Hi there! My name is Lindsey. My close friends call me “Z”.
You may know me from my early days in Tokyo, or one of the many schools I attended, or from college, or from witnessing one of my outrageously staged piano performances. A few of you might also know me from the Emmy-nominated documentary film Autism in Love or that one article in Glamour Magazine. Or we may have crossed paths at one of the dozens of autism conferences that I have presented. You may not have ever heard of me, and that’s totally cool as well.
I was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. I received my autism diagnosis at age 2 by a specialist in the field who was running an autism program at UCLA’s Department of Psychiatry (during the mid-1980s). My family moved to the United States when I was 11, and ever since then I have practically lived the life of a “nomad” — moving to a different city or state every 2 to 3 years.
And yes, I have lived a very complex, experimental, and fascinating life.
Piano was my first true love. I began classical training at the age of 6 and continued my training through college. At 15, I began to write my own material, and eventually got into recording, engineering and producing. I loved it so much that I ended up studying and receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Music Technology.
In my early 20s, I came face-to-face with post-college reality… struggling to make it into the music industry after a record label that had promised an internship position fell through. In the midst of that struggle, I started to explore an opportunity to utilize my personal experiences as an autistic person and sibling to an autistic person through sharing my expertise and practicing my presentation skills at conferences.
Seven months after graduating college, In the Summer of 2005, I ran into a young gentleman at a conference in Nashville, Tennessee. That day would change my life. I could write down more about the life we have shared so far, but if you check out my media/press page you’ll get a good idea.
In 2009, Dave an I moved to the Washington, D.C. area. Dave works as a Forecaster for NOAA National Weather Service, while I have taken on various roles — working for a national nonprofit, consulting for businesses and educational institutions, earning a certificate from the Partners in Policymaking advocacy training program, interacting with global human rights activists in CREA‘s Disability, Sexuality & Rights Online Institute, and collaborating on peer-reviewed research addressing mental health care.
I try hard to steer clear of the “autism politics” (you will not find it on here). I keep an open mind and respect other perspectives.
I am an anorexia survivor and I advocate for eating disorder awareness.
I identify as queer and I am a descendant of a gay parent. Because of this (and other loved ones in my life), I am an outspoken advocate for LGBTQIAP+ rights.
In 2010, Naked Brain Ink opened up to the world. It is a place where I update my latest happenings and curate a plethora of resources specifically focused on neurodiversity, sexuality and mental health. When I have the time (which is extremely rare) I post an article.
I do love to write, and I do love to get personal… hence why I chose the title for my site.
Welcome to Naked Brain Ink!
