another-autism-blog

[another-autism-blog]

Is weird handwriting an autistic trait? My writing is legible but even with a line it tends to go all over the place. And keeping my writing straight without a line is almost impossible.

I don’t know if it’s necessarily a trait per se, but autistic people can tend to have worse handwriting due to trouble with fine motor skills. A couple studies have been done and the ones I’ve seen say as much! My handwriting can be a little weird too haha

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As someone with autism I absolutely hate the whole ‘on the spectrum’ thing people call us like it’s not helpful just call us autistic it not a slur the spectrum covers a lot of things

[another-autism-blog]

❥ blue wildflowers

x x x | x o x | x x x

[another-autism-blog]

Current stim stuff I'm into! Most of this lives in my backpack and comes everywhere, a few of these things are just better at home.

Slow rise milk squishy, kinetic sand kitty, and orbees turtle squishy.

Bubble popper, snapperz pop fidget, and fluffy panda friend💗.

Visual things. They all have water and glitter or moving beads.

A dough ball that turns from ue to pink when squished, hedgehog ring, spikey ball, lego chew necklace.

Tangle, rubber stretchy tube, fidget cube, infinity cube.

A rubber balloon dog, a mochi squishy bunny, a bumpy star fish, scent putty, and purple color changing putty.

A marble fidget, a bike chain loop, a spinner, a silicon brush, and metal spikey finger rings.

[another-autism-blog]

saying u had a tic: unoriginal and not interesting

saying you glitched: do i even have to explain lmao

[another-autism-blog]

Tw/cw: excoriation disorder/skin picking mention

So, sensory thing, but having hair has literally always been such a sensory issue for me. I always kept my hair short and whenever I tried to grow it out, I always ended up cutting it short again (never really connected the dots till I got diagnosed). So after school I’m gonna shave my head but I have to wait till then because I’m in an acting program (if you don’t know, if you’re hired with a certain ‘look’ (i.e. haircut/color, ect) you’re expected to keep that same look for filming). My body is literally freaking the hell out and my excoriation disorder is getting bad again. It’s only 7 weeks, but idk if I can last that long.

It feels dumb to have meltdown because I have hair to my chin, but here we are. Literally so excited for when I can shave it all off though. I’m gonna be like Saitama

[another-autism-blog]

The wizard Howl is autistic pass it on

[another-autism-blog]

I saw a post on Pinterest that really pissed me off so I have this to say:

I am autistic. That means that I'm disabled. That isn't a bad thing. "Different doesn't mean disabled" downplays the struggles I face as an autistic person.

Call me what I am. Disabled isn't the insult you think it is.

[another-autism-blog]

Huge huge shout-out to nonverbal/semiverbal autistic people... you are doing so freakin great

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[another-autism-blog]

Little Things That Help Me When I Have a Low Spoons Day - Autism

Wearing my socks inside out. Seams are a bitch and for some reason all socks have them 🙄

Hugging a pillow/plushie. If deep pressure isn’t available from another person, this can be a decent replacement if I feel myself getting overloaded

Using a cowash. I have curly/wavy hair that tends to be dry, so a 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner makes my hair even more of a sensory nightmare. I’ve found cowashes leave my hair a bit more moisturized!

Boxed soups. My favorite is the chicken noodle from Trader Joe’s. The flavor isn’t intense, which is great when I wake up already overloaded. Just put the whole thing in a glass tupperware, throw it in the microwave, and you’ve got a whole meal. And minimal steps!

Having a giant water bottle. I’m much less likely to get up and get myself water, so with a giant waterbottle I can just fill it once (or twice if I’m doing well) and still make it easier to stay hydrated during the day. They sell these for pretty cheap at TJ MAXX

Binaural beats. I’m really sensitive to noise (like many autistic people), but sometimes I can’t stand the feeling of earplugs or headphones. I’ve found just having a simple sound playing in the background can help a bit in keeping me calm (especially if it’s ad free).

Hope this helps someone! You’re doing great :)

[another-autism-blog]

Oh thank you, that’s super helpful! About to get seen for ADHD as well, so that’s really good to know!

Does anyone else with autism have tics because of it? Or is that a separate thing?

[another-autism-blog]

Lots of stimming. Also taking time to actually think about what I want to say. I will say that words are hard for me in general, and that grows exponentially in more serious conversation, but the benefit has been that I react a lot less because the logic side of my brain kicks in.

Sorry, idk if that’s helpful. Also it is ok to ask to have the conversation at another time if you feel like that would help

Does anyone have any tips for dealing with emotional dysregulation while in the moment? For example, there have been plenty of conversations where I am gradually getting closer to crying and the only thing I’ve found that can delay, not stop, delay it is slowing my breathing. And it’s not just in scenarios where the person talking to me is in the wrong or being harsh, sometimes it’s just this brain that has no control over the waterworks for no apparent reason..

[another-autism-blog]

Does anyone else with autism have tics because of it? Or is that a separate thing?

[another-autism-blog]

I also believe there are some toothbrushes with ‘silicone-y’ bristles that might be a bit less sharp than normal bristles

Also, depending on your needs, electric toothbrushes might help. Bc of my proprioception issues (I think it’s proprioception anyway?), I can never tell how hard I need to brush and I typically brush too hard. Having something I can just run over my teeth (along with the timer) has been really helpful. Granted this is only if the vibration doesn’t bother you

A lot of people have trouble brushing their teeth for various reasons. Dental health is very important and brushing your teeth 2-3 times a day and flossing twice a day is ideal, but sometimes you can’t do it. I’m not a medical professional, but here are some tips I’ve seen for days when you just can’t do it.

1. Use your finger. You can do this with your bare finger or add some baking soda. A very good way is to wrap a paper towel around your index finger and wet the paper towel. It’s also better to put toothpaste on the paper towel. Rub your finger against your teeth and along your gums. Brush your tongue also.

2. Just floss or use mouthwash. It’s not as good as doing them along with brushing, but either or both will help cut down on bacteria and plaque.

3. Dental wipes. I have never tried textured dental wipes personally, but they can help clean your teeth and should definitely help with bad breath.

4. Eat a crunchy fruit or vegetable. Chewing on something like celery or a cucumber will help get food particles out of your teeth, but will not help with bacteria.

If brushing your teeth is consistently a problem because of sensory issues, here are some tips for making brushing your teeth more comfortable.

1. Try soft or firm bristles. There are a lot of different types of toothbrushes. I know that many autistic people prefer soft bristles for sensory reasons.

2. Miswak. I do not know much about this, but the miswak is a natural method that a lot of people around the world use instead of a toothbrush, especially in Muslim communities. There are studies that suggest that using miswak is actually better than using a toothbrush. 

3. Collis curve toothbrush. I don’t know much about this method either, but it’s a toothbrush that is shaped like a C with bristles on the top and bottom. They are marketed toward people with sensory issues.

4. Try different toothpastes. If the taste is a problem, you could try flavorless toothpaste or just toothpaste with a different flavor.

Dental hygiene is an issue where it can be hard to tell what’s helpful positivity and what’s anti-recovery. If you miss brushing your teeth every once in a while it’s not a huge problem, but everyone should figure out a way to get their teeth clean on a regular basis.

Anyone with other tips, please add on!

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