#allistic hyperlexia

[fire-fira]

Me when looking for neurodivergent representation in fiction:

Also me when I come across "all neurodivergent people do X" posts/videos/etc.:

When I tell you, this shit is infuriating...

[weirdgirlbutch]

autistic beatrice? autistic beatrice. if you do, do you have any headcanons for her? <3

autistic beatrice !!!!!!! thanku for asking i have an excuse to flesh out hcs

-she is big on sensory stuff w clothes. she likes a clean pressed shirt cuz of how it feels on her skin and she likes flowy pants cuz tight pants make her want to break arms. she wears pretty much the same outfit formula every day cuz its efficient and its safe for her

-this mfer hates overhead/florescent lights they give her headaches

-i feel like shes kind of particular about what she eats. hater of mushy textures. enjoyer of the crunch of a hearty vegetable. has eaten the same thing for breakfast for the past 6 years.

-very particular abt touch.. loves to give a pal a good comforting squeeze on the shoulder or arm around the waist (and especially starts to love touch from ava) but hates touch from strangers (especially when she is not in control)

-has that Autism Brand sarcasm where allistics always think you're being serious when Clearly I'm Joking (completely straight faced rn)

-hyperlexia up the wazoo. i dont even have to say anything else

-tbh i could write a pages long think piece on bea and how she communicates so i will just say. i think she is very selective about when and how she talks and she thinks of herself as being very efficient at communication. she is concise and she uses big words and she knows 39864 languages and believes that is the key to Talking To People when she had never felt raw human connection 20 some years into life

[mudaship39]

Character Questionnaire for BIPOC and QTIPOC Character Creation

What is their name? Full name? Nickname?

Do they have a separate Indigenous name and nickname?

What is their racial identity?

What is their cultural identity? What clan are they from? What bands or tribes are they? What nation are they from?

Are they connected or are they displaced disconnected diaspora?

Do they wear any regalia?

Do they wear Indigenous jewelry?

Do they have any Indigenous traditional tattoos?

What is their role in their community? What is their duty in their clan, tribe, & nation?

Are they white Natives, Asian Natives, West Asian (Middle Eastern) Natives, Black Natives, or Latine Natives?

What is their sex gender gender identity and sexuality?

Are they two spirit of Turtle Island or mahu/fakaleiti/fa’afafine/maohi of Oceania?

What are their pronouns? He/him, she/her, they/them, and, or xer/xers?

Are they monogamous or polyamorous?

Are they disabled? Are they autistic? Are they nuerodivergent? Are they chronically ill? Do they have any personality disorders? Do they have mental illnesses?

Are they abled bodied? Are they allistic? Are they neurotypical?

Do they have add, adhd, hyperlexia, ocd, and or dyslexia?

Do they have DID Or dissociative identity disorder, schizophrenia, bd or bipolar disorder, & or bpd or borderline personality disorder?

What is their religion and spirituality?

What languages do they speak?

How tall are they?

How much do they weigh?

What is their hairstyle?

What is their eye color, hair color, & skin tone?

How old are they? By our standards since this is afro futurism, native, & poc futurism about poc coded and native coded metahuman and superhuman characters living from the ancient past to the far future

When is their birthdate? Month day and year?

Whats their Chinese zodiac and western astrology sign

Do they have tattoos or piercings?

What kind of piercings?

What kind of ear piercings do they have?

This can be a tragus ear piercing, a conch ear piercing, a helix ear piercing, a daith ear piercing, a snug ear piercing, a lobe ear piercing, an anti tragus ear piercing, a rook ear piercing, an anti helix ear piercing, a forward helix piercing, a lobe transversal ear piercing.

It can be high lobe, barbell, helix stud lobe, or upper lobe piercings on their ear

What kind of body piercings do they have?

It can be vertical or horizontal eyebrow piercing spiked barbells on their eyebrow. It can be Medusa diamond stud piercing above their lip, it can be dimple studs in their cheeks, it can be a spiked labret on their chin, it can be a septum ring piercing that goes through their nose, it can be a barbell bridge piercing between their eyes on top of their nose, it can be a rhino barbell nose ring piercing on the top of their nose, it can be nasallang piercings on the left and right side of their nose, it can be a third eye stud piercing on their forehead, it can be a barbell piercing in their navel, or even a barbell piercing on their chest.

What do they have tattoos of? What kind of tattoos? Retro by their standards and modern by ours or futuristic by ours and contemporary by theirs in the form of holographic tattoos. Do they have magical tattoos?

Where are they from Where do they live now? List of possible locations are in the location glossary of the google doc.

Which city, county, state, & or country do they live in?

Do they live on Earth? Or off world since humanity and aliens left Earth and colonized the rest of space?

Which colonized and terraformed planet, moon, comet, asteroid, or planetoid do they live on? Where in the planet, star system, & galaxy do they reside?

What is their personality?

What are their virtues? What are their vices? What are their strengths? What are their flaws?

What kind of clothes do they wear?

What are their favorite foods?

What is their favorite drink?

What are their hobbies and interests?

What is their economic class?

What is their political party affiliation?

Are they conservative, liberal, progressive leftist, green party, third party voter, no party affiliation, non voter?

Story is post land back. So this can include voting in Indigenous tribes/clans and nations

Are they communist, anarchist, radical, & or militant.

What is their backstory?

What is their occupation?

Are they a high school dropout, a high school graduate, a college dropout, or a college graduate?

Are they a graduate of a two year community college, a four year university, an Ivy League university or military academy?

Did they graduate from a vocational or trade school?

What degrees do they have? Associates bachelors masters or doctorates? In what field or fields? Do they have a minor, major, or dual major?

Tell me about their parents, aunts and uncles?

How many siblings do they have? Are they the oldest, youngest, or middle child? Or are they an only child? Do they have any cousins?

Are they an BIPOC ex of the queer and trans Asian Pasifika and Latine Native superhero/superheroine main character Kana’i Makoa Latu/Ataahua Kamalani Latu?

Are they single, dating, widowed, divorced, or married? Tell me about their spouse(s) or partner(s)?

Are they in a monogamous or polyamorous relationship or marriage?

How many children do they have? Are these children adopted or biological? Tell me about their children.

What kind of pets do they have? Do they have regular pets, magical pets, or alien pets?

What is their mode of transportation? List of transportation are in the modes of transportation glossary of the google doc.

Do they use a hoverboard, hover bus, hover bike, hover motorbike, hover quad, hover motorcycle, hover sport bike, or hover vehicle (car, truck, SUV, etc)

What kind of weapons do they use? List of weapons are in the weapon glossary of the google doc.

Do they use a power armor suit or a mech suit?

Questions for native coded characters and poc coded characters of Warring Kingdoms:

What species are they?

What humanoid race are they?

Are they a hybrid with a humanoid race?

What is their variant or subrace?

Are they human?

Are they magical human (poc coded human)?

Are they Indigenous magical human (Indigenous coded human)

Are they non magical human?

Are they Homo magi (non native and white coded human)?

What is their class? Are they a fighter, warrior, barbarian, ranger, druid, bard, wizard, witch, warlock, sorcerer, or paladin?

Are they a hybrid class?

Are they a special class?

What is their subclass

What is their rank?

Are they F class, E class, D Class, C class, B class, A class, or S rank?

What is their background

What class are they?

What is their alignment?

What magical tools do they use

List of magical tools in the google doc

Do they use a wand, a mage staff, a magical baton, or a broomstick?

Which village, town, city, kingdom, empire do they live in?

Do they have magical powers?

Are they part of a guild?

What faction are they a part of?

List of factions in the google doc

What guild are they a part of

Are they part of a knight and or paladin order?

What kind of mount do they use?

What kind of familiar do they use?

Do they have an animal companion?

Are they an adventurer? Are they a guild member?

If so why do they dungeon dive as an adventurer?

Why do they go on quests or guild missions as a guild member?

If they are a warlock who is their patron?

Are they demigods? Are the the child, grandchild, or descendant of a god or goddess? If so from which pantheon?

Are they Atlantean, Amazonian, Vanir, or Asgardian hybrids?

Are they half elves, half orcs, half trolls, half goblins, or half dwarves, etc?

Are they missing any body parts as someone disfigured? Did they have these part or parts replaced with prosthetic limbs?

Do they have an electrical, steam, & gas powered automotive armored prosthetic arm or leg?

Are they an ex of the queer and trans poc coded and native coded Indigenous magical human, magical huma, & homo magi hybrid S rank adventurer and guild member Afro Asian native coded main character Lysander/Luciana Norwood or Kittsak/Kaeo Pramoj

Questions for native characters and characters of color of Alpha Centurion War:

Are they a superhero, antihero, or supervillain?

What is their superhero antihero or supervillain name?

What is their superhero antihero or supervillain costume?

What superpowers do they have?

How exactly did they get their powers?

Are they a metahuman or superhuman?

What is their lair? Where is their home base? Is it stationary or mobile.  

What superhero, antihero, or supervillain team are they a part of?

What is their role in these teams?

Are they part of the superhero conglomerates the Elites, the Paragons, or the Sentinels?

Are they alien hybrids?

Are they demigods? Are the the child, grandchild, or descendant of a god or goddess? If so from which pantheon? The Egyptian, Mayan, Norse, Greco-Roman, Celtic, Hindu, Japanese, Chinese, African, or Oceanic/Pasifika pantheon?

Are they cyborgs or bionics?

Are they Atlantean, Amazonian, Vanir, or Asgardian hybrids?

Are they half elves, half orcs, half trolls, half goblins, or half dwarves, etc?

Are they missing any body parts as someone disfigured? Did they have these part or parts replaced with bionic or cybernetic limbs.

Do they have cybernetic implants or bionic enhancements?

Are they an BIPOC ex of the queer and trans Asian Pasifika and Latine Native superhero/superheroine main character Kana’i Makoa Latu/Ataahua Kamalani Latu?

[revenantscholar]

I read about 20 languages. I consider that knowledge as something I had to steal from a hostile world. Not even fellow academics believe me.

When I moved to the US as a refugee in the 1990s, and when I did not know how credit cards worked, my mother (an accountant, who also did not know) attacked me viciously in public for "not having learned anything." Why did we ever send you to English classes, she said.

Her favourite sentence: You have read thousands of books, yet you ...(are not doing as I say).

Books were only a tool, for status and for a confirmation that she was always right. Not for knowledge.

When I refused to participate in gossip, I was told by peers that reading too many books would make me mentally unstable.

None of this is unique. Look at allistic parents complaining about their ND kid's hyperlexia. They are told that the kid will become "normal" later (ie just as dull as anyone else).

Some people want to turn everything into money. They do not understand why you would do anything which they do not consider useful. Add neurodivergence into it and the result is incomprehension and suffering.

bruh does anyone get in trouble with their parents for like, learning? “why do you need to know that??” i cant contain myself, my life doesn’t have meaning unless im hyperfixating on something

[theygender]

My gf and I watched Benny & Joon today and, for being a movie about neurodivergency from the early 90s, it was really really good. Tbh I don't think any piece of media has made me feel seen as an autistic person like this movie did. There's no handholding for the allistic audience, no Big Message about autism, and in fact I don't even think the word autism is said outright once in the movie. It just portrays two autistic characters—one diagnosed and one undiagnosed, both at varying ends of the spectrum, and both with different sensory needs and etc—in a very realistic and relatable way. As an autistic person watching this movie with my autistic girlfriend, it just read entirely as a story about two autistic people learning not only how to get along with each other's competing access needs, but also how to take care of each other and themselves through this and becoming stronger together. It accurately portrayed a lot of things like special interests, meltdowns, learning disorders and hyperlexia, understimulation and overstimulation (and the issues that can occur when two people experiencing each are in the same space together), and etc without ever saying any of them by name or even really calling too much attention to them beyond the portrayal. It was just... very nice

[scriptautistic]

Hello! So, I'm wondering if there's any specific way to write dialogue for an autistic person? Like is it realistic to give the character a verbal tic like stuttering, or would they speak in an unusual syntax? (i.e. talking like a commercial when discussing their special interest) Just curious because I tend to characterize people through their dialogue and actions a lot. Thank you :)

Hi there!

There are indeed some unusual speech patterns which are more common in autistic people. Here are some examples. Click the links for posts we have written about this specific speech pattern and external resources.

Using echolalia

Using scripts

Mixing up words with other, similar-souding or thematically-related words (e.g. saying “microwave” instead of “dishwasher”)

Using sentences that are straightforward to the autistic person but that do not sound straightforward to other people

Using repetition when the autistic person isn’t understood and cannot think of another way to phrase their sentence

Using long, complex and/or overly formal or academic words, talking in a very formal way (this can be a sign of hyperlexia)

Mixing up pronouns (eg saying “you” instead of “I”)

Using honorifics and, in languages other than English, formal pronouns (eg “vous” in French or “usted” in Spanish), in atypical ways (for instance using them when it is not necessary or not using them when they would be appropriate)

Having atypical tone and inflection (for instance flat inflection or a sing-song inflection)

Speaking unusually loud or softly and not being aware of it

Relying a lot on nonverbal forms of communication.

Some autistic people do stutter, but it is not directly linked to autism, it is a language disorder that usually develops in early childhood and that can be co-morbid with autism; more temporary stuttering can also be caused by anxiety. I am not sure what you mean by “talking like a commercial”. Some autistic people are very enthusiastic when talking about their special interests and can do what is called “infodumping”, which means excitedly talking about one subject for a prolonged period of time and giving a lot of information about that subject, but there are no speech patterns that are specific to infodumping.

Note that which of this patterns are commonly used and how noticeable they are will change a lot from one autistic person to the next, and even depending on energy levels and emotional states in a single person. For example, some people exclusively use echolalia and scripts to talk, while others are virtually non-distinguishable from an allistic person when they speak (that can be their natural way of speaking or they can put in a lot of effort to sound neurotypical because it is safer)

There is another thing I’d like to talk about. As a writer dialogue is a very useful tool to flesh out your character; it’s often more interesting to the reader than long descriptions and giving your character a consistent voice is a great way to make them seem believable. However, writing is a written medium. In most writing styles, dialogue doesn’t sound like real people talking. Let me explain.

In real life, people hesitate, don’t finish their sentences, sometimes change syntax mid-sentence; the vocabulary used when speaking verbally is different and usually less formal than that used when writing. Usually, when writing, for the sake of clarity and readability, you “clean up” these sentences into written language: you don’t include hesitations, all of the sentences are grammatical, and they often use more formal vocabulary. If you were to read the dialogue from most books at loud, it wouldn’t sound like a natural conversation, but more like theater. That’s normal.

Wanting to include the atypical ways of speaking of your character is one way to flesh them out. If your character was a real person, they would use these speech patterns. But in my opinion, one pitfall to avoid is othering your character through the way you write their dialogue.

If you write all of your neurotypical characters’ dialogue in the “smoothed-over” written style I was talking earlier, not including any of the hesitations, omissions, mix-ups, half-pronounced words and changes in syntax that naturally happen in oral conversation, and then you write your autistic character’s dialogue insisting heavily on their mix-ups and weird syntax, that is setting your character aside from the others and othering them. You’ve got to be careful to either “clean up” everyone’s dialogue (which doesn’t mean there will not be any unusual speech patterns left in your autistic character’s dialogue, but not as much as there would have been otherwise) or to leave everyone’s as is, as if it was spoken dialogue.

-Mod Cat

If this was helpful, you can support me on ko-fi

[fire-fira]

You know one thing I appreciate being able to find when I get curious about comparing different types of neurodivergence? Actual reliable information.

I freaking LOVE being able to see comparisons like this.

Yes, there's some external behavioral overlap (like how there's external behavioral overlap between autism and ADHD, or ADHD and anxiety, or C/PTSD, and on and on and on), but getting to have that acknowledged and see it clearly stated 'These bear some similarities and these are the ways they're different, and just because they look similar externally doesn't mean they're the same thing; the different source points for these overlapping behaviors point to different support needs that won't be met if they're treated as all the same thing when they're not' is both immensely satisfying and deeply fascinating.

(Especially since trying to look up comparisons between allistic versus autistic hyperlexia usually results in me slamming into a wall of 'autistic hyperlexia is the only form of hyperlexia that exists (pay no mind to the sources that briefly mention allistic hyperlexia before moving on to the "problem" of autistic hyperlexia) and autism and anything associated with it is supposed to only exist in children'-- which is infuriating as hell. 🙄)

That said, I will say I didn't appreciate that some of the results I came across took that patronizing 'autism is a problem and autistic people have tantrums' perspective. Way for those authors to show their ableist bullshit. (At least one of those articles I linked briefly toes that line for a sentence or two, but they moved past it quick.)

Still, I am so damn glad there's information that actually gives a clear-- AND ACADEMIC AND PEER-REVIEWED-- comparison of how autism and being an hsp are similar and different.

[mudaship39]

Character Questionnaire for BIPOC and Disabled QTIPOC Character Creation of the BIPOC Qtipoc and Disabled Futurism Project 

What is their name? Full name? Nickname?

Do they have a separate Indigenous name and nickname?

What is their racial identity?

What is their cultural identity? What clan are they from? What bands or tribes are they? What nation are they from?

Are they connected or are they displaced disconnected diaspora?

Do they wear any regalia?

Do they wear Indigenous jewelry?

Do they have any Indigenous traditional tattoos?

What is their role in their community? What is their duty in their clan, tribe, & nation?

Are they white Natives, Asian Natives, West Asian (Middle Eastern) Natives, Black Natives, or Latine Natives?

What is their sex gender gender identity and sexuality?

Are they two spirit of Turtle Island or mahu/fakaleiti/fa’afafine/maohi of Oceania?

What are their pronouns? What are their neopronouns? He/him, she/her, they/them, and, or xer/xers?

Are they monogamous or polyamorous?

Are they disabled? Are they autistic? Are they neurodivergent? Are they chronically ill? Do they have any personality disorders? Do they have mental illnesses?

Are they abled bodied? Are they allistic? Are they neurotypical?

Do they have add, adhd, hyperlexia, ocd, and or dyslexia?

Do they have DID or dissociative identity disorder, schizophrenia, bd or bipolar disorder, & or bpd or borderline personality disorder?

Do they have any chronic illnesses? Asthma, Crohn’s disease, eczema, epilepsy, etc.

Do they have mental illnesses? 

What is their religion and spirituality?

What languages do they speak?

How tall are they?

How much do they weigh?

What is their frame, bone structure, poise?

What is their head shape?

What is their dominant hand?

What is their hand size?

How would you describe their hand?

What is their shoe size?

What is their bwh measurements if applicable?  

What is their hairstyle?

What is their hair color?

How is their hair texture?

What is their hair state,

What is their hair look?

Do they have any facial hair

Do they have any body hair 

What is their skin tone?

What is their skin condition?

Do they have any scars or birthmarks? 

What is their eye color?

What is their eye shape?

How is their eyesight?

Do they wear eyewear?

Do they wear glasses or contacts? 

Do they wear makeup? What kind? 

How old are they? By our standards since this is afro futurism, native, & poc futurism about poc coded and native coded metahuman and superhuman characters living from the ancient past to the far future

When is their birthdate? Month day and year?

Whats their Chinese zodiac and western astrology sign

Do they have tattoos or piercings?

What kind of piercings?

What kind of ear piercings do they have?

This can be a tragus ear piercing, a conch ear piercing, a helix ear piercing, a daith ear piercing, a snug ear piercing, a lobe ear piercing, an anti tragus ear piercing, a rook ear piercing, an anti helix ear piercing, a forward helix piercing, a lobe transversal ear piercing.

It can be high lobe, barbell, helix stud lobe, or upper lobe piercings on their ear

What kind of body piercings do they have?

It can be vertical or horizontal eyebrow piercing spiked barbells on their eyebrow. It can be Medusa diamond stud piercing above their lip, it can be dimple studs in their cheeks, it can be a spiked labret on their chin, it can be a septum ring piercing that goes through their nose, it can be a barbell bridge piercing between their eyes on top of their nose, it can be a rhino barbell nose ring piercing on the top of their nose, it can be nasallang piercings on the left and right side of their nose, it can be a third eye stud piercing on their forehead, it can be a barbell piercing in their navel, or even a barbell piercing on their chest.

What do they have tattoos of? What kind of tattoos? Retro by their standards and modern by ours or futuristic by ours and contemporary by theirs in the form of holographic tattoos. Do they have magical tattoos?

What apparel do they have? What kind of clothes do they wear? What is their clothing style? What level is the sophistication? What sizes in clothing do they wear? 

Where are they from? 

Where do they live now? 

List of possible locations are in the location glossary of the google doc.

Which city, county, state, & or country do they live in?

Do they live on Earth? Or off world since humanity and aliens left Earth and colonized the rest of space?

Which colonized and terraformed planet, moon, comet, asteroid, or planetoid do they live on? Where in the planet, star system, & galaxy do they reside?

What is their citizenship status?

What kind of housing do they live in? 

What is their personality?

What are their virtues? What are their vices? 

What are their strengths? What are their flaws?

What kind of voice do they have? What is their vocal tone? 

What are their favorite foods?

What is their favorite drink?

What are their hobbies and interests?

What is their economic class?

What is their political party affiliation?

Are they conservative, liberal, progressive leftist, green party, third party voter, no party affiliation, non voter?

Story is post land back. So this can include voting in Indigenous tribes/clans and nations

Are they communist, anarchist, radical, & or militant.

What is their backstory?

What is their occupation?

High school jobs?

Collegiate jobs?

Current job? 

What clubs were they apart of? In high school and college

What sports did they play? In high school and college? 

Are they a high school dropout, a high school graduate, a college dropout, or a college graduate?

Are they a graduate of a two year community college, a four year university, an Ivy League university or military academy?

Did they graduate from a vocational or trade school?

What degrees do they have? Associates bachelors masters or doctorates? In what field or fields? Do they have a minor, major, or dual major?

Tell me about their parents, aunts and uncles?

How many siblings do they have? Are they the oldest, youngest, or middle child? Or are they an only child? Do they have any cousins?

Are they an BIPOC ex of the queer and trans Asian Pasifika and Latine Native superhero/superheroine main character Kana’i Makoa Latu/Ataahua Kamalani Latu?

Are they single, dating, widowed, divorced, or married? Tell me about their spouse(s) or partner(s)?

Are they in a monogamous or polyamorous relationship or marriage?

How many children do they have? Are these children adopted or biological? Tell me about their children.

What kind of pets do they have? Do they have regular pets, magical pets, or alien pets?

What is their mode of transportation? List of transportation are in the modes of transportation glossary of the google doc.

Do they use a hoverboard, hover bus, hover bike, hover motorbike, hover quad, hover motorcycle, hover sport bike, or hover vehicle (car, truck, SUV, etc)

What kind of weapons do they use? List of weapons are in the weapon glossary of the google doc.

Do they use a power armor suit or a mech suit?

Questions for native coded characters and poc coded characters of Warring Kingdoms:

Where is their homeland?

What are its people like?

Are they aware of its history?

What is their opinion of home?

Where is their place of birth?

What settlement, village, town, and or city is it? 

What is their place of birth's name?

Is it part of a kingdom? 

Is it part of an empire, a federation, or a confederation? 

What was the area like?

How did it affect them?

Did they witness any historical events?

If so, how did that event impact them?

What did their parents and or foster parents do for a living?

What was their standing in the community?

Did their family stay in one area or move around a lot?

How did they get along with their parents?

What was their birth position in the family?

How did they get along with each of their siblings?

What was their family life like?

What race are they?

What species are they?

What humanoid race are they?

Are they a hybrid with a humanoid race?

What is their variant or subrace?

Are they human?

Are they magical human (poc coded human)?

Are they Indigenous magical human (Indigenous coded human)

Are they non magical human?

Are they Homo magi (non native and white coded human)?

What about their race or species? 

What do they look like?

Are there different kinds of this species?

Do they have special or magical abilities?

Do they require special homes?

What do they eat?

Do they have magic? If yes, what kind?

How does magic work?

What is their relationship with it?

Growing up were they in the majority or a minority?

How were they treated by other nearby races and species?

Did this impact their outlook in any way?

Did it affect their personality?

How do they feel about other humanoid races and species?

Were there any traumatic experiences in their early years? 

Such as death of a family member, abandonment, orphaned at an early age, etc?

What was childhood like for them?

How do they view the heroes, myths, legends of their kingdom or country?

What is their class? Are they a fighter, warrior, barbarian, ranger, druid, bard, wizard, witch, warlock, sorcerer, or paladin?

Are they a hybrid class?

Are they a special class?

What is their subclass

What is their rank?

Are they F class, E class, D Class, C class, B class, A class, or S rank?

What is their background

What class are they?

What is their alignment?

What magical tools do they use

List of magical tools in the google doc

Do they use a wand, a mage staff, a magical baton, or a broomstick?

Which village, town, city, kingdom, empire do they live in?

What is their normal daily routine?

How do they feel and react when this routine is interrupted for some reason?

What are their hobbies when they are not adventuring or training?

What do they do for relaxation?

What things do they do for enjoyment?

What interests do they have?

How do they normally dress, when not in their adventuring gear?

Do they like to dress up or down to relax?

Do they have a look or style? If so, describe it.

What do they normally wear in bed at home?

What do they normally wear in bed while adventuring?

Do they wear any identifiable jewelry?

Where do they normally put their weapons, magic items, or other valuables when they are sleeping?

What morning or evening routines do they normally have?

Do these change when they are adventuring?

What pastime or hobby that they participate in regularly gives them the most enjoyment?

What pastime or hobby that they participate in regularly gives them the least enjoyment?

Do they read the mail, letters, telegram, or newspaper?

If so, which sections and how often?

What is his/her/their routine

How do they get around locally in their settlement, village, town, city of their kingdom?

What is their idea of a good evening's entertainment?

Do they get seasick, airsick, motion sick (automobile or animal)?

Do they like riding animals?

Any fears in traveling?

What sorts of general belongings or equipment do they take when traveling or adventuring?

What are their hangout places?

Do they go to a bar after work?

Do they play pool?

Do you go dancing? To clubs, ballroom, or masquerade? Who goes with them?

What do they read?

Scientific textbooks, historical novels, myths and legends, maps, cookbooks, romances, news magazines, science fiction, fantasy, horror, the newspaper, short stories?

What music do they like?

Do they have a favorite artist, band, singer, or bard?

Will they listen to or sing the same songs over and over, or does it drive them nuts when people do that?

How do they exercise? Work out at the gym, walks in the morning, run marathons, play sports, couch potato?

Where do they live?

Do they rent or own?

Apartment, house, condo, hotel, motel, mansion, or castle?

How close are the neighbors?

Is it a good neighborhood?

What color is the house?

Which floor are they on?

Do they have a lawn?

What about a flower garden?

Does their house have an attic or basement?

What does their furniture look like?

Do they buy antiques?

What are their walls covered with? Wallpaper, art, paintings, sculptures, busts, and or photos?

What sorts of curtains do they have?

Frilly lacy ones, Venetian blinds, pull-down shades?

Do they, their roommates, household, or their servants keep their house clean?

Is it dusty?

Is the bathtub or shower moldy or coated in rust?

Do they clean it herself?

What do their desk or workspace look like?

Small and cramped, huge and expansive, covered in drifts of books and papers? neatly ordered and clean?

Can they find what you're looking for when you need it?

What color are their sheets?

Satin or cotton?

Patterned with flowers, or covered with pictures of toy robots?

What sorts of food do they eat?

Do you cook their own breakfast, lunch, or dinners?

Are they a good cook, a gourmet, or a terrible cook?

Do they eat out?

Are they on a diet?

Where do they vacation, and how often?

Do they have any pets?

Do they keep a calendar or address book?

Where do they keep it?

Did they leave a Will?

What does it say?

Do they have magical powers?

Are they part of a guild?

What faction are they a part of?

List of factions in the google doc

What guild are they a part of

Are they part of a knight and or paladin order?

What kind of mount do they use?

What kind of familiar do they use?

Do they have an animal companion?

Are they an adventurer? Are they a guild member?

If so why do they dungeon dive as an adventurer?

Why do they go on quests or guild missions as a guild member?

If they are a warlock who is their patron?

Are they demigods? Are the the child, grandchild, or descendant of a god or goddess? If so from which pantheon?

Are they Atlantean, Amazonian, Vanir, or Asgardian hybrids?

Are they half elves, half orcs, half trolls, half goblins, or half dwarves, etc?

Are they missing any body parts as someone disfigured? Did they have these part or parts replaced with prosthetic limbs?

Do they have an electrical, steam, & gas powered automotive armored prosthetic arm or leg?

Do they, or did they, have any role models?

Do they have any heroes or idols, either contemporary or from legend?

If so, have they ever met them?

Did they ever become disillusioned with former heroes or idols?

If so, why and what were the circumstances?

When did they decide to become an adventurer?

Why have they chosen to risk their life as a career?

What do they expect to get out of being an adventurer?

Satisfaction, glory, money, fame, freedom, redemption, etc?

What, if anything, would make them stop adventuring?

Such as death of a loved one, marriage, mutilation, money, position, old age?

Do they have any dreams or ambitions?

If not, why?

How does adventuring fit into this dream, or does it at all?

What are their short term goals?

What are their long term goals?

If these goals seem at odds with each other or with their dreams?

How they reconcile the differences?

How do they seek to fulfill these dreams, goals, & ambitions?

Do they have any great rational or irrational fears or phobias?

If so, what are the origins of or reasons behind them?

What, if anything, would it take for them to be able to overcome this?

How do they react when this fear manifests itself?

Are they willing to discuss, or even admit to, the situation?

What are their attitudes regarding material wealth?

Do they see wealth as a mark of success, or just as a means to an end?

How do they generally treat others?

Do they trust easily (perhaps too easily) or not?

Are they introverted (shy and withdrawn) or extroverted (outgoing) or both?

Are they a humble soul or blusteringly proud?

Do they act differently than they feel (concealing their true thoughts)?

What habits would they find most annoying in friends?

Is there any race, species, creed, alignment, religion, class, profession, political viewpoint, or the like against which they are strongly prejudiced, and why?

How do others typically react to them?

Why, in their opinion, do they act that way?

What are their most annoying habits?

What is their favorite food?

What is their favorite drink?

What is their favorite treat (desert)?

Do they favor a particular cuisine?

Do they savor the tastes when eating or "wolf down" their food?

Do they like food mild or heavily spiced?

Are there any specific foodstuffs that they find disgusting or refuse to eat?

Are they allergic to any food?

What are their favorite color(s)?

Is there any color that they dislike?

Do they have a favorite or hated song, type of music, and or instrument?

What is their favorite bard song?

If they have a favorite scent, what is it?

What is their favorite type of animal?

Do they have an animal affinity, and if so for what?

Is there a certain type of animal that they hate or fear?

Are they allergic to any kinds of animals?

Do they have any allergies?

Do they have any food restrictions?

Is there anything that enrages them?

Is there anything which embarrasses them?

How do they react to being teased about it?

Do they enjoy "roughing it", or do you prefer their creature comforts?

Do they believe in the gods or not?

Do they have a patron Deity?

Are they devout or impious?

Do they actively worship and proselytize or do they simply pay lip service?

What lengths would they go to defend their faith?

Was their faith influenced or molded by anyone special?

Do they belong to the Orthodox Church, or a fringe element thereof?

Is the group accepted, frowned upon, or considered heretics?

Is their church an accepted religion where they grew up or did they have to conduct its services in secret?

How did this affect their faith and life?

Have they ever been persecuted for their faith?

If so, when and how did they handle it?

Can they kill?

When did they decide (or learn) that they could?

What happened and how did they handle it?

When do they consider it okay to kill?

Under what circumstances?

When do they consider it wrong to kill?

Under what circumstances?

What would they do if someone else attempted to  or successfully did kill under their "wrong" circumstances, what would be their reaction?

What if it were their enemy?

What if it were their friend?

What if it were an innocent?

What if the opponent were not in control of their own actions?

Such as under duress, charmed, dominated, possessed?

What would they do if someone shot at (attacked) them?

What would they do if something were stolen from them?

What would they do if they were badly insulted publicly?

What would they do if a good friend or relative were killed by means other than natural death?

What is the one task that they would absolutely refuse to do?

What do they consider to be the worst crime someone could commit and why?

How do they feel about government (rulers) of the federation, empire, or confederation in general?

Why do they feel that way?

Do they support the current government of their homeland?

If so, how far are they willing to go to defend the government? If not, do they actively oppose it?

Do they belong to an anti-government organization?

If so, describe the group and it's aims.

What form of government do you believe is the best?

Such as democracy, monarchy, meritocracy, anarchy, aristocratic rule, oligarchy, matriarchy, etc and why?

Have they ever been persecuted for their political stance?

If so, describe the occurrence and how it affected them?

Are they a member of any non-religious group, cause, order, or organization?

If so describe it, its goals, and membership.

How loyal are they to this group and why?

How did they become a member?

If they are a former member, did they leave voluntarily or involuntarily?

If voluntarily or involuntarily, why?

Was it under good (amicable) conditions or bad?

Are they being sought or hunted by the organization?

If so, by whom and with what intent?

Such as to murder them, to force their return through blackmail or coercion, to spy on them and make sure they do not reveal any of the groups secrets?

Do they have any unusual habits or dominant personality traits that are evident to others?

If so, describe them and how you acquired them, as well as when they might be more noticeable and what causes them?

How do they react if made fun of for any of these things?

Do they have any unusual or nervous mannerisms, such as when talking, thinking, afraid, under stress, or when embarrassed?

If so, are there any reasons behind them from their past?

Do they have an unusual gait or accent?

If so, where did they acquire them?

Are there any circumstances where they become more (or less) evident?

How do they feel and react if made fun of for any of these things?

What place would they most like to visit?

What annoys them the most?

What (if any) are their favourite forms of art?

What is their most treasured possession?

What things could he/she/they not live without?

Do they have a good luck charm?

If your life were to end in 24 hours, what 5 things would they do in those remaining hours?

Do they have a "black-and-white binary" view of reality or can they see shades of grey?

Do they prefer to tear down or build up?

Are they deliberate or spontaneous?

Do you prefer the city or the country?

How do they feel about magic, myth, and the supernatural?

Do they have any close friends?

If so, who and what are they like?

What is the history of their relationship(s) with them?

Do they currently have a best friend whom they would protect with their reputation or their life?

If so, who are they and what caused them to feel so close to them?

What would have to happen for them to end this relationship?

Do they have any bitter enemies?

If so, who are they, what are they like, and what is the history of their feud with them?

Have they defeated them before?

How might these enemies seek to discomfit them in the future?

What valuable or important contacts do they have?

How did they come to know them?

Which person(s) or group(s) are they most loyal to?

List any past serious relationships that they have had, and give a brief overview of the relationship(s).

How do they think others generally perceive them?

If someone crossed their path, what would they  do?

Who is their most trusted ally?

Who do they trust, in general?

Who do they despise and why?

Is their image consistent?

Do people see them in similar ways?

Do they deliberately present themselves differently in different situations, and how?

For what would they die for?

For whom would tyou go to extremes for?

Who does they turn to when they are in trouble?

What is the worst thing someone has done to them?

What are their general reaction to an attractive member of the same and or opposite sex who lets them know they are available?

How do they get along with others in the same field and/or work environment?

How can they be blackmailed, beaten, and tricked (by PCs or NPCs)?

Have they lost any loves?

How did they handle the situation (short & long term)?

Who would miss them, should they go missing?

Who might protect them?

Who might be convinced to sell them out?

How close are they to their friends?

What do their friends know about them?

What do their friends not know about them?

What do their friends know and not know about them?

Do they live with anyone (housemates, roommates, relatives, friends, near-strangers, family friend, spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, lovers)?

Are they a member of any special interest groups?

What is their level of involvement?

What is their current status with local law-enforcement?

Do they have a record of cooperation or non-cooperation with authorities?

Do they have a file with local, national or international law enforcement?

Where and how were they educated?

Who trained them in their class or job?

What was their relationship with their teacher(s)/mentor(s)?

How did they happen across this teacher or mentor?

Was their mentor(s) kind, stern, cruel, indifferent?

Is this person or people still alive?

Is the institution that trained them still in existence?

Were they forced into their profession by parents or peers?

Did circumstances dictate their choice of profession?

Were they a prize student or did they just barely pass?

Look at their skills. How did they acquire them? Especially the unusual ones?

Have they ever done anything else for a living?

How do they function in combat?

How would they best be defeated?

Have they ever received any awards, medals, or honors?

What have they done that was considered "outstanding" in their occupation by others in their field?

What are their long-term goals in work?

Describe any traumatic experiences in their present occupation that has affected you deeply in some way.

How do their relatives and friends view their present occupation?

Is there anything that they don't currently know how to do that they wish they could?

Are they envious of others who can do such things in a good-natured way or are they sullen and morose about it?

Are they an ex of the queer and trans poc coded and native coded Indigenous magical human, magical huma, & homo magi hybrid S rank adventurer and guild member Afro Asian native coded main character Lysander/Luciana Norwood or Kittsak/Kaeo Pramoj

Questions for native characters and characters of color of Alpha Centurion War:

Are they a superhero, antihero, or supervillain?

What is their superhero antihero or supervillain name?

What is their superhero antihero or supervillain costume?

What superpowers do they have?

How exactly did they get their powers?

Are they a metahuman or superhuman?

What is their lair? Where is their home base? Is it stationary or mobile.  

What superhero, antihero, or supervillain team are they a part of?

What is their role in these teams?

Are they part of the superhero conglomerates the Elites, the Paragons, or the Sentinels?

Are they alien hybrids?

Are they demigods? Are the the child, grandchild, or descendant of a god or goddess? If so from which pantheon? The Egyptian, Mayan, Norse, Greco-Roman, Celtic, Hindu, Japanese, Chinese, African, or Oceanic/Pasifika pantheon?

Are they cyborgs or bionics?

Are they Atlantean, Amazonian, Vanir, or Asgardian hybrids?

Are they half elves, half orcs, half trolls, half goblins, or half dwarves, etc?

Are they missing any body parts as someone disfigured? Did they have these part or parts replaced with bionic or cybernetic limbs.

Do they have cybernetic implants or bionic enhancements?

Are they an BIPOC ex of the queer and trans Asian Pasifika and Latine Native superhero/superheroine main character Kana’i Makoa Latu/Ataahua Kamalani Latu?

[fire-fira]

Thing that mildly frustrates me: being an allistic hyperlexic and seeing almost no acknowledgement that there are hyperlexics who aren’t autistic. (It makes comparing notes about similarities damn near impossible.)

[altschmerzes]

hope y’all don’t mind me adding onto this because this is something i feel STRONGLY about-

8. in addition to difficulty regulating emotion he’s got trouble recognizing and categorizing what it is he’s feeling in the first place, never mind articulating it to somebody else - alexithymia is a major issue.

9. generally doesn’t wear jeans because that’s a Bad Fabric Feel (to me, jean fabric literally constantly feels damp! mostly gotten past it by now but for a long time i couldn’t wear em at all)

10. pressure is really helpful when he’s having a hard time feeling anchored and comfortable in his own body, trying to process too much input or just generally in a bad place. (weighted blankets, heavy jackets, tight hugs, etc)

Autistic MacGyver Headcannons 1

Here’s my take on Autistic MacGyver headcannons!

Mac has had difficulty interpreting the nonverbal side of a conversation, especially if it is his first time talking to the person. (people he’s really familiar with, such as Jack and Bozer he has less difficulty reading. Due to the facts that he is familiar with their mannerisms and they make an effort to accommodate him and his style of communication)

He has difficulty regulating his emotions, hence why he has become an expert at compartmentalizing. It’s easier for him to not feel then to work through his often overwhelming emotions by himself. Jack has been a significant help to Mac when processing his emotions and working through him but sometimes they still overwhelm him. (It’s why he ran away to Nigeria, after discovering his dads betrayal. He felt like his world had tilted on his axis, and he thought distance would help his perspective. Without Jack to help him though, he doesn’t get much closure in Nigeria)

As always feel free to add your own opinions, I’m always excited to hear what others think!

Thank you for @catwingsathena for your help!

[fire-fira]

How did you develop your writing style? How often do you write? What is your favorite thing to write (genre, characters, length of stories)?

Sorry for taking soooo long to get to this, things have been a little crazy.

Writing style:

I developed my writing style over time. I first started writing waaaaayyy back in first grade (ugh, not bad for that age, but UGH) and I’ve pretty much been writing ever since. My fanfiction didn’t really get started until I was in middle school though– and thank gods the internet wasn’t as huge in the late ‘90s as it is now, because the idea of those crap stories with all the bad writing floating around online makes me cringe. I’m genuinely glad that even ff.net didn’t really exist at that point and that at the time I didn’t feel confident in posting my fics online, partly because they weren’t really up to the standard I had in my mind thanks to having raided my mom’s personal library since I was in first grade.

((I kid you not, I was a weird kid. Thanks to my hyperlexia I was reading at a college level when I was in first grade, so most ‘age appropriate’ books bored me out of my skull. I was reading things like Mercedes Lackey’s Heralds of Valdemar series (and a TON of her other works), some of Anne McCaffrey’s books, some by Andre Norton, and some by Robin McKinley. One of the most age-inappropriate books that I read from my mom’s mini-library back when I was probably around 8 or 9 was Robin McKinley’s Deerskin. FYI don’t let kids read that book. Seriously, don’t. It’s well-written and really good, but I probably should not have been reading it at that age.))

So bluntly put, I’ve been working on my writing style and learning how to write by reading a TON since I was a kid.

How often I write:

I try to write at least a little bit daily, even if it’s only a couple sentences, but it doesn’t always work out that way. Sometimes I’ll go days or a couple weeks without writing. Worst hiatus I had was for years in the course of pursuing my bachelor’s, which sucked horrendously and I was miserable because I didn’t really have much of any creative outlet during that time and it drove me nuts (I’m way better at handling stress when I can put time into writing nerdy things).

Favorite thing to write:

Genre: It varies. Sometimes I like writing huge sweeping arcs of stories with plenty of action, world-saving, etc. (Kind of like the sort of arcs you’d expect in series on TV or in actual comics. Funny that. lol) Other times I like writing angsty pieces, but most often I tend towards fluff. Part of it is that a lot of the characters I focus on are already canonly going through hell, so I kind of feel like it’s nice to give them some downtime or show brief sweet instances in their lives that we might not otherwise see.

Characters: Once again it varies, though I’ve got this habit of preferring characters who are emotionally traumatized and under-valued by other fans, or they’re downright bitchy and snarly, or both. The stereotypical girl or boy ‘next door’ would end up getting seriously re-worked by me in order for me to have any real interest in writing them. That said, there are also the sweet cinnamon rolls who aren’t traumatized that I absolutely adore (of which Jaime is a perfect example). So it kind of depends on the mood I’m in tbh.

Length of stories: I used to prefer writing really long fics, but that was prior to my years-long hiatus from writing. More recently since I started writing again (in early summer 2016), I’ve preferred writing shorter things simply because I can get them done more quickly and share them sooner. That and I can nerd out with others over them sooner without having to run the risk of giant spoilers for large numbers of people, unlike what I have to worry about with my larger fics. (And not gonna lie, keeping spoilers for my BIG Devilfish fic out of all of my smaller Devilfish fics is a challenge sometimes.)

I hope that answers some questions. If you (or anyone) think of anything else you’d like to know, let me know. n.n

[brightlotusmoon]

hi there im working on fleshing out my characters and i have a question about one of autistic characters

this is a character detail i had before deciding to rebuild my character to fit him being autistic and i’m trying to decide if i should remove it

my character has no sense of direction and used to always get lost as a kid, so his dad gave him a necklace with his address printed on it, so that if someone found him they could take him home. even though he hasn’t needed it for years, he still wears it for nostalgia reasons.

i’m trying to decide if that could be seen as offensive or problematic (mostly because if i end up mentioning it, it won’t be from his pov so the backstory and reasoning won’t be there)

I'm so glad I got this ask because I get to tag my really good friend @fire-fira who, while allistic, in fact has this exact thing, called Dysgeographica!

I have it as well and it's not just an autism thing. Thus you are totally fine making your character like that. Dysgeographica is incredibly common among neurodivergent people. It's a neurotypical thing too, just nowhere near as disabling, therefore why it's considered among the cluster of Learning Disabilities and Processing Disorders like Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Hyperlexia, Dyspraxia (a coordination disorder!), Dyscalculia, etc.

Here's the thing about writing a character with a marginalized identity like autism: always ask actually autistic people, particularly those of us who actually celebrate being autistic. Then look at autistics who have internalized ableism to see the downsides. And that is never offensive or problematic. I'm the main source for multiple allistic author friends. Keep in mind that ADHD shares eighty percent of its syndromes with autism and is found in over half of us (I got diagnosed with ADHD first, in my early 20s, and finally understood all my learning disorders).

[fire-fira]

Nonbinary Awareness Week Day 4: Visibility For The Invisible

What are my identities besides nonbinary?:

Mixed-race Native-- Cherokee and Lenape on my bio-mom’s side, Oglala Lakota on my bio-dad’s side, and Irish, Scottish, Norse, Egyptian, and German.

Neurodivergent-- allistic hyperlexic and dysgeographic

Abuse survivor

Currently 34 (born in ‘86)

Aro/ace

How do my other identities intersect with my nonbinarity?:

In terms of my gender, part of how I understand it is through my racial identity. I can’t really separate it out, especially not when knowing that my Native ancestors had space for people like me and realizing that is part of what helped me feel safer in being open about who I am.

There’s also the fact that my personal style in terms of how I present myself is a careful balance between trying to be read accurately as my gender (difficult as that is) while also trying to be read as ‘not white’ as possible. Yes I’m mixed, yes I’m white-passing, but I don’t like being assumed to be ‘just white’ because it makes me feel like who I am is getting bleached from me so others can find me more ‘palatable’. It makes my skin crawl. (And considering my hell-beast bio-mother pretty much tried all my life to make me as not Native as possible, the idea makes me feel sick.)

A big part of me knowing who and what I am as early as I did (age 4) is thanks to the fact that I’m hyperlexic and that part of how my hyperlexia was expressed back then was through logic and an understanding of ‘If I do x, then y will happen’ (over everything from the possibility of death by getting hit by a car if I stepped into a street too soon, to abstract concepts like the idea that I’d be locked in an asylum and never let out if I told anyone I wasn’t a girl or a boy-- this is the kind of crap I thought about even when I was 4). I was way too damn smart for my own good as a little kid, but it served me well in that I was able to figure out what I was not long after my memories first started up (my 4th birthday, it was like I hadn’t existed before and then someone threw a switch and just-- BOOM-- instant awareness and no memory of anything before and no recognition of where I was, it was weird AF), and knowing what I was that early on gave me the sort of stability I needed to know that if I existed then others had to.

I was going to say that my dysgeographica hasn’t impacted my gender, but thinking about it I can think of one way it did. Since it’s so easy for me to get lost and turned around, I learned early on how to let go and trust that I’d either find my way or that someone I was with would be able to get me to where I was going. In a way, that kind of took some of the stress off of trying to find an answer for what my gender was as a kid.

As for being an abuse survivor... OOF. There are a lot of awful things I lived through (primarily emotional/mental abuse and neglect-- I’ll spare everyone details because it’s heavy as hell) but the worst of it did give me some perspective. Me hiding who I am was miserable as hell, and while being nonbinary can be nerve-wracking in some crowds, being able to look back on my personal hell and the fact that I survived gives me a confidence I don’t think I’d have otherwise. Nothing that life can throw at me will ever be as bad as that. People can be as hostile and ridiculous as they want, but they can never make me be closeted about being nonbinary again.

Yay being 34. (Tbh I used to think-- probably because of the abuse-- I wouldn’t live to see 30. But guess what? I’M STILL ALIVE AND KICKING AND I DON’T PLAN ON GOING ANYWHERE FOR A LONG DAMN TIME. HA-FREAKING-HA.) For most of my life there were no terms for my gender and as a kid I didn’t dare say what I was. To my knowledge (before I found out otherwise later) I was the only nonbinary person I knew and didn’t meet another enby until I was 25. (At least one of the people I was friends with back in high school has turned out to be an enby, but I don’t think they came out until their late 20s.) The ‘90s sucked for having any examples of anyone nonbinary-- both in real life and in fiction. I gravitated toward fiction and clung to whatever characters I found that resonated with me. The one advantage that being so isolated has given me is that it helped me stay in spaces where I felt out of place in circumstances where a lot of other people would have just left, so I was able to get what I needed or do what I needed to.

For a long time-- up until my early-to-mid-20s in fact-- I didn’t realize that my aro/ace-ness and nonbinary-ness weren’t a package deal. (Which is kind of funny in a ‘wtf, where is the logic?’ way because my aro/ace-ness was never an issue for me. I have an uncle on my bio-dad’s side who’s ace and might be aro but idk, so my aro/ace-ness was always brushed off by my family as being ‘genetic’ and therefore not something to be concerned about, but I was absolutely convinced that if anyone knew I was nonbinary then bad things would happen. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ) Because I was so isolated for most of my life, I was under the mistaken assumption that they were all kind of tied together. Thank gods for education. So as a result for a long time how I understood my gender also hinged on my orientation (and dear gods, I know using that word makes me sound old af, but it’s less wordy than to get into the whole tangled mess of how sexual and romantic attraction aren’t the same thing and don’t always ‘line up’ for people, yada yada yada). These days I see all three parts as distinct and vaguely interlinked in my case, but no one part of my nonbinary/aro/ace-ness would magically stop existing if one of the other parts changed.

Why do I think my specific experience is less visible than other experiences?:

Let me put it this way: the line-up of being a hyperlexic and dysgeographic aro/ace mixed-race Native abuse-survivor isn’t exactly a common experience. There aren’t many people who have issues of being de-legitimized on the fronts of their gender, their racial identity, their sexuality and romantic orientation, and their neurodivergency all at once. Or having those things pinging off each other used as a way to call into question their mental faculties.

Even as specific as my identity is, because of how liminal my identities are and my past history of abuse I have to remind myself that I can take up space in areas that apply to me. I am so used to being on the edge of accepted existence, even despite the fact that it’s been 14 years since I was taken out of my personal hell, that I have to occasionally remind myself that I’m not taking attention away from those who need to be heard when I’m one of those people.

There are times I haven’t spoken because I’m in an aro/ace space, or a nonbinary space, or an indigenous space, and what I have going on at a given time involves one of the other aspects of my identity. And thing is, if you won’t ever speak up then you won’t ever be heard or seen. That’s something I’m working on, and this entry for Nonbinary Awareness Week is just one step in that.

What’s something about my experience I would like other people to know?:

You don’t always have to have the answers.

It’s okay to sit back and trust that things will happen as they need to happen if something gets to be too much. You’ll figure yourself out more easily if you let yourself just have things come to you as they will.

It hurts sometimes and that sucks, but things can’t improve if you don’t put yourself out there when you’re ready to. The people who matter most will accept you and love you for who you are, not what they think you are.

Multiple seemingly contradictory things can be true about you all at once, and that’s okay.

It’s okay to stand your ground and be honest about who you are.

Even if you feel isolated and closed off, disadvantaged and backed into a corner, educating yourself and doing the work to decolonize your mind and dismantle internalized prejudices will help immensely.

If you think you’re the only one-- in whatever way-- I guarantee you that you’re not. You just have to give yourself time, make the effort to learn, and allow yourself the opportunity to meet others.

---

[Day 1]

[Day 2]

[Day 3]

[fire-fira]

For the sake of convenience I’m going to throw the link for the post where I gave a quick run-down of dysgeographica [here]. And for those who don’t want to click through, here’s a quick copy-paste:

---

If you navigate solely by landmarks

If you have a hard time conceptualizing where different locations are in relation to each other even if you go to those places regularly

If it takes you a LOT of repetition of going over a route (sometimes hundreds or thousands of times in a short span) for you to memorize that route

If deviating from the route by even a street over gets you turned around and feeling lost

If people can mention two streets in your home town and you have no idea how/where/if those streets intersect and you draw a complete blank on where said location is

If someone mentions a place you’ve been to and you either have no idea which direction it is in relation to where you are or you easily become confused about which direction it’s in (though you know how to travel the route to get there)

If your mental maps shift and rotate in ways that don’t make sense when you stop and seriously think about what directions things are in

If you can’t sort out North/South/East/West without being able to see which direction the sun or moon is in (at least with this one it’s the case for me)

If you have a difficult time telling right from left (not true for me but there are plenty of people who have this one)

If your mental maps are not like an overhead view of clearly ordered streets and instead are more like piecemeal random patches of geography loosely stitched together in your mind and can only be ‘known’– like a spider walking on a patch of material and not aware of anything beyond that patch until it gets to the end of that patch– when you’re in that ‘section’

then congrats!

You have dysgeographica!

It’s often conflated with dyscalculia, despite being its own thing; and in much the same vein it isn’t something that’s autistic- or ADHD-only. (I’m allistic, but I’m also dysgeographic and hyperlexic). There honestly isn’t a lot of information out there on it, and contributing to the issue is the fact that there are something like 8 different names for it with ‘dysgeographica’ being the most common one. As such, some of that list^^^^ might resonate for you, some of it might not, or all of it might (idk, but it’s a possibility).

---

As @brightlotusmoon​ said, I’m dysgeographic and I don’t have ADHD. (I’m also hyperlexic without being autistic which is ‘fun’ in terms of trying to find information that isn’t dependent on the presence of distressed autistic behaviors for recognition of said hyperlexia, but that’s beside the point.)

That said, I don’t ‘forget’ placements or places I’ve been (as was mentioned higher up in this thread-- I’ll remember having been in the place no problem, but if I haven’t gone there on a set route frequently enough then I won’t remember how to get there), but my mental maps will shift around and I’ll know various areas in chunks. The way my dysgeographica operates, even if I can navigate my way to two separate locations without getting turned around or lost, there’s a good chance that unless those two locations are connected in my mind that my mental maps will have it that they’re not anywhere near each other. With a situation like this--

A                                  B |                                    | |                                    | |                                    | | --------- X --------- |

--where ‘A’ is ‘Store 1′, ‘B’ is ‘Store 2′ and ‘X’ is where I lived, my mental maps insisted that things were instead laid out like this--

A                          |                           |                            |                            | --------- X --------- |                                      |                                      |                                      |                                     B 

--and I didn’t realize those mental maps were off until my fiance corrected me and we had actually walked a straight line from A to B.

The point is, dysgeographic mental maps are unreliable af because-- whether we realize it or not-- either we’re going to miss details or things are going to shift around in our heads, because our perception of how things are laid out is dependent on how we see those things right in front of us.

Even if I do know a place really well, like the house where I live, if I don’t pay close attention then my brain’s conception of how things are laid out might not match reality. Case in point, what my brain identifies as the ‘front’ of the basement doesn’t match up with the ‘front’ of the house and it took me years to realize the two ‘fronts’ were on opposite sides of the house rather than the same side, even though I knew the stairs to the basement are at the ‘back’ of the house. I had to actually stop and cognitively logic it out to realize that the basement window I thought was looking out onto the front yard was actually looking at the back yard.

And as far as “not paying enough attention to directions”, I’m gonna stop anyone who thinks that about themself and might be dysgeographic right here. As stated, I don’t have ADHD, but someone giving me directions to a place frequently means nothing to my brain unless I have a vague idea of where I’m going. I either have to have the directions written down or have access to google maps or GPS. This isn’t to brush off the added potential complication of ADHD for anyone who’s both ADHD and dysgeographic, but more to say that it probably isn’t just your ADHD making it hard to keep navigational directions in your head. Dysgeographica is a pain in the ass and is no help on that count.

So to put it bluntly: Anyone who deals with this isn’t ‘dumb’. It isn’t due to ‘not paying close enough attention’. And it sure as shit isn’t due to ‘not trying hard enough’. It just means that your brain doesn’t work in a neurotypical way when it comes to navigation.

I hate that no one talks about just how distressing memory loss from adhd actually is. I always see memes that are like “haha I forgot my phone, I don’t remember where my laptop is, etc”, but no one seems to talk about how it can really fuck you up long term to just, not remember things that are completely mundane to non-adhd’ers. The memory loss is, however, so frustrating to us. I cannot physically count how many meltdowns I have had over the sheer mental frustration and torture of not being able to remember seemingly simple things

[scriptautistic]

Tags Directory

This is quite long, so to help make things easier, we’ve grouped the tag list into the following categories:

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[fire-fira]

Awwww, thank you. n.n

PS, shout out to my allistic friends with all the same hyper- and dys- disorders but without the autism or ADHD.

@fire-fira