#but on tumblr it's always “dont call autism a difference in brain. it's a disability and that's all it is because it ruins my life and is

[autisticlee]

I started with posting about my autistic experience on twitter, reading posts on there, and interacting with people there.

then twitter got unbearable, so I moved back here and made a new account and side blogs to mirror twitter and lurk in the tags.

i've noticed a difference between autism twitter and autism tumblr from the big algorithm-controlled posts I usually see:

autism twitter makes me feel like i'm not allowed to say autism disables me or causes problems in life

while autism tumblr makes me feel like i'm not allowed to feel positively about being autistic and can only see it as a struggling disability.

the contrast makes me dizzy 😵‍💫 it's like no one wants to see the perspective of other people when we are all different. each side wants their narrative to be the told one.

[transmasc-wizard]

yeah sure! keep in mind i am 1 autistic person, we are not a monolith, and also today's been weird so my brain is scrambled. but there are some things i can talk about yeah!

1: do research! specifically read experiences by autistic people. if the person's not autistic, don't source it--there's so so so much misinformation. we're treated like toddlers, animals, tragedies, & mysteries by non-autistic sources. especially avoid autism speaks and anyone associated with them, theyre very very bad

2: look into the community/talk to us! like you are now :D you can ask specific questions of people willing to answer & you can just read experiences from people who dont want questions. the #actuallyautistic tag on tumblr is full of us talking about our experiences.

3: learn what autism often involves! autism is a neurodevelopmental disability characterized by social deficits (in communication, relationships, cues, etc etc) & by restrictive/repetitive patterns of thoughts and behaviors. It's different in everyone, but we all have those 2 things in some way. You should look into the other traits that can happen, though, because it's largely varied (thats why its called autism SPECTRUM disorder).

4: think about what traits your character specifically has! like, my biggest traits are difficulty picking up social cues, social anxiety, sensory hypersensitivity (esp. auditory), a need for structure, hatred of most change, dislike of people, lack of empathy, echolalia, auditory/tactile stimming, & shutdowns.

HOWEVER. Someone else's traits may be being semi-verbal, love of routine, volume control issues, hyperempathy, meltdowns, difficulty having conversations & keeping relationships, visual stimming, literal thinking, & sensory hyposensitivity.

They'd be just as autistic as I am--autism is a spectrum in the sense that we have many many traits that may present differently in different people. (That's also why "high functioning" and "low functioning" are often inaccurate & unhelpful.) A nonverbal person with very few sensory issues is no more or less autistic than a verbal person with severe SPD, they're just different. Your autistic character(s) should have their own set of traits, not just be a Sheldon Cooper 2.0.

5: let them have a personality outside of autism, don't make them a tragedy, and don't treat them like they need to be cured. this one's really important. I'm autistic, but I'm also a writer & an artist & someone who likes science & a friend & a cat owner & an older brother & & & etc. Autism affects every aspect of my life, yeah, but it isn't literally my life. It should be the same for your character. Additionally, autistic people aren't tragic for existing. it can and is hard to be autistic--it's a disability for a reason--but autism is a morally neutral thing to have & many, many autistics live happy lives. (That includes autistics who will always need carers and struggle with daily tasks--they can still be happy and should be able to see themselves in media as such.)

There are autistics that wish they weren't autistic, and I 100% respect them, but it is best for stories about that conflict to come solely from within the community so they don't accidentally become "all autistics hate their autism" stories.

Anyway that's a starting point i think. feel free to ask more questions if you need to & im glad you're willing to follow the "advice" in my original post :D

writing tip: add more autistic characters to your cast. more. more. more. m o r e