Susan60

Susan60, 2 months ago to actuallyautistic

“Gone are the offensive & misguided attempts to cure the condition”? That might be too sunny a statement, but otherwise it’s an encouraging article.
#actuallyautistic @actuallyautistic

How research into autism is evolving https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/mar/08/research-autism-evolving-transforming-lives-social-communication-therapy-drugs-trials?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Susan60, 2 months ago to random

Tired of the doom-scroll? This is how to find the kinder, more uplifting side of the internet https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/mar/04/doom-scroll-kinder-uplifting-internet?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Susan60, 2 months ago to random

Someone wanted to see photos of bumblebees. Can’t remember who I’m afraid. The last photo is of a baby one, about 1.5 times as big as a honey bee. The first 2 photos are a big adult, about 3-4 times as big as a honey bee.

A bumblebee on a purple flower with green leaves in the background.
A bumblebee on a purple flower with green leaves.

Susan60, 3 months ago to actuallyautistic

I can sometimes be slow to notice the elephant in the room & the eggshells on the floor (the problem that everyone carefully denies and manages so as not to upset anyone), but once I do notice, I want to confront and solve it.

The problem in this instance is my MIL’s insistence that she & FIL continue to live in a house too large to manage on an acre of rambling garden in an isolated location at the top of a narrow windy road.

Of course solving such a thing is not always possible, & if I’m not the main person affected, the person doing their best to support & manage the situation, it’s not my problem. Attempting to solve it might just make the situation worse for that person & leave others feeling judged & hurt.

It’s a boundary issue, & one I struggle with.

@actuallyautistic

Susan60, 3 months ago to random

Great to see wheelchair athletes being respected this way.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-23/london-marathon-equal-prize-money-for-able-bodied-and-disability/103502980?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=other

Susan60, 3 months ago to random

Lovely story. #actuallyautistic

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-21/toronto-public-school-captain-jamahl-ali-autism/103453792?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=other

Susan60, 3 months ago to random

The software says my student cheated using AI. They say they’re innocent. Who do I believe? https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/feb/13/software-student-cheated-combat-ai?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

If a student writes in a somewhat formulaic style, it should be no surprise that their work might be judged to have been AI generated. What a sorry state of affairs.

Susan60, 3 months ago to random

So I’m curious. When people write up a profile for the fediverse, & don’t include the country where they live, what is their reason? Is it because they don’t think it matters or is of interest to others? Is it because they assume that everyone lives in the same country as them or shares their geopolitical viewpoint?

Susan60, 3 months ago to ADHD

Last night I listened to a podcast on Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, https://www.divergentpod.com/blog/ep-29
. It’s is common amongst ADHDers, & therefore some autistic folk. And I realise that it’s probably been the main influence in my life, the motivator for my masking, the cause of my fawning response that has sometimes made me vulnerable & often made me squirm, & the source of so much grief & anxiety.

I’ve learned some strategies over the years to help me, both to establish better boundaries & to be more rational in my thinking & less reactive, but have also been led to blame other people for my insecurity, rather than see it as a product of my ADHD (which hadn’t been diagnosed). And guess who was at fault? My parents of course, mainly my mother.

I have no doubt that my mother was AuADHD like me. She had her flaws, but was smart, witty, funny & had a good set of values. She was a bit of a snob, aspirational, but not a victim blamer. Her own health issues arose when she still had one child in primary school, and she died at 45, so she didn’t get the chance to do, learn & reflect as I have over my longer life, (& I’m not done yet!)

But I know her values from so many discussions about newspaper articles & Phillip Adams’ column in the Saturday Age. She, like many of her generation, was still shocked by the enormity & depravity of the Holocaust, even though she was only a child during the war. She judged the German people harshly, but could be very warm with individuals of any background. She befriended a Czech refugee family. She admired Don Dunstan, supported drag queens, loved filling in for a friend who worked for a gay intererior designer in his shop…

I wonder what she would have thought when my sister came out as lesbian, & my oldest as non-binary?

And I wonder how she might’ve responded when I started to explore my own neurodivergence?

#ActaullyAutistic #ADHD @actuallyautistic

Susan60, 3 months ago to random

If I’ve gotta be in isolation, this isn’t a bad spot to do it.

Rural road with telephone poles, a white picket fence, lush greenery, and a clear blue sky.
A quaint house behind a white picket fence surrounded by lush greenery on a sunny day.

Susan60, 3 months ago to random

Hey folks. Don't forget to provide alt text so that the vision impaired, who often used screen readers, don't miss out entirely when you post a picture, video or a meme. Lots of these folk have partial sight, so some description can be really helpful. I follow @PleaseCaption which will even write the text for me if I want. It does a pretty good job, but I always check, partly because I'm not a huge fan of AI but also because it sometimes makes mistakes or the emphasis is wrong. Super easy to do and makes the fediverse more inclusive.

Susan60, 3 months ago to random

The fresh air coming in that open window is jolly cold, but ventilation is important. Have a lovely warm doona. Been rainy & very windy. Lost power for a couple of hours last night, which is pretty common out here.

Susan60, 3 months ago to actuallyautistic

I spoke online to my English language student today. She took her 3yo to a kinder session & spent some time talking to other mothers, which was challenging . So I need to teach her some more English small talk language. Me. An autistic person. 😂 Ironic.
@actuallyautistic

Susan60, 3 months ago to actuallyautistic

Such a long day’s travel yesterday, winding up with a family dinner, when all I wanted was to unpack, shower & go to bed. Managed to excuse myself from the conversation to do just that. Yay me! @actuallyautistic

A cow peeking through trees and underbrush at the edge of a field.
A lush garden with blooming flowers in raised beds, a green watering can, and a small blue shed with a heart-shaped cutout in the door. Trees and shrubbery in the background under a cloudy sky.

Susan60, 4 months ago to random

This house has old school lines, with none of the things that made older homes comfortable. There’s no eaves or verandahs, meaning that walls & windows cop the brunt of weather conditions thrown at them. That big upstairs window at the front will welcome the morning sun on a hot summer’s day, but the north facing windows on the side which will collect the light & heat of the winter sun, are only small. Why are we not requiring smarter home design? #SustainableHousing

Susan60, 4 months ago to random

If you want a truly decadent bread & butter pudding, use a panettone with sultanas & orange peel in it as the bread, with some melted butter, eggs & milk. Serve with pure cream. Not my fault, partner creation.

Susan60, 4 months ago to random

My poor finger lime has never looked so healthy. It’s enjoying the humidity a lot more than me!

Susan60, 4 months ago to actuallyautistic

I was going to post this as a response to someone else’s post, but realised it wasn’t really relevant to their point.

Years ago, when doing my teacher training, we had a guest speaker come & talk to us about our role as teacher when dealing with sexual diversity etc. He was a very conventional looking young white man.

It was a seminar type presentation, with discussion along the way. As time went on, he slowly removed his “straight” mask, to show how many students can & do present as heteronormative until if & when they’re ready to come out.

I wonder how this would work for autistic advocates who can mask effectively, in small group presentations? Masking as in making eye contact, smiling, a self effacing introduction etc. And then, “This is how I can present when I feel the need. This is how I present when I feel safe or give up caring.” Followed by an explanation of the impact that masking has, the fact that many autistic people can’t mask, the fact that we shouldn’t need to mask etc as well as general autism education.

Of course this shouldn’t be necessary & it wouldn’t be in an ideal world.
We could make comparisons with women who have to play by the men’s rules in business & politics, the people of colour &/or members of other different ethnic/religious groups who try to “assimilate” to get ahead, & how many struggle to do so, feel like traitors to themselves & their peers, get sick of &/or struggle with pretending to be someone other than they really are. Masking autism is not the same, & this would need to be explained, but I think many people would relate to some of the similarities & the feelings involved.

There will always be some people who refuse to learn, who insist on a negative approach as part of their strategy to prop up their own ego. And it’s not them whom I would bother trying to convince. It’s the more reasonable but ignorant people who are open to learning that I think would be worth targeting.

@actuallyautistic #ActuallyAutistic

Susan60, 4 months ago to actuallyautistic

@averagehousewife @Dr_Obvious @graphite @kevinteljeur @actuallyautistic @nddev

When I started investigating the possibility of being ND in some way, I’d come across “oh look, there’s a unicorn”, which I dismissed as plain silly. In my mind, the things that I took notice of were worthy of my attention, not mere “distractions”. And my “special interests” were deeply intellectual & relevant to my situation at the time. Social justice issues for example.

So I didn’t fit the rather shallow ways in which AFHD & autism are often portrayed, as if it’s merely about being distracted by unicorns & fascinated with dinosaurs.

Susan60, 4 months ago to random

Partner’s birthday chocolates from sister & BIL. One of the dullest looking is cardamon, & absolutely sublime. Xocolatl.

Susan60, 4 months ago to random

Kylie Kwong: ‘Nothing prepared me for when my father looked me in the face and said, ‘I do not accept you for who you are’ https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/dec/31/kylie-kwong-nothing-prepared-me-for-when-my-parents-looked-me-in-the-face-and-said-i-do-not-accept-you-for-who-you-are?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other This made me cry, but in a good way. So poignant.

Susan60, 4 months ago to random

Dog sitting for my son for a few days. Oldest & I took Charlie to the botanical gardens. He was thrilled! So many smells…

Susan60, 5 months ago to random

Usman Khawaja charged by ICC over Palestine protest in Australia Test https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/dec/21/usman-khawaja-charged-by-icc-over-palestine-protest-in-australia-test?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other I hope Kwawaja is joined by other cricketers on both sides at the Boxing Day Test. To see his expression of mourning treated as a political statement is absurd.

Susan60, 5 months ago to ADHD

https://theconversation.com/do-kids-grow-out-of-adhd-as-they-get-older-218692 #ADHD #ActuallyAutistic @actuallyautistic

Susan60, 5 months ago to Bloomscrolling

Illawarra Flame Tree. They never used to flower down here. #Bloomscrolling