iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Sarah Akin

Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 03/10/2026

"I wonder how many autistics would agree that friendships are indeed too difficult, because nonautistics tend to refuse to be friends with them? After long experience, they may give up trying. But, is this a sign of lack of empathy?" @annmemmott.bsky.social: thinkingautismguide.com/2026/06/empa...

thinkingautismguide.com

Empathy Tests For Autistic People: What Are We Measuring? — THINKING PERSON'S GUIDE TO AUTISM

What do people mean when they repeat the myth that “Autistic people lack empathy?" Which sort of empathy? What evidence is there?

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♾️Clear Autism♾️ @clearautism.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

It's also understanding that autism is an intrinsic part of human diversity, of autistic people. You don't get autism outside of autistic people, and we should value and cherish them (cherish *you*) as we would any precious member of our family and society.

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Michael Spicer @michaelspicer.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Most TV is just this now.

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Emily Paige Ballou @epballou.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Hi all! I'm very, very proud to have this essay in the latest issue of Wordgathering! wordgathering.syr.edu/vol20/issue1...

wordgathering.syr.edu

Emily Paige Ballou - Wordgathering – Syracuse University

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Agnes Obel @agnesobel.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

the day has arrived - The Meaning of Flowers is out in the world. these songs no longer belong just to me; they are also yours now. i hope they find a quiet place to settle, and that you find yourself and your experiences reflected somewhere within them. agnesobel.ffm.to/themeaningof...

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 05/09/2026

If we don't understand WHY an autistic person is having difficulties, then we may not be teaching them useful coping skills. This is a fundamental issue with even "new and nicer" Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). From Rebecca Engle, at @endseclusion.bsky.social: tinyurl.com/QuestioningBehaviors

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 20/08/2026

If your autistic child has a communication disability and can't tell you how they feel, then your best bet is to look to autistic people who *can* tell you what they are experiencing, or what they experienced when they couldn't communicate. Ask me how I know. -SR #autism #parenting #neurodiversity

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@maryfrancesness @maryfrancesness.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

▫️ suddenly we feel as if we could walk over the small rocks to cooler water and then gently swim to the other side ... ... then we switch back remembering that this is just one very small edge of a very old broken railway bridge ▫️

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

I remember people calling us "the Bernie cult" or whatever. And I thought, "But we *are* allowed to criticize Bernie! And we do!" What we're *not* allowed to criticize...is the unruly mob. Which is frightening. And the unruly mob undermines leadership at every turn.

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Emily Paige Ballou @epballou.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

illusionofcompetence.blogspot.com/2012/03/reme... A mother in Rhode Island has been accused of murdering her autistic young adult daughter recently, and the comments on the Facebook post about not judging parents in her position are like the last 15 years of advocacy never happened... 1/

illusionofcompetence.blogspot.com

Remembering George Hodgins

[I've been asked to put a disclaimer on this post letting people know that they can repost it as part of the blogaround on the subject of th...

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Reposted by Sarah Akin

Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 06/08/2026

"It takes more work to communicate with someone whose native language isn't the same as yours. And autism goes deeper than language and culture; autistic people are 'foreigners' in any society." -Jim Sinclair, from the foundational essay Don't Mourn For Us: www.autreat.com/dont_mourn.h... #autism

autreat.com

Don't Mourn For Us

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Last honorable mention!: Ruika Yokoyama (Japanese: 横山瑠華). She's a principal ballerina who has danced all over the world, but I've only just discovered her. This is the best video I could find. #ballet youtu.be/xLJ6jz4YGG4?...

youtu.be

【 SWAN LAKE 】

YouTube video by RUIKA YOKOYAMA

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Sending rest, alleviation, and a cool breeze. ☁️

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

It makes me feel like... Am I so aberrant, no one even considers the possibility of me?

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

And punishing me. Again and again.

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Taunton is 20 miles away. They don't ask, "Can you physically get there?" They don't ask, "Can you navigate big buildings by yourself?" This is going to be a huge burden on everyone around me. I'm so angry at the world for constantly reminding me how helpless I am.

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Honorable mention: Alexandra Khiteyeva (Russian: Александра Хитеева). (Again, no consensus on the translation.) She's graceful, expressive. They've never cast her in any of my favorite ballets, but I'd so love to see that. #ballet youtu.be/eHH0d3SMmR8?...

youtu.be

Alexandra Khiteeva (Mariinsky Ballet) Clemence variation, Raymonda

YouTube video by TheBalletGallery

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Honorable mention: Daria Kulikova (Russian: Дарья Куликова). She's just starting out, but she's so refined, so expressive. There's an ethereal quality to her features. I'm excited to see her in more roles. #ballet youtu.be/n4YJhVpA-S8?...

youtu.be

Daria Kulikova (Debut) - Princess Florine in Sleeping Beauty, Mariinsky Theatre

YouTube video by stretch ribbon

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Jury duty. I'm so overwhelmed, I've forgotten how to make that into a complete sentence. I haven't had a full blown panic attack, but I can't think. I don't know what to do.

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

They're running from me, too. Let's make a sandcastle.

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Last Giselle! Diaphanous Nadezhda Batoeva (Russian: Надежда Батоева) with the late and beloved Vladimir Shklyarov (Russian: Владимир Шкляров). #ballet youtu.be/1YI53FWrqdk?...

youtu.be

Nadezhda Batoeva Vladimir Shklyarov Giselle 10/12/17 Н Батоева В Шкляров жизель

YouTube video by rare ballet videos

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Whenever a celebrity is going through something, people talk about them being "enabled," and I get why you'd think that, particularly about a celebrity. But I think it's also possible they're being pushed too hard. The public backlash, itself, could be pushing someone too hard.

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Elizaveta Kokoreva (Russian: Елизавета Кокорева) with her real-life partner Daniil Potaptsev (Russian: Даниил Потапцев) in The Nutcracker. This is a two for one, as he's my favorite male dancer! Yesterday, they announced their engagement. #ballet youtu.be/nSiM3XIxv3o?...

youtu.be

Nutcracker Elizaveta Kokoreva Daniil Potaptsev 29 Dec 2025 Bolshoi

YouTube video by pommierblanc

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Haruka Sassa (Japanese: 佐々晴香). She's maddeningly scarce on Youtube but active on social media. She once replied to me on Twitter, which was pretty exciting for me. #ballet youtu.be/wt-eJ3biVyw?...

youtu.be

Dying Swan 瀕死の白鳥

YouTube video by H Sassa

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Ayako Ono (Japanese: 小野絢子). I can't find her on social media, but National Ballet of Japan forefronts her quite a bit. I recently shared her Giselle, so here's her Odette. youtu.be/zpQVzj8OMGM?...

youtu.be

新国立劇場バレエ団『白鳥の湖』第2幕よりアダージョ National Ballet of Japan - Swan Lake

YouTube video by 新国立劇場 New National Theatre Tokyo

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Alina Cojocaru. Her company, like most companies, is stingy with video and strict about cell phones, so I can't find anything recent on Youtube. I'd forgotten how good her Giselle is. youtu.be/ihlz2velypU?...

youtu.be

Alina Cojocaru and Manuel Legris - Pas de deux from “Giselle” Act 2 #ballet

YouTube video by lulenk

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Another Odette. Eva Sergeenkova* (Russian: Ева Сергеенкова). She isn't a Bolshoi principal yet, but should be, and perhaps someday soon she will be. *I'm just spelling it how she spells it on social media. There's no consensus. #ballet youtu.be/THn5EvM8rWM?...

youtu.be

Eva Sergeyenkova and Dmitry Smilevsky in ballet Swan Lake

YouTube video by Balletklassik

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Maria Ilyushkina (Russian: Мария Ильюшкина) in Swan Lake. I love her Giselle but would consider this her signature role. youtu.be/_7VQJ_Lbxnw?...

youtu.be

Maria Ilyushkina (Mariinsky Ballet) White Swan variation

YouTube video by TheBalletGallery

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

I want to do a thread of my favorite ballerinas, one a day (for your convenience), starting with the great Olesya Novikova (Russian: Олеся Новикова). ❤️ #ballet youtu.be/XB6W4ZxOTwA?...

youtu.be

From Russia - with Love. Great Names of Mariinsky. Olesya NOVIKOVA, Alexander Sergeev. "Giselle"

YouTube video by passionballet.topf.ru

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Russia is kinda the center of the ballet world, so I did learn the Russian alphabet. That's been useful. But...learning enough Japanese to navigate Japanese Youtube? No chance.

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

One of my very favorite #ballet companies is The National Ballet of Japan...which is incredibly frustrating! Obviously, I can't read a word of that. But the dancers are Ayako Ono and Yudai Fukuoka, and the ballet is (my favorite) Giselle. www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTI5...

youtube.com

「ジゼル」第2幕よりグラン・パ・ド・ドゥ　小野絢子　福岡雄大　横浜バレエフェスティバル2023　ワールドプレミアム

YouTube video by SHIVERバレエチャンネル

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

I put this song on a mix tape for my then boyfriend. (Yes, I'm old.)

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Reposted by Sarah Akin

Shannon Rosa @shannonrosa.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Guess it's time to revisit my piece on how even nominally progressive mainstream media outlets almost always throw autistic people under the bus—while rarely checking their ableist assumptions, or talking to neurodiversity-informed autistics or researchers: thinkingautismguide.com/2024/06/how-...

thinkingautismguide.com

How The Progressive Media Sells Out Autistic People — THINKING PERSON'S GUIDE TO AUTISM

When we trust progressive media outlets as both intellectually rigorous and socially just, their ableism goes (dangerously) unchecked.

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Three appointments this week and two of them in person. For most people, that's nothing. A physical exam is nothing. I wish I could explain how much that takes out of me.

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Bananas have to be the most frustrating fruit. They taste like grass, then the whole bunch is good for one day, then they turn to mush.

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

So that you might learn from my mistakes: -Pineapple goes good with coconut yogurt. -Coconut yogurt goes good with sliced almonds. BUT... -Sliced almonds don't really go that well with pineapple.

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

So much of children's programming pushes the idea that there are "good guys" and "bad guys," and that all will be right with the world once we defeat the bad guys. Are we priming children for war?

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Mabel keeps rubbing her face on my library book. I hope that means that, someday soon, another cat will think, "Oh, pardon me. Didn't realize this book was taken."

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Yes, I can extend it a couple times, but I'm not sure of the actual, latest possible due date, and that always makes me anxious!

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Sarah Akin @sarahakin.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

I always get two or three books from the library, because I mostly don't finish the books I start. Today I got three books that all seem good. O no.

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Reposted by Sarah Akin

Holly Owlet (She/They) @hlyann.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Please consider putting out some water for animals. A helpful tip is to place small rocks in a water bowl, preferably with a shallow depth, to ensure that smaller insects can access the water as well.

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