How Autism Has Informed my Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Practice

What it’s like in consultation with me as an Autistic Practitioner.

I had been practicing for 15 years before finding out I was Autistic. When I look back now I can see how it’s informed my practicing style and approach to offering care and support.

The strengths I’ve held and honed in practice are very autistic strengths.

Fresh perspective, pattern finding, out-of-the-box thinking, extensive knowledge gathering, offering a deeply individualised and nuanced approach that requires genuine time and space...

Here’s how I see Autism showing up in the way I practice:

My special interest

I have a highly developed body of knowledge in one area - Women’s and Maternal Health.

I’ve poured everything I have into the study of Women’s and Maternal Health.

I love what I’ve learnt. And I welcome your curiosity as an opportunity to share impactful, fascinating things.

Highly tailored care

I process information from ‘bottom up’. This means I take in all the pieces of your individual story.

My brain doesn’t work in generalisations and assumptions.

This creates highly individualised plans and pathways.

Thoughtful design

Every treatment and every plan has sensory safety, capacity and executive functioning awareness inbuilt.

You don’t need to understand what this means - just that it makes for a more peaceful, effortless experience.

You’ll feel comfortable, supported and an active invitation into safety.

Seeing through many lenses

Your experience will be explored through many lenses.

This is not just one modality, one focus, or one way of influencing how things are.

We stand back to assess and optimise your whole experience. And we can do this because of the years poured into my area of focus.

Truth is honoured

Your whole story is allowed space to breathe. Complexity and hard things are acknowledged.

This is a judgement free space.

Disinterest in upholding status quo

I’m interested in optimising your outcomes and your lived experiences. Not upholding the status quo of social norms.

Where social norms aren’t benefitting you we’ll lean softly and tenaciously into something different. We’ll structure things in a way to genuinely support you.

Thinking ahead

I’ll be thinking about what’s to come. About the weeks, months and years ahead given the context of where you are standing now.

Prevention and early intervention are an active part of every consultation.

You might not even be aware of it, but it’s there.

Thinking big

Huge picture thinking with other change makers is paramount to me in this phase of my practice.

Reaching for new possibilities, redesigning systems, reimagining collaborative care and providing genuine support.

This is what Juno Specialists exists for.

I’ve been an autistic practitioner my whole life. I just didn’t know!

All these things are very Autistic things.

All these things are very Amy things.