawsuit" and jump to conclusions of racism, but let's look at the facts: She was a paying customer. The seller gave her the wrong product. Maybe she would never have learned about racism otherwise, but speculating about parallel universes is a waste of time. She DID learn and...

As I stated on my introduction thread, I am hearing and have mutism due to being autistic, which is a major incentive for learning sign language. I'm interested in giving people sign names, but I've heard that you're not supposed give them (or choose your own) if you aren't deaf, so I'd like to...