#and she supports me when i need it bc of my autism and other disabilities

[spacexfucker]

I had people in an autistic group on fb try to claim that their need for quiet (in public) superceded other disabled people's right to exist in public (if those people couldn't be quiet. Bc of things like stimming or meltdowns or tics). Most of the people in that group all agreed that "if you can't be respectful, you shouldn't be there". They tried to claim that bc intrusive sound can hurt them, people who cannot be quiet should be forced to stay home.

This is why I hate a lot of autistic spaces. Because they are full of people with opinions like this. People that believe that their comfort matters more than someone else's right to take public transport or be at the library or be at the park.

Because there's a lot of autistic people who believe that if you're too autistic or autistic in a "bad" way, that you should be isolated.

And when I tried to explain that autistic people like my daughter cannot control her stimming or the level of her voice in a meltdown, I had people telling me that I should keep her at home. That she's should have to be isolated so that other people wouldn't have to deal with the uncomfortable sounds.

When I said it was their responsibility to find ways to cope in public spaces, they said it was mine to "control (my) daughter". Many people said that I "just needed to work with her on this". And when I explained that even if it was something that could be addressed and something she could control, she still deserved to be in public in the meantime, they disagreed.

I'm autistic. But I'm low support. My daughter is high support. Before she was born, I thought autistic spaces were safe. It was nice finding people like me. But now that I'm older and have a high support kid, I'm realizing that a lot of those spaces aren't safe. And that they're filled with low support people who haven't unlearned any abelism except the kind that effects them specifically. That those spaces are bad at best for high support autistic people and straight up dangerous at worst.

There IS a difference between people diagnosed young and late diagnosed people. And the internalized abelism late diagnosed people have and their desire to be accepted as autistic very frequently hurts the most vulnerable of us. High support autistic people who depend on caretakers and alternative communications should absolutely not be isolated. And it causes harm to even imply they should be.

How you feel in public places around other people and how they sound or look is something you have to personally navigate, not something you can shame others into isolation for.

Those same people on other posts would talk about how disabled people used to not get to be in public and then turn around and say this shit with zero reflection.

They would wax on and on about how you shouldn't force someone to stop stimming and how we needed to make stimming accepted but would turn around and say that "well, if it's too loud or too much for others, you should get them to stop". Zero sense of irony.

Autism is not only your experience. It is not just masking and freeing yourself from it. It is not only quirky but reasonable behavior. It's not just being awkward in social situations. So many late diagnosed and low support autistic people still retain large amounts of abelism. You cannot just unpack it for yourself. You have to unpack it for us all.

[borderline-culture-is]

Uh... Maybe this is more of an ASPD thing but by all means Bordeline is what I deeply relate to (also y'all seem much more welcoming than other cluster bs bc of the whole "pwBPD make all cluster b shit about themselves" thing), but the idea is general apathy, I think.

This is a rant more than culture, but maybe someone will relate.

My girlfriend left. My parents expelled(?) her after I had a meltdown while arguing with my dad.

She's been gone for one day so my feelings will definitely change. For now, I'm just upset that I'm... Relieved?

She's not abusive by any means. Really. But I have this shit that I kinda make all my relationships be codependent. I can't for the life of me instill boundaries for my own mental health and people simply do not want to hear me rant. This is also (almost true) to my girlfriend. She's autistic, more disabled than me even (if this measurement exist) and she has been heavily relying on me for things that *I* can barely do myself. So basically it was very tiring. I told her multiple times I cannot take care of her, I'm also just as disabled, etc. But that wouldn't change the fact I'm a heavy reliant, especially when my parents think that "financial support" is all a daughter needs. So even when they helping her would help ME, they did not care. (I already said what resulted on that)

Now I just feel bad. I feel bad cause I don't really care, I feel bad because I can't say I miss her, I feel bad cause I already feel like a weight was lifted from my shoulders.She'll have the hardest time of her life but right now I can't help but be selfish cause the last two years have been extremely hard on me and not even she sees it.

Maybe this is autism, I don't know. I just, I don't think this is normal for autistics, not to this degree atleast? Sigh.

- 🍬🐈‍⬛

.

[spurgie-cousin]

Hi! This is kinda random but do you've any opinion about Fathering Autism?

I'm only vaguely aware of them, tbh I avoid channels like that bc that kind of content just makes me uncomfortable for multiple reasons. From my understanding, that channel is run by parents with a non-verbal autistic child who needs considerable daily support, and they basically focus their content around her and what her daily life consists of (correct me if I'm wrong though again, I don't watch them).

On one hand I really do believe education around autism is important, esp regarding individuals who have high support needs and in a general sense, I don't have a problem with people trying to normalize that. I also get that parents in similar situations see that content and not only relate to it but maybe feel less alone or learn more about daily care for their own family members, etc.

But content that is centered around minors exclusively already makes me uncomfy, so add the layer of having a disability that makes it even more difficult to understand the full scope of the internet and I just personally am not into it. Even when the individual is an adult, it just feels like a complete invasion of their privacy tbh because so often the accounts that go viral rely a lot on shock value to get big audiences. Like idk if any of you guy's saw that whole scandal this summer around an autistic kid named Cash and his mom who was "documenting" her life trying to parent him, which included a lot of outbursts and super private moments of his. And at first she gets a large audience of sympathetic parents, only to find out she was 100% exploiting this kid and according to the other parent, purposefully antagonizing him for content.

So yea idk it would maybe be different if the daughter's autism was just kind of a side note in their overall story, but her being the main focus makes me go 😬. But also I don't watch them at all so maybe I'm just being overly judgmental.

[abstractlesbian]

Thinking about how insane it is that getting diagnosed with bpd has significantly improved my relationship with my mom

Like some credit to all the therapy and support groups and life coach shit she was doing in 2020 that obviously made a positive impact on how she treats people too

But like she went from being so antagonistic towards me and openly telling me I was not loveable as a kid, teen, or adult

To her being very supportive and kind and empathetic * towards me after I got this diagnosis?? She actually treats me like a human being with my own feelings now instead of as an annoyance/embarassment/obstacle?? And it's not just an "I'm an adult not a child now" thing BC this change happened when I got the diagnosis at 26. Fucking night and day how she treated me before and after.

And like. I guess it makes sense with how she tried to get me diagnosed with everything under the sun starting at age 2** and now she finally has "an answer" to what's "wrong with me".

It's the same with how she HATED me being gnc/masc until I came out as nonbinary now she's fully onboard and stopped passive aggressively buying me pink clothes etc.

Idk why her mind works like that she needs a label before she can be supportive?

*she still can be manipulative esp when money is involved and still tries to turn my siblings and I against each other and is extremely reluctant to admit when she's done something hurtful etc etc she's not perfect she's still my mom, but we like have a relationship now and enjoy spending time together sometimes and going to her for support no longer feels like playing Russian roulette

** genuinely think my love of puzzles games and escape rooms comes from all the learning disability/autism/ADHD testing I did. Yess give me patterns to decode and strings of numbers to memorize and block puzzles love that shit.

[mueritos]

On autism: I'm the same way with social events and high versus low sensory periods. For me, audio is a big issue. If there's too much going on, I found that putting an earbud in (reluctantly not both, bc my campus had a lot of traffic and it's good to be aware of surroundings), music or not, it helped process stuff less. I minimized social events between classes and inadvertently made time to decompress by going to quieter spots to study/do homework.

As for the feeling of being stared at: It's ironic, but masks really help me feel more incognito. That, and wearing a baseball cap that has my favorite pins. I also (again, inadvertently) had small stims with me at all times: a hairtie, drumming my fingers in a consistent rhythm on the sides of my legs as I walked, and a pen with a silent click (Bic Atlantic black pen, my beloved).

Also, sorry to hear that your therapist wasn't great about you bringing up autism! Might have mentioned before, but mine was skeptical and likely for good reason since she specialized with childhood development. Idk if your therapist is willing to learn or if it's even an option for you to seek one that'll understand what's up, but I wish you good luck. In the end, research and observing your own behavior with an outside viewpoint will be most of the work of figuring out what hinders/flourishes for you. I hope this helps, even a little!

oh goodness I related to a lot of what you expressed here. If audio becomes too much, it starts to twinge in my ear and it can be physically painful to stay where i am, and sometimes Ive had to cover my ears. Wearing headphones, blocking it out with stuff i want to hear has been helpful, but yea I also have a fear of not being aware of my surroundings, so I rarely have it on high. I have been letting myself be okay with leaving places to decompress and do work; Ive found that im happier now doin so! I also drum my fingers and like to rock, and im trying to let myself rock in class but there r some classes I have to be "professional" in since im a TA...so I have find other ways to stim >.< because just sitting here still for 3 hrs straight is really exhuasting. I might have to look into that pen because I love clicking pens!!! and yes, I love masks because it hides my face and i feel less stressed about people looking at me, but hats sound fun!! when its colder I wear beanies, and it always felt like a hug on my head (until it got itchy lol)

And thank you, it was honestly a weird experience with her and it made me sad tbh to realize it wasnt good. Even when I tried to bring up childhood instances and things that I felt related to my adolescence, it was just shut down. I'm still open to anything, maybe its just worse anxiety or just sensory issues, but idk. Its all weird. Im just happy that autistic people and other ND folks have been nothing but supportive and kind to me. Im not sure how to proceed with my therapist, and she has told me she could always refer me to someone who is more knowledgeable and who can diagnose if needed, but its another step toward going to someone new and somewhere new and it just freaks me out. Im definitely going to be more involved in the disability and nuerodivergence club on my campus tho since theyre the folks who comforted me after that session ;;

thank u! i wish u the best my friend :)

[usertoxicyaoi]

Hey faiza I hope you dont mind sharing, but if you do you can ignore this ask, I wouldnt mind.

I have a younger sister who's recently diagnosed with autistism and I've tried to do research regarding it but I still feel helpless and that somehow I'll mess up. She's still growing and I want her to call home a safe place cause she has trouble with the outside world since there isnt a lot of awareness about autism here. Can you please guide me a bit? How you guys handle stuff at home? Any reading material that helped you. Thank you

hiiii anon!!! that's fine! honestly it was hard. bc my brother is the only boy from us all, and we're 4 siblings. there's me as the eldest, then my sister, then my brother and then my youngest sister. so at first, my parents just thought that bc was my brother was the only boy, that he might be developing a lot slower than me and my sister did as girls, but that eventually at the age of 2 or 3, he'd catch up. he didnt.

and my mum was the first one to sorta catch on that something didnt feel right. so after the health visitor inspected my brother and he got assessed, my brother got diagnosed with autism at the age of 3. my dad was a little reluctant at first to accept it, bc no one in my family history (either from my mum or dad's side) have autism or any type of special educational needs or disabilities, so my parents didnt really Know how to handle this all. but then my dad, after some time, came round.

and its not easy at all. it still isnt even though he's 23 now. but we've had a lot of support from different professionals, who are a whole team that have stuck with my brother at various points in his life, like his speech and language therapist or his educational psychologist or his medical staff or his teachers or his social worker etc. so they've always supported us and given us guidance and sent my parents to various courses - like triple p, something i hiiiiiiighly recommend. as a teacher, i also look into team teach, but i'd recommend even that too tbh, as a way to help and learn about de-escalation, and how you can positively help your sister in her education and broader sense of learning. another thing we also use is PECS - its honestly v v v useful for most children with autism as it helps them visualise their routine/timetable for the day/planned activities, but it also helps in allowing them to express what or how they feel, like hunger or fatigue, and helps them communicate their needs to you, if you help them understand what the visual cards represent.

for my brother, we've always had him have his own bedroom, and thats his private space to cool off and calm down that we rarely go in. my brother's non verbal, so he really has struggled with communication. we know a bit of BSL (sign language) and that helped when he was a kid, but as he grew, his school and his teachers slowly got him to begin speaking. he now only speaks in 3 or 4 word strings, not full sentences, but its a huge development!

my brother's really into disney, so he has a collection of disney books and films in his bedroom. what i'm saying is that get the time to explore what your sister's interests and hobbies are, and make her safe space one that holds her interests to help her feel secure. my brother isnt very into sensory textured things, so food isn't a huge issue with him, but for your sister, explore what textures she likes and what she doesnt. we dont ever force my brother into something he doesnt want to do, and sometimes that can mean cancelling plans last minute as a whole family too, which can be quite upsetting. so sometimes what helps is telling my brother well in advance that we're planning to do xyz on such a day, so that on that day, he isnt overcome with anxiety, bc most children with autism need a set routine, and if that gets disrupted, then they will behave anxiously. so now, when we have to go to a wedding or go out to eat, we tell my brother a week or so in advance, and he's okay with that.

but also, build some independence and decision making in them! let them choose what clothes they want to wear, what food they want to eat, whether they want to do english or maths today etc. sometimes things can become overwhelming and they do hit or bite or pinch or throw things. thats the moment where you just say a firm No and step away. let them cool off, and that will give you a chance to cool off too.

and always make sure YOU are okay too. if it gets too much, speak to your family. make sure different people are with your sister, because it can be physically difficult and mentally emotional. if you want to rest one day and have that day for yourself, tell someone in your family in advance and have some me time, and that will give a different family member a chance to spend time with your sister. that will help your sister build more relationships too! some days, my brother doesnt even wanna see my face, and thats ok! he spends that day with my other sisters or my parents or he'll go out with my cousin or sometimes, just by himself, bc they need that too.

and if you just tell someone, if you are going out somewhere, that you have a family member that has autism, you'll be surprised with how accommodating people are, and that helps so so much as opposed to not telling and then you'll get stressed and anxious too. like, sometimes, crowds and big spaces stress my brother out, even now, for example at a wedding we recently went to. but we told the person who invited us about my brother, and they said its absolutely no problem whatsoever if my brother needs to step out for a bit to get some fresh air or if he needs to be fed first etc. and in the same vein, i'd say to keep your conversations with you and your sister's "team" (her school teachers etc) ongoing, so that everyone is on the same page. for example, if you were to go on holiday or implement a new habit or try something new with your sister, if your sister's whole "team" knows about this, then you are all on the same page, and will help build that new change for your sister.

its honestly a learning experience that will never end, if i were to be honest. and some days its so .... hard. and other days its the most heartwarming thing you'll ever experience. make sure you take care of yourself, including speaking to someone if gets too much, so you can take care of your sister. and soon enough you yourself with just ... develop a sixth sense for who and what your sister wants or doesnt want and who or what she does or doesnt need.

🧡

[adultingautistic]

[Sept. 7] Re: Non-Autism diagnosis. Thank you for your reply! (Ha - I realized as I typed this I consciously applied my mom's "thank you FOR + THING" formula for how to properly thank people. I used to just say "thank you"& didn't realize it could be rude). This will probably be some parts to explain more, sorry. So my mom was told that children w/Aspergers or Autism were "happy in their own worlds" & my trying to engage/wanting friends was a sign that it wasn't true. She also cared v [1/?]

strongly that I was never grouped in with ppl w/ Autism. I learned of the connection when there was a uni networking event for ppl with Autism & NLD, my diagnosis. It's Non-verbal learning disability, which basically means I struggle with non-verbal social cues, spatial awareness, visual learning, auditory processing & executive dysfunction. The more I knew people w Autism the more I saw a lot of overlap. There's also nearly no record of NLD existing. 

It wasn't ever in the DSM, or lumped into anything. There have been few studies on it, & a lot is speculation. The best I can find is some early 2010's Psychology Today think pieces. I was also diagnosed with "tics" & trichotillomania which I think may have been stims. I'm still definitely not in a close friend group - I tend to be socially outside & I struggle a lot socially, especially now in workplace settings where friendly/professional/friend blurs.

I've been given fidget toys & found them unappealing. But I know I find it very difficult to do the eye contact, particularly if I'm at home or with family (or strangers in my home). I do also have to sleep with earplugs bc I hear water rushing in the pipes, I can't have clocks around, & I'm very distracted by the hum of fluorescent lights. But I stopped crying at school assemblies/crowds around 10. When I was 17 I was re-assessed to qualify for my uni's

to take up space or claim it without a diagnosis (self dx isn't really favourably looked at here, among the ppl w Autism I know anyway). Lol but this is my last year to try while in uni & I wonder if it's even worth it. I guess I'm just trying to figure out if there are reasons for things I'm dealing with still (especially as I get older things seem stranger) & if there's a community. Bc there definitely isn't one for NLD lol. Sorry for how long this is!

Also I have had zero assistance with skills or strategies to manage these things since childhood - I had some occupational therapy for balance & my mom gave me "conversation lessons", & I was usually in the special ed classes (which often confused ppl bc I could read at a normal time). I'm very much struggling w/ executive dysfunction & socially, with not much to go on. If I had a diagnosis, maybe there's something to help? idk. OK finally done srry!

Oh wow.  So, that is a lot!  And as I was reading your description of your experiences, my mind is going “Uh huh, that’s autism.  Yep, autism.  Sounds like autism to me...” 

Then I went and looked up this “NLD” thing, and found this article:

“There is clearly a great deal of overlap between Aspergers Disorder (AD) and Nonverbal Learning Disabilities (NVLD), so much so that it is possible that the symptoms of each describe the same group of children from different perspectives—AD from either a psychiatric/behavioral perspective, and NVLD/neuropsychological perspective.”

So basically, it seems like NLD is Aspergers, and Aspergers is autism.  From a few other articles I read, it seemed like NLD is diagnosed when a person is “too mild” for Aspergers, which is itself diagnosed when a person was “too mild” for autism.

Since it was determined between the DSM-4 and DSM-5 that the divide between Aspergers and autism was so arbitrary and impossible to pin down, therefore there shouldn’t be a divide and they are really the same disorder, it would seem to follow that the line between NLD and Aspergers should be the same.

In other words, you’re on the spectrum, the same spectrum that autistics are on, but at the time you were tested they gave you a diagnosis of “Asperger Lite”, which in of itself was “Autism Lite”, and now Aspergers has been folded into autism, so it might be that NLD will be folded in as well someday (but as of now, isn’t, for some weird reason).

I can’t answer for you what will happen if you go to get tested again for autism.  I don’t know what the result will be.  But what I can tell you is that you do belong in the autism community, regardless of whatever official diagnosis you have.  You obviously share autistic traits, I related to literally everything you said about your experiences, and maybe you just have better social skills, or maybe your doctor was biased, who knows.

You already have a diagnosis, and that may be enough for you to get accommodations at your university, or at a future job.  You will have to look up what the laws/rules are regarding accommodations where you live.  But if the current diagnosis you have will get you the support that you need, then there is really no benefit to you getting your diagnosis changed to autism in that way.

So really it comes down to whether you feel your NLD diagnosis is accurate, and whether you want to be tested for autism instead.  It may turn out that your original doctor was right on the mark and that you’re on the mild end of the spectrum, so mild that you’re NLD instead of autistic (but it is the same spectrum).  Or it might turn out your original doctor was biased and didn’t score you correctly and your symptoms are more severe and a label of autistic fits you better.

It’s entirely up to you whether you want to get re-tested, of course.  But you don’t need an autism diagnosis to be part of the autism community- this community is about sharing our experiences which you obviously relate to, and are absolutely welcome to participate in discussions about.  

So getting re-tested is really about two things: accommodations (which you may already be able to get with your NLD diagnosis), and feeling that your diagnosis is accurate to yourself.  So to answer your question whether it’s worth it to get tested again- only you can decide that.  It’s entirely up to you.  But I hope I’ve given you enough information to help you make that decision.  But no matter what, you belong here, everything you said was absolutely relatable to me, I felt like I was reading the story of my own life in a lot of ways.

[bassiter2]

lmao my mom is getting an autism awareness/support tattoo bc of my sister when i know for a fact that her support for autistic people is entirely contingent on them having a diagnosis and being very overtly disabled, and in her eyes literally NOTHING short of being diagnosed and overtly disabled gives anyone the right to do anything remotely abnormal and go unbothered for it

she’s really gonna have like a permanent “i love and support autistic people <3″ symbol on her body at the same time that she has absolutely no respect for neurodivergence in general. she literally yells at her bf’s kids for the most common and unobtrusive of stims like rocking in their seat because “you don’t need to do that, you’re not autistic”

in any case it just seems so fucking weird to me to get a whole ass TATTOO to just communicate to strangers that your kid is disabled with a particular diagnosis. like if you were actually trying to show support for the whole community, that would be nice, but my sister most certainly has absolutely no concept of the autistic community, so there’s no way that’s what this is. 

you clearly don’t care about being an ally to that community anyway, you just wanna feel good about not being abusive to you disabled child and signal to other parents of highly disabled autistic kids that you both Deal With The Same Problems so that you can bond over it. and shit, even then, your tattoo won’t even tell others what symptoms she has and thus communicate “my loved one is dealing with these particular issues” since the spectrum is so fucking wide.

lol anyway i fear for all the autistic adults who are inevitably gonna see her tattoo and think that my mom might actually be autistic herself and possibly try to strike up conversation only to then have to deal with my mom being like “oh no my daughter is, and hers is much more severe :) she rubs poop on the walls :)”

[applesauccce]

What’s up gamers, back at it again with complaints and over sharing about my life. I swear I’m not turning into a life blogger, I just want somewhere to spew my thoughts that isn’t google docs. (Quick tw: gaslighting, emotional abuse, homophobia, eating disorders)

Anyways, so as a quick summary, I got on decent meds, have seen a real difference, but am still having a multitude of problems. Brain fog, inability to concentrate or focus on tasks (even if it’s something I want to do, like cleaning my room or painting), extreme memory loss, both short term and long term, an excess of nervous energy that prevents me from sleeping or concentrating, over sensitivity to various stimuli, food texture sensitivities, etc etc etc. I’m working with a very nice psychiatrist (he’s been very supportive) and hopefully will remember to find a therapist to work with as well.

Basically, we’ve been running through the potential causes for my issues and will slowly eliminate them. The current list of most likely causes of me not being able to function is as follows. Adhd (runs in the family on both sides, I have a lot in common with adhd individuals), Autism (likely, based on my behaviors), PTSD (welcome to Trauma Town), Anxiety (no shit Sherlock), and Depression (my current meds need more time to take full effect). Currently we are waiting to see if giving my current meds more time to take effect will help at all, but it’s very likely that it won’t solve everything.

Now here’s my problem. My mom (bless her heart in every way, she is an angel on earth) is extremely supportive in every way. She listens to me, validates my worries, asks genuine questions about my experiences, and is generally open minded to most everything. She genuinely wants the best for me and has learned over the years that her idea of what’s best may not necessarily be the solution, so she has chosen to be open minded and supportive.

My father on the other hand (my parents are divorced btw, you’ll see why in a moment) is the exact opposite. Take every boomer parent that thinks they know best. has the most set in stone and stubborn mindset, and throw in a heavy dash of narcissism (scratch that, pour in the whole container) and you have my trash bag of a father. To name just a few things that he does/says.............(brace yourself, it’s a long list)

Barely tolerates me being queer (pansexual, told him. Non binary, cannot tell him unless I want to be disowned, abused, and murdered)

Believes that women shouldn’t work after they are married and they need to have kids

Claims that trans, nb, and gender fluid people are “corrupted” and have been sent by Satan to destroy the nuclear family

Thinks “the gays” are some angry liberal movement, “just like those awful BLM people”. My favorite things he’s said is “they just want govenerment funding and special laws passed to give them the power to sue religious people”, “if you want respect, why don’t you go out and organize your gay friends and do a service project to show you’re good people”, “if someone’s uncomfortable with a gay person, they have the right to refuse service!” “But what if was the other way around? What if a gay person was uncomfortable with a religious person and refused them service?” “Thats discrimination!”, “I tolerate gay people! I’ve had gay friends!” “......you do realize that means next to nothing right?” “hOw RuDe!”, and finally “yeah, you’d marry a woman just to spite me.”

I was prescribed birth control by my dr for extremely painful periods. I then happened to go visit my bf at the time and since I didn’t want to stay in my moms house (had issues with her husband, he’s a nice guy tho, we chill now), his mom offered to let me stay in their spare room, as long as I kept the door locked at night. He found out and immediately called me a whore and said I was ruining my life, had used his insurance to get the birth control to have sex, and was a disrespectful disgrace to the family. He then proceeded to tell his entire family.

When I was talking about the possible diagnosis for my issues, I mentioned autism and he laughed and said “you don’t have autism, you’re normal. Plus, you don’t look like it, and you’re smart. Trust me, I know mental handicaps, I grew up with a handicapped sister.” (His sister does not have autism and is an extreme case, she needs round the clock care). Like thanks for invalidating my thoughts and research, saying I don’t look “disabled enough”, and saying I’m too smart to have problems.

When I was discussing my eating issues, I mentioned that it was likely I was/am anorexic, based on my behaviors and thought process surrounding food. He laughed and said “oh don’t be dramatic. You’re not anorexic. Look at you! Still plump and healthy, you have meat on your bones!” I told him it wasn’t about physical appearance, it was about the mental process about food. He rolled his eyes and said to stop self diagnosing myself. Like thanks for again invalidating me.

Is in general, a gaslighting, narcissistic, self righteous bitch who thinks he is the most amazing and religious person in the world. He constantly complains about not being able to find a new wife (I wonder why /s)

Not to mention his absolute cultish fanaticism over religion. Like don’t even get me started. He’s the reason that people think Mormons are cultists.

Anyways, so my dad sucks ass, but thinks he’s a god among men. The only reason I moved in with him was because at the time my mental health was really bad and I was having a very hard time dealing with my moms husband. Things are a lot better now and I’m lowkey considering moving back in with my mom bc holy fuck I am so sick of dealing with my father.

Also I’m trying to find a therapist to help me figure things out and help find a diagnosis. If it is autism, I’m going to shove it in his face and laugh at him. And if/when I get diagnosed with an eating disorder, I am also going to shove it in his face and tell him he’s a bitch. Can’t wait till he realizes that all his children hate him and are never going to “choose to live with their daddy” bc they’d rather not be gaslighted and emotionally abused.

[eternalravendreamer]

Let me tell y'all about Mrs. Herr.

Be me, in 3rd grade, at...let's call it L.Elementary school. The school district had 4 elementary schools, and which one you went to was based on which one was closest to your address. Anyway, I was entering 3rd grade after having an absolute saint of a woman as my homeroon teacher in 2nd grade, I still consider her one of my personal heroes. Unfortunately for me, this would not be the case for 3rd grade.

Because my homeroom teacher was Mrs. Herr.

Mrs. Herr was one of those teachers who wanted the students to do exactly as she said, down to the last detail. Any deviation feom her instructions was considered acting out.

Which when you're a kid who doesn't know how social cues or the expectations of adults work, is really fuckin hard.

I would get shouted at for every little thing I did "wrong", usually the result of not yet being diagnosed. But the time that still sticks in my mind all this time later is this:

- Mrs. Herr tells us to write down our homewrork in our little homework logs

- I realize there's so much written with long words that I'll run out of space

- I decide to write it down in shorthand to save space. Page became pg., for example

- Mrs. Herr sees and gets mad at me for doing this

- I expalin why I did it

- She tells me I should just write smaller and rips the page out of my log and tears it to pieces in from of me before telling me to do it again "the right way this time"

- I get upset and run to hide under a table to cry, which had become a habit due to incidents just like this (the table was big enough for me to fit under but short enough that adults couldn't pull me out from under it)

My Mom was called, especially bc while I was crying under the table I drew a picture about it and included my parents getting mad at Mrs. Herr for me, which Mrs. Herr apparently decided was me, a 9 year old, threatening her. No I am not kidding.

I had already been seeing a child psychologist for a bit at that point, but one of my aunts who taught at a different grade school had gone to an optional in-service class about recognizing autism in students for early intervention and IMMEDIATELY clocked it as me, so right before Spring Break of 3rd grade, I was diagnosed as autistic at age 9.

L. Elementary School had one whole school counselor for the entire student body. They had no mental health resources. It was the early 2000s, it wasn't mandatory yet. So when my mom told the school about my new diagnosis and asked what they could do to help me, their answer was...nothing. I'd have to transfer to one of the other elementary schools.

I, of course, had no idea any of this was happening because I was a little kid and my Mom didn't want to stress me out. It was only when I was an adult that she told me all this.

The three remaining grade schools did give her some options:

- C. Elementary didn't have any dedicated Special Ed department, but had the smallest student body so I could get more one-on-one attention

- W. Elementary had a Special Ed. department, but it was separate from the main student body. Disabled kids were technically being mainstreamed into a public school following the ADA, but they were being segregated into their own corner of the school and none of the regular student body even knew they were there. This is the school the district recommended for me.

- R. Elementary, which had a Special Ed. department made of only 3 teachers, meaning they only had one small "class" of the kids who needed the most support, but the kids were kept in their normal homerooms and only removed for the Special Ed classroom at select times during the day. This is the one my mom selected.

When Spring Break came, I was told I would be switching schools when the break ended. Despite being bullied by my own homeroom teacher, I was devastated and didn't want to. I didn't want to leave what few friends I had, I didn't want to leave the school library where I knew where all my favorite books were, I didn't want to leave my 2nd grade teacher who I would still see on the playground sometimes, I didn't want to leave my Girl Scout troop. I didn't want change.

Luckily, Mrs. Mitchell at R. Elementary was an amazing person as the head of the Special Ed room. She used a reward system, gave us plenty of room to do our own thing, didn't force us to interact with each other outside of lessons (mostly about how to get along with other kids and recognize what emotions were which). I genuinely did get better at managing myself. But to this day, being bullied by Mrs. Herr - and plenty of other teachers before and after her - has stayed with me.

Everyone give me the most screwed up thing that has ever happened to you in the american public school system

[aster-the-autistic-nebula]

My mom is for the "autism cure". Her words were "not cure it for people who have it right now, but if we could find out what causes it to prevent it then we should". I was like "Albert Einstein. Bill Gates. Tim Burton. They all have/had autism. Why would you want to take away such a good thing?" And she goes "BUT THEY WERE HIGH FUNCTIONING" omg what do I even do. She doesn't know I'm autistic bc ignorance and refusal to believe her child could be, and it really upset me.

First of all, it is completely understandable that you would be upset in this situation.

That is one of the concerns many people in the autistic community have about a cure: that it will be essentially a eugenics program - and that’s exactly what that sort of “cure” is - eugenics. What causes it is genetics. That sort of “cure” requires genetic testing and aborting a potentially autistic child before they are born (since this method would be testing for an “autism gene” it will affect everyone with that gene, including some who may not actually be autistic). Even if a method of gene editing could be developed to remove that gene, there is literally no way to know what other effects it could have - genetics is extremely complicated and changing one thing can, and will, affect something else, potentially seemingly unrelated. Further, “designer babies” become a concern - literally building the genetic code for a child to match some ideal, which then leads to a possibility for increased inequality - only the genetically “perfect” qualify for certain things or are considered “deserving” of certain benefits and privileges - an exaggerated form of the inequalities present in society now (not to mention issues of homogeny and ideals of genetic “purity” that reflect the Nazi “Arian” ideology from the 1930′s and 40′s).

It’s also worth noting that functioning labels aren’t really used medically anymore. The DSM-5 does not include functioning labels, instead opting for 2-category support levels. The problems with functioning labels include what your mum is doing here: separating autistics based on arbitrary measures, which is often used to deny us a voice (if we are considered high functioning), or to deny us agency (if we are considered low functioning). The fact is, many of us are “high functioning” in some areas, and “low functioning” in others, and this can change from day-to-day. For example, I can usually speak very well (with some stuttering - and I’m even more articulate via text), and can achieve high grades in my studies (actually a benefit of Special Interests) - this would have me labeled high functioning; but I also can’t tell when I’m hungry and need to eat until I’m light headed and collapse on the floor, or go to the shops on my own (and I still need several days to recover when I go with someone), or make a phone call to book my own doctor’s appointments, and I am useless at reading body language and literally never make eye contact - this would have me labeled low functioning. The difference between them is what you can see: the first is more publically visible, while the second you would have to be living with me to know about. The issue with calling the people you mentioned “high functioning” is that we don’t know what they struggled with - it wasn’t part of their public life, so we didn’t see it.

I think the best thing that you could do if you feel safe doing so is to try to educate her on what autism actually is, rather than the media portrayals of it, and that it’s not as terrible of a thing as some people and organisations (like Autism Speaks) try to make it seem. Perhaps explaining the biopsychosocial model of disability would help too (most of the disabling parts of autism arise from the way society views and treats it, rather than inherent to biology or psychology - I mean, in an understanding, accepting, and accommodating social environment it is possible to not be very disabled by it and live a fairly "normal” life). Directing her to, or showing her posts, articles, and other media by autistics may also help.

The sort of ignorance and refusal that you are referring to usually develops out of fear driven by a lack of understanding and exaggerated by the way organisations like Autism Speaks talks about autism, and so, the best way to deal with that is to educate; help them to understand what it is, and show them that it’s not something to be afraid of. This isn’t to say that being autistic doesn’t have its challenges, but it also isn’t the disaster and loss that it is often depicted as.

Followers, feel free to provide additions or corrections (and to anon: I apologise that this took nearly an hour for me to type a reply)

(I’m not really sure what I should tag this with either, so if you would like it tagged with anything, just let me know)

[gmos]

v long complicated vent with heavy traumatic topics v

im struggling rn bc i cant figure out what types of speech impediments i have bc of my ambiguous severe dissociative disorder + so much of my childhood is completely gone from memory + my mom is a terrible person who has and continues to force me to communicate in the way she wants. i dont feel right describing myself as nonverbal bc depending on my dissociative facet i have to physically shut my mouth. but other facets are completely incapable of speech. but i dont feel right describing each facet as its own individual bc theres not distinct memory pools. but then does that make me semiverbal? or is there a distinction and im just pretending its not there? and then was i nonverbal and then traumatized into speaking and have been good enough at parroting to get by? and either way i still have a speech impediment 100% of the time and can basically only repeat things ive already heard. like putting my thoughts into spoken words is like trying to pull a car through a pedestrian gate. thats why im always on here just saying so much bc its the only way i can communicate my thoughts with people, i have the chance to formulate my words as they come and then go back and edit. but i can go to work and talk to people. but its all parroted and it makes me extremely extremely anxious every time. but is it force-fixed nonverbalism or aphasia from the brain damage? or both? how am i supposed to fix whats wrong when theres so many things wrong its impossible to nail down any singular problem. not that it matters when i cant find a single doctor in this town who will take me and my insurance. youd think the university medical practice at least would be able to take me but i guess not. they just gave me a $4k bill (which charged me for procedures they DIDNT DO) and tossed me out and told me to get more imaging done. at this point it feels like killing myself is the only option bc i literally cannot afford to bounce around between doctors again only for them all to tell me they dont know whats wrong with me and then put me on drugs that sedate me hoping i die of critical hypotension bc i was too swamped in brain fog to know anything is even wrong. my life has been fucking ruined over and over by psychiatric doctors especially and i know thats who im gonna get referred to if i bring up any of my autism-sphere issues. the "best" doctor ive ever gone to made fun of me for asking for drugs as soon as i brought up the possibility of psychological issues. is it such a fucking crime to want to get better? how am i supposed to endure all this but im not supposed to kill myself. how have i been beaten down over and over again like every day and told that theres so much wrong with me. and the worst part is that its true. i know its internalized ableism to resent needing help but i have been demonized my entire life for needing anything at all, even as a child needing like food and care. so i have forced myself into independence and overcompensated for all the things i clinically fail at. and then people dont even see or believe that im disabled. its a double lie, telling people im disabled and need help but also not telling them and destroying myself trying to keep up with whats expected of me. im so fucking sick of everything like im in so much pain all the time and it sucks so bad and im so tired and i cant do anything right and i hate myself so fucking much for it. I dont want to do this anymore. i want to give up. ive finally taken off my spite/pride/stubbornness. i dont want to persevere anymore. its almost to the point where i literally cannot even force myself and then pay the debt later. but ive only lived on my own for six months, so giving up now would look like failure and the inability to live on my own. i want independence, but i need way more support than ive ever gotten, and every single type of support has a mandatory dependence built in. my self if the only thing i have, i cant give it up in the hope that i might possibly get better for once. i just want people to be understanding of my severe, vast deficits and not punish me for

them constantly. its never going to happen though.

[lucifer-nanezgani]

 OK so I just heard about Senator Pauline Hanson’s comments about autistic children so I thought I’d just put my opinions under a readmore bc I’m really pissed off about this

TW: ableism, Pauline Hanson being her asshole self

So for those of you who don’t know, Pauline Hanson is a Senator for Queensland and the head of the One Nation political party in Australia, who bases her political views on racist ideals. She holds negative views of Muslims, Asians, Aboriginal Australians, Africans and is basically Australia’s version of Trump. Recently, when the Australian Parliament was debating an education reform, Hanson announced her support, but also commented that “we need to get rid of autistic children from mainstream classrooms” because teachers spend too much time working with them.

You can read her comments here if you want.

As an autistic student myself, I’m fuming at this whole debacle. By removing disabled students from mainstream classrooms, you’re further separating them from their peers and making them feel less than them and not worth the teacher’s time or a proper education. Having an autistic kid in a classroom, and autism itself is not a bad thing and not what society makes it out to be. There was a comment made about  "They forget about the child who … wants to go ahead [in] leaps and bounds in their education." Well, what about us? What if we want to “go ahead in leaps and bounds” in our education too? 

This proposed segregation of autistic children, and special needs children by extent, if ever put into place, could show autistic students like me that our lives and our education is worth less than those of our peers, and also could instil these backwards thoughts into other children. I’m kind of relieved that Pauline Hanson’s party and her supporters make up a very small portion of the political sphere in Australia statistics-wise, but these comments are a reminder that people like her and people with her ideals should not belong in politics and the danger they could pose to minority groups. We’ve seen the effects the Trump administration has in America, and I’m just hoping that I never see that in my own country

[neechoudai]

#30 Days of Autism Acceptance Challenge!

I missed a few days, so I’m going to catch up! I’ve been mega busy ^.^;

Day 2: Talk about passing and/or being out.  Are you out as autistic?  How have people reacted?  Do they treat you differently after they found out?  Do you attempt to pass?  If you do try to pass have you experienced autistic burnout from trying to pass?

Only since the end of my freshman year of college (I’m ending my junior year now) have I really “come out”--usually to friends and teachers who might need to know. I was afraid to when I was younger, but I’ve become more proud of my identity the more I learned! I still get the usual “I never would have guessed” and similar remarks because I’ve apparently been able to pass super well, and they bother me, but I get past that. They’re more considerate to me and understanding of my needs--and always point out things they hear in the news about autism (which can get annoying if it’s inspiration porn but otherwise, it’s nice to have others think of me when they hear about my passion!).

I always try to pass because I am both used to it at this point and afraid of how I might be treated if I am not trying. I want to start passing less because it’s highly stressful, and honestly I’ve been in a constant state of burnout for a long time now. I’m hanging on by a thread and I’m amazed at my ability to get by. I’ve been getting better at letting myself pass less in public--whether that means stimming, carrying a tangle, or anything else. I’m trying to get past the stigma for myself.

Day 3: Talk about relationships, both platonic and romantic.  Do you have anyone special in your life?  Have your relationships been affected by your being autistic?  Have you found it hard to make and maintain friendships?  Do you have a lot of friends or very few?

I have a lot of close relationships, all platonic. I don’t know what my romantic orientation is, but I’m 95% sure it’s demi lol. My friendships are extremely important to me, and I have so many of them I don’t want to say anyone in particular in case I accidentally leave someone out because it’s hard to remember everyone at once!! No offense of course.

It’s hard for me to make friends with someone unless they have something in common with me--typically an interest in at least one of my special interests. Otherwise, it’s hard for me to find things to talk about and share. Mom has told me to make friends with some people because they don’t have many, but as much as I want to it’s hard. So I am nice, but not really friends with them. Most of my friends are online, though I have some in real life. I am closer to the ones online, though, because it’s easier to interact for me and also more comfy in general--though I would definitely love to meet most of my internet friends <3

Day 4: Talk about your family and support.  Who in your life has helped you?  Have medical and mental health providers served your needs?  Do you feel like your family is supportive of you being autistic?

My friends have been the biggest help to me. It’s because of them I’ve come to accept myself as much as I have. I have not really ever had any support from medical or mental health providers--I was diagnosed as a teen, and there weren’t many services in my area for teens on the spectrum. So no, they haven’t served my needs--which is precisely why I’m going into a career where I can serve the needs of other teens who may be in the position I was in back then!

My mom is not the best, but she tries, so that’s something. She used to be convinced I grew out of it and sort of reinforced the stigma of “don’t tell people because that will make you a Target [for bullying]” for a long time tbh. She still doesn’t understand, but she seems to be making some sort of an effort at the very least. So cheers to that. Other than that, I don’t speak to much of my extended family, and my younger sister doesn’t talk to me much either bc she’s a Moody Teen. (which is fine.) But for a positive family, my found family in my friends--and my wonderful cat--are a wonderful support.

Day 5: Talk about employment and your career.  What do you do to support yourself?  Are you on disability?  Was it hard to get or maintain?

I am a student in college and I also work a work study job at the campus library! It was not too hard to get once I filled out the applications--that’s my biggest problem with getting jobs: i have huge anxiety when I have to do big applications!! But I’ve been able to get jobs very easily, thank goodness, and I maintain it. I often get nervous, but people always tell me I’m fantastic t my job. I don’t tell anyone there about my autism because I get nervous or afraid still. I am not on disability.

[theniftycat]

Bits about me (cause it’s time to refresh)

1. I was born prematurely and had a birth trauma, that left me with spastic palsy, so, my life is pretty difficult. The worst bit is the right hand, it hardly obeys me (like Dr Strangelove, but my right hand isn’t Nazi). Basically, every my movement is effected by it, but at least I can deal with my left hand and walk more or less fine, except, my brain doesn’t understand stairs and my balance is really awful, so, I feel the most comfortable in highly developed cities or the ones that care about their elders, like, have banisters everywhere where it’s needed and smooth walks without any stairs etc. Also, I’m pretty sure I was born with a right-handed brain, but never got to use it, so, maybe it helped my mental development, because both sides were working.

2. Last year I thought that I could be autistic and I think I am. The whole idea that autism was a spectrum was not evident to me until I understood that my social skills are more or less neurotypical, but EVERYTHING else wasn’t. It’s about the way of perceiving the world and dealing with it. The way of thinking. The way of living your life, basically.

3. I am Yakut and I live in Yakutsk, Russia. It’s in Siberia. It’s also the coldest city (not a place or a village) on Earth. It sucks. I was born in a town 80 km from here and lived there till 2010. I don’t speak Yakut, but I understand it more or less. Probably less than French. I’m frowned upon because of it.

4. I started studying at home a year earlier than I was supposed to, because we had a neighbour who was a teacher and she took a new class that year. Two years later I joined them at school. I never was bullied or anything, I think it’s thanks to the teacher, because for the two years she was telling my future classmates about me and they were prepared to see someone who was not like them (disabled). After a couple of years I became one of the best students and stayed so till the end. I can’t say I had any real friends there, but everyone was friendly and supportive. Being younger than everyone didn’t help tho.

5. I finished school in 2006, a month after I became 16. Then I suddenly realised that I can’t study anywhere except for an institute for disabled people in Moscow. They had only five departments there and I chose languages even tho I’d never wanted it. The place was awful, after a month I broke down and came back home. I returned 3 years later, but only stayed for a year. It wasn’t a good time, but at least I had some real friends for the first time. Nevertheless I chose to leave it. My brother finished school that year and my family decided to move to Yakutsk because of both of us. I started studying French at the local university, but left it 4 years later (4/5) because it still wasn’t my thing. But I met my bff there, so, it was worth it. This year we’re both going to start studying again, in Saint-Petersburg. Not languages this time :)

6. I have very little knowledge about modern pop-culture because I lived in the niche corner since 2004. My interests included French literature of the XIX c, independent European cinema, ballet, classical music, Neil Gaiman, Stephen Fry, British television, more classical literature, specific actors, Michael Palin etc etc. Only in 2010s I started getting more open, probably because I was studying with people younger than me and finally had a good internet connection that allowed me to download anything I wanted. I got so sick of movies in 2013 that I decided to stop watching them at all for 6 months. I still have a folder called ‘Not cinema’, MFU originally appeared in it, but I watched it only a year or two later. And I never got back to watching movies the way I did.

7. In 2010 I visited Italy for the first time. I cried when I was leaving. Since then I’m addicted to travelling. In 2012 I was in Paris with my parents. In 2013 my bff and I were in Ireland for three weeks, during that time I had my first experience of travelling alone when I went to Killarney for a weekend. The first night I got lost, it was pouring, my umbrella nearly broke. I found a bnb with a room (others were all full) finally and had an enormously amazing time enjoying being warm and comfy. It was just... surreal. The next day I went to the local cathedral, then to the park, it was all so wonderful, an old lady with a dog offered me a ride from the park, I was just enjoying it all so much, I didn’t want to leave and... I didn’t. I wasn’t able to get a ticket back to Dublin, my card didn’t work bc some works were being done at my bank in Yakutsk. I had 0 cash and nowhere to go. But it all ended well. After that many of my travels led me to adventures and situations when I felt like everything was lost. Of course, I love travelling more than anything else. Especially, on my own.

8. I studied painting for three months in Florence in 2014. That’s something I can’t believe myself. Living on my own and everything. It was a dramatical time. So much drama. So much pathos.

9. Living in Buenos Aires for three months in 2015-2016 taught me cooking, crying, being careful and loving myself. All the vital things. I basically ran away there and I’m glad I did.

10. The fact that I’m alive is a miracle. Also, since 2015 the MFU fandom always was there for me. Thank you, thank everyone of you.

[fierceautie]

Tony Attwood is a well known psychologist who concentrated his career in Aspergers syndrome (stay with me I don't believe in this label but I do need to accurately give information). He is married to his wife Sarah and has three children. His children's' names are Rosie, William and Caroline. Aspergers Syndrome is no longer in the DSM V. Its all considered autism. He is hanging on to the functioning label that the autistic community has denounced many times before. Hans Asperger was a Nazi who sent disabled children to their death and should never be honored.  Attwood graduated with an honors degree from the University of Hull. He has a Masters Degree in clinical psychology from the University of Surrey and a PhD from the University of London. Attwood is currently an adjunct associate professor at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. Attwood and Transgender Issues Tony Attwood has been rather vocal when it comes to transgender issues and autistic people. He says he is not opposed to a transitioning if the person chooses. He feels that people could "slump back into depression if trans status was embraced with impulsive and unrealistic hopes to fix autism." This is offensive on so many different levels. I have met many autistic people who are transgender. Many just want to live as who they are. Nobody ever says they want to "fix their autism."  "Once they've changed gender, they still have autism and when transition doesn't solve their problems they think, Oh no, that was the only option I had, what's the point of life?" A non scientific poll on twitter showing out of 150 autistic respondents, 92% do not want autism to be cured.  There is a higher risk of suicide if people do not transition. According to the Williams Institute, studies show the prevalence of suicide thoughts and attempts among transgender adults is significantly higher than of the US general population. This uses data from the 2015 US Transgender Survey.  The key factors are:  98% of respondents who had experienced four instances of discrimination and violence in the past year thought about suicide that year 51% attempted suicide that year In contrast to what Attwood says: "Those who had 'de-transitioned' at some point, meaning having gone back to living according to their sex assigned at birth, were significantly more likely to report suicide thoughts and attempts, both past year and lifetime, than those who have never 'de-transitioned.' Nearly 12 % of those who 'de-transitioned' attempted suicide in the past year compared to 6.7 % of those who have not 'de-transitioned.'" "Those who wanted and subsequently received hormone therapy and/or surgical care had substantially lower prevalence of past year suicide thoughts and attempts than those who wanted hormone therapy and surgical care and did not receive them" The science clearly says that transitioning is VITAL for mental health. This is the exact opposite of what Attwood claims. I had the opportunity to speak with Alexandra Forshaw of Autistic Inclusive Meets. She is a transgender autistic who agrees to speak to me about this topic. She said,” I transitioned about 5 years before I was diagnosed autistic, although I self-identified for several years before that.“ I transitioned because I’d become increasingly aware that the reason I felt such discomfort trying to act and appear male was that I wasn’t actually male.“ I’ve always felt completely comfortable being autistic - I know that it causes me some difficulties in my life but I’m used to that and I’ve learned how to work around the obstacles. I’ve never wished I wasn’t autistic.” Clearly she didn’t transition because she wanted to cure autism. She wants to live life as herself. Nothing more, nothing less.  His has his own clinic called Minds and Hearts: "A private clinic for Autism Spectrum Disorders. This clinic is a unique clinic located in Brisbane specialising in Aspergers Sydrome and Autism. This clinic was designed to provide specialised knowelge and assistance from a multidisciplinary team of experienced professionals. Minds and Hearts has 7 psychologists, 1 educational psychologist and 2 receptionists. Tony Attwood is also one of the team members." The clinic offers:  Ongoing therapy: emotional problems including anxiety, anger aggression and depression Attention Deficit Disorder Behavioral Problems Eating Problems Grief Bereavement Couples and Families Experiencing problems School problems including school phobia, behavioral problems and bullying and teasing School Communication problems Social Skill development and friendship skills Sexual problems and sex education Problem Solving This whole laundry list sounds like goals for ABA. They do not come out and say it is ABA but not everyone is obvious about it.  Groups: Only one group is listed. Autism Working Programme: "Employment can make a big difference to a person’s self-esteem including a sense of purpose and self-worth, practical application of one’s interests and/or strengths, opportunities for acquiring new skills and the incorporation of structure and routine into daily life. Nevertheless, employment can bring particular problems for a person on the autism spectrum, including difficulties with mental exhaustion and high levels of stress, difficulties with the social aspects of the work setting, sensory issues and concerns regarding priorities and organizational skills. This group programme provides strategies and ideas to assist with the common problems that can become barriers for people on the autism spectrum in the work setting. By the end of the programme, participants will have a comprehensive workbook of strategies specifically designed for their own profile of strengths and challenges. These strategies can then be used to achieve greater success in the workplace." This does not state how teaching coping skills will be taught. This could be ABA methods, it could not be. But with the behavior approach that is talked about in the rest of the site, it probably incorporates ABA methods. If ethical methods were used, this could be extremely helpful. The clinic offers Speech Therapy but Attwood does not run that.  Attwood authored several books:  I have not personally read them but the way they are presented, I would not recommend them. When i read them I will post my review.  They are: Ask Dr Tony: "contains transcripts of Skype interviews that Craig Eveans of 'Autism Hangout' website www.autismhangout.com conducted with Tony Attwood over several years. Tony answers a wide variety of questions on ASD posed by the member of Autism Hangout and these have been transcribed for all to read and learn" The Complete Guide To Aspergers Syndrome: "is the definitive handbook for anyone affected by Aspergers syndrome. It brings together a wealth of information on all aspects of the syndrome for children through to adults." Exploring Depression and Beating the Blues: "A CBT self help guide to Understanding and Coping with depression in Aspergers syndrom [ASD level 1] written by Tony Attwood and Michelle Garnett. . . This book explains and decribes depression, the forms it can take, and how it looks and feels for teenagers and adults with aspergers syndrome. Although developed as a self help guide for use with minimal professional support, the programme can also be used in group or individual treatment. " Been There. Done That. Try This! "The world Aspie mentors pass on their insights for sucessful living! Launching a mentorship movement within the autism community to help each other find success, this is an inspirational guide to life by aspies for aspies." CBT for Children and Adolescents with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders: "This book helps clinicians harness the benefits of cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) for children and adolescents with high functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Leading treatment developers describe promising approaches for treating common challenges  faced by young people with ASD - anxiety and behavior problems, social competence issues and adolescent concerns around sexuality and intimacy. Chapters present session by session overviews of each intervention program, review its evidence base and address practical consideration in treatment. This book also discusses general  issues in adapting CBT for this population and provides a helpful framework for assessment and case conceptualization." Exploring Affection: "These two books present carefully designed and evaluated activities for parents, teachers and psychologists to help children who have Aspergers Syndrome understand and express affection to friends and family members. The programme can be incorporated into social skills or friendship programme or a Cognitive Behaviour Therapy programme for expression of emotions." Source: https://www.tonyattwood.com.au/ (view in mobile bc the desktop version looks horrendous) https://mindsandhearts.net/ https://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/inquiry-needed-into-link-between-aspergers-and-gender-dysphoria-australian-/13457 https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/suicidality-transgender-adults/

http://www.fierceautie.com/2020/08/autistic-history-tony-attwood.html