Day 12 - Are you late-diagnosed?

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#AutismAcceptanceMonth

Question 4 from https://autistics.life/@marionline/114262841963843028

4. How would you explain autism to someone who never heard about this?

Hm.
Hard question. Especially because not many people have actually NEVER heard of it. Everyone I know seems to at least believe they have an idea of what autism is. They know someone who has a child who is autistic or know someone who knows someone who's cousin is autistic and so on and so forth. That leads to many half-truths and stereotypes being shared around.

So, in a hypothetical world where that is not the case, what would I do?
I don't quite know.

I would probably start by saying it is a neurodevelopmental disorder. It encompasses a vast spectrum and every autistic individual faces individual challenges. Some people's support needs might be bigger than others and not all of them are easy to spot at first glance. Some autistic people might be able to hide their problems in public which does not mean that they do not need accommodations. There are commonalities between people on the spectrum which include:
A difference in how the brain interprets stimmuli, resulting in either hyper- or hyposensitivity in areas like sound, smell, pain etc. That also effects the inner world of autistic people, knowing and understanding their own feelings, boundaries and things like proprioception, hunger or the need to pee.
Most autistic people have a "spiky ability profile" meaning they have high skills or expertise in some areas while underperforming in others. Executive function is probably impacted by that. You should not assume a task is easy just because you find it easy.
Additionally, social interactions with autistic people can be confusing to non-autistic people because their behavior deviates from what is commonly referred to as "the norm". Autistic people are very capable of showing love and care, it might just look a bit different to what one might be used to.

This is like the basic framework I would like to work with when explaining autism to someone. I would go further to include things like meltdown, shutdowns, skill regression, masking, etc. I would probably talk for hours if they let me. But at the end of the day I can only truly speak about my own lived experience which taints my judgement.

The autistic spectrum is vast, i do not think I can encompass all the aspects it entails. Which just makes it that much more important for autistic communication, by voice, writing or otherwise, to be shared with the world.
We are all worthy of being heard.

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic #autismacceptance #Autism #AutismApril

Day 11 - I want to make a link-list, so: What websites do you recommend to learn about autism?

It doesn't have to be a website in English language.

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#autismacceptancemonth
#AutismAcceptanceMonth

Day 10 - What's the thing your autism causes the most problems for you in everyday life? Are there workarounds that help you? e.g. headphones against noise?

It's a longer question, I just hope to hear about your struggles and workarounds. Let's share experiences and kind advice!

#actuallyautistic @ActuallyAutistic
#AutismApril #actuallyautistic
#autismacceptancemonth
#AutismAcceptanceMonth

Day 9 - What would your perfect day look like? Dreaming is allowed; it doesn't have to be realistic!

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Question 3: What’s your favourite stim?

My favourite way of self-soothing is rubbing my cheeks on soft fabric. It’s almost like a self-hypnosis where my inner voice is just “rub, rub, rub rub, rub rub” in the rhythm that feels best in the moment. I do it with soft cushions, plushies or blankets and it makes me incredibly self-conscious.
I barely let anyone see it, writing a post about it feels weird too.

Being autistic is weird sometimes. So enjoy that info i guess? Maybe I find other weirdos who feel similar hehe.

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From: @marionline
https://autistics.life/@marionline/114262841963843028

Day 8 - Have you ever been praised for being honest?

I don't remember... How about you?

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Question 2 from https://autistics.life/@marionline/114262841963843028

Tell us a thing about your autism you like. What do you like about yourself?

A surprisingly loaded question. Which aspects of me make me autistic? Is my whole being entirely autistic or are there aspects i could isolate?
I am unsure how to answer that for myself if I´m completely honest.

What I do know is that an aspect that has always set me apart from others (for the better and for the worse) is my "softness".
My love for soft fabrics, plushies, my calming voice, patience and cuddly-ness.
I'm slow to anger and rarely raise my voice. Many people appreciate my love for deeply personal conversations and open up with me easily.
More than a few people have started to call me an "anxiety-pet" in reference to my ability to talk them through fears and other difficult life situations. I tend to analyze people quite a lot which allows me to nudge them into certain directions or towards information they might find helpful.

I do think that these aspects are connected to me being autistic. My way of emphasizing with other people is intertwined with the need to rationalize behavior in the first place in order to understand social constructs.

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Day 7 - Share a funny or curious fact you learned from pursing your hobbies (special interests). Please feel free to infodump as much as you like!

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#AutismAcceptanceMonth

Day 6 - What was an occasion where you felt able to unmask and be yourself around others?

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P.S. The full list of questions is found here:
https://autistics.life/@Uair/114262876

Day 5 - Let's invent new autism logos, because we don't want to be puzzle pieces. Share your ideas and drawings!

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#AutismAcceptanceMonth

'Fast gleich - zum Verwechseln ähnlich' Aber eben doch ganz anders, und mein autistisches Ich fragt sich ob es lachen oder weinen soll und warum nicht einfach ein fucking „Rückerstattung auslösen“ Button gereicht hätte, anstatt mir Zeit mit einer schlecht simulierten und sinnlosen sozialen Interaktion zu stehlen. #FotoVorschlag #autismusawareness #autismapril

Day 4 - How would you explain autism to someone who never heard about it?

The full list of questions is found here:
https://autistics.life/@Uair/114262876796617806

- Be nice to each other! Friendly discussion in encouraged!
- You don't have to answer questios, if you don't like to.
- And maybe, I should point that out: You can join late!
- Most importantly: Have fun in April! :D

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#AutismAcceptanceMonth

Day 3 - What is your favourite stim?

I love music, singing and also sitting on a swing.
When I was younger I used to sit on the swing in my parents garden every day.
When I am old I want to have a
rocking chair!
I began to clap my hand when I'm happy as well as rocking on my heels as a part of #AutisticUnmasking after my diagnosis.

How about you?

#actuallyautistic
#AutismApril #actuallyautistic
#autismacceptancemonth
#AutismAcceptanceMonth

Day 2 - Question
Tell us a thing you like about your autism? What do you like about yourself?

#AutismApril #actuallyautistic
#autismacceptancemonth
#AutismAcceptanceMonth

If anyone, any regular person asks about Autism, I would wish we give a lesson in neurodiversity, and don’t say, We, say, You. “There are different sorts of brains in the human population and yours has different traits than ours. Your type is far more social than mine and there’s advantages to that in human contexts, but you’re less able to deal with more concrete matters like science, everything is a trade-off in some way, etc. Your type’s theory of mind is geared for deceit detection, and worldly facts get filtered by that too.”

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#ActuallyAutistic
capitals for reading devices, people
#AutismApril

#AutismApril #actuallyautistic
#autismacceptancemonth
#AutismAcceptanceMonth

Day 1 - Question
What is your current hobby (special interest)?