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About
Kaitlin Schifano is an autistic writer who offers commentary on world events and cultural trends. Drawing from her rich experiences growing up neurodivergent in the American South, Kaitlin crafts engaging fiction and non-fiction works that reflect her unique perspective. In her free time, you can usually find her reading, negotiating with her two ill-behaved dogs, or listening to Taylor Swift.
Experience
After stepping away from her job as an English teacher during the COVID-19 pandemic to pursue a career change, Kaitlin enrolled in a writing intensive where she completed a series of nonfiction essays about American Southern culture. Since then, she has found her niche in reporting on current events and the changing mental health landscape.
Education
Post-graduate certificate in creative writing from Middle Tennessee State University (2023)
B.S. Political Science from Texas Tech University (2017)
How to Deal with Autism Anger in Adults: Effective Strategies and Techniques
Everyone experiences anger from time to time. For autistic individuals, anger can be more complex than for their neurotypical peers. Autism anger is often misunderstood or pathologized, which can lead to increased frustration for both the autistic person and those around them. Feeling misunderstood or judged makes anger management even more difficult than it already is.
To ease the added difficulties around autistic anger, it’s important to understand its causes, employ effective coping strategies and improve communication skills. Autistic individuals and their support networks can work together to build a toolkit for anger management.
Navigating Autism and Grief: Understanding and Supporting Unique Emotional Journeys
Grief is an intense and inevitable facet of life. Though the process is distressing for everyone, neurotypical people (people without autism) and autistic individuals will likely experience grief differently. Adults with autism spectrum disorder often have delayed and unexpected reactions to grief. Because of this, it is important for loved ones to recognize the signs of autistic grief and the unique support required for autistic adults during the grieving process.
Alexithymia and Autism
Everyone will, at some point in their lives, find themselves at a loss for words when describing how they’re feeling. When it occurs on occasion, it’s human nature. However, if the challenge to name or express emotions is a prevailing theme in someone’s life, it may be a sign of alexithymia. While primary alexithymia is relatively uncommon, the odds of having alexithymia traits are much higher in autistic people.
