#actuallyAutistic

[cuttyclowngirl]

Yyyuuuup.

happy stimming

[five-thousand-loaves-of-bread]

on instagram autism post say replace “old ableist term” with new so-much-better terms: “low support needs ❌, inconsistent support needs ✅”

stg some you all so fragile & treat any sort of discomfort any sort of recognize own privilege own advantage, to dare consider self compare to entirety of disability, to decenter self get out own ass, as ableism as same as deny rights as same as abuse.

you think only people who have good n bad days = low support needs people, only low support needs people people with fluctuating needs between good & bad days, only low support needs people dynamic human with human experiences, only low support needs people are people.

bad news for you high support needs also have good day bad days we also have fluctuating days with fluctuating needs inconsistent support needs.

if YOU think your good day “exactly same” as our bad day (often times it not. not even close. there so much you don’t see & refuse see & pretend don’t see), then you know nothing about us, nothing about full range of autism, n you should shut up about it. n even if your good day actually “exactly same” as our bad day, we still not same. not in million years

would love make solidarity posts between support needs point out how low medium high support needs autism similar experiences but keep forced make these god awful posts instead. n guess who this harm most? US. HIGH SUPPORT NEEDS PEOPLE. us who can’t always (or at all) self advocate n communicate well. those of us who can a lil force spend time keep use our very limited energy n ability talk about this same issue.

but guess that the point isn’t it

[defectivegembrain]

I think maybe part of the danger in holding up finding out you're autistic as this universally amazing revelation that finally makes you feel like you belong is...when you find people you share that label with, and you don't feel like you fit in with them. And that can make you think, depending on the specific differences between you, that you're not really autistic, that they're not really autistic, that you or they are "too normal" or "too weird" or "too functional" or "too disabled" to fit, or that there's something extra that's just a character flaw, and it's just, putting that possible connection between us on a pedestal just breeds resentment and suspicion when faced with the reality of how different we can be.

[peaksaturation]

the autistic urge to rewatch all of your favorite media taking detailed notes

[autistic-answers]

This doesn't apply to all autistic people, but if someone shows resistance to praise, one or more of these reasons could be why!

Contrary to popular belief, “hating praise” is not just a PDA thing. There are many reasons it could not sit right with someone.

It’s also assumed that people like this just hate all praise, but that’s not true either. What we hate is feeling manipulated, or lied to, or monitored, etc.

I mean, do you realize how much adults are encouraged to use praise to manipulate kids and people in care?? We’re supposed to use it to get more of the behaviors we like, and to promote a “growth mindset,” and to encourage them to stick with activities we think are good for them, and so on and so on.

That’s so much trying to get people to do what we want them to do! Is it really any wonder that praise could end up feeling disingenuous and manipulative after a while? How often are we just genuinely appreciating something they’ve done or who they are as a person, and how are they to know the difference?

If you have someone in your life who reacts badly when you praise them, maybe take a look at your motivations or the way you’re doing it instead of assuming they are the one with the problem. Maybe there’s something like low self esteem or rejection sensitivity skewing their perception, or maybe their perception is just fine and they’re picking up on your ulterior motives (and they don’t appreciate it!).

And please know that you don’t have to withdraw all praise. Everyone wants to feel like they’re good at *something* and that people like what they do. Just wait until it’s wanted, and make sure it’s genuine, with no expectations attached.

[minnnieminmin]

WELCOME TO THE AUDHD CLUB JACK!!!!!!!!

[pigeon-cave]

Spectrum of overwhelm, now in triangle form due to popular demand

[Image description: A triangle chart titled, ‘Spectrum of Overwhelm.’ The three points are ‘404 Error,’ showing a person with an empty thought bubble; ‘wet beast,’ showing a person sweating and sobbing; and ‘rage beast’ showing a person clenching their fists in an outline of orange fire. The peak is the ‘404 error’ vertex, and the inside of the triangle here is coloured beige and labelled, ‘shutdown.’ The lower half is labelled ‘meltdown’ and is red on the rage beast side and blue on the wet beast side. \End description]

[infiniteglitterfall]

This is relatable. I don't want a tart apple pretty much ever, but I too autistically rely on one variety at a time. And distrust the other ones that are JUST AS GOOD THAT I BOUGHT LAST MONTH AND ENJOYED. because now they might be Wrong.

I also have a problem where I can't always remember which one I trust and/or the store might be out. So I end up circling directionlessly between Jazz, Envy, and Fuji pretty much. And sometimes Cosmic Crisp.

…well?

Reblog for larger sample size, etc. Go eat an apple.

[catgirl-kaiju]

based on a true story

(side note, it's very euphoric drawing my kid self as a girl! i'll have to do more of this!)

Edit: this has a proper image description now, written by @disasterhimbo

thank you very much! ID below the cut and in alt text:

[ID: a comic titled “Weird Girl: a comic by Scout Forester.” It’s full-color and in a cartoon style. It opens with close-ups of each of three children’s faces, all with big eyes and open mouths, observing a praying mantis in awe. An older kid comes up to them and says, “Hey shrimps! Don’t ya know we’re playin’ boys vs. girls right now? Why’re y’all weirdos just sittin’ around? Are y’all scared? Y’all chicken?” He is depicted towering over the younger children as he says this, but in the next panel, he is much less intimidating, just standing across from them on the playground equipment. One of the children, a girl with curly red hair, replies, “Um, we don’t wanna play that. We’re busy.” Another kid says, “We’re watchin’ a prayin’ mantis here, it’s real cool.” The bully, red-faced and sweaty with a red explosive background behind him, yells, “Sh-shut up! I’m big and you’re small, so I can make you play with me!” The redheaded girl looks at him inscrutably.

The next two panels are larger, with a black background. The redheaded girl closes her eyes. When she opens them again, she looks righteously angry, and only her eyes are in color. Next to her is a bust of a dinosaur with lightning bolts striking the dinosaur’s portrait. She says determinedly, “spirit of the pachycephalosaurus.” In a tiny panel, a simply-drawn version of the bully says, “wait, wha-” The last panel is the biggest, and depicts the redheaded girl headbutting the bully and knocking the wind out of him with a comic-book style, all-caps “wham!” The praying mantis is perched on the bars of the playground equipment and the sun is shining behind both kids, giving a dramatic lighting effect. End ID.]

[autistic-answers]

Some autistic people can work. Some need lots of help to make work possible. Others can't.

Autistics are diverse.

As an autistic person, I think some autistic people (and neurotypicals attempting to be good allies) are sometimes doing more harm than good with how insistent we are that autistic people are as capable of achievements as anyone else.

I’m feeling quite tired right now and writing this first go without thinking too much about how I’m wording it, so please bear with me while I explain how I mean that. Basically I just saw a post of a father saying his son is autistic and has struggled to get a job because of it, but he was a really polite, sweet young man, and because of his personality one employer overlooked his struggles and gave him his first job. The post was him showing pride in his sons hood personality and spirit, and half the comments were autistic people saying it was patronising and “of course he can get a job, autistic people can do normal things and achieve things like everyone else.”

And look. I get it. We’re tired of being treated like children. We’re tired of being the subject of “inspo porn”. We’re tired of people acting like we can’t do things just because we’re autistic. But I think a lot of autistic people who are more well adapted and low-needs (again please excuse my terming, I know we don’t use low functioning/high functioning labels anymore but I don’t know what the alternative is) get offended by people acknowledging that some autistic people DO struggle, whether it’s with making friends or academically or with getting and keeping a job. Statistically speaking 3 in 10 autistic adults are in full time employment, compared to 8 in 10 non-disabled adults. And yeah that statistics probably off because of how many people go through life undiagnosed, but the point still stands. Because of learning difficulties, problems with socialisation or being unable to cope in a work environment due to sensory and other issues, many autistic people are unable to work. I don’t know the situation of the son from the post, but it is clearly something he’s struggled with, and the dad is not being patronising by acknowledging that struggle and praising him for overcoming it. By responding to a post like that by saying “of course autistic people can get jobs”, you are doing what ableists do. You are implying that people who can’t work because of their autism are actually just not trying. You are making autistic people who feel really proud of themselves for getting a job despite the difficulties they face seem stupid for it. And, if you’re not careful, you become someone’s excuse to claim autistic people don’t deserve accommodation or disability allowance/benefits because “they don’t need it, autistic people are perfectly capable of getting jobs.”

Another thing to consider: think about that person who said “you’re autistic? But you don’t behave like my 7 year old nephew? That’s not what autism is.” By saying autistic people can do something because YOU can do it is setting a rigid view of What Autism Is. Which like. We’ve all established is bad.

Again I’d like to apologise for how badly worded and ramble-y this is but autism is a disability, and it effects everyone with it differently. Let’s not diminish other people’s struggles

[autie-j]

Accommodation I should have: someone to follow me around and whisper in my ear, medieval court advisor style, how to correctly respond when presented with different social situations

"My liege, that was a rhetorical question you just heard. Do not answer it."

[aw-tysm]

"All autistics have low empathy" - This statement is wrong.

"Autistics having low empathy is a MYTH, we actually have HIGH empathy!" - This statement is ALSO wrong.

Autistics can have low empathy, they can have high empathy, they can have learned empathy. The myth would be that all autistics only experience one end of the empathy spectrum.

In spreading around misinformation that autistics actually have high empathy, you are disregarding the autistics who do have low empathy. And vice versa.

[defectivegembrain]

It's unfortunate how often the solution to a problem is just talking to people. You'd think it could be something easier like making a comprehensive chart or list, or reading everything you can find on the subject, but no, so often you can do all that and you still have to talk to people.

[ka3l]

[chaoticneurodivergent]

Extra love today to Autistic people who:

Can't drive

Struggle with shopping

Struggle with cleaning

Need help with simple tasks sometimes (or frequently)

Cannot follow directions that are simple for others

Noticeably lack motor skills

Have interests or hobbies associated with children

Stim in noticeably out of the ordinary ways and can't mask it

Have learning disabilities.