#and because of that and the Autism my social skills are nonexistent...

[toonfinatic]

I'm not gonna start uni until next fall (if i even get in) but i'm already stressing if i'm Too Cringe to get any friends there.....

[heretherebedork]

I've been tagged in this like five times so let's do this while I'm not distracted, a rare occurrence...

1. Are you named after anyone?

Yep, actually doubly so, because apparently I was actually named after living relatives which is frowned upon so my dad also found some dead relatives on the other side of the family with the same names to be my 'official' namesakes.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Honestly? From laughing at DFF.

3. Do you have kids?

No, though I do have students.

4. What sports do you play/have you played?

None. Never. My skills at sports are nonexistent.

5. Do you use sarcasm?

Yes but not as much as I think I do.

6. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

It depends? I can be drawn to people by many, many things but I'd say most often it's something specific that stands out? Whatever got me to look towards them?

7. What’s your eye color?

Hazel

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy ending! Scary movies tend to just make me laugh inappropriately so, yeah.

9. Any talents?

Maybe? I can touch my nose with my tongue! I can also write paragraphs of meta that are designed the be read somewhere between analysis and prose.

10. Where were you born?

Just outside Chicago.

11. What are your hobbies?

BL, meta, hiking (only a couple times a year), the occasional watercolor painting, baking

12. Do you have any pets?

Yup! Wizzard the dog and Zhadum the bunny.

13. How tall are you?

5'10"

14. Favorite subject in school?

Science and reading, typically, with social studies next as long as there was no geography. The instant you add geography I lose my mind.

15. Dream job?

Running an Autism classroom in a public school without any ABA presence and Autism-educated support staff aka the impossible dream to dream

[eyefocusing]

robin i just realized that bc of how long its been i dont know if anyone else in ur moots is active enough to be the one to ask for that character meme about hibiya and i needed to step up to the plate

sammi i went through a lot of emotions trying to think about how i feel about hibiya these days. they werent kidding that character you latch onto as a depressed teen sticks with you for LIFE (and then i spiraled a little because oh my god i was 14 when i got into kagepro and im almost 28 now holy shit)

notes:

1. you know how he is. part of that is definitely just Being 12 but part of it is also like........ even to this day im like oh my god you little weirdo. stop that 2. [truck-kun voice] 3. yowling. ?. i think ive always kinda felt that he was sort of ignored fandom-wise outside of being The Kagerou Daze Kid. like between being the little kid of the gang (when kid characters are already so ignored!!) and not having the same kind of ties to everyone that the rest of the dan had? he just didnt have the kind of draw that like, the yuukei quartet had. has. whatever. but at the same time like..... he DOES at least. get a lot of fanart. on august 15th at least. perks of starring in a ridiculously popular song <3 4. hes not the original THE CHARACTER for me but hes so close. my beloved little teenage coping mechanism of a character.... nobody will ever understand. obviously hes not at the forfront of my mind these days but i dont think ill ever not get a little weepy and emotional over this guy 5. i was zapping him with the autism beam over a decade ago. his social skills are nonexistent and what he does have are terrible. and his special interest? hiyori. the truly cringe autism rep we need. 6+7. i dont think i even need to explain this. 8. no but literally who the fuck was i before him. ive lived half my life since i got into this stupid vocaloid series 9. hah. HAHA. HAHAHA 10. self explanitory. please just let this kid be happy forever and ever okay.........................................

[yoiku]

Man, last week... started off optimistic and ended up in the pits kinda.

We made plans for me to join a 15 month course to find fitting job(s) with the aim of going to said jobs and trying them out. Sounds good and is something i am interested in, but after friday all i've been thinking is that maybe it's too much too soon. I'm still thinking if i can manage 3 days of workshop/week instead of 2... so diving into something that can have 4-5x 6hr days/week is making me very anxious and already feeling bad if I end up not having the energy to do it. I think its the main thing that has dropped my mood bc I know that the chances of me getting a part-time job in any of the fields that interest me and are something i could be able to do physically, is pretty nonexistent. All of those fields have severe oversupply of potential workers against the amount available jobs, in the entire country. So the chances of getting employed as someone who doesn't have any substancial studies in the field, isn't able bodied or mentally okay... Lets just say it isnt exactly an encouraging thought. I just feel like no matter what I am entirely useless when it comes to any employment that i feel i could perhaps be able to do. If an able-bodied, neurotypical and socially capable person with a suitable degree can't get a job in those fields, what are my chances? lol. I dunno. Already feels like a failure if I muster up the courage to say that I feel like I've said OK to things that I'm not actually sure about. I'm sure they'll understand if I say i'd rather focus on getting back into 3 workshop days and trying to progress my rights for therapy for now. I don't know. I feel conflicted with my own thoughts. Part of me thinks I should give it a go even if I drop out - id at least be certain that it was too much. But I also know how heavily dropping out from anything hits me mentally, so i am genuinely afraid of seeing the bottom of the pit again. The psychologist at the current evaluation course did say she thinks taking things as slowly as needed is probably the best for me considering everything they've summed up abt me so far. I'll try to talk about it at least.

On a less depressing note, the results from the various psych/neuro tests were partly curious. My mathematical skills being extremely below average wasn't a surprise, lmao! But I found it curious that the one that was the highest above average was linguistic skills, followed by the less surprisingly above average spatial awareness that involved shapes, patterns and other stuff that i think any artistic person would excel at. Accuracy was great but speed was awful, lmao. Overall I scored pretty average on the cognitive side. Worth noting is that I am medicated now and I did take my adhd meds on that day as well, so that likely helped slightly with the accuracy and overall concentration. (a lot of the tests had a time limit) Interesting tests though, and I'm glad it gets written up into my files as well, because it's more proof to the fact that my autism is mostly affecting me on the social side of things. I would be really interested to take the same tests in a busy/noisy environment or with some sort of forced interrupts like someone asking you something entirely different suddenly and see just how much of a disaster that would be trying to get back into focusing on the test tasks then, lol. That's morely likely how things are after all if we think of these tests as a measure of how will you get by in the world of working a job, unless you really have a job where you get to work alone in a perfect environment for yourself. (man i love making art at home)

[rejectedanimexp]

Hello people of the internet. Does anyone know how to properly ask their doctor to see if they have autism? Like, my social skills are like nonexistent and I have no idea how to talk to my doctor without coming across as rude or dumb or impatient. I don't get social norms. They don't exist for me. I have ADHD but my mom seems to be the only one that accepts I might have Autism. Everyone else says I'm not broken or there's nothing wrong with me as if having Autism makes one stupid- WHICH IT DOESNT, LIKE OMG PEOPLE STOP BEING SO RUDE AND IGNORANT. They already say I shouldn't use my ADHD like a crutch and that I can't have Autism because I have good grades- yeah, well, Autism doesn't mean you can't get good grades. Most people with Autism are actually really smart. Why are people so afraid to admit that I can have it? Like, sorry I'm not perfect!!! Funny enough, I think said family members might have it as well but don't want to admit it because they see it as a disability that hinders their individuality or whatever. IM SICK OF IT. I'm sick of being seen as weird for not wanting to go outside or socialize. For not being able to function with others. For coming across as rude when I'm trying to be polite. For having the worst attention span and hyperfocused on doing one thing at actime- even when it comes to eating food. Like, no, let me finish my rice before I try to greenbeans. I'm wired differently. I just want some proof that I'm not some "vampire freak" but that there's an actually scientific and medical reason I'm this way. Also, I am so off track from where I started. So yeah. How do I approach my doctor about this as an adult? I can't really talk to anyone about this and I just wish someone would hear me out. Also, sorry for this mini rant.

[autistic-beshelar]

Neurodivergent Link Headcanons (BOTW)

Here are... my headcanons for ND Link! I’ve tried to put them in fairly concise bullet points so hopefully they make sense. A lot of the autistic/adhd traits overlap, but I’ve put them in separate sections just to try and make this easier to read 

Headcanons under the cut!

Autism:

 - sensory seeking! Link needs constant stimulation and his preferred sensory input is touch, whether it’s rubbing his palms over tree bark or smushing his face in soft pillows. Auditory and visual stimulation are good too, but he’s very, very tactile. Of course taste is another big thing for him, he loves cooking and trying out new food and exploring different tastes, whether it’s sweet or spicy or sour, the stronger the better.

- he stims. SO MUCH. he has so many stims that I’m going to make a separate post to include all of them, but the main ones are rocking and flapping his hands.

- very good with gross motor skills, generally good with fine motor skills but there are a select few he struggles with - he has very poor handwriting, has to focus tying shoelaces, struggles washing his hair, overestimates how hard he’s brushing his teeth and makes his gums bleed

- poor interoception. Has a hard time telling when he’s hungry, or tired, or in pain. Sometimes he will walk around with an injury and not realise until he sees blood. Finds it hard to recognise negative sensations and his body tends to just interpret them as discomfort.

- very good at recognising and deciphering expressions and body language, but not particularly good at (or interested in) emulating it. He’s very astute and can pick up on microexpressions and hidden glances and the like, and can work out people’s true feelings or motivations, but in a social context he’s not necessarily good at responding to it.

- easily picks up on small details and notices things others don’t - this can be related to the former point, but also just in general. Also very good at pattern recognition which lends itself well to solving shrines.

- nonverbal. Mostly uses sign to communicate, or noises (usually with animals or people he’s comfortable with). Can occasionally manage to speak in short bursts when he has to, but it’s few words and usually stuttered, and if he gets at all stressed (which he often does if he’s forced to talk) he won’t be able to say much of anything. He can talk a little around Sidon and Zelda, they’re pretty much the only he feels comfortable enough to be verbal with, and they understand the way he talks and are patient when he’s slow or gets words mixed up.

- difficulty with eye contact. Either too little or too much, though usually it’s the former. He only tends to stare at people if he likes them, or if he’s angry with them or trying to make them uncomfortable

- echo echo lalia. Loves to repeat fun noises, especially animal noises, but sometimes words (sees a dog and just goes doggy doggy doggy doggy doggy for the next hour). He does this with sign as well, but tends to prefer making fun mouth sounds

- special interests in food and horses! Those twins at the stable were right. That’s all that’s on his mind. Food and horses. He really loves trying out new ingredient combinations and exploring different tastes. And he knows a great many horse facts. 

- forms connections with animals more easily than with people. This is partly because when he first left the Shrine of Resurrection he was alone in the wilderness, and partly because he doesn’t really talk, but it’s also just an autism thing. People are friendly to him, but he doesn’t tend to form deep connections with them like he does with animals.

- can tell the time by the position of the sun in the sky but can’t read a clock. What are those numbers on the slate. It’s a mystery!

- has mild visual processing issues, mostly struggles to focus on things like screens or pages, things look blurry or strangely coloured, or have a weird overlay.

ADHD:

- inattentive AND hyperactive AND impulsive, a triple threat

- gets the Zoomies. Often ends up conking out afterwards. Will run around chasing frogs all day and then just fall asleep in the middle of a field

- Can’t Stay Still. Has To Bounce Leg.

- nonexistent sleep schedule. Granted, he doesn’t sleep well or regularly what with travelling all over Hyrule, but even without that his sleep would be terrible

- sometimes zones out in the middle of a conversation. Good luck guessing whether he’s having a seizure or if he’s just thinking really hard about jellyfish

- alternatively, he will hyperfocus. Very good at hyperfocusing on shrines, or anything that involves challenges. Also good at hyperfocusing on physical activities.

- executive functioning… what’s that. Link doesn’t know. Link can’t organise to save his life and honestly thank god for the sheikah slate because without it he’d be screwed. Cannot schedule, cannot plan, cannot organise. 

- thrillseeking!!! He gets easily understimulated and needs adrenaline to survive. Will do anything remotely dangerous for fun and profit. 

- often thinks very quickly, usually jumping quickly from one thing to the next, but only about certain subjects (usually related to animals, nature, food, chaotic activities) and usually when he’s full of adrenaline. Although other times, especially when he’s tired, it’s just. Dial up noises. Head empty

- focus juice… for mentally taxing activites? Nonexistent.

Expressive language disorder:

(It used to be separated into receptive language disorder, expressive language disorder, or mixed, but these days it’s lumped together into developmental language disorder. However I use expressive language disorder for link because he specifically only has problems with expressive language (forming his own words) and not receptive language (understanding other people’s words)).

- gets words in the wrong order

- sometimes replaces a word with something else, especially if the signs are similar

- has difficulty with tenses (more so in verbal speech)

- often misses out words completely

- has quite a large vocabulary, but struggles with word recall. Will sometimes remember the word he meant to use hours later

- often flaps his hands in an attempt to remember a word, if he can’t think of it he will try to find an alternative

- c a n n o t  s p e l l. Sometimes when he doesn’t know the sign for something, he’ll try to fingerspell it, but if the word is hard to spell he’ll try and find an alternative

- finds sign much easier than spoken language, because its grammatical structure (particularly how it uses tenses and combines language with muscle memory) is simpler to use for him, and because it’s so expressive he finds it easier to get his point across

- his language disorder is a part of why he’s nonverbal (as well as that he has a bit of a stutter), so signing in general is just much easier, though not everyone knows sign, and he isn’t fluent himself.

Epilepsy: 

- has temporal lobe epilepsy

- mostly gets absence seizures and focal seizures

- absence seizures (essentially his brain ‘switching off’) are his more common ones. They usually only last a couple of seconds, and tend to look like he’s just distracted or zoning out (which he also does because of ADHD), though sometimes his eyelids will flicker, or if he’s walking or doing something he’ll suddenly stop, and go back to it like nothing happened. He isn’t aware of them at all. If they happen during something like a conversation with someone, he’ll just dismiss it as being distracted, though he does start to notice when he has longer absences and misses whole sentences, or has clusters of absences.

- focal aware seizures (auras) usually present as deja-vu, intense fear, or out of body feelings. He doesn’t realise they’re seizures for a while, since he experiences these anyway, and attributes the deja-vu to the memory loss, but eventually learns to tell them apart because his auras tend to come on very suddenly, though they can last a while

- he also gets focal impaired awareness ones, which tend to happen more when he’s very tired, especially when waking up/going to sleep. When he gets auras he’s still completely aware of his surroundings (and usually doesn’t have trouble moving, unless it’s a particularly bad one), but with impaired awareness he gets drowsy and confused, and won’t understand what people are saying

- usually his focal seizures stay just that, but sometimes they will become tonic-clonic seizures. This is usually only when he’s exhausted/injured/extremely stressed/otherwise worn down. Most of the time his auras come on soon enough to warn him he might have a worse seizure, so he can go somewhere safe (at least, once he realises he’s epileptic

- they’re arguably the mildest, but his absence seizures at the most dangerous, even though they’re usually short, because he gets no warning for them. He usually gets them a couple of times a day (especially waking up/going to sleep), but he gets them more frequently if he’s very tired, and if he gets absence clusters it makes it really hard to do anything.

- his main triggers are sleep deprivation, missing meals, extreme stress, and extreme heat. Which is unfortunate considering he spends his time running around Hyrule on no sleep and forgets to eat all the time.

in conclusion link is neurodivergent and i love him. thank u for ur time pls feel free to comment ur opinions and headcanons etc 

[adhd-sakura]

may i.... present to you a concept..... autistic sai?

Oh my god you abso-fucking-lutely may!! I love Sai so much and he’s like…autistic king. Cannonically. I’ve actually talked about this before with @comradesai​ a while ago, lol. To quote myself; 

‘The inability to comprehend superfluous social skills/norms? The special interest in art, that he maintained even through ROOT Hell? trying to be nice but being awkward? Not being able to really vibe with Naruto and Sakura’s struggles chasing after Sasuke- especially the scene where he blames Sakura b/c he’s *trying* but he still can’t *Really* understand whats going on with Sasuke? I can go on. I love him. I love him So Much.’

And I will go on! Because I love sai so much and I wrote that months ago!

-he dresses the way he does because he has weird sensory issues. Like thats it. In a feral overstimulated rage he tore off one of his sleeves and kept it that way because the irregular air patterns blowing on his skin were something he could focus on to calm down

-when he first meets team seven, he legitimently is never rude on purpose and just has *that* poor social skills. Like he actually is trying he’s just really bad at it.

-however after a year or so he’s grown enough that he comprehends that he’s rude sometimes, but he can’t quite tell when all the time and it’s exhausting to keep track of and also he’s grown enough to have a sense of humor and lowkey finds it really funny lik 70% of the time because him being autistic (he is) does not stop him from being an absolute bitch (he IS).

-the other 30% of the time he’s frustrated because things are still hard to understand but he’s trying. This is aided by the fact that he’s on team 7, a team which banned sarcasm of all types on pain of fire at age 12 and have now EXTRA BANNED sarcasm of all types on pain of rabid god level teenagers b/c they FEEL Sai (ala my sarcasm team 7 post from way back when). 

-speaking of; he studies Sakura’s ‘sarcasm comprehension’ flashcards/curriculum religiously, and it’s the only reason he can keep up with Ino (who is his therapist and best bitch-friend). Sakura is glad that her hard work is appreciated for once, because her other boys either ignored, forgot, or disregarded it.

-his empathy is like. Almost nonexistant. It’s a combination of trauma and autism, but he literally can not comprehend most emotions enough to give appropriate responses. The most he can usually do is sit guard over someone while they freak out/break down to keep them safe and offer an ear to their problems while he calls Ino, who actually knows what the fuck she’s doing.

-He can’t eat dango because it’s sticky and he hates sticky food. One time he got a cold so Sakura gave him honey tea to soothe his throat and he threw it in her face.

-On the other hand, he samefoods Tofu. Until he met team seven, literally the only thing he would eat was Tofu and food/chakra/blood pills. Like that was it he grew up in hell he got to choose the same food

-His dedication to routine is one of the reasons that it’s so hard for him to break his root conditioning. 

-Ya know his whole ‘super fake smile’ motif thing? It’s cause he doesn’t know how to do ‘correct’ facial expressions

-he is super nit-picky about hand writing. He refuses to read anything, /anything/, that Naruto or Sakura write ever. Like they hand him a piece of paper and he looks them in the eyes and tells them that he can’t read and then goes back to studying ettiquite books.

[scriptautistic]

Hi! This blog looks so great I'm really excited by it. In a story I'm writing (it's fantasy), there are elves, and as well as being off folklore/mythological elves, they're also based off autistic people but I'm struggling to figure out what an only autistic society would be like, do you have any ideas?

First of all, having a whole, non-human race be autistic can be quite problematic in terms of representation. See Mod Aira’s thoughts on non-human autistic characters here.

Since elves look a lot like humans, and are usually positively described as a race equal or superior to humans, that might not be that much of a problem, but you should still give this issue some thought and make sure this is really something you want to do. This is not a decision I can make for you.

As for the specifics of an autistic-only society, this is where things get fun !

Here are some ideas in no particular order. Of course I can’t cover everything and other autistic peeps are encouraged to pitch in as always!

Everyone is stimming freely and openly. This is seen as a completely normal thing. I don’t know how modern your universe is, but people are allowed to stim in school or in their workplace. Shops have whole “stim toys” aisles. There are sensory rooms available throughout cities for everyone who might get overwhelmed.

Social norms are completely different. Making eye contact is seen as rude, people are expected to explain their jokes and sarcasm. Actually, communities might write down and edit regularly their social rules so they are explicit and available to all.

Kids are taught in schools strategies to cope with sensory overload or to get stuff done with executive dysfunction. They are encouraged to work on their special interests and it is used as a medium to teach them other things. There is highly individualized teaching and varied teaching styles since all kids have different needs. They would also be taught (either by caretakers or educators) many life skills, such as self-care, taking care of a home, taxes… more explicitely.

In our society, there are things that are seen as “basic needs” that everyone shares such as be well-fed, warm enough, not be in pain, have enough time to sleep… In a workplace or school for example, those needs are supposed to be met. The other needs, the ones not everyone has, are seen as “accomodations” when they are met, and are often more begrudgingly met. In an all-autistic society, meeting needs such as sensory needs or break time when you are overloaded wouldn’t be considered as making accomodations, but as meeting basic needs and as a normal thing.

Autistic people are very diverse and sometimes our needs are conflicting. For example, some might be hurt by loud noises, while some may need to stim and regulate themselves by making/ listening to loud noises. So it is probable that people with similar needs would gather in communities.

Since a lot of autistics are nonverbal at least some of the time, I think all verbal people would also know a nonverbal language such as a sign language they could use to communicate with nonverbal individuals or when they go nonverbal themselves. Communicating via AAC wouldn’t be seen as unusual or surprising.

Art and culture would probably be very different. Autistic people are often creative, but they create different things from what allistics create.

I feel like emergencies such as fires would be handled differently. I don’t think loud alarms and blinking lights would be the most efficient. I don’t have ideas for an alternative system though.

Lots of autistic people have trouble driving and I feel like it would have an impact on the most commonly used means of transportation. Either, for a more primitive setting, horse riding would be a huge thing - since horses are sentient they can take care of some of the “looking around to make sure we don’t run over someone or collide into something” - or, for a modern setting, automatized transportation means would have been developed sooner than in our world.

There would be more focus than in our society on precise planning and available information. Navigating administrations wouldn’t be so chaotic, or else no one could deal with it. There would be early on a need to get stuff organized in a very clear, explicit way.

That’s all I can think of for now. I hope this helps!

-Mod Cat

There are some great ideas here and I can think of a million more, but I will restrain myself! I just want to add a couple of things as food for thought:

Sign language isn’t speaking, but it is still verbal (the brain still processes it more or less the same as any other language), so many people (including me) are not able to sign when nonverbal despite being fluent in a sign language. However, many autistic people find signing more comfortable than speaking, so I definitely agree that more people would know how to sign, and it would likely be a second language requirement.

I have to be honest here… Although I have many autistic friends online, I don’t have many that I see regularly face to face. I think there is a reason that autistic people make up a minority of the human race, rather than the majority. For all our advantages, we often have conflicting needs, and we are not at all specialized for living in large groups the way allistic people are. Even though I like my autistic friends a lot, I don’t like spending a lot of time with them in person because they… get on my nerves. I mean in specific ways - for example, we have completely unrelated special interests, and they infodump about theirs for ages, and I have no interest whatsoever but don’t want to interrupt and seem rude (since I hate it when people do that to me). Or they stim and it bothers me. I’m extremely hypersensitive, including to movement, so if someone (besides me) is rocking back and forth or doing another repetitive motion near me, I can’t even open my eyes or I get overloaded. I love my autistic friends and I love the fact that I’m autistic, but I would not want to live in a completely autistic society - I’d have to hide away from other people and I’d become socially isolated even more than I am in this world. Note that this is my personal point of view and NOT true for all autistic people. But there WOULD be people like me who couldn’t deal with being around other people’s stimming, and we might not all get along as well as you might think.

On the positive side: all the things that are considered “disabilities” in this world with regards to autism would be seen as the norm. Not being able to speak some or all of the time would be considered a normal personality trait, like being good or bad at sports or drawing. Suddenly getting up and leaving a conversation due to overstimulation would be perfectly normal. It would be a given that normal respect for other people includes maintaining a quiet and calm environment as much as possible.

Another issue regards public spaces. There is something called “selective attention” which allows people to block out background sensory information and focus only on what is relevant to them at the moment (for example, listening to what one person is saying when there are other conversations happening nearby). In autistic people, this is usually very weak or completely nonexistent. It’s not possible for me to filter out background noise. If I need to meet someone for a conversation or work meeting, it MUST be in a quiet place. I am incapable of following a conversation when more than one person in the room is talking. I literally can’t unscramble their words from the words of other people and it just becomes a jumbled mess of gibberish that rapidly becomes painful. So how would things like restaurants work? Cafes? Parties? Assuming many or most people can’t hear what someone is saying when ANYONE else in the room is talking, how could you have spaces like that? Would they exist at all? Would their be some kind of magic (in a fantasy world) or tech (sci-fi) that can block out all sounds outside of the group you’re in? 

Not trying to poke holes, but trying to point out possible issues that you should think about when creating your society. And as Cat mentioned, be very careful about painting a non-human race as “like humans but autistic”. Being autistic is not an inhuman state, and it can be very damaging to describe it as such, even if your intentions are good. I would be much more comfortable with a human all-autistic society than a non-human one. Maybe consider making the humans all autistic and code the elves as allistic. :P

If you keep all this in mind, I’d be interested to see what kind of society you might come up with. Good luck!

-Mod Aira

[thehowtostuff-blog]

Holidays, get-togethers, reunions, and other family get-togethers can be a source of great joy (and great stress). They can be especially tough for autistics, who may deal with social confusion, sensory overload, high demands, and other stressors. Here is how to make your get-together more inclusive, relaxed, and fun for your autistic relative(s).

EditSteps

EditPreparing the Environment

A casual, relaxed environment is likely to be calmer for everyone, and reduce stress on the autistic person.

Set up different rooms to focus on different activities. This allows guests to go from one room to another, based on what they want to do. You might put the toys in one room for the kids, food in one room for eating and socializing, a large group of chairs in another, and some puzzles/quiet activities and a few chairs in a side room for people to take breaks if needed.

This will help the autistic person "escape" for a while if they become tired or overwhelmed.[1]

Keep the noise level down. Loud noise is overwhelming for most people, especially autistics. If you have to raise your voice to speak, it's too loud.

Keep the TV off, or very quiet. Turning on closed captions and keeping the volume low helps.

Set aside an area for any children to do noisy play, such as outdoors or in the basement. If they're getting loud, ask them to choose between quieting down or going outside.

Music should be quiet and relaxing, or nonexistent. (Try involving the autistic person in the playlist selection, so they can pick something familiar and calming.)

Ensure that mealtime seating is flexible. An autistic person may feel more comfortable sitting in a corner, sitting next to a trusted family member, sitting at a side table, or sitting in a quieter space. Let there be options.

Leave plates of appetizers sitting out so that people can grab some whenever they'd like.

Let people take food into other rooms, if possible.

Let people eat at different times if desired. This can be more relaxing than cramming everyone at one table.

EditPreparing for Different Needs

Check in with regards to the menu. Some autistic people have dietary needs that could influence what they can and can't eat. Ask the person (or their parent/guardian) if the menu you're planning sounds about right.[2] There should be at least one thing they know they are able to eat.

Put spices on the side. This way, people can choose between no spice, some spice, or a lot of it.

Buffets, such as build-your-own sandwich, can fit a variety of eaters.

Some autistic people prefer simple foods, like plain macaroni and cheese, cheese pizza, crackers, pudding, and other "kid food."

Encourage the person to get needed and wanted accommodations. Whatever helps keep them calm and happy will be beneficial to everyone. This could include:

Wearing headphones

Wearing a hoodie and putting up the hood

Wearing comfortable clothes instead of fancy clothes[3]

Bringing familiar activities, comfort objects, or toys

Allow a shorter stay. Long social gatherings can be tough, and it's okay if the person needs to leave early, or take long breaks. Reassure the autistic person and their family that some or all of the family can leave early if needed and that there will be no hurt feelings.

For an overnight trip, the autistic person may benefit from staying at a quiet hotel, where they can relax with only immediate family or on their own.

Talk with the autistic person about what to expect (if applicable). Improvising in a social situation can be tricky, so it helps for the autistic person to rehearse and plan for an unexpected or difficult situation. Younger or higher-support autistics can benefit from social stories and extra prep.

"If you get overwhelmed, you can go to Grandma's bedroom, where it will be quiet. There are some papers and colored pencils so you can draw there if you want."

"Uncle Mort really likes hugs. If you don't want a hug, you can say 'I would prefer a handshake, please.'"

"People will give gifts. Say 'Thank you,' even if you don't like it. If you don't like it, keep that secret, until we are back at home where you can tell me."

Prep the autistic person for any rude family members, if needed. Dealing with impolite or nasty relatives is hard for everyone, but especially an autistic person, who may have fewer social skills and may make an easy target for mean comments.

"Aunt Jenny criticizes people because it makes her feel better about herself. It's not fair, and it's not right. It's just what she does. So if she says anything about you, remember that she's just saying it because she doesn't know better."

"I know Grandpa is mean sometimes. It's not your fault. You didn't do anything to deserve it."

"Sometimes Uncle Roberto says mean things when he's stressed. It can especially be hard for his daughter Ana. If he gets angry, you can leave the room by yourself, or invite Ana to go do a puzzle with you."

EditCreating a Relaxed Atmosphere

Talk to other family members as needed. Explain that the person's needs might be a little different and that they aren't trying to be "difficult" or "naughty." They're just autistic.

"Emily gets upset easily. It's not on purpose, it's because holidays can be stressful, especially for autistic people. If you think she might need a break, encourage her to go outside for a short walk, or tell me so I can help her."

"Kids, you may notice that Alex moves a little differently, and he doesn't talk much. Everyone is different, and that's okay. Alex really likes to play dinosaurs. Maybe you'd like to play dinosaurs with him?"

"Dad, I know you think LeBron acts weird, and you don't like that he doesn't make eye contact. That's normal and healthy for autism. I need you to be kind and supportive towards him so that I can feel good about having him come visit you."

Make hugs and kisses optional. Depending on their sensory needs and mood, the autistic person may not want to be touched. During hellos and goodbyes, say that if someone doesn't want hugs or kisses, they could do a handshake, high five, or just wave instead.

Encourage other relatives to go along with it. Explain that you're trying to teach the kids and/or the autistic person that they get to choose who touches them on their own terms.

Be flexible with everyone. Different people have different needs, autistic or not. Be willing to make adjustments so that everyone can be comfortable and have the most amount of fun they can.

Allow small group and one-on-one discussions to break off. Socializing in smaller groups can be less stressful for autistics (along with introverts and shy people).[4] Let it move organically and allow people to separate from the main group as needed.

Step in if you notice things getting heated. Conflict is stressful for everyone. Autistic people especially can find it distressing, and may not have the social skills to de-escalate it or take care of themselves.

Remind others not to raise their voices.[5]

Try changing the subject.[6]

EditSupporting the Person

Keep conversations relaxed with the autistic person. If you chat with the autistic person, try asking about their interests. Talking with an autistic person isn't incredibly different from talking to a non-autistic person.

Expect different body language, like fidgeting and lack of eye contact. This is normal.

Keep it age-appropriate. A nonspeaking 12-year-old is still a 12-year-old and is unlikely to appreciate baby talk.

Don't be scared! Autistic people are still people.

Accept unusual behavior. It's natural for autistic people to be a little odd, and it doesn't have to be a big deal. For autistics, natural behavior includes:

Not making eye contact

Fidgeting and wiggling

Being quite honest (sometimes a little too honest)

Taking things literally

Struggling to deal with frustration, and needing more breaks

Respect boundaries. The person may not be up for talking, hugging, kissing, et cetera, depending on their mood and individual needs. Don't push them. Let them do what keeps them comfortable.[7]

Check in if the person looks stressed. It's helpful to ask how they're doing from time to time, and offer an escape if they look overwhelmed. Reassuring them that they can take a break makes it easier on them.

"Want to go take a break in my bedroom? There are some coloring books in there you could color in."

"Would you like to come with me in the car to go pick up the pizzas? It would be just you and me."

"Angie, you look overwhelmed. Let's go for a short walk and smell the fresh air, just you and me."

Let them enjoy the gathering in their own way. Maybe it means sitting under tables, rocking back and forth, or eating crackers instead of the fancy food you arranged. That's okay. What's most important is that everyone has fun.

EditTips

If the person has major dietary restrictions, they or their family could bring suitable food if that makes it easier.

Encourage people to respect the autistic person's right to privacy. Publicly discussing the autistic person's issues is embarrassing (even if the autistic person can't or doesn't say so). If people start talking about their intimate personal details, say "Let's respect ____'s privacy" and change the subject.

For gift-giving, try asking the person's family what they like, or having the person list some ideas. Knowing the person's special interests, and popular gifts for autistics,[8] helps.

If young children will be around, place dangerous or breakable items out of reach.

EditWarnings

Don't push a distressed autistic person even harder. This will likely just lead to a meltdown or shutdown.

Now is a bad time to over-challenge the autistic person because the environment itself is likely going to be challenging. Avoid criticizing, over-correcting, pushing too hard, and trying to make the person handle even more (such as entering an overwhelming social situation, or trying a new food they didn't say they wanted to try).

EditRelated wikiHows

Make a Calming Down Corner

Attend Family Gatherings When You Are Autistic

Plan and Organize a Family Reunion

Relate to an Autistic Person

Interpret Autistic Body Language

Avoid Drama at Family Gatherings

Calm an Autistic Child

EditSources and Citations

Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

from How to of the Day https://ift.tt/2HKHzNk

[raedurack11851-blog]

Thus, Your Fascination Along With Jennifer Aniston As Well As Brad Pitt Is Actually Back?

Childhood Education is actually a bimonthly award succeeding diary by Affiliation for Youth Education and learning International includes authoritative write-ups about cutting-edge class techniques, vital issues impacting education, family members and also kids; little one development and also growth concept; hands-on classroom activities; testimonials of brand-new children's manuals, videos, software program and expert sources. The selection consists of instances easy good enough for kids to a lot more fancy drawings for more mature youngsters, teenagers, as well as grownups that could be found online and also coloring publications to purchase. Moreover, if you manage to deduct some of your kid's college expenditures (inquire your tax obligation qualified), if you don't track them, at tax obligation opportunity it can be a harrowing knowledge to locate them all. I have actually certainly not reacted to the articles in time, however I have to say, bestrenght-befit17.info I've had to remove many reactions because of their excessive visuals language toward little kids. Steeped in cultural past, the Djembe is the excellent starter tool for little ones from any type of age. Recently, a social event was managed through Door Step School, for children and parents coming from migrant neighborhoods in Vishrantwadi as well as Dhanori locations within Pune Municipal Organization (PMC) limits. When they do not have accessibility to their phone for a lengthy time, the medical phrase utilized to describe mobile phone dependence is actually nomophobia It refers to the anxiety that individuals feel. I knew he could try to change support and also I could possibly finish up along with absolutely nothing if I pressed the childcare issue. Post 34: Condition responsibilities to secure youngsters from sex-related profiteering and also sexual harassment. To safeguard both themselves and others, unimmunised youngsters are demanded to stay at residence coming from child care for weeks when it comes to a vaccine-preventable condition episode, including measles or whooping cough. While kids can efficiently mentioning on their mind, they are actually very likely in comparison to grownups to recognize an innocent person when the true criminal is nonexistent from an authorities schedule. Little ones carry out not begin this and also develop eating ailments eventually in lifestyle. Comparison this with the condition in the UK, which in 2002 targeted, as well as fulfilled within two years, a 40 per cent increase in adopting positionings for little ones in care. When learning how to play a musical guitar, your youngster is actually left open to rhythm and also counting that may aid him boost his understanding of various subjects, especially the concepts provided in maths. My preferred little one is actually the one I disciplined for being located, grounded for insensitivity to people's feelings and notified he was a royal discomfort to the entire family members. Do not forget, you are certainly not merely your little one's moms and dad and also instructor, you are his (or her) biggest supporter. Almost a third of individuals are actually right now making use of cellphones, email or even social network sites to speak with their relatived, as opposed to sitting down to possess a conversation. So my mama inspired peace of mind in awkward youngsters and spreading happiness like a prevalent throughout north Georgia for concerning two decades. This's back to school opportunity, as well as there really isn't a moms and dad out there which doesn't want their kid to create pals as well as flourish. Complying for the objective of an usual objective is a skill that kids require as they get older as well as participating in a music equipment is an effective way to present your kid the value from cooperating with others. This reveals an incredible shortage from know-how of, and also an impressive shortage from compassion for kids along with special requirements - autism has been actually pointed out through other individuals listed below, for example. One of one of the most useful traits little ones will know in fighting styles that may lead to the variation in shielding on their own is actually borders. If they are the things of the ridicule, they in some cases fear that their parents defensive response might create the bullying or even victimizing even worse. In the meantime, birth parent Cara missed out on more of her child's lifestyle. Because they are actually kept along with no one to jog to, the condition is harder when that is actually the parents or even guardians that are abusing them. Those who manage to speak out do not regularly acquire the support they need to have.