#authenticallyautistic

[asupportedlife]

Yesterday’s sensory support was being at the playground with my son. Using our hands, being tactile...We found an interesting bucket seat that I think you sit in it and someone spins you around in. I knew he wouldn’t be keen on that, but I knew he would be keen on filling it with bark. So I show d him by picking up handfuls and dropping the bark in slowly as if it were a cascading waterfall. He understood and started to copy me, fully enjoying himself ✨✨✨When I was a child, my mum was not joyful. She was quite the opposite actually. She didn’t participate in life with us, she was afraid to be seen in the world as herself, afraid to be embarrassed. So she sat on the sidelines, she didn’t cheer (and what team was I in anyway, I wasn’t!), she just...didn’t.

My journey of recovering from CPTSD has bought me to a place of healing so that I could have a child of my own. It’s a struggle to be with him sometimes, and when I say, with, I mean, be present and not embarrassed by my own self...just the same way she was. We allow our son to live authentically autistic, as that’s who he was born to be. Showing him that his mum is not afraid to be in a public park, filling a seat with bark and not worrying if we are ‘doing the wrong thing’. Showing him that fun is just fun, and playgrounds don’t need to have rules (as some parents think they do). I’m showing up for him, and I will continue to do so his whole life, he’s more important than how I feel.

Image description: a small child stands over a red bowl at a park and the bowl has some bark in it.

[dmnsqrl]

Posted @withrepost • @autistic.barbie COMMUNICATION👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 . . . . . #actuallyautistic #authenticallyautistic #aspergers #aspergerssyndrome #aspie #aspiegirl #aspiegirlturnsmother #autism #autismmemes #autisticadults #boycottautismspeaks #autismspeaksdoesntspeakforme #adhdmemes #adhd #sensory #sensoryprocessingdisorder #sensorybin #sensoryoverload #sensory #sensoryintegration #sensoryactivities #actuallyautisticmemes https://www.instagram.com/p/B3SxdWRDscXw0wi2qStiNIUTbHaH68SXEpVLYY0/?igshid=im85dz28q4ab

[authenticallyautistic-blog]

Stimming

Hey guys! Reblog and tell us about your favorite/most used stim. 

[autisticnarwhal]

Tangled/Rapunzel Stimboard and Aesthetic #actuallyautistic #autisticadult #autisticwomen #autismacceptance #autisticcommunity #autisminwomen #lateidentifiedautistic #autisticallyme #differentlywired #authenticallyautistic #specialinterest #Disneycore #Disneyfan #Tangled #Rapunzel

[autisticnarwhal]

otters are another special interest!!! Love them so much!!! #actuallyautistic #autisticwomen #autisminwomen #differentlywired #authenticallyautistic #autismacceptance #specialinterest #seaotters #ottercore #cuteanimalscore ♾

[asupportedlife]

Today’s sensory support comes in the form of making a visual aide for my son. We’ve been having so much success with using visuals and since learning how to use the Pages app I have been making so many for him. If you’re a parent supporting your autistic child I couldn’t recommend visuals any more highly. Breaking things down into steps is super helpful and your kiddo will thank you for it (even if they can’t tell you in words)! When our son asks for his ‘orange ice’, we can go to the recipe card (if they’re not already frozen) and show him where in the process we are. This reduced his frustration and helps him understand what’s happening.

Image description: a visual aide for making orange ice blocks, broken down into the seven smaller steps.

[dmnsqrl]

#Repost @aut.in.sight_aut.in.mind (@get_repost) ・・・ We can support Autistic children to develop an authentic self AND learn necessary skills. It’s not an either/or situation. But when we are well-meaning but (mis)guided by neuro-normative expectations, we risk teaching our Autistic children to construct a version of themselves to please others, a false self to avoid others from feeling discomfort, to inhibit their feelings, preferences, impulses, and needs in order to appear “normal”. This is not healthy for anyone; Autistic or non-Autistic. “Authenticity is central to wellbeing and a strong predictor of mental health. Yet, we teach Autistic children how to blend in and meet neuro-normative expectations, how to appear “normal”, often at the expense of developing their authentic self. Then we wonder why so many Autistic adults have co-occurring mental health conditions.” #actuallyautistic #therapautist #autist #autie #aspie #autismspectrum #neurodivergence #autisticwellbeing #AUThenticity #authenticallyautistic #mentalhealth #neuronormativity #autinsightautinmind https://www.instagram.com/p/BpzeRZillq0nN-BRIalblDBzYBEtaPozV74mOI0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=hdu7wciy20qs

[authenticallyautistic-blog]

Hey guys! We have a new video coming out tomorrow that we’re very excited about. Instead of viewing autism as a burden, we look at how teenage boy and his family accept the difference, not try to smother it. Can’t wait to see what you all think!

[autisticnarwhal]

It's been so many years since I first saw Wicked in Chicago on Broadway but it's one of my most memorable ones I've seen. My older sister is a physical therapist and she actually worked on the actors and dancers for the show as a side gig to make extra money outside of her clinic. And since she had connections with the cast, I got a private backstage tour and got to meet the cast members!!!! I was totally fan girling of course!!! They even showed me how they suspended Glinda and Elphaba up in the air!!! I have my t shirt, Playbill, and the musical soundtrack still to this day. In junior high school I performed Defying Gravity for the school talent show in 6th or 7th grade. I was Elphaba and my friend was Glinda. I still am super into Wicked and hope to meet Idina Menzel someday!!! #actuallyautistic #autisticwomen #autisticadult #autismacceptance #autisticallyme #autisminwomen #lateidentifiedautistic #autisticallyme #differentlywired #authenticallyautistic #specialinterest #Wickedthemusical #Wicked #Broadwaymusicals #specialinterest #Wickedfandom ♾ 💚💚💚 🧙‍♀️

So I was listening to ‘No One Mourns the Wicked’ and it just hit me that Glinda has to be absolutely devastated during that number because the best friend she has ever had has just died, as far as she knows, but she promised Elphie that she wouldn’t try to clear Elphie’s name so Glinda just has to stand there and listen to all of these people celebrate the fact that her best friend is dead and I am not okay

[autisticnarwhal]

Alice In Wonderland Aesthetic/Stimboard #actuallyautistic #autisticwomen #differentlywired #autisminwomen #lateidentifiedautistic #autismacceptance #autisticallyawesome #authenticallyautistic #autisticadult #Disneyfan #Disneycore #specialinterest #AliceInWonderland #Alice #WelcometoWonderland ♾

[asupportedlife]

This morning’s sensory support is creating another visual aide recipe card for my son. This time it’s his favourite, marmite toast for breakfast. This will be the 4th recipe card I’ve made for him. We are finding them so helpful, I can point to where I am at in the process and tell him what I’m doing and he accepts and understands that I’m making food for him.

I can’t even stress enough how important visual aides are for your autistic child/ren. But even more so, for any child that isn’t NT and does have a harder time understanding or processing spoken language. These are key in reducing frustration for your child and as a knock on effect, for yourself too. Using visual aides gives you more interaction with your child, especially if they are non speaking or use limited mouth words and are often no eye contact. Using these have absolutely increased the amount of fun moments we have together.

I will post the finished visual later on when I have the time. So if you’d like to make one for your child you will have an example to follow. I’ve found some on Pinterest but of course you need to adjust to suit your child’s needs. This formula works for my son because it is broken down step by step, it meets his level of understanding. Your child may need fewer or more steps.

Image description: a grey plate sits on a grey speckled bench top. On the plate is a jar of marmite, a knife and two pieces of toast spread with marmite. Marmite is a traditional New Zealand breakfast toast spread that most kids grow up eating. Made from the left over yeast products of beer brewing, Marmite is quite a salty and savoury spread, but us Kiwi’s love it.

[authenticallyautistic-blog]

It’s here! Check out our video and tell us what you think!

[autisticnarwhal]

Oof this hits home!! #actuallyautistic #autisticwomen #differentlywired #autisminwomen #autismacceptance #authenticallyautistic #growingupundiagnosedautistic #autistickid #neurodivergent #autistic #generalizedanxietydisorder #bipolar2 ♾

This speaks to me in so many ways 💔🌹

Source

[autisticnarwhal]

I've been so anxious and stressed out lately with so much change going on at work and other things but thankfully my anxiety medication and other things have helped quell it a bit. Having generalized anxiety disorder suckssss especially with lots of sudden change going on plus I don't handle change well at all!! Ughhh! life is definitely interesting when you have generalized anxiety disorder and also autistic. #actuallyautistic #autismacceptance #autisticallyawesome #authenticallyautistic #autisticadult #lateidentifiedautistic #autisticwomen #differentlywired #autisminwomen #generalizedanxietydisorder #GAD #change #stress #autisticlife #autisticreality ♾

[asupportedlife]

Another sensory support for today, rice turtles! My son is loving turtles at the moment and one of the same/same foods he enjoys is rice. It can be challenging to come up with ways to support his eating, I’ve found that making the rice into shapes has been helping. We use sushi rice and the powdered vinegar so it stays together. He struggles to use a fork and although we always give him the option, he mostly chooses his hands and that’s cool. I started by making a caterpillar because he was interested in them, that evolved into other shapes by using cookie cutters...and now it’s full on turtles.

Image description: three turtles made of rice sit on a blue plate that has a white paper on it.

[bloglizziekamiya]

Signal Boost

Hey guys! Please check out my new blog authenticallyautistic! It's a blog focusing on autistic people and their experiences and hopefully, a way to give them a voice. Also it's a project for college lol so I'd love to see what you all think!