（2025.02.08舊文重發的聲明：因為這是幾年前的訪談了，如今關於泛自閉光譜、高敏感特質，以及感覺統合障礙的想法有所改變。但這篇文章還是維持原樣放在這裡，因為我認為其他的觀點也很有意思。）
Kelly 和我是在 2016 年認識的（我翻了她部落格的留言確認）。Kelly and I have known each other since 2016 (I went through the comments on her blog to make sure).
當初是因為在網路上尋找感覺統合障礙相關資訊，而逛到了她的部落格 Eating off Plastic。看了她當時所有的文章以後，我總覺得好像認識了一個能夠完全了解我的人（那時我還沒有出書、還沒有被判斷疑似亞斯，僅僅知道自己有感覺統合障礙）。I was searching for SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) related stuff and found her blog Eating off Plastic. After reading all of her posts, I felt like I’ve met someone who could understand me fully (at that point I only knew that I’ve got SPD but hadn’t published a book yet and I didn’t know that I could have ASD).
和 Kelly 聊過以後，我們有段時間頗為頻繁地以電子郵件通信，甚至也寫了實體信件給對方，在交流的過程中，我一直覺得 Kelly 是個非常溫暖可愛的人。我們也聊了不少障礙與特質對於我們生命帶來的改變與困難。We spent time sending each other emails and even hand-written letters (cards). I’ve always thought that Kelly is a warm-hearted and kind person. We’ve talked about how our traits/disabilities affect our everyday life.
除了倡議以外，Kelly 的美術創作也非常厲害。有幾個我經常使用的演講簡報配圖，就是來自於她。Asides from advocating for neurodiversity, SPD, ASD and HSP, Kelly’s art works are excellent as well. Some of those illustrations that I often use for my speech powerpoints are drawn by Kelly.
非常開心 Kelly 願意接受筆談。這個筆談敲定很久了，但真正得以進行，讓我非常愉快。I’m glad that Kelly has accepted my request to interview her. We’ve been thinking about it for quite awhile, so I’m very happy that this written interview can finally be shared.
小太陽（Miya）：
那請讓我們開始吧！Now please let us begin!
首先想請問 Kelly 你的童年，以及你從自我覺察與他人的不同（倘若你曾有這樣的時期），到真正確診的歷程、確診這件事情如何影響你（自信、讓你更理解自己等）。I’d like to ask you about your childhood, and your self-awareness of your “differences” before getting a diagnosis (if there was such a period), how and when did you get your diagnosis, and how the diagnosis affected your life (self-esteem, the fact of knowing more about yourself, etc.)?
（ＰＳ：你和我一樣都是六歲的時候確診感覺統合障礙，我一直覺得那是很可愛的巧合。）(P.S.: I got diagnosed with SPD when I was six, I always thought that it’s quite a cute coincidence.)
Kelly：I was also diagnosed with SPD when I was six! I received my diagnosis through an Occupational Therapist who gave me a thorough evaluation. As a child, I didn’t have the understanding of what having SPD meant. I only knew that I was very anxious and very sensitive to my environment. I was a nervous child; I was smart, sensitive and creative. It wasn’t until around age 13 did my sensory issues become more problematic for me. At this time, I was again diagnosed with SPD by a different Occupational Therapist. I began to suffer with greater anxiety, as well as depression. Normal teen activities were overwhelming for me, so I began to isolate myself. Now as an adult, I’ve learned that the diagnosis has given me a lot of conversation-starters. I have made a lot of friends, both in person and online because of it.
我也是在六歲的時候被確診了感覺統合障礙！我是透過一位職能治療師給予的全面評估後被確診的。
小的時候，我並不明白擁有感覺統合障礙代表著什麼。我只知道我對於身處的環境非常地焦慮與敏感。我是個易緊張的孩子，卻也聰明、敏銳並有創造力。
然而，一直到了十三歲，我的障礙才開始發展成較為顯著的問題。那個時候，我又再度被別的職能治療師診斷為感覺統合障礙。我開始因更嚴重的焦慮所苦，甚至是憂鬱症狀。
一般青少年熱愛的事物，對我而言過於地刺激，所以我開始孤立自己。
如今做為一個成人，我發覺自身的特質與障礙成為了一個能幫助開啟對話的題材。我因此認識了許多有相似經歷與特質的朋友，無論是現實世界或者網路。
小太陽（Miya）：
我找到你的部落格的時候，真的非常開心。總覺得英語系國家比較多類似你那樣的倡議部落格，雖然台灣也有一些人經營著各自的倡議社群（臉書為主），但卻比較少見。When I first found your blog, I was really happy. I think that there are more this kind of neurodiversity advocating blogs or sites in the US or other English speaking countries. We can also find some of these in Taiwan but mainly Facebook pages and rarely findable.
很想知道是什麼契機讓你開始經營部落格？經營部落格以後，你有遇過什麼印象深刻的事情嗎（特別的讀者、讓你感到暖心的留言等，或者特別棘手的情況）？I wonder what made you want to start a blog? Have you encountered any special readers, comments or difficult situations?
Kelly：I’m so glad you said that reading my blog has made you happy! That was the main reason I started it. I wanted to have a place to share my experiences in a fun, light-hearted way. When dealing with depression, I found it therapeutic to write and illustrate these experiences, and then get feedback from others around the world. Most of the comments and emails I receive are incredibly kind and I’m grateful for all the support. I’ve received hundreds of messages from teens, adults, parents, teachers and more. Yes, there are some comments that can be rude, but when I receive those, I generally wish that person well and move on. I try not to give too much power to the negativity online.
我真的好高興你說閱讀我的部落格讓你開心！那是我創立了那個部落格的最主要原因。
我想要有一個能夠以詼諧有趣的方式分享我的經歷的空間。
當我試圖撐過憂鬱時，寫作與繪畫出那些精力和情緒，以及從中得到的來自世界各地的回饋總是令我覺得療癒。我所得到的多數留言與電子郵件都十分友善，而我非常感謝這些支持。
自從部落格開設以來，我收到數以百計的訊息，來自同有特質的青少年、成人，甚至是家長和老師們等。
當然，還是有遇過相對無理的回饋，但當我收到這樣的留話，我只期望那個人能感覺好一些並嘗試在人生中持續前行。我試著不要太去在意網路上所接收到的負面能量。
小太陽（Miya）：
最近一次的閒聊中，你告訴我你開始了瑜珈。很想知道是什麼讓你想練習瑜珈，以及瑜珈這件事情是否有對你的日常或情緒產生什麼幫助？During our last messages, you told me that you’ve started yoga. I am wondering what made you want to practice it, and if yoga has helped you cope with your emotions or/and everyday life?
Kelly：Yoga has been a real challenge for me. Due to my SPD, I struggle to understand where my body is in the space around me. I get dizzy and disoriented when trying some basic moves. This is why I’ve been practicing - I hope that I can train my brain to balance and move better. Also, I hope that yoga can help with my mental health. Just taking time every day to sit, breathe and focus on myself for a bit has been wonderful.
瑜珈對我而言真是個難題。
由於感覺統合障礙的緣故，對我而言要明白我的身體在空間裡的呈現是困難的。我時常在嘗試一些基礎的瑜珈動作時感到暈眩以及方向感迷失。
這也是為什麼我持續地練習——我希望我能夠訓練我的大腦，讓它能夠更掌握平衡感並使我能夠更好地移動。
另外，我也希望瑜珈可以幫助我的心理健康。每天花點時間坐下來、調整呼吸並且專注在自身，是一個很棒的歷程。
小太陽（Miya）：
之前你的部落格提過感覺統合障礙和高敏感特質的分別，並且你知道分辨你的哪些情況是來自感統障礙，而哪些是來自高敏感。其實我也是有回和你聊過以後，才曉得分辨兩者的差異，並且漸漸發現我同時擁有這兩個狀況。I saw one of your posts about the differences between SPD and HSP, and how you managed to separate the two and the emotional influences these two traits cause you. I first noticed that I might be a HSP thanks to one of our mails exchange on this topic.
想請問 Kelly，你是從什麼時候開始認知到你也有高敏感特質，以及這個特質在你的美術創作上有沒有什麼幫助，或者繪圖是否能成為你的情緒出口？I’d like to know when you started noticing your HSP traits? Does being a HSP help you in some sort when you do your art works, or is drawing a way of expressing and letting go of your emotions?
如果請 Kelly 選出你的部落格當中，你最希望大家閱覽的三篇文章，你會選擇哪幾篇？If you were to choose three articles from your blog that you want people to read the most, which three will they be?
Kelly：To be honest, I don’t know if there is any real distinction between SPD and HSP. I know for myself that I can tell the difference, but the line between the two is probably blurred for most people. For me, SPD is very physical, meaning it impacts my body with balance, movement, and sensory sensitivities. HSP is very emotionally-driven. I am sensitive to the energy of the people and places around me. I have always been an HSP, but I never knew these feelings had a name until my late teens when I read about it online. Being a HSP has helped me tremendously throughout my life, and it has shaped my personality - it may even be my personality. I’m in a place where I am highly empathetic and understanding to people in difficult situations, and I have a general sense of how to help people.
If I had to pick three articles from my blog, I would pick Why ‘It Could Be Worse’ Makes Me Feel Worse, because it’s a subject that is rarely discussed in an age where feeling anything but positivity is frowned upon. My second choice would be, Horse Therapy Adventure because it really demonstrates the amount of stress is involved with various kinds of therapy. In this case, I ended up having a terrible - but hilarious - time during a session of therapeutic horseback riding. My third choice would be World’s Best Coper. When I wrote it I was laughing so much I could barely see the screen. It’s a funny and honest account of what it’s like to have SPD.
坦白說，我並不曉得感覺統合障礙與高敏感特質之間是否真的有極大的不同。至少對我而言我大致能夠分辨出來，可對某些人而言，兩者的界線似乎有點模糊。
對我而言，感覺統合障礙帶給我的影響主要顯現在身體（物理）的方面，也就是關於平衡感、動作、感官的敏銳等。高敏感特質則影響著我的情緒方面較多。我對於我所身處的環境中他人或整體的氛圍情緒非常敏感。
我一直都是一個高敏感特質者，但我對這份特質的認識是因為在我的後青少年時期，於網路上閱讀到相關資訊才得知，原來那些一直以來的感受有一個名稱。
做為一個高敏感特質者對於我的人生有極大的幫助，也形塑了我的性格，甚至就是我的本質。我非常能夠共感並理解人們遭遇到的各式困難，多數時候也能連結到相應的幫助對方的方法。
至於如果要我從自己的部落格裡選擇三篇推薦的閱讀文章，首先我會選擇 Why ‘It Could Be Worse’ Makes Me Feel Worse（為什麼告訴自己「還有比你情況更糟」讓我感覺更糟）這篇，因為這是一個很少被討論的議題，尤其是在一個強求正向能量價值的時代。
第二篇想要分享的則是 Horse Therapy Adventure（馬術治療歷險），因為在那篇文章中，我分享了在各式治療體驗裡可能感覺到的大量的不安與壓力。在那次體驗我經歷了一個糟透了但卻又引人發笑的體驗。
最後想分享的一篇，是 World’s Best Coper（世界最棒應對者）。在我寫這篇的時候，我笑到幾乎看不清螢幕。是一篇我自己認定為好笑但也誠實的感覺統合障礙敘述。
小太陽（Miya）：
我記得我們曾經聊過，關於確診亞斯的事情。I remember talking about ASD (Aspie side) diagnosis.
那時你告訴我，有時你覺得自己是（亞斯），有時卻覺得不太像。很想問問，你對於標籤的看法是什麼（會覺得它形塑了刻板印象，或者認為標籤其實也有些好處）？You told me that sometimes you don’t see yourself as an Aspie (while sometimes you do). I wonder what you think about labels. Do you think that labels (of knowing that you have SPD, are autistic or being a HSP) only make stereotypes worse, or do you think that labels can somehow help others understand your situations and difficulties?
Kelly：This is a great question, and one that I get asked a lot from lots of people. I was diagnosed with high-functioning autism when I was 17, and at the time I felt like it explained a lot about what I was feeling. Now, like you said, I feel like I sometimes see myself as an Aspie and other times I do not see myself that way. My behavior and thinking patterns can be classic austitic spectrum, and other times, I am definitely not feeling and behaving like I’m on the spectrum. For me, it’s not important where I am on the spectrum, but how I manage myself as a neurodiverse person in a challenging world. With that said, I think labels are important and helpful. Humans categorize everything we experience, so to have a name for something is better for our understanding of it, as well as the understanding of those around us. Having a label is important for the rest of the world to understand us and often, respect us. In school or in the workforce, having a name for what you have can allow you to get access to services and support that you wouldn’t otherwise get. At the same time, these labels can definitely be stereotypical, but I think that the more we share our experiences, the less stereotypical they become.
這是一個很好的問題，同時也是我被他人問過最頻繁的問題。
在我十七歲的時候，我被確診高功能自閉症（偏向慣稱的亞斯），在那個時候，我總覺得那次確診替我解釋了一些我當時正經歷著但無法明白的感受。
然而現在，就像你提到的，我有時並不感覺自己是光譜上的一份子（可偶爾又覺得我是）。
我的某些思考方法與行為模式的確符合偏向典型的泛自閉光譜者的思緒，可有時又真的完全不是那麼一回事。
或許最重要的並非「我到底是不是泛自閉光譜障礙者」，而是我作為一個非神經典型人如何與這個處處充滿難關的世界共處。
不過，我想標籤的確重要並能夠幫助他人快速理解。
人們總需要將所有我們所感受到或經歷到的人事物加以分類標註，因此將每個人事物都給予一個分類名稱或許能加強我們的理解。無論是理解自身或是理解他人，理解或是被理解皆然。
在校園或職場上，當你的困難與障礙有個名稱，它或許能幫助你取得一些你若沒有那些標籤（診斷）則難以取得的協助。
這些標籤也可能成為刻板印象，然而，當人們多去分享自己的體會與經驗，或許便能幫助去刻板化。
小太陽（Miya）：
想請 Kelly 聊聊你學畫的歷程。你認為這算是你的特殊（固著）興趣嗎？I’d love to know how you started drawing and do you see it as your special interest?
如果可以，想請 Kelly 分享你目前最滿意、喜歡的三張圖。If you are willing to, can you please show as three of your favorites drawings/illustrations?
Kelly：I started drawing in middle school, around age 12. Art class was the best part of my day, as it was stress-free and allowed me to be creative. I continued to focus on art through high school, where I graduated with a special degree in visual arts along with a high school diploma. In college, I took a lot of drawing and painting classes, but I ultimately earned my degree in Psychology. Art-making is definitely my special interest and one that I will be doing for the rest of my life. It brings me a lot of peace and joy.
Here are three pieces of mine that I’m particularly proud of:
（此處圖片無法顯示、訪談原檔也不在手邊，因此很遺憾地沒辦法放上來。）
我在中學的時候開始畫圖，大概十二歲的時候。
美術課程總是我一天中最快樂的時光，因為它讓我發揮我的創造力，同時抹除我的壓力。
在高中階段我繼續專注於繪畫上，畢業時除了一般的高中文憑以外，也得到了視覺藝術的特別文憑。
大學時期，儘管我持續繪畫的課程，但我完成的是心理學領域的文憑。
美術當然是我的最大興趣，且我會一直持續下去。它令我擁有平和的心和許多的歡樂。
上方三個作品是我特別喜愛的。
小太陽（Miya）：
想請你分享，你希望和如你我一樣有著特質（障礙）的人們說些什麼？Can you please write something to encourage others who are also living with their traits/disabilities (in general or especially SPD/ASD/HSP)?
承上，如果必須說些什麼鼓勵陪伴者或家長們，你會說些什麼？Can you please share some thoughts with parents/carers?
Kelly：There is so much I could say, but I will try to keep it simple. I would tell someone who is living with a neurological condition that it’s important to find the small joys everyday. Celebrate who you are and know that you are important, and you matter. You are smarter and braver than you know, and the world needs neurodiverse people like you. It’s ok to have bad, difficult days; it’s ok to not want to have a problem like SPD. I’ve spent so much time crying over the frustration I experience with my sensory difficulties. I felt misunderstood, like an outcast or an alien that didn’t belong anywhere. Now I understand that I am right where I belong and that my experiences have made me the person I am, which is a person who will go on to help others. For parents or carers, I would say that they should also find the small joys everyday. Gratitude is a force that drives us forward; comparison pulls us back. Raising children with different needs isn’t easy, and it’s important to be kind to yourself (mentally and physically) and remind yourself that as long as you are giving your best, then that’s all you can do. Remember to reach out and ask for help and support because this isn’t a journey you need to go on alone.
有好多我能夠且希望分享的，但我會盡力簡單地說。
我想告訴同樣為非神經典型的人們，請試圖找到每天的小小快樂。理解自己是誰並且為自己喝采很重要，而你本身的存在也是很重要的。
你比你所認知的更聰慧也更勇敢，而這個世界需要像你我的非神經典型族群。
有困難並且難過的日子是沒關係的，不想要擁有那一切的困境與特質也是能夠理解的。
我也曾因為感覺統合障礙等特質帶給我的難關與疲憊而哭過好多回，我總覺得受到了誤解，彷彿我是一個不屬於任何地方任何人群的外星人。
現在我明白了我的歸屬，而我的所有人生經歷都成就了我這個存在，我明白我是一個會持續願意助人的人。
對於家長或是照顧者，我想你們也需要試圖找到每天小小的快樂。
抱持著感激是使我們持續向前的動力，而相互比較妒忌則使我們退步。
陪伴擁有特殊需求的孩子們並不簡單，因此對你們自身的包容友善也是很重要的，無論生理或是心理。時刻提醒自己，只要你已經盡力了，那就很棒了。
也請別忘記適時地為自己尋求幫助，因為這並不是一個孤單的旅程。
小太陽（Miya）：
這是筆談的尾聲了。非常感謝你願意受訪，也謝謝你豐富的分享。Well, this is the end of our interview. Thank you so much for accepting this interview!
延伸閱讀：