@Pawpower@actuallyautistic@actuallyadhd this particular job is very similar to one im already doing . Like I'm qualified minus that one spot. I've never seen something like this before in a job ad.
One reason why it took me so long to self-diagnose autism is that I thought I don't stim. In fact, once I learned that I do stim, my self-diagnosis process kicked in. That was the first time I said to myself that I might actually be autistic.
The reason for this misunderstanding was that I thought stimming is stereotypical, very repetitive, compulsory movement. I guess this misunderstanding is quite common.
I've since learned that stimming, short for self-stimulatory behavior, is basically stimulating one's sensory system in certain ways. It may be a way to soothe oneself, help to focus in overwhelming situations by feeding one's brain predictable sensory input, a way to express joy, or simply something that feels nice. Movements are part of it but any sense can be used.
When googling the term, there are mentions that also neurotypicals stim but that when diagnosing autism, stimming is somehow different -- only socially unacceptable stims are "real" stims. Bah.
I've started paying attention to how and when I stim, and collect a list of stims I do. I've noticed all types of stimming behavior (soothing, focusing, joy, fun). I do it more than before -- or maybe I just notice it more often. I've noticed that I love moving my body parts, especially to music. I also love different textures.
@mystickal@actuallyadhd@actuallyautistic yes. This is part of the struggle. Like 5 years ago I would not have imagined what was to come, so how can I envision 5 years from now?
n. the state of not knowing how you really feel about something, which forces you to sift through clues hidden in your own behavior, as if you were some other person — noticing a twist of acid in your voice, an obscene amount of effort you put into something trifling, or an inexplicable weight on your shoulders that makes it difficult to get out of bed.
#Autism#ADHD#AuDHD#ActuallyAutistic
How does everyone know how, when and how much they're masking?
As a late-diagnosed #AuDHD, I struggle to differentiate between "me but masking" and "me but in a diff situation".
Now that I know I'm autistic, I even miss the person I used to be in some situations before I knew.
I used to call myself a "social chameleon" - I just changed automatically to suit the circumstances.
But who actually am I and what is just a mask? @actuallyautistic @actuallyadhd
@rebekka_m@theaardvark@actuallyautistic@actuallyadhd it was like that for me too. As a kid, I would always ask my mom if I liked a certain food before I started eating it, because I could never remember what I liked. I externalized that task of executive function.
Asi grew up, to keep the effort low, I would stay with certain foods I knew I enjoyed (shoutout for Mini What's!)
It also left me out of touch with my own body's desires. I learned that I couldn't trust myself
@rebekka_m@theaardvark@actuallyautistic@actuallyadhd yes! It's taken my years to see it myself, and now I'm learning by listening to what my body wants and regaining my own trust that I CAN take care of myself. It's been helping!
Still no baby goats - really hoping today is the day (because tomorrow is all day Zoom meetings)
The plus side of having to go out to the barn at 2am to check on pregnant goats is that there were faint auroras (which actually must have been pretty bright just to compete with the nearly-fully moon), and I heard 2 great horned owls calling back and forth to each other.