We need better words for talking about #neurodiversity in ways that aren't pathological, clinical, or derisive. I don't think it's useful to try to think up neologisms on the spot, but I keep my eyes open for new terminology that might arise organically in conversation. Any new words folks are using that are worth sharing?

The word "neurodiversity" itself is kind of new, and it's already been through a bit of an evolution and maybe even has tainted origins, but it's a good word and there's a reason so many of us use it. But even so, I wish it didn't sound so medical. (The evolution I mention is that "neurodiverse" used to mean "not neurotypical", but now generally is used to mean all neurotypes including neurotypical. We use "neurodivergent" for "not neurotypical" now. Likewise "neurotypical" used to mean not autistic, but we say "allistic" for that now.)

A few hashtags that could use an upgrade: #ADHD #ASD #autism #autistic #neurodivergent #neurotypical

das lustige an meinem #ASD-gehirn ist ja, dass einerseits die filter nicht wirklich funktionieren ich aber auf der anderen seite trotzdem in der lage bin aus einem informations-overload essentielle informationen bewusst heraus zu filtern und mir (alleine zu meiner persönlichen orientierung) zu merken
das einzige problem dabei ist, dass ich meistens nicht mehr weiss woher ich eine information habe

hi 大家好呀，我来尝试推荐一下我的第一期播客，聊了聊关于神经多样性和孤独症的关系 https://www.xiaoyuzhoufm.com/episode/64a1b22d63a61044f410515a

初衷是给我有阅读障碍的完全不知道孤独症的亲人听，所以讲的可能都是大家早就知道的信息。目前还没发到苹果播客和Spotify，正在鼓捣中。

不太确信会不会有人感兴趣，这一期发布后我就一直在自我贬低，觉得自己像念稿机器人😅 内容也没什么逻辑，总之鼓足了勇气来尝试艾特版聊，希望能获得一点点鼓励和反馈 :octo_sad: :octo_sad:

#播客 #asd #autism

@board @worldboard （如果回复请删掉这几个艾特免得打扰到版聊）

Hello #neurodifferent, I think an #introduction is required.

I am in my 40s and only just realising that i am probably #autistic.

I've been through a process over the last year or so that has brought me to a sudden realisation, particularly as my #ASD son is getting into his teens and I am recognising certain behaviours (but other factors too, including my sibling's diagnosis too). So I'm currently self-diagnosed, but when i made a list of traits, it got quite extensive, including long lists and mindmaps of traits I'd never thought were anything but "well thats just how I am". I am awaiting a formal assessment (which may be a 3 year wait) after which they will likely say I am #actuallyautistic . I know a lot of people on the autistic spectrum (both diagnosed and completely unaware) and can spot many traits a mile off, but seemingly it took many years to see them in myself.

So this is a bit of a learning journey for me, and when a formal diagnosis comes, I will need to decide who I disclose this to in the real world. Due to ableism in society and general lack of understanding, I'm really not sure how many people I will want to disclose to, after a lifetime of masking.

Hopefully a bit of interaction on this instance will be helpful for me. Especially looking to hear from people who have gone through diagnosis later in life.

@Allonon have had this happen to my son at school.
They called me at work and I collected him from school.
It was like he was catatonic. Frightened the hell out of the folk at school and me.
They never told me what was going on beforehand.
A few years later when he'd moved on to another school he told me that the headmaster had been yelling into his.face and kept pulling his face round to force eye contact.He'd wanted to lash out but knew he shouldn't.

This was before diagnosis.#ASD / #ADHD.

Another example of someone on spectrum being accused of a crime and convicted because their behaviors did not seem "right" or "normal". This horrible atrocity also involved the police forcing a confession out of the person and the appeals process preventing his release despite the clear evidence showing they couldn't have done the crime they were convicted of doing.

#autism #spectrumdisorders #asd #acab #unjusticesystem #neurodiversity

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/how-police-interrogation-techniques-fail-people-with-autism/ar-AA1aJeky?pc=EMMX01&cvid=7749db2e851b4561a1ac53944dca2ae8&ei=41

"He doesn't speak words he goes boing boing, instead."

I used to love the shirt carton Gerald McBoing Boing as a kid. Coming back as an adult with autistic behaviors, I appreciate it even more for the message of acceptance of those that are different. My heart swells (three times as big) and my eyes tear up in how the world of the story celebrates the child and his parents accept him and they become wealthy. If only the real world was similar.

#autism #asd #acceptance #tolerance #disabilities #accomodations #celebratediversity #neurodiversity #differentlyabled

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpl0KRFdj1E

Autism medical alert cards are a thing! I found mine on Etsy, and you may want to grab one too.

Many of us high-masking autistics probably haven’t thought about having something like this, but there are good reasons we should consider it, one of which highlighted on this very card, which is why I bought it:

“Do not assume because I look ‘normal’ that I am not in crisis.”

So many of us have had the experience of being pressured to process input and respond to it faster than our brains can do it, and that pressure exacerbates the problem. If we otherwise seem “normal”, people are less likely to be understanding about what’s happening, and they may make unfair and sometimes downright judgmental assumptions.

When I was about 19, I had a meltdown in the middle of a therapy session. Neither I nor my therapist understood what was happening, so she panicked and called an ambulance. By the time I was in that ambulance, I was almost entirely calm, and the ambulance driver was understandably confused. At the hospital I remember hearing him tell someone “she’s just sad.” It was a humiliating day that resulted in a devastating bill.

I feel safer knowing I have this card on my lanyard. (My lanyard is my totem!) If I’m acting strange in any way, or need help, the card will not only provide context to overwrite their assumptions, but also information on how to treat me appropriately.

Plus - maybe they’ll learn something about autistic people in general that they’ll carry forward into their lives! 😁

#actuallyautistic #asd #autism #selfadvocacy #highmasking #unmasking

#ActuallyAutistic #ADHD #AuDHD #ADHDBrain #LateDiagnosis #Autistic #AutismAwarenessMonth #Neurodivergent #Neurodiversity #ASD

Autistic people often feel they’re ‘doing love wrong’ – but there’s another side of the story https://theconversation.com/autistic-people-often-feel-theyre-doing-love-wrong-but-theres-another-side-of-the-story-199200 #autism #ASD

One of the cruelest jokes society plays on the #autistic community is drilling into the brains of very young children with a predisposition for creative, out of the box problem solving, and telling them that they themselves are, in fact, The Problem.

#AutismBewarenessMonth #asd #autism @actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic #masking #autisticmasking #autismawareness #autismacceptance #audhd #adhd #neurodivergent #weird #autisticadult #AutisticAdults #anxiety

I pasted the #DSM-5 #ASD diagnosis into a Word document to fix OCR problems and the Editor gives me a lot of shit because it thinks that I need to learn to write concisive English.

#actuallyAuthistic #pathology

I do not like the phrase "on the spectrum" very much, so answering this writing prompt was quite tricky.

https://medium.com/@autisticwidower/my-answer-to-are-you-or-do-you-know-someone-on-the-spectrum-what-makes-them-special-6d8e42731988

#autism #asd #asc #aspergers #autismspectrum #autistic #actuallyautistic #medium #writing #writingcommunity #writingprompt

We’re Valid Regardless of Diagnosis 💔🩹💖 Our needs are our business

▶ To find links to more content and support me - 🖇lindsaymakesvideos.com🖇

There appears to be an underlying belief that our needs are only valid if they’re justified by the right diagnosis. But these diagnoses should have absolutely zero impact on how we feel about ourselves. At all.

They aren’t the empirical judgment of God Himself. Nor are they comparable to testing positive for lupus, or having a CT scan that reveals a tumor. One day, it may very well be a diagnostic standard to “scan” the brain for definitive markers of neurodivergence, but when that happens, the labels and their criteria will inevitably change accordingly.

The experiences and behaviors we associate with diagnoses ARE things, but diagnoses in and of themselves are not. They’re more like genres. They’re circles around traits drawn by fallible humans, and they change shape every day. Even if our neurodivergence is assessed by an educated professional, that professional is making an educated guess based on these circles. The ‘truth’ is a big blurry mess of genes, environment, and trauma, crashing into each other.

So it’s reasonable, and our right, to decide for ourselves the best way to frame our divergence and care for ourselves accordingly. And in turn, to respect that right in other neurodivergent people with similar experiences who choose a different path.

WE decide what we want out of life, what aspects of our divergence are in our way, and whether we want to be flexible about our needs.

#traumahealing #actuallyautistic #audhd #neurospicy #neurodivergence #autistic #autism #awareness #cptsd #spiritualawakening #traumahealing #selfawareness #selfadvocacy #selfwork #findingyourself #healing #asd #adhd

We’re Valid Regardless of Diagnosis 💔🩹💖 Our needs are our business

▶ To find links to more content and support me - 🖇lindsaymakesvideos.com🖇

There appears to be an underlying belief that our needs are only valid if they’re justified by the right diagnosis. But these diagnoses should have absolutely zero impact on how we feel about ourselves. At all.

They aren’t the empirical judgment of God Himself. Nor are they comparable to testing positive for lupus, or having a CT scan that reveals a tumor. One day, it may very well be a diagnostic standard to “scan” the brain for definitive markers of neurodivergence, but when that happens, the labels and their criteria will inevitably change accordingly.

The experiences and behaviors we associate with diagnoses ARE things, but diagnoses in and of themselves are not. They’re circles around traits drawn by fallible humans, and they change shape every day. Even if our neurodivergence is assessed by an educated professional, that professional is making an educated guess based on these circles. The ‘truth’ is a big blurry mess of genes, environment, and trauma, crashing into each other.

So it’s reasonable, and our right, to decide for ourselves the best way to frame our divergence and care for ourselves accordingly.

WE decide what we want out of life, what aspects of our divergence are in our way, and whether we want to be flexible about our needs.

Others can't POSSIBLY grasp the amount of work that flexibility would take, because we're the only ones with all the relevant data. No one has the right to make us change, whether we have a diagnosis or not, unless we give it to them.

#traumahealing #actuallyautistic #audhd #neurospicy #neurodivergence #autistic #autism #awareness #cptsd #spiritualawakening #traumahealing #selfawareness #selfadvocacy #selfwork #findingyourself #healing #asd #adhd

We’re Valid Regardless of Diagnosis 💔🩹💖 Our needs are our business

▶ To find links to more content and support me - 🖇lindsaymakesvideos.com🖇

Is it ADHD? Is it autism? Or is it trauma? As Dwayne The Rock Johnson famously said - “IT DOESN’T MATTER” What matters is getting our needs met.

There appears to be an underlying belief that our needs are only valid if they’re justified by the right diagnosis. But these diagnoses should have absolutely zero impact on how we feel about ourselves. At all.

They aren’t the empirical judgment of God Himself. Nor are they comparable to testing positive for lupus, or having a CT scan that reveals a tumor. One day, it may very well be a diagnostic standard to “scan” the brain for definitive markers of neurodivergence, but when that happens, the labels and their criteria will inevitably change accordingly.

The experiences and behaviors we associate with diagnoses ARE things, but diagnoses in and of themselves are not. They’re more like genres. They’re circles around traits drawn by fallible humans, and they change shape every day. Even if our neurodivergence is assessed by an educated professional, that professional is making an educated guess based on these circles. The ‘truth’ is a big blurry mess of genes, environment, and trauma, crashing into each other.

So it’s reasonable, and our right, to decide for ourselves the best way to frame our divergence and care for ourselves accordingly.

WE decide what we want out of life, what aspects of our divergence are in our way, and whether we want to be flexible about our needs.

Others can't POSSIBLY grasp the amount of work that flexibility would take, because we're the only ones with all the relevant data.

#traumahealing #actuallyautistic #audhd #neurospicy #neurodivergence #autistic #autism #awareness #cptsd #spiritualawakening #traumahealing #selfawareness #selfadvocacy #selfwork #findingyourself #healing #asd #adhd

I really really really want to get a new video out, but dang have I ever needed to organize my notes! I've been making Notion documents that I'm calling "content buckets" where I'm compiling all of my ideas that support particular theses. This way I'll know I have all my shit together in one doc before I turn it into a script.

I have one script pretty much done though - we'll be talking about how our needs are valid regardless of diagnosis.

In the meantime, enjoy this blurry mysterious list of concepts we'll be exploring in the future. 😁

▶ To find links to more content and support me - 🖇lindsaymakesvideos.com🖇

#traumahealing #actuallyautistic #audhd #neurospicy #neurodivergence #autistic #autism #awareness #cptsd #spiritualawakening #traumahealing #selfawareness #selfadvocacy #selfwork #findingyourself #healing #asd

Don’t forget play – 3 questions can help balance fun with supports and therapy for # autistic children https://theconversation.com/dont-forget-play-3-questions-can-help-balance-fun-with-supports-and-therapy-for-autistic-children-200920 #science #asd #aspergers

Unintended Harm: Are We Still Accountable? 💔🩹💖

As autistic people we have been punished mercilessly for crimes we had no idea we were committing, so it’s natural for us to feel like it’s totally unfair to be held accountable for harm we couldn’t have possibly predicted.

Nonetheless, it is vital to our healing, and our sanity, that we hold ourselves accountable for harm whether we intended it or not. Because if we carry the belief that feeling wronged is only valid if the wrongdoer intended it, then we’ll believe our OWN feelings of being wronged are only valid if the wrongdoer intended it. And since we NEED our feelings to be valid, we’ll NEED the wrongdoer to have intent, so we’ll end up pinning intent on people who just didn’t know any better.

Instead of thinking of it as admitting fault, think of it as acknowledging harm. We need to stop being lawyers and start being humans. Yes, we didn’t know better, we couldn’t have been expected to know better, we did the best we knew how to do - but - we recognize, and care, that someone got hurt, and we wish that hadn’t happened.

If we don’t apologize for unintended harm, the harmed party learns we care more about being right than we do about their pain. People don’t feel safe around people who don’t care whether they suffer or not, and that’s perfectly reasonable.

#asd #actuallyautistic #autistic #autism #neurodivergence #awakening #awareness #findingyourself #selfwork #weareallconnected #cptsd #healing #traumahealing #selfawareness #selfadvocacy

Do other #actuallyautistic find offence at our portrayal in fiction? I’ve been reading some #jonathankellerman lately and when autism is represented I’ve found it insulting. It’s a negative view of #ASD and as a #psychologist I would hope he would have a better understanding of the diversity within.