Anyone can be inquisitive, but many Autistic people are extra thirsty for knowledge and I love it. Unknown things that intrigue others for a few minutes become our hyper fixations, interests and areas of expertise. It’s like others want to know things, but we need to know things.
@AutisticAdam@actuallyautistic perhaps this explains those lost three months where I tested multiple ways to derive a tofu out of split peas. Ultimately, my conclusions were foiled by inconsistent variables in the age of dried peas from the local market. Results: not the same recipe as for soybeans. Presently, I am awaiting my next hyper fixation.
@AutisticAdam@actuallyautistic When I ask for an explanation of why something needs to be done a certain way, people think I'm resisting their instructions or challenging their expertise. This is not true.
Yearning for closure when a relationship ends isn’t uniquely a autistic experience, but alot of autistic people are often deeply affected when a relationship ends without closure. This maybe because our brains crave clarity, certainy, directness, and quite possibly need them to feel ok.
Never tell a autistic person who has just summoned the courage to tell you they autistic that "you don't seem autistic" and that "you come across well"
Never ever.
Why would anyone ever think this is appropriate ?!
At what point did someone think that was a good idea ?!
You'd be surprised, or not surprised...
Feel free to list unappropriate words that's been said to you below.
@AutisticAdam@actuallyautistic Some autistic people can cope with public speaking but cannot cope in social situations. Hence being told “ you can give a speech so why are you hiding in a corner at a Corporate social event?”
@AutisticAdam@actuallyautistic My mom told my middle school teacher during their first meeting that I was autistic and needed extra support/accommodations and he went "no she's not, she's too smart"
Cue three years of him constantly calling my mom because I wasn't socializing well with other kids or I had a breakdown due to sensory overload, etc. and her having to respond "yeah... she has autism, as I've told you before"
If someone is expressing their autistic joy/authentic self, don't tell them they are being too loud, too much or need to tone it down. Each time they are shamed for their unmasked self, a little bit of them actually breaks. It is a big deal unmasking as it is.
Why do I over complicate things? I can recognise when I’m doing something the hard way but it’s like my brain can’t see how to do a task more efficiently until AFTER I go through extreme amount of struggle.
@AutisticAdam@actuallyautistic
Me: I should do it this way, because it feels right.
My mind: Yes, but we both know that there is a common way to do it which is likely easier.
Me: But... that way feels wrong.
My mind: Definitely. Let's do it our way.
Going about life with a high base level of stress is not only deeply unpleasant, but detrimental to our mental and physical health, and a contributing factor to why we melt and shut down; our stress reserves are so close to capacity that we have little room for unexpected stress.
Has it ever happened to you where someone used direct communication with you but were really mean and aggressive about it. Yes, autistic people like direct communication, but that doesn’t mean talking loudly or speaking slowly. We just need more words /alternative explanations.