#actually asd

[beenovel]

Anyway last week my professor told the class "coworkers will put up with poor technical skills but they won't put up with weird" and after class I just went and sat in my car and cried bc how am I supposed to survive if I still don't seem "normal" even though I've been doing behavioral therapy since first grade but masking hurts so goddamn bad that I'm only doing two classes a week rn but I'm still falling apart and barely functioning every day and barely getting my work turned in bc i come home from class and collapse for days at a time and its just not fair, its not fair, why do other people get to be the normal, why do jobs get to be easy for other people, why are 66% of autistics unemployed/underemployed its not FAIR

#actually autistic #actually disabled #autism #autistic spectrum #autistic #autistic adult #neurodivergent #audhd #asd #actually asd #neurodiversity #neurospicy #actually neurodivergent

[vi-visected]

my therapist: how are you feeling in the wake of your (autism spectrum disorder) diagnosis?

me: well it makes sense doesn’t it? i was the one who requested testing. like on some level i kind of figured.

my therapist: yes, i’m personally glad we pursued it because it helps me better understand parts of your behavior and how to accommodate you. but how do you feel about it? you said before that you were in heavy denial about the possibility when you were younger.

me: well yeah, i had a preconceived idea of what autism was that i know now wasn’t true. but at the time it was distressing and i didn’t want to think about it too hard.

my therapist: how was it different then? what was your idea of autism then?

me: it was, you know, severe developmental delay. i never thought i had developed abnormally at all, so to try and match up the severity i associated with autism and the way i viewed myself, i just couldn’t.

my therapist: but you did.

me: sorry?

my therapist: you did develop abnormally. both socially and academically.

me: socially yes, but i had no problems with academics. i always especially excelled at reading comprehension, more so than anyone else in my grade. i started lagging in high school but i think that was a lot of burnout and depression and ptsd, probably. i was incredibly smart. hell, i spoke in full sentences earlier than most of my peers.

my therapist: violette, that’s still abnormal development.

me: …huh?

my therapist: developing abnormally fast is still developing abnormally.

me:

me: oh.

#nothing in our sessions has ever hit me as hard as that #it was almost a year ago now and i still think about it #i’ve never had one of those ‘moments of clarity’ in therapy outside of this #but god damn did i have to sit with it for a bit #developing abnormally fast is still developing abnormally #jesus Christ ellen #actually autistic #actually asd #hashtag autism posting #autism #autistic adult #autistic feels

[koala2055]

Wait wait wait hold up.

Do neurotypicals not automatically look for patterns?? How?? It's so automatic what

Like for example, there's a item of clothing with flowers printed on it. Do neurotypicals not immediately try and find where the pattern repeats?

I spent years trying to figure out what the pattern was in the tiles in my bathroom.

I stared at someone's leopard print blanket for a good 5 minutes to find duplicate spots.

I genuinely cannot imagine a world where your brain doesn't do that.

Ok yeah bye 👍

Edit: okay I feel like a lot of people are misunderstanding this so I'm going to reiterate. This is just a thing that I have noticed in my life a few times. It's by no means a hard and fast rule, and definitely should not be taken as an indicator that you are any form of neurodivergent unless you already have other evidence to prove that. Every human being does recognise patterns, of course, but I've just noticed that some nd people (not just autism and adhd) do it more than nt people.

#actually autistic #asd #autism #autism spectrum #actually neurodiverse #actuallyautistic #actually autism #autistic #neurodivergence #actually asd

[catgirl-kaiju]

man caves are OUT autism caves are IN

just give me a whole room dedicated to my special interests where i can go and just vibrate with excitement

#shitpost #comedy #humor #actuallyautistic #autism #autistic #actually asd #asd #neurodiverse #neurodivergent

[a-sip-of-milo]

Me, an autistic: 🙈

#autistic #autism #actually asd #actually neurodivergent #neurodivergent

[bli-o]

I’m most definitely autistic but I’m not sure if I want to pursue a professional diagnosis because…

-many professionally diagnosed people regret getting a diagnosis because it as jeopardized their rights or harmed them in other ways

-many professionals and autistic people have shown the diagnostic criteria in my area is inaccurate

-I theoretically have access to a diagnosis, but I feel my psychiatrist really doesn’t take me seriously

edit: this doesnt include a “it’s none of my business” option because that is mostly assumed; you probably shouldn’t go around harassing people or claiming they’re faking disorders. This is mostly about if you think it has an adverse affect on the person self diagnosing or the community of the thing they’re diagnosing as.

#neurodivergencies #neurodivergent #neurospicy #neurodivergence #neurodiversity #neurodiverse stuff #neuroscience #autism #actually autistic #autistic things #autistic #asd #actually asd #actuallyautistic #adhd #actually adhd #adhd things #attention deficit hyperactivity disorder #audhd #autism spectrum disorder #schizophrenia #actually schizophrenic #actually did #dissociative identity disorder #actually bpd #bpd #actually borderline #bipolar disorder #i tried to include as many neurodivergencies as i could off the top of my head

[rainbowinfinitysymbol]

How to help autistic people in the smaller ways

Don't use the word 'retard'

Don't support Autism Speaks

Use the infinity symbol instead of the puzzle piece

Make your tone clear in conversation, especially through text

Make friends with the weird kid

Currently adding suggestions!

#autism #autistic #actuallyautistic #actually autism #neurodivergent #autism acceptance #autism awareness #actually neurodivergent #asd #actually asd

[helicidal]

dear online autism community

nonverbal autistics exist.

illiterate autistics exist.

autistics who will require carers their whole lives exist.

autistics with intellectual disabilities exist.

autistics who are unable to mask exist.

autistics who are unable to do a lot of basic tasks themselves exist.

autistics who fit your most hated stereotypes exist.

autistics who don't know ANY social rules exist.

not every autistic person is a low support needs afab "aspie" who's perfectly capable of most things, unlike what this community tries to make out half the time.

sincerely, an autistic person who fits the disgusting "standard" from the autism community (except i would never call myself an aspie), who ALSO has an autistic brother who fits every single trait mentioned above that y'all constantly try to erase 😁

#autism #actually autistic #autistic #asd #actually asd

[nonspeakers-r-us]

It's OK to have different opinions about your Autism than the mainstream ASD community

It's OK to feel like you were benefited from your experience in ABA. It's OK to prefer the term "nonverbal" over "nonspeaking" for yourself. It's OK to prefer puzzle pieces. I know I do. It's OK to prefer "person with Autism" instead of "Autistic person". It's OK to be different. Now, what isn't ok is forcing others to conform to your preferences. If you feel the infinity symbol for Autism is better than puzzle pieces, you shouldn't be unkind to Autistic people who prefer the puzzle piece. And vice versa. This only applies to other members of the Autism community. People who don't have Autism should listen to those on the Spectrum, not what they as Allistic people personally believe is right.

Stop the fighting. Stop generalizing "all Autistic people do/prefer/like [insert thing here]". It's a Spectrum. And that's OK.

#autism #actually asd #actually autistic #nonspeaking #high support needs #nothing about us without us #autism moms

[autistic-clownfish]

NEUROPUNK

What is neuropunk? Neuropunk is a community for neurodivergent people (autism, adhd, epilepsy, dyspraxia and so many more) with a flair of punk politics and subculture. This means not giving a fuck what others think, radically accepting your situation and unapologetically being yourself.

What might you post in the neuropunk tag?

Posts looking for community and solidarity and to connect with one another

People sharing their experiences

People sharing their aids such as headphones, earplugs, tinted glasses that help with dyslexia, sunglasses, stim toys, compression vests, gloves, soft clothing and more

Brand recommendations for sensory safe clothing and aids

Tips for apps that can help us

Crowdfunding efforts and mutual aid

Unfortunately, the neuropunk tag is currently just people arguing over cpunk. Come on guys, we can do better than that! Let’s work on making this community work for us instead of invading established spaces.

For mentally ill folk, check out madpunk and for an autistic specific tag, check out autipunk.

#autism #autistic #actually autistic #level 2 autistic #level 2 autism #neuropunk #neurodivergent #actually neurodivergent #actually ASD

[cpunks]

allistic please dont vote this is for autistics only :3 please rb tho!!

#im curious!! #for me my longest has probably been 10 years #autism #autistic #actuallyautistic #actually autistic #actually autism #actuallyautism #audhd #actually audhd #special interest #asd #actually asd #autism special interest #autism spectrum disorder #autistic pride #autistic community

[sirenium]

'I'm autistic and I understand gender!!' Cool, I'm autistic and also understand the concept of gender. However, my understanding of it may be considered 'atypical' due to the fact that perhaps I understand it more than the average allistic; I'm able to put two and two together that since gender is constructed, the way it presents can be abstract due to even the designated 'normal' boxes being abstract. And you know what? Some people may even classify my understanding as a lack of understanding because I don't see the societal construct as a rigid box with rules.

It's almost like autistic people aren't a fucking monolith; some autists will understand gender in a way that aligns with societal expectations, some will have a different understanding of gender, and some of us will just downright not understand it at all. Get your head out of your ass and realize the people who want autistic people dead, the ones who see us as lesser beings, don't care if you're a 'normal' gender or plantgender. The problem with us, in their eyes, is that we're not allistic. Simple as that.

#ableism #actually autistic #autistic #autism spectrum disorder #asd #actually asd #autigender #xenogender #xenic pride #xenogender pride #xenic #xenogender safe

[hunnybel]

Something that's been on my mind recently.

It took me a long time to be Comfortable with the idea of being Ace and Autistic. Both are very much part of me in ways I do not deny. But it's more about the Interactions of the two.

I'm tactile defensive against any touch that's sexual in nature, thus I'm sex repulsed. I do not understand the social appeal of sexual relationships, why anyone would want to go through the social nightmare of being sexual with another person. And it sounds like a sensory nightmare, all the smells sights sounds and feelings seem Horrid.

And these things are at the intersection of Asexuality and Autism. And for a very long time, years, I had a sort of Imposter syndrome. "My Asexuality is probably a result of my Autism. Therefore am I Really Asexual? If I was Allistic, would I still be Ace? I'm just a conditional Ace, because my brain is wired differently, because it make it so I don't experience sexual attraction and find the idea of participating in anything sexual Gross."

And after all that time feeling Bad and Fake, I just took a step back and thought "So What?"

So what if my Asexuality is a result of my Autism? What does that matter? The Reasons for my Asexuality don't make my experiences any more or less Valid. I am Asexual regardless. There is no reason to think of it as conditional because this is Who I Am. What ifs don't change my lived experience, how I experience my attractions and lack there of. And I think its exactly because of my lived experience as someone with Autism that I was so distraught and ready to dismiss my own feelings.

And I wonder if anyone else also feels this. That their Asexuality is Fake or not As Real because its contingent on their Neurodivergency, a symptom, a result. And to anyone who may feel that way, I want to say So What.

You are who you are, the reasons Behind why don't matter as much as what you are experiencing and living through in the moment. Might it be different if you were different? Sure, maybe! But why does that have to reflect on who you are right now, every part of you, related or not, are Valid and you know who you are, regardless of any reasons your brain might try to use to make you feel like an Imposter in your own Identity. And don't let anyone else try and tell you otherwise either. No one else knows you and what's going on in your head and your heart and your hormones better than you.

#actually autistic #actually asexual #asexual #ace #lgbtqia #lgbt #lgbtq+ #actually asd

[vegasicilia]

Can't have it all. Choose, please.

How am I supposed to work, go to the gym, have a social life, sleep, eat well, and achieve personal growth at the same time?

ADHD won't let me do it all. Autism won't let me do it all. How the fuck am I supposed to do it all. I can't. Can't I? Can you? Can anybody without doing drugs?

I wanna be someone else. I really do. I wanna be the clean, fit, always well-put together friend, the always has money to make plans friend, the guy who doesn't look like they just woke up. I wanna be that guy. In my head, I am that guy already.

In reality, I'm an ADHDer who can't focus on a single thing. My doctors and my body tell me I have to go to the gym. I prepaid to go to the gym for 4 months. I haven't gone once.

I have to eat better. I need to. My body is asking me to take care of myself. I can't do it. Or won't I?

I have to be more clean. I had scabies last June and my body was screaming at me: "boy, can you take care of yourself?"

I CAN'T.

Can't I?

Sometimes, I think I can't because I can't because of my disabilites. Sometimes, I think I give too much of myself to my friends because I am scared of losing them, so I always say yes to their plans even when I shouldn't.

Sometimes, I am afraid of being all alone when, in my case, removing me-time to do friends-time is what's keeping me more alone.

Have I become the "dependable and reliable" friend? Is that what I am to everybody? The guy you fill up your time with until better people come along? Everybody keeps saying no, but sometimes I feel that's it. "I'm bored, let's hit up Jake!"

Why do I feel that if I spent more time on myself I would have less friends?

Also, is this just an excuse I have made up for myself because I don't wanna go to the gym, so I go with friends to not think I am lazy?

#adhd #adhd problems #adhd brain #neurodivergence #neurodivergent #executive dysfunction #actually neurodiverse #actually adhd #adhd things #autism #asd #autistic #actually asd #audhd #actuallyautistic #actually autism

[felipe-kuso]

Ok as a new year thing i will remake a old post of mine that had some new notes these last few days.

People are so obsessed with diagnosis of mental illnesses and disorders when, in the actual real world, those things are a real chore to get because of all the variables.

You could get a doctor who simply will ignore your concerns and make some different things up about you in their head. There are some doctors who will simply not give you a diagnosis because of your skin color, because of your gender, or because of your age. Most of the stuff that you can find about autism is about kids and almost nothing about adults, which is super strange because it seems like they think that the autistic kids just.. grow out of it or something? Also the fact that it was thought for some time that black kids could get autism and that have been disproven, but still affects the diagnosis to this day?

The fact is that diagnosis is so difficult of a thing to get, either because of diagnosis bias, or because of inaccessibility because of poverty. I live in Brazil and the cost for a psychiatrist is so much for a few sessions (i think that is a world wide problem actually).

Also the way people boild things down to only autism and adhd as if that its the only mental disorders that exist is very wrong.

When people self diagnosis, they are not wanting your attention or pity. They are seeing a pattern that they want to know why it happens. And the diagnosis is a way to know it, but because of the aforementioned reasons, it is super hard to get a proper diagnosis to get people to accommodate to you (which should happen even if you don't happen to have any mental disorders. You should get the accommodations even if you dont have any clinical reason for it) so most people only get fucked hard. It sucks

#autistic #actually autistic #adhd #actually adhd #actually bpd #bpd #asd #actually asd #neurodivergent #neurodivergence #cluster a #cluster b #cluster c #aspd #npd #actually npd #using the tags to see if what i said makes any senzs

[scatter-gather]

I came across this paper yesterday and it blew my fucking mind.

if you're on the spectrum, think you might be autistic or on the spectrum, or if you have ADHD or think you may have it (there is a lot of overlap)...

or if you live with, love, or are friends with somebody on the spectrum or who has ADHD...

and if you / your friend have trouble getting things done...

read this.

feel free to skip the 'methods' section and read the intro and discussion, the methods section is the densest and hardest to understand for non-scientists.

it's truly amazing to me that asking autistic people about their experiences (instead of simply assuming) is a brand-new research effort that only appeared in the mid-late 2010s and that it had to be autistic researchers that led the charge.

but that's where we are, and they are finally doing it and starting to gain some insight! (there's another important paper in this vein that came out earlier)

#actually autistic #actually asd #autism #asd #autism spectrum #link #o