#developmental disability awareness

[disability-and-cats]

don't forget march is developmental disabilities awareness month! :]

[millionmovieproject]

It's a holiday. For children. Give them the candy, or fuck off.

[vickierubin]

Developmental Disability Awareness Day- Four Key Moments

Join me on a heartfelt journey from curious parent and new professional to author and Keynote speaker. 4 Key moments from DDDAY 35. #RaisingJess #DDDAY #DevelopmentalDisability #RaisingAwareness #Advocate #1Q43-44

[dysgeographica]

there’s nothing wrong with needing to use gps directions to get everywhere.

it doesn’t mean you’re “stupid”, it doesn’t mean you’re not trying hard enough or not paying enough attention. it doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong or taking the easy way out. it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be allowed to be independent.

yes, even if you need it to get somewhere you’ve been a million times before. even if you need it to get around the town you’ve lived in your entire life. even if other people think you should be able to go without it.

if you wouldn’t judge another disabled person for using certain tools that let them live more independently, don’t judge yourself for doing the same.

and never ever let someone else shame you into going out into the world without the tools that allow you to feel safe.

these tools exist to be used, so use them if you need them. there’s no shame in needing help.

[disability-kitties]

Fragile X Syndrome Kitty mock up design

Designer: @alexandraisyes

Flag Design: @alexandraisyes

This Kitty is part of our Neurodivergent series

[zebulontheplanet]

Apparently it’s Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month? Who was going to tell me?! Anyways. Happy Developmental Disabilities Awareness month!

[rambles-of-mental-illness]

A flag for fragile X syndrome (requested/suggested) with assistance from @dragoncxv360. Information under cut

What is Fragile X Syndrome?

Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is a genetic disorder that affects how the brain develops. It can make learning, talking, and socializing harder for some people. It's the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability and happens because of a change (mutation) in the FMR1 gene on the X chromosome.

Why is it called Fragile X?

Under a microscope, the X chromosome in people with this condition looks "fragile" or broken, which is where the name comes from!

What does FXS do?

People with Fragile X might have: - Trouble learning (some have mild difficulties, others need more help) - Speech delays (talking later than other kids) - Anxiety & shyness (especially in social situations) - Sensory issues (loud sounds, bright lights, certain textures might feel overwhelming) - Hyperactivity or impulsiveness (kind of like ADHD) - Autism-like traits (repetitive behaviors, avoiding eye contact, social struggles)

What causes it?

A section of the FMR1 gene (which helps brain cells work properly) repeats too many times and turns off. This stops the body from making a protein called FMRP, which is important for brain development.

A parent can be a carrier (having a smaller mutation) and not show symptoms but still pass it on to their kids.

Is there a cure?

Nope, but there are ways to help! - Speech & behavioral therapy can improve communication. - Special education support helps with learning. - Medications can help with anxiety, hyperactivity, or mood regulation.

How do you know if someone has it?

Doctors can do a genetic test to check for the Fragile X mutation.

Fragile X Syndrome is a neurodivergent disability.

[pawtoon]

as person with complex and high need autism, big developmental delays also intellectual disability i think lot of neurotypical individuals or lower need individuals which not struggle with behavioural issues and behaviour regarding coping with negative emotion, lashing out, hitting, shouting just by self or at others demonise those with pretty severe developmental delays or high need and or struggle communication also which may result in aggression and such.

struggle with "explosion"? type behaviour quite a lot due to feelings and not able communicate stuff or emotion or anything and may throw things or run off, shout, swear and hit and it's not something which want exactly or control. need people to realise this isnt controllable behaviour and neither does make someone bad or abusive individual, it's genuine struggle which required understanding and support not backlash or something

[pompomtheprincess05]

"I'm autistic, but I'm not disabled"

If you're autistic, than you're disabled, because autisim IS a disability, you can't be autistic if you're not disabled!

I feel like a lot of low support needs autistic people think they're not disabled because disability is commonly viewed as being unable to do or understand anything at all, like being in a wheelchair 24/7 or in this case, being high support needs, being unable to use the bathroom or dressing themselves, when in actuality, disability is very broad, some disablilities can affect others in very diferent ways.

I feel like people think that being low support needs means that you're just a bit of an oddball, but actually, people forget that low support needs doesn't mean no support needs, while they can go to the bathroom on their own and dress themselves, and can speak perfectly fine, their still disabled in comparasion to neurotypical people, they can still struggle with things like getting a job, friendships, phone calls, sensory issues (strong smells, loud and/or unpleasent noises, bright lights, ect), being able to engage and/or empathize with other people, understanding social cues, unfamiliar or new places, and so many other things.

autism is a disability, wether you're low, moderate, medium or high support needs, you're still disabled because you're autistic and autism is a disability!

[soulofkole]

Autism has it's good qualities.....but then there's this annoyance. Let me freakin regulate and heal universe. Fk off already with your minor inconveniences right now. I got shit to do. Stop playin universe.

[jasper-is-autistic-old-blog]

howdy friends!

amongst other things, it is AAC awareness month! if you would like to, please reblog or comment how you use AAC to communicate. this can be high tech or low tech, full time or part time. even sign language if you want!

here's a short definition of AAC:

AAC stands for augmentative alternative communication. it can include any method of communication that replaces or adds to verbal speech.

from Wikipedia: AAC is used by those with a wide range of speech and language impairments, including congenital impairments such as cerebral palsy, intellectual impairment and autism, and acquired conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. AAC can be a permanent addition to a person's communication or a temporary aid.

if you have any questions about aac, feel free to ask me! i can either answer from what i know, or do my best to help you find the information online.

i'll go first:

i am able to speak sometimes and often use verbal speech with my family. when i can't, i usually text them. i also use high and low tech aac. i use AAC when im out of the house and need to talk to someone who can't understand me or when i can't speak at all.

my low tech aac includes communication cards with simple words and phrases.

my current high tech aac is an iPad with the app TD Snap. i am using the free trial, but i hope to save up the $50 to buy it! i use AAC to have conversations, to talk to myself, to order food, and to ask for help.

what is your experience with aac?

[boreal-sea]

I am disabled.

I have a mental illness that quite strongly affects my day to day life: Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I take daily medication to prevent it from sending me into unpredictable anxiety attacks. It has influenced many of the decisions I’ve made in my life. It has caused me much suffering. I’m doing far better these days, thanks to medication, but that’s something I have to take every day for the rest of my life.

I have migraine disorder as well, though thankfully it impacts my life far less than my anxiety.

I also have a developmental disability, though as an adult it’s not as noticeable. I was diagnosed as socially delayed when I was in 7th grade. The psychologist estimated I was about three years behind my peers. My mother didn’t tell me this information until I was an adult. All I knew as a kid is that I didn’t mind playing with other kids, but I didn’t seem to mesh with my peers very well. I didn’t really get how to socialize until junior year of high school. I still tend to quietly wait and observe how be groups of people interact before eventually opening up.

And on that note, I suspect the developmental delay was actually a symptom of autism, though I have no current diagnosis. It would explain a lot though, including my life long struggles with personal hygiene, socialization, why I never cared much if I did or didn’t have friends, and why I take so much time to learn how new groups of people interact. Every group has their own rules, you know?

Anyway. Happy Disability Awareness Month 💚

[awetistix]

I want to go to an event for autism raise awareness month! how do I find and choose one? I just want community and to learn more, maybe even teach and help others understand more too. is there things I need to look out for, to seek or avoid?

[dysgeographica]

what’s dysgeographica?

dysgeographica, also known as developmental topographical disorientation, is a form of neurodivergence in which a person has difficulty creating mental maps, orienting themselves or a location in space, and navigating from place to place.

some common symptoms of dysgeographica include:

getting lost easily, even in one's own neighborhood or other extremely familiar locations

difficulty memorizing even simple or frequently traveled routes

no internal compass (i.e. no sense of which way one is facing or if one has been turned around)

no sense of where familiar locations are in relation to each other

difficulty making a mental map of a building or area's layout

uncertainty about which direction a location is in, even if one knows how to get there

complete reliance on GPS navigation while traveling

rigidly following one familiar route to get somewhere, even if a better route may be available

anxiety around driving a car due to lack of confidence in one's ability to navigate as the driver

is dysgeographica just a poor sense of direction?

while many people struggle to read maps or navigate unfamiliar places, being dysgeographic means struggling with very familiar locations as well as unfamiliar ones, potentially getting lost in one's own neighborhood or workplace.

additionally, while someone who just has a poor sense of direction will generally still be able to move through the world and perform daily life activities with little to no added difficulty or distress, dysgeographic people will often find that their difficulty navigating makes day-to-day functioning more difficult (e.g. being late to work regularly due to getting lost, not being able to drive a car or travel alone).

is dysgeographica part of adhd/autism/etc?

it is possible to have dysgeographica with comorbid autism, adhd, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, etc. it's also possible to experience dysgeographic symptoms as secondary to one of those (e.g. having trouble navigating due to adhd inattention).

that being said, dysgeographica is not inherently connected to any other form of neurodivergence, and can be the only neurodivergence someone has. you don't need to be diagnosed with anything else to have dysgeographica.

is dysgeographica a disability?

yes, dysgeographica is a neurodevelopmental disability.

it is not, however, recognized as such by the DSM or ICD, despite research showing evidence of its existence and the impact it can have on people's lives. that doesn’t mean it’s not a real disability — what it does mean is that it can be very difficult (if not impossible) to get accommodations.

while dysgeographica would most likely not be categorized as a specific learning disability, it does have some overlap with dyscalculia and dyslexia, and can be considered a “cousin” of the specific learning disabilities much in the same way as dyspraxia.

[2outta3aintbad]

Please think twice before you tell disabled people things like

"you're capable of doing anything you put your mind to!!!"

"you can do anything with hard work & determination <3"

"nothing is impossible with the right mindset :)"

No amount of rainbows & sunshine will eliminate my disability, thanks.