autism-things-for-my-parents

[autism-things-for-my-parents]

eveeyones got it wrong your mid 20s arent for going to the club or partying or picking up new crafts. your 20s are for discovering how much more autistic you are than you thought you were in high school

[autism-things-for-my-parents]

god I would be UNSTOPPABLE if I was capable of consistently initiating tasks. just you wait. you'll be waiting a while but just you wait

#executive dysfunction

[autism-things-for-my-parents]

Take a deep breath

[autism-things-for-my-parents]

@lyrslair thank you for the tips! I also get the same problem with liking one thing one day and then hating it, or vice versa, and that confuses my parents a lot. From their perspective, these issues just showed up out of nowhere. They're also leery of vitamin pills (they prefer "real meals"; those pills can be expensive, too).

As for dishes from other cultures, they're unlikely to be an option for me because of availability, expenses and executive issues. Some methods may be transferable from one dish to another, though, so I'll still do my research on that.

Finally, I will be talking to another doctor about this. I will also try to internalize that any food is better than no food and see which of these tips work for me. Thank you again.

Ok, so I'm having trouble eating healthy food because of sensory issues that I don't know how to explain. Went to a nutritionist, she was no help. I don't think she understood what the problem was. I'm always hungry these days, which means (worryingly) I'm starting to ignore my hunger. My nails are always brittle and my hair keeps falling. I'm terrified I'm starting to get an ED or something. Any advice?

#actually autistic #actually neurodivergent #sensory issues #sensory problems #tw eating issues #tw eating disorder

[autism-things-for-my-parents]

@sailor-cerise thank you for the tips. This method you described seems like just the thing to help me explain my food issues to my parents! I've been struggling to put it into words and they don't know how to help me, so this will be immensely useful.

Ok, so I'm having trouble eating healthy food because of sensory issues that I don't know how to explain. Went to a nutritionist, she was no help. I don't think she understood what the problem was. I'm always hungry these days, which means (worryingly) I'm starting to ignore my hunger. My nails are always brittle and my hair keeps falling. I'm terrified I'm starting to get an ED or something. Any advice?

#actually autistic #actually neurodivergent #food issues #tw eating issues #tw eating disorder

[autism-things-for-my-parents]

@wrenzfic thank you for the tips! I'll answer everything bit by bit.

Texture can often be overpowered by flavour.

It works in a pinch, but only if I don't do it too often. It stops fooling my brain after a while. The tiny chunks part is something I already do with a lot of what I eat, but I might still find something else to do this with.

Think of ways to make small amounts of food more calorie dense.

That, I think I can work with.

For gagging and other back of the throat sensations...

For me, the thicker and chunkier a smoothie or soup gets, the worse. Thinner broths, however, are always a treat.

Consider the difference between smell and taste.

For me, that's not usually a problem. If I don't like how a food smells, I can disguise it by mixing it with other ingredients (most of the time, anyway). I do have an acute sense for sour smells, though. If a non-sour food smells sour to me, even if no one else can smell it, I simply won't eat it. Now that might be a problem.

Consider other ways to get vitamins.

I didn't know that about malt. I'll see what my options are where I live. As for meal "replacement" shakes, my grandma gave me a half full bucket of one of those because it's the wrong one for her. It's probably not ideal for me either, but my nails have been getting less brittle.

(...) sensory overload or burnout can make eating much much harder.

I have noticed that, and ever since I got new earbuds my life has gotten much much easier.

And finally:

Not a doctor. If you think you have a serious deficiency please see a doctor.

I tried talking to a nutritionist about it, but I don't think she took my sensory issues into account. I will try again with another doctor, but getting these tips now is helping me not spiral in the meantime.

Ok, so I'm having trouble eating healthy food because of sensory issues that I don't know how to explain. Went to a nutritionist, she was no help. I don't think she understood what the problem was. I'm always hungry these days, which means (worryingly) I'm starting to ignore my hunger. My nails are always brittle and my hair keeps falling. I'm terrified I'm starting to get an ED or something. Any advice?

#actually autistic #sensory problems #sensory issues #food issues #tw eating issues #tw eating disorder

[autism-things-for-my-parents]

@koala2055 thank you for the tips (and the luck)! I don't usually like smoothies, but I'll consider your suggestions (maybe I just don't like the recipes I've had). I do love fruit, they're my favorite snack! Which is why they don't last long in my house. They've also been a bit expensive lately, so we've been buying less of them than usual. I'll see which fruit I like is the least expensive and try to get more of it!

Ok, so I'm having trouble eating healthy food because of sensory issues that I don't know how to explain. Went to a nutritionist, she was no help. I don't think she understood what the problem was. I'm always hungry these days, which means (worryingly) I'm starting to ignore my hunger. My nails are always brittle and my hair keeps falling. I'm terrified I'm starting to get an ED or something. Any advice?

#actually autistic #actuallyautistic #neurodivergent #food problems #sensory issues #sensory problems #tw eating disorder #tw eating issues

[autism-things-for-my-parents]

@captaindibbzy thank you for the tips. The thing about healthy food not being as limited as people think is something I subconsciously know, but struggle to accept. Most of your suggestions wouldn't be considered "real meals" by my parents (who I think are the ones who put that mental block in my head; they're very "traditional" about meals). Still, your ideas are pretty great, and very likely to work for me. My favorite food texture is crunchy, but I also like jello! I don't like creamy soups, but maybe broth will help, along with everything else ^-^

Ok, so I'm having trouble eating healthy food because of sensory issues that I don't know how to explain. Went to a nutritionist, she was no help. I don't think she understood what the problem was. I'm always hungry these days, which means (worryingly) I'm starting to ignore my hunger. My nails are always brittle and my hair keeps falling. I'm terrified I'm starting to get an ED or something. Any advice?

#actually autistic #actuallyautistic #neurodivergent #sensory problems #sensory issues #food problems #tw eating disorder #tw eating issues

[autism-things-for-my-parents]

@my-autism-adhd-blog @marzcandybar Thank you for the tips! Personally, I don't like smoothies all that much, but I'll look up some recipes and see if I can find one I like. As for protein bars, I like them a lot, but we don't usually get them at home because my parents want us to eat "real food". I'll talk to them about it, maybe we can even make some at home!

Ok, so I'm having trouble eating healthy food because of sensory issues that I don't know how to explain. Went to a nutritionist, she was no help. I don't think she understood what the problem was. I'm always hungry these days, which means (worryingly) I'm starting to ignore my hunger. My nails are always brittle and my hair keeps falling. I'm terrified I'm starting to get an ED or something. Any advice?

#actually autistic #neurodivergent #sensory problems #food problems #tw eating issues #tw disordered eating #tw eating disorder

[autism-things-for-my-parents]

Thank you to everyone who gave me advice. I'll be slowly going through all the replies this post got and sharing my thoughts about them (and if any of the suggestions helped), in case something that helps me can help someone else. You guys are the best!

Edit: Fixed the post on the top of my blog so people going through the same problem can easily access the amazing tips I got. I don't know how many people I'll be able to answer, but I'll (slowly!) be looking through and considering each answer. Thanks again for the support!

Ok, so I'm having trouble eating healthy food because of sensory issues that I don't know how to explain. Went to a nutritionist, she was no help. I don't think she understood what the problem was. I'm always hungry these days, which means (worryingly) I'm starting to ignore my hunger. My nails are always brittle and my hair keeps falling. I'm terrified I'm starting to get an ED or something. Any advice?

#actually autistic #actuallyautistic #neurodivergent #sensory problems #food problems #tw eating issues #tw eating disorder #just in case

[autism-things-for-my-parents]

Ok, so I'm having trouble eating healthy food because of sensory issues that I don't know how to explain. Went to a nutritionist, she was no help. I don't think she understood what the problem was. I'm always hungry these days, which means (worryingly) I'm starting to ignore my hunger. My nails are always brittle and my hair keeps falling. I'm terrified I'm starting to get an ED or something. Any advice?

#actually autistic #actuallyautistic #neurodivergent #sensory problems #food problems #tw eating issues #tw eating disorder #just in case

[autism-things-for-my-parents]

Had a revelation recently and thought it might help other people too.

There is absolutely NO shame in having a ton of projects on the go and switching between or even dropping them on a whim.

Hobbies are meant to be FUN.

You can have 20 writing projects, or knitting, or whatever your thing is, and putting them down for a bit or abandoning them is a-okay.

I personally would never think that someone who started playing a video game and then decided to play another before it was finished was a quitter, so why am I so judgemental towards myself?

Doing your hobbies in a way that brings you joy isn't selfish or weak, it's...literally the whole point of them. Go nuts!

[autism-things-for-my-parents]

ND culture is the enemy is sitting down and now I have to stand up and do the task

.

[autism-things-for-my-parents]

somehow, amazingly, i have hacked the impulse that makes me mindlessly scroll on my phone. it's not gone but i've paired it with a conscious thought process that goes like, "what's my goal here? i'm looking for entertainment, for information, for something that makes me feel more optimistic and interested in the world i live in..."

and because that kicks in between apps, too, i'm not doomscrolling as much. i'm intentionally seeking out posts or videos or whatever that actually mean something to me. when i'm not satisfied i walk away or pick up a book instead. most subtle yet impactful change i've gone through in years

i did not intentionally set out to change this. i've just been working on my mindset in general. hey, turns out having a good therapist again helps

[autism-things-for-my-parents]

single image version

[autism-things-for-my-parents]

BRODHEIODODBD

[autism-things-for-my-parents]

Way way back I drew a comic explaining what we really mean by ‘The Autism Spectrum’ and posted it here back when Tumblr was Huge. Then the comic really blew up!! Last year I did a remake of the comic, with some updated language, and using Mia, a character from a graphic novel I made. Figured I’d share for Autism Acceptance Month!

#actually autistic #autism #autistic