Catherine Burford
Bio
I'm just your everyday Autistic Artist.
Stories (35/0)
Dear Neurotypicals, PLEASE stop trying to cure Autism.
There are so many diseases that we could have cured by now, and yet society is determined to cure something that's not even a disease. Autism is a neurotype that one is born with. It's a part of that person's life, and the only way it can be removed from that person's life is for that life to end. Sadly, several families with autistic children are given incorrect information on how to raise their kids, leading to a demand for an unnecessary cure. Although a cure is normally something to look forward to, it's the exact opposite of what autistic people actually need in order to survive this ableist world. My name is Catherine, and I shall explain why autistic people like myself don't need a cure.
By Catherine Burford2 years ago in Humans
An autistic woman finally watches Rain Man
As an autistic advocate who's always pushing for better representations of autistic people, I've been asked for my opinion on several films about autism. Based on the few that I have seen, I can already tell you that Come Play is one of the better films on the subject and that Music can be found at the bottom of the barrel. The one film that I'm often asked my opinion on is Rain Man. Originally, I had refused to watch it for a couple of reasons. For one, I predicted that I'd be miserable submitting myself to the outdated depiction of autism. Another reason why I initially avoided watching it was that plenty of neurotypicals have asked me if I was anything like the titular character. There is absolutely no reason why I should waste two hours of my time with this movie, but just like with my painful experience of sitting through Music, I feel like it's my job as an advocate to explain what does and doesn't work with Rain Man. In this little review, I shall go over what I already know about the film prior to viewing it, what I expected from it, and what I actually got from it. Without further ado, let's dive right in.
By Catherine Burford2 years ago in Humans
The Little Big Sister
Tessie may have been two years older than her sister Blake, but she was often treated as the baby of the family due to her autism. Her parents continued to give her toys into her high school years, her grandparents communicated in baby talk around her, and her aunt would often avoid talking to her. Even her own cousins were advised to treat her differently. The only person in the family who treated her as if she were her own age was Blake.
By Catherine Burford2 years ago in Families
My History with the A Word
*Trigger Warning: Brief mention of suicide. Nine or Ten I was either nine or ten years old when I first heard the A word. The exact moment escapes me, but I know I was in the third grade. There was a boy (we’ll call him Ron) that I had met the previous school year, and it was clear right off the bat that he was different. He was obsessed with computers, he’d always point out when a light in the room was flickering, and he said “Good job! Yay!” whenever he completed a math problem. He was an odd kid, but everyone seemed to like him.
By Catherine Burford3 years ago in Confessions
"I Don't Like Mondays"
America has a history of school shootings dating all the way back to 1764 in which the schoolmaster of a settlers' log schoolhouse and ten students were killed during Pontiac's Rebellion. The ones that most likely come to mind are those with the highest body counts, which include the ones committed at Virginia Tech (the highest one to date with thirty-three deaths), Columbine High School, and Sandy Hook Elementary School. As shocking as those were, many people might be unfamiliar with the first-ever school shooting committed by a female. She may not have had the highest body count, but she managed to carry it all out without having to step foot onto the property. Brenda Ann Spencer told those around her that she wanted to do something big to get on TV, and she got her wish.
By Catherine Burford3 years ago in Criminal
Packing Up My Gear (And Moving On)
"Clean up your desk and I'll escort you out." Most people hate their jobs and spend most of their work hours wishing they were somewhere else. No matter how much we hate our jobs, we need them in order to make a living, and we'd rather quit than be fired. I was relieved when I finally got to quit after five years as a cashier, and I was more than eager to start a full-time job in an office. Even though I knew that being a telemarketer wasn't going to be fun or glamourous, I was determined to make a living in such a boring environment. Unfortunately, I only lasted three months before my supervisor asked me to stop what I was doing and follow her to the manager's office. As soon as I heard the manager say "termination", I asked him to repeat what he said in disbelief. He slid the form across the table for me to sign, and I implored him to let me keep the job that I needed. He stated that it wasn't his decision to terminate my employment and that the higher-ups made the decision based on "performance". I purposely took my sweet time signing the document.
By Catherine Burford3 years ago in Motivation
A Man Wakes Up On A Ship
A man woke up on a ship with no memory of how he got there. This was clearly a Viking ship given its size, the dragon head pointing straight ahead at the front, and the tail curled towards the water in the back. It contained neither sails nor oars, and each side was boldly decorated with a row of green shields. A massive pile of kindling sat in the middle, and miscellaneous items were among the burning material. These weren’t items that you’d normally find on a Viking ship, but rather everyday items like a toy train, a baseball glove, and a briefcase.
By Catherine Burford3 years ago in Horror
A Date with a "Vampire"
His driver’s license said that his name was Kevin, his social media accounts said that his name was Vladimir, and he looked like his name should’ve been Chase. With his silver nose ring clinging to his left nostril, his platinum blonde braid stretching down to the center of his back, and that blood-red leather jacket that he wore with just about everything, there was this cool and dangerous vibe that he gave off. Even those who claimed that he wasn’t their type couldn’t help but DM him. Maybe it was the muscles, or maybe it was that lovely set of icy blue eyes. Whatever it was, something about him made hearts fall like dominos. Even though his driver’s license stated that he was thirty-three, he claimed on his many social media accounts that he was a vampire who was born and then reborn in the 17th century. His commitment to this claim was enough to score him a date with a particular lady he found on Instagram.
By Catherine Burford3 years ago in Horror
A Playlist of Autism Anthems
There's an anthem for just about every type of community. The gays can dance the night away to "I Will Survive", black activists can blast "This Is America" to get their message across, and feminists can sing along to anything from Lesley Gore's "You Don't Own Me" to No Doubt's "Just A Girl". What about us autistic folks, though? We autistics normally stim to music when we need to calm down, and it's a good way for us to release our frustrations. While there may not be too many autistic artists or songs about autism known to the public, there are plenty of songs that we can relate to. Since today (April 2nd) is Autism Acceptance Day, I decided to put together a playlist of anthems for my community.
By Catherine Burford3 years ago in Beat
Do You Like Scary Movies? In That Case, Watch These.
As someone who aspires to be a scream queen, I've seen just about every type of horror movie that mankind has to offer. Whether it's slashers, psychological horrors, or creature features, I've seen just about everything. With that being said, I've put together a list of films for those looking for something new. I've selected ten different horror movies that most people would pick as their favorite and then came up with three similar selections for each one. They don't have to have a lot in common with the main film I've paired them up with, but they will be in similar sub-genres and have similar themes and plots. Now that the setup is over, let's be afraid. Let's be very afraid.
By Catherine Burford3 years ago in Horror