Autisticality

@autisticality.bsky.social

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The Autistic and otherwise neurodivergent advocacy page from Ben the potato!

"Hyperphantasia is the ability to see clear mental imagery (to see in pictures). This is often very detailed and can include the ability to feel, smell or hear what is being thought of. Aphantasia is the inability to see in pictures, where the person tends to think in words instead. If there are some mental images then they tend to be less vivid. This also makes it hard to recall memories."
Executive function is the ability to complete mental processes and tasks. It is effectively the manager of your brain and plays a massive role in day-to-day life. Those that struggle to tackle these cognitive tasks might have challenges with executive functioning. This can include difficulties starting/switching tasks, difficulties with attention or impulse control and difficulties with memory or organisation. What helps: - be patient and understanding: give people more time to process, understand what is being asked of them and do it in their own time - provide company, such as body-doubling, to help with concentration and task management - offer step-by-step instructions/guidance on things that might cause overwhelm and anxiety due to unknowns - do NOT assume laziness!
Boundaries are rules and limitations that you set up to protect yourself (physically, mentally and emotionally). Boundaries can be placed with family, friends, colleagues etc. Autistic people can often be taken advantage of due to people-pleasing or because they think they don't have the ability or authority to say no. This leads to increased anxieties and overwhelms due to overextending one's self, especially if not able to keep up with demands. Self care is important and boundaries are healthy! Do not feel bad or guilty for setting boundaries Make a DO & DO NOT list of boundaries Ask/give time to process a response Learn to say "No"
Stimming is a way of regulating one's experience of the sensory world. It can be conscious and unconscious. Stims might include: Hand flapping, Whistling, Rocking, Repeating words (echolalia), Touching certain textures, using fidget toys, chewing, pressing buttons etc. It helps reduce anxiety and stress, allowing a person to cope at difficult times. Everyone stims in one way or another, however, Autistic people stim more due to our different experiences of the sensory world being more overwhelming to us. Suppressing or restricting someone's stims or ability to stim causes greater overwhelm and distress due to the inability to regulate how they feel. Normalise stimming rather than shaming it or judging it as weird. Simply rocking side to side can make a person feel happier and more at ease. There's nothing wrong with that!
"Burnout is the state of mental, physical and emotional exhaustion which impacts energy levels and functioning capabilities. It can occur from masking, social situations, sensory overload, Autistic overwhelm, or running low on energy. Burnout might look like reduced speech/ability to talk, increased sensory sensitivities, inability to carry out tasks/routines, little/no motivation or reduction in self-care. Take time to put yourself and your needs first. Remove expectations, demands and set boundaries. Regain energy in safe environments, doing things that bring you joy. DON’T assume someone is just lazy when they may be struggling with burnout."
"Shutdowns are internalised meltdowns in which the Autistic person has become overwhelmed/distressed, in the same way as a meltdown, but that distress is kept inside and is not as visible. Signs of a shutdown include: reduced or no communication, low activity/loss of interests, sudden low mood or withdrawal/isolation. Causes includes: Overwhelm from sensory overload or increased demands Exhaustion (e.g. from excessive masking) Changes (in routine, environments etc.) Difficulty navigating a social situation/relationship Feelings of rejection sensitivity Shutdowns are harder to identify than meltdowns, so make sure the person is comfortable and feels safe. Do NOT pressure or force someone to re-engage or communicate until they feel able to."
"Meltdowns are external responses that are caused by being overwhelmed and can occur for both Autistic children AND adults. Meltdowns are not tantrums. Signs include anger, crying, self-harm, shouting or involuntary body movements. Causes include: Overwhelm from sensory overload or increased demands Exhaustion (e.g. from excessive masking) Changes (in routine, environments etc.) Difficulty navigating a social situation/relationship Feelings of rejection sensitivity Everyone deals with meltdowns in their own way so ask the person what helps them most. Try to work out triggers for meltdowns to prevent them from happening in the first place. Do NOT punish or shame someone for having a meltdown." Alt text ends
4 potato characters. 1 saying "suffers from autism", 1 saying "on the spectrum", 1 saying "person with autism" and a rainbow potato saying "Autistic potato"
"Everyone can become overwhelmed by it is much more common for Autistic people due to experiencing the world in a different way, whether mentally, emotionally, especially in terms of sensory experiences. Someone might be overwhelmed due to sensory sensitivities, being asked too many questions/demands, things going wrong or because something has changed. It leads to meltdowns, shutdowns, increased anxiety, increased sadness and increased irritability. Each person is different but some things that help are stopping/reducing sensory triggers, giving time and space to recover, provide reassurance/stims and reducing the pressure of the situation."
Alt text: "Masking is when you project an 'acceptable' version of one's self as an unconscious response to trauma. Masking can include: forcing eye contact, suppressing stims, copying social cues, hiding sensory discomfort, forcing mouth words or refraining from talking about interests. Masking can negatively impact Autistic people since it is draining and often leads to burnout. It can make someone lose their true identity trying to be who they are not or make you feel as though you are not good enough as you are. Sadly, people will always discriminate and judge. The best thing to do is to surround yourself with people you feel safe with who you can be your true self around. Remember you are amazing as you are and do not need to change for anyone!" Alt text ends.
What is Autistic Experience? To be Autistic is to experience communication, the sensory world, thinking and social interactions differently from non-Autistic people. An Autistic person is innately neurodivergent. What is it not? An Autistic person is NOT disordered or ill (we need no cure!). Everyone is NOT 'a little bit Autistic'. Autistic experiences are NOT made up for attention. Autistic people and their experiences are NOT all the same. There is no singular look or presentation of an Autistic person - each is different!