#Autism Spectrum Condition

[poolboyatthegiovannimansion]

Reject Autism Speaks, embrace realistic and usually unintentionally autism-coded characters

[andyinmiddleearth]

I can’t speak for anyone else but for me, being autistic is being the one that’s left out of the group every single time

It’s being the wallflower, the ghost, that one unremarkable person that no one would miss if they were gone

Being autistic and interacting with coworkers and friends and supervisors is like trying to solve a puzzle that has no reference picture

It’s like trying to solve a formula with a bunch of different factors such as social cues, tone, body language, eye contact, loudness, etc.

I’m trying to figure out how to solve for x but I can’t even figure out what y is, and I’ve never been good at math

I could read every book on social interactions, and still be unable to know when it’s my turn to talk because my brain isn’t wired that way

My brain was wired to live in my own fantasy land, in my middle earth. It was not meant to handle the stress of work plus socializing

Today I felt like everyone hated me because I cannot figure out what someone’s tone means. Is she joking with me, or is she mad?

My brain makes me feel like people pour poison about me onto other’s ears, behind my back, like how Claudius poisoned Hamlet’s father

I’ve had therapists that would tell me to just simply talk to people and ask them to hang out, as if it were that simple.

Alas, if only they knew that for me that feels like taking a dive into the fires of Mountain Doom! That the mere thought makes me shiver

I am autistic. And I’m proud to be autistic. But it is hard to exist in a world that was not designed for me, and I’m tired

[autism-unfiltered]

The Affinity Between Autism and Stuffed Animals: An Unfurling Bond

The nuanced bond between individuals with autism and stuffed animals is a matter of significant intrigue and insight. The soft, predictable, and non-threatening nature of these plush companions presents a calming aura, contrasting the often overstimulating and unpredictable real world. This article delves into the underlying reasons explaining the predilection of individuals on the autism spectrum towards forming attachments with stuffed animals.

Sensory Processing: People with autism often experience sensory processing differences which may make them more sensitive or less responsive to sensory stimuli. Stuffed animals, with their soft and predictable textures, offer a soothing sensory experience. The tactile sensation can provide comfort, reduce anxiety, and help in managing overstimulation.

Predictability and Routine: Individuals with autism tend to favor routine and predictability. Stuffed animals, being inanimate, provide a consistent and predictable interaction. Unlike humans or other animals, stuffed toys do not change their behavior or appearance suddenly, which can be reassuring.

Emotional Regulation: Stuffed animals can serve as emotional regulators. They provide a source of comfort and security which can be particularly beneficial in unfamiliar or stressful situations. Their presence can also aid in self-soothing, which is crucial for emotional regulation.

Non-verbal Communication: For those with autism, interpreting social cues or engaging in social interactions can be challenging. Stuffed animals provide a non-threatening way to explore emotions and practice social skills in a safe, controlled environment.

Unconditional Acceptance: The unconditional acceptance offered by stuffed animals is comforting. Unlike interactions with people, there is no fear of judgment, rejection, or misunderstanding with a plush companion.

Symbolic Interaction: Stuffed animals can serve as a bridge to understanding and expressing emotions, as well as a medium to interact with others. They can act as proxies in social interactions, making the process less intimidating and more manageable.

Conclusion: The affinity towards stuffed animals among individuals with autism is rooted in both sensory processing and the emotional comfort derived from the predictable, non-judgmental companionship they offer. Understanding this bond can pave the way for developing more effective therapeutic interventions, thereby enhancing the quality of life for those on the autism spectrum.

[dearsholmes]

any other autistics feel their stress so physically it makes them sick? i’m not even sure why i’m stressed really but it’s so difficult feeling this way

any advice?

[alexshethey]

please reblog for bigger sample size !

[eivorswife7]

Being an autistic person at school:

comes with a lot of stress, mainly because it involves masking, which is a coping mechanism where I mask my autistic traits and try to behave more neurotypical. It’s very draining and requires a lot of energy, and it’s still not enough.

comes with w lot of stress because of sensory overload, e.g bright lights, increased sensitivity to certain sounds, crowded spaces, loud noise, bad smells and textures. Each of these factors make my daily life harder, I feel irritated, tired and overwhelmed/overstimulated.

comes with a lot of anxiety, because I have trouble communicating, I take things literally sometimes, I find it hard to know what someone’s tone of voice means, or their expression. It makes me overthink and overanalyze details in order to come up with an appropriate response.

comes with more increased pain, my period cramps, headaches, pain in general are stronger, which often leads me to a sensory overload and is invading my daily life and makes me unable to to concentrate on basic tasks. It also makes me unable to participate in PE classes sometimes.

comes with a lot of emotional dysregulation, since my body can’t regulate my emotions the way the neurotypical one does, it’s harder to do so. This makes it harder to write tests, complete excersises in class. It can take a toll on my mental health and grades.

[dreamdropsystemarchive]

stupid ass people..

[sapphuric-acid]

This goes for selective mutism, semi-verbalism, any sort of condition where someone who is generally able to communicate verbally loses the ability to do so

[diaperedautistic]

finding diapers as a continent/semicontinent autistic

(This essay is not in Plain Language. Please tell me if you want a Plain Language version and I will write one.)

I was slow to toilet train: I routinely came home wet from kindergarten and was still wetting myself occasionally in third grade and later. This was mostly an executive function problem; I usually knew I had to pee, but didn't have the executive function to stop whatever I was doing to use the bathroom.

I didn't get much in the way of help for this: I was kicked out of diapers before entering kindergarten. In kindergarten and first grade, I was 'on a schedule', which meant staff would pull me out of class to take me to use the bathroom periodically, hopefully before I'd wet myself. As early as kindergarten, my parents yelled at me for wetting myself, and past first grade, yelling was all the help I got. No one suggested diapers as a way to avoid the shame and humiliation of accidents; it was apparently better for a third-grader to wet herself in front of her classmates than for her to wear diapers.

Eventually, like some autistics, I 'grew out' of it: I learned to absorb the executive function cost of interrupting myself to go pee, or the pain of holding it because I didn't want to interrupt myself, and I stopped wetting myself.

At some level, though, I always understood that diapers were something I needed: when I hit puberty, they became a fetish object; when I transitioned in my late twenties, they shifted to a non-sexual emotional comfort, and I started wearing them more often. As I worked through some of my childhood trauma in therapy, they shifted again, to a radical way of 'rewriting the story' for my younger self who'd needed them, and I started wearing them full-time.

(I want to stop here and acknowledge that I was privileged to be able to make this change in my life: I can afford to live by myself to avoid judgmental family or housemates, and I can afford to buy disposable diapers out of pocket. Many people can't, and I'd love to see diapers as a voluntary adaptation for autistics destigmatized and covered by insurance.)

Once I was wearing diapers full-time, something magical happened: my brain settled back into those same patterns from elementary school, using my diaper when I'm hyperfocused and using the toilet when I'm not. I find focused tasks easier and less stressful, since I don't have to interrupt myself to go use the bathroom in the moment or cope with the ongoing sensory and executive function cost of feeling and knowing that I have to go to the bathroom eventually. I don't worry about burning something on the stove, forgetting important context while programming, or losing the plot of a movie or TV show I wanted to watch. I can get what I wanted to get done more easily, and have more energy and cope left for other things.

Despite the obvious benefits, I still felt ashamed when I found myself wet after a period of hyperfocus; I wasn't 'supposed' to wet myself, and I wasn't 'supposed' to wear diapers.

A couple weeks ago, as part of a larger effort to find better accommodations for myself, I found @endeverstar's wonderful article "Finding AAC as a verbal/semiverbal autistic". It talks about how xe found speaking with mouth words difficult and stressful but was nonetheless forced into a bunch of speech therapy as a kid so xe could be considered "speaking"; nobody offered xem AAC as a kid because xe didn't 'need' it and it was stigmatized. Xe discovered AAC as an adult, quickly realized it was easier and less stressful than mouth words, and is at this point mostly-nonspeaking.

This was me, toilet training, and diapers. Everything suddenly made sense.

I found toileting without diapers as a backup difficult and stressful, but was nonetheless forced to so I could be considered "toilet trained"; nobody offered me diapers as a kid past the 'normal' age because I didn't 'need' them and they were stigmatized. I rediscovered diapers as an adult, realized they were easier and less stressful, and decided to wear them all the time.

Overnight, that last whiff of shame disappeared. Diapers aren't just a fetish object, an emotional comfort, or a way of 'rewriting' my trauma. Diapers are a valid adaptive choice for autistics, even those who are technically capable of always using the toilet!

So, to paraphrase endever*: if you're a continent or mostly-continent autistic person and you're wondering whether diapers might be useful for you -- consider this your permission slip! You're allowed to try them if you think they might help, and you're allowed to keep using them if you find them helpful. Toileting works for abled people, but isn't inherently superior; don't listen to anyone who says you're 'not allowed' to use diapers unless you 'need' them or that you should force yourself to always use the toilet if that doesn't work for you.

Everyone deserves access to the full range of communication methods that work for them, and likewise everyone deserves access to the full range of toileting strategies that work for them.

[mrlesbian]

attention autistic folks!!

i'm in a college program for autism & behavioural sciences and a lot of the students in my program seem to have a negative perspective of autism. i want to try and broaden their views, because being autistic isn't really this horrible thing that hurts people.

SO!! please reblog and state in the tags, reply to this post, or send me an ask (can be anonymous) with anything you like about being autistic!! it can be ANYTHING!!

p.s. i know it's not always sunshine and rainbows to be autistic, and there are difficult aspects of autism that are real and valid. but the students in my program seem to understand those parts pretty well. what i'm looking for are the positives. because i don't want them to start working with autistic individuals and end up pitying them and trying to "cure" them. i am afraid that some students in my program are going to do that. so i want to try and show them otherwise using my own experiences and any experiences you folks want to share. thank you in advance!!

[kartonnen-doos]

Rewatching inside job and had a revelation

[puerileaccismus]

Empathy means the ablity to feel someone else's emotions. It doesn't dictate wether or not someone is a good person.

Lacking empathy doesn't mean someone doesn't care or is unkind.

[dreamdropsystem]

communication cards are a useful tool | i use my AACs cause they help me communicate

this was is our first attempt at communication cards. we made 2 sets. the muse is our system persona Dream, but its very doodle like and basic art.

we need to make more, cause we want to be able to use low tech to no tech communication. we have 1 set of shopping related communication cards we bought long ago.

we have made some paper communication boards in a paper portfolio thing. we need more no tech communication boards to have in case. we need more ways to communicate incase we can't use our phone or tablet AAC and TTS apps. we need to collect. - The Dreamdrop System

[autism-unfiltered]

The Overlooked Strengths of Autism

Autism often comes with a unique set of skills and strengths, which can unfortunately be overlooked in a society that often focuses on the challenges and difficulties. Yet, these strengths can be a valuable asset and contribute positively in various contexts such as work, school, and personal relationships.

Some common strengths include:

Attention to Detail: Many autistic individuals excel in tasks that require a keen eye for detail. They can often spot patterns, errors, and inconsistencies that others may overlook.

Intense Focus: When interested in a particular topic or task, autistic individuals can display an intense focus that can enhance productivity and effectiveness.

Honesty and Integrity: Autistic people often value honesty highly and are less likely to engage in manipulative behavior. Their straightforwardness can be refreshing in a world full of social games.

Innovative Thinking: Thinking outside the box is second nature to many on the spectrum. This can lead to innovative solutions and new perspectives on problems.

Remember, each autistic individual is unique and may not possess all these strengths. However, recognizing these potential strengths helps us to foster a more inclusive and appreciative view of autism.

[destroyingangelneveragod]

kill 'em with kindness

fuck no it;s autistic rage time