Doesn’t matter if you’re dogkin, doggender, dog therian, or just love dogs. As long as you’re sentient and self-aware with rational and moral capacity and complex language, thought, and emotion, this is a post for you!
(Meaning do not give these toys to dog dogs. ^^’)
Long, image-heavy post ahead! Some tools listed are geared toward children, *geplay (a), or p*tlay (e)
i constantly forget that stimming will help me. like sometimes i feel so overwhelmed and start catastrophizing about my job or a partner or my family or friends. BUT THEN I STIM. and life's okay
While it's true that for some people, (certain) stims are an easy way to observe distress, I think there needs to be more awareness in allistic people that a lot of autistic people just stim for the sake of it, simply because were understimulated and / or we just dont control our bodies movements.
I've been repeatedly asked if I'm fine by so called mental health professionals for rocking etc, who know I'm autistic. The immediate assumption is this is a sign of distress instead of my natural body language / movement. Less assuming, when you know someone and their stims well you might be able to tell that x stim means x emotion or situation, but for the rest of us, just maybe, dont? It's also just a bunch of stigma surrounding certain stims, because if I had been tapping my fingers etc i wouldn't have been assumed in distress. It's not my fault my body likes to rock.
If I don't let myself stim or I'm in an environment where stimming is more difficult (like work meetings!) I can get overwhelmed very quickly. For me it often manifests in the inability to focus and involuntary twitching…
stimming is when a person does a certain repetitive action, often without realizing it. Stimming is usually common in individuals with autism, anxiety, and ADHD. It provides comfort and helps us cope with feelings. Here are some behaviors that are considered to be stims:
flapping hands
humming
biting/licking lips
hair twirling
knuckle cracking
pacing
leg bouncing
rubbing skin
If you don't stim and someone around you does, there's no need to comment on it! Making people feel bad about stimming often leads to them masking it, and that leads to heightened anxiety and discomfort. Plus just making someone feel embarrassed about something they can't control just... isn't cool. So! Friendly reminder to just! Be nice and don't be an ass!
Are you autistic? Are you an autistic artist? Are you autistic and a person of color? Are you an autistic person who feels that your story has been untold in common narratives of autism? Are you creative?
If yes, we want YOU! Specifically, I want to invite you to contribute to this show I'm a part of called the autistic monologues! We are seeking to tell as many aspects of the autistic experience as we can and there is simply only so much we can cover as a rather homogeneous group (mostly white, 19-22, queer, undiagnosed or late diagnosed, etc) from one small college. Please fill out this form if you have anything you'd like to submit! Videos and art we can project digitally and recordings of your writing are particularly welcome!
Even if you aren't eligible to submit, please reblog this and spread the word, maybe one of your followers is! If you have any questions please feel free to contact me or @southernwizards
It's a black fidget spinner with a white center but, instead of the classic 3-pronged style, two silicone prongs connect the plastic center to a silicone wheel surrounding it. The wheel has a raised grid texture on two opposite sides and tiny spikes on the other opposing sides. It looks like the wheel of a car combined with a car tire.
In addition to spinning, you can squeeze it, bend it, and rub/scratch/pick at the textures on the wheel.
The silicone is tough, like a tire toy for a big dog. Squeezing it really works your hand muscles.
It doesn't spin very fast and the spin is a bit wobbly and unsteady.
Overall, I like it!
I don't believe the material is safe to chew, but the ability to chew it would be an innovative addition
A soft, grey day where the sunshine isn't too bright or overwhelming
A day of eating safe foods, finding comfort in their predictability and not being judged for what I'm eating and how I'm eating it
Wearing noise cancelling headphones because I want to not because there is so much overwhelming noise that I *have* to wear them
Listening to my favourite songs that I know all the lyrics to and it feeling like I'm inside the music
Being in control of my surroundings, knowing that everything will be in the right place and the bowls and cutlery I use will be clean and not moved around by someone else
Watching Halloween films and spooky/magical TV shows no matter what time of year because they are one of my special interests
Reading a book and not having to re-read the same sentence over and over because my executive functioning hasn't been depleted
Going on a walk which doesn't overstimulate me and being able to stim without being stared at by other pedestrians or people going past in their cars
Sitting in rooms that are lit by soft, side lamps rather than harsh over-head lights
Watching a video from one of my comfort youtubers whilst savouring my favourite flavour coffee and drinking it from my favourite mug which is just the right size and weight
Please add your ideas of autistic joy in the comments, I need some positivity in my life right now