@KatyElphinstone@mas.to
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

KatyElphinstone

@KatyElphinstone@mas.to

Thinking about childhood from an autistic perspective. #ActuallyAutistic #Autism #Neurodivergent #DoubleEmpathy

http://www.neurofabulous.org.uk

Profile picture: Me smiling, out-of-doors. I've got dark wavy hair and I'm wearing a red top.

Banner: a stormy purple background with a rainbow across it. Next to it is a cartoon character reading a book, with a red heart next to it.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

ashleyspencer, to random
@ashleyspencer@autistics.life avatar

I recorded a YouTube video yesterday testing chew necklaces. My hair was a mess, I wasn’t smiling enough, and there was no structure to the video. Like when testing 8 chew necklaces, I didn’t think to do a structure to the video when recording it. Deleted the video.

But oh well, I had fun recording it and learning how to make YouTube thumbnails, and I learned what I can do better next time.

It’s like they say, your first 100 videos always suck lol

KatyElphinstone,
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

@ashleyspencer

This is good to know. I've made a couple of attempts at videos and they were disastrous. I myself watched them thinking, 'oh my, who is this demented, disheveled person?!' (glasses on wonky, etc). Aarrgh.

KatyElphinstone,
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

@ashleyspencer

Ps. I look forward to the video testing chew necklaces 😊

KatyElphinstone, to ukteachers
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

"You better… or else!"

Ten reasons why rewards & punishments go a bit wrong with autistics

A thread 🧵

KatyElphinstone, to Autism
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

Twenty-one Awesome Symptoms of Autism 🎉

Many things in life can be super-hard if you're autistic... but, maybe surprisingly to many people, there can actually be good things about it too!

A thread.

🧵

KatyElphinstone,
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

Awesome symptom no. 1
Hyper-sensory experiences

Hyper-receptivity to sensory input can be difficult, as the chances of frequent sensory overload are high.

But with it, we might also be aware of ambient nuances, beauty, and subtlety. And we may notice in time if the house is burning down (autistic people are often highly sensitive to smell)!

KatyElphinstone,
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

Awesome symptom no. 2
Unusual empathy

For people, animals, and even objects!

This empathy, when felt and shown, can be very democratic, i.e., it doesn't exclude people/creatures who don't appear useful; who perhaps haven't succeeded well in life & who many would judge and write off.

KatyElphinstone,
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

Awesome symptom no. 3
Unusual perception

Differences in ways information is processed, combined with heightened levels of perception in some areas (e.g. when it comes to details and/or patterns), can lead to a lot of creativity, and unusual talents.

KatyElphinstone,
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

Awesome symptom no. 4
Feats of memory

Autistic people are often capable of remembering a vast amount of information on a topic of interest.

Note: the topic could be literally anything. There's no hierarchy! An in-depth interest in (and knowledge about) e.g. Pokemon or Avatar's world is just as valid as an intense interest in quantum physics, or Baroque composers.

KatyElphinstone,
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

Awesome symptom no. 5
Hyper-focus

The capacity to focus on a single topic with all of one's mind/attention, and be practically un-distractable from it!

This ability to hyper-concentrate can lead to a high level of productivity, and even to new ground being explored.

KatyElphinstone,
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

Awesome symptom no. 6
Perseverance

The ability to keep on at a specific task for extended periods of time... as we often have a great capacity for perseverance when working on tasks of interest to us.

Though these periods of hyper-activity generally need to be alternated with some proper down-time - something I call 'vegetation'. 🌿

KatyElphinstone,
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

Awesome symptom no. 7
Interesting reading and writing skills

Some autistics can read very fast, or very early, and/or in quite unusual styles.

For example, mirror writing and reading/writing upside down are among the interesting skills that can be sometimes seen in autistic people (these skills, when seen in more prounounced ways, are known as hyperlexia).

KatyElphinstone,
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

Awesome symptom no. 8
Attention to detail

Autistic people might pay a lot of attention to details, sometimes to the point of not seeing the whole at all (or at least not in the same way as others).

We may take longer to process things, but we're a bit less liable to quickly generalize things, when information is lacking, to come to a possibly-inaccurate conclusion.

We may notice things other people don't (while not noticing things other people do!).

KatyElphinstone,
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

Awesome symptom no. 9
Looking for the 'why' of things

Autistic people may have a strong tendency to try to figure out why things might be as they are. And then to creatively imagine how they could be changed!

Autistic people of all ages may strongly wish for social justice and fairness, and be upset at seeing exploitation of the vulnerable, including cruelty e.g. to animals.

KatyElphinstone,
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

Awesome symptom no. 10
Non-conformism

To an autistic person, 'because everyone else is doing it' is not a good reason for doing something! We tend to lack that sort of 'herd mentality', usually entirely.

I see this as a positive - a safeguard against bullying and mob mentality, as well as an avenue for creativity, positive risk-taking and celebrating our differences.

KatyElphinstone,
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

@Alon

Yes, I'd certainly imagine it plays a big role 🤔

aral, (edited ) to technology
@aral@mastodon.ar.al avatar

Freedom in technology must include freedom from technology.

We must not create societies where the price of admission is owning a device controlled by one of two trillion-dollar US corporations.

We must safeguard people’s access to public services and the everyday necessities of life via alternate methods.

Technology should always be a progressive enhancement.

Do not let Silicon Valley privatise your access to modern life.

https://mastodon.ar.al/@lrvick@mastodon.social/112079059430275102

KatyElphinstone,
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

@aral

I could not agree more!

Having just read Varouvakis' new book, Technofeudalism, What Killed Capitalism.... and frankly YIKES 😳😳😳

@blbc

KatyElphinstone, to Autism
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

What is the official aim of ABA? (Applied Behaviour Analysis)?

I'm finding it hard to find a stated aim of ABA or PBS.

The closest I've got is 'addressing the behavioral and educational needs of individuals with ASD' (that was in a research paper). 🤔

KatyElphinstone, to Autism
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

Subject: Outcome vs intentions

Research on 'outcomes mattering more than intentions to people with autism' is interesting 🤔

I personally way prefer outcomes!

Most people are not outcome-oriented (and I think we need to be more so) 🧵

KatyElphinstone,
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

Maybe important to say, I don't believe in fault/blame on a fundamental level.

It's illogical.

Everything has reasons, and I prefer being outcome-oriented when seeking to fix things.

Not wasting a lot of time protesting my innocence or hunting for culprits 🙄

🧵

KatyElphinstone,
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

Small quiz:

Dad 1, "I tell my son 'tidy your room'. That's the outcome I want."

Dad 2, "I observe when my son tidies his own room. The situation, what I said, etc., to try and apply it in future."

Which dad is outcome-oriented & which intention-oriented?

(& which kid tidies his room independently once old enough?😂)

🧵

KatyElphinstone,
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

Ok, so the study is here: https://livescience.com/35428-autism-morality-outcomes-intentions.html

And astonishingly (forgive the sarcasm) portrays autistics as failing in some way because of this preference for outcomes.

🧵

KatyElphinstone,
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

Could the study have dug a hole for people, the 'do you want broccoli or carrots?' trap??

Perhaps (I'm hypothesising) there was no option for 'blame is illogical. But we need to examine why Janet was so happy to tell her friend to go ahead and swim with jellyfish'?

🧵

KatyElphinstone,
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

Subject: Outcome vs intention

Is someone responsible for harming someone, even if they did it accidentally?

*When I say 'responsible' I don't mean they should be blamed/punished.. but rather be aware, repentant, and make amends as best they can.

(🧵 above on this topic)

Cassandra, to random
@Cassandra@autistics.life avatar

Tonight I am going to introduce my partner(?) to The Music of Billie Eilish.

I figure I'll start with “Bad Guy” since it's the one he's most likely to have heard.

Then a fun tonal shift (!) to "What Was I Made For,” and I plan to include this clip where she talks about the voice the song wanted (approx 1:30 to 2:50):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mewdcHIvMmA

Then TBD! So many good songs to choose from.

KatyElphinstone,
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

@Cassandra

Your way. Definitely.

KatyElphinstone, to Plumbing
@KatyElphinstone@mas.to avatar

HELP! Outdoor electric, internet, & water... to a cabin 20 metres from house.

For the log cabin in my friend's garden, she needs to do cabling (internet, electric, water).

We just aren't sure what cables to get, or considerations like how deep the trench needs to be, & if the cables are going to need a sturdy tube to run through, etc.

Can anyone give us advice on any or all of this? :ablobthinkingeyes:

Very grateful for help/reposts.

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