Today’s episode discusses the nature of autistic memory and pattern recognition through a personal anecdote involving a student named Claudio. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, explains how an ordinary conversation with the student triggered a full-body, instantaneous recall of a previous workplace injury where she, an RSP teacher, was publicly reprimanded for following explicit instructions in a system that prioritised unwritten social rules (subtext). Dr. Hoerricks argues that this phenomenon, which can be mislabeled as an overreaction or disorder, is actually a coherent form of gestalt memory, where the nervous system recognises the shape or emotional architecture of past harm before the mind can form a narrative. She re-frames this immediate, bodily response as a protective warning system calibrated by lived experience, illustrating how structural subtext in institutions disproportionately injures autistic educators who adhere faithfully to explicit rules. Ultimately, she advocates for honoring the body’s truth and wisdom, which provides the clarity needed for self-protection and recovery.

Here’s the link to the source article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/when-the-past-arrives-all-at-once

Let me know what you think.

The AutSide is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autside.substack.com/subscribe