Beginning to round out the autism threads now, bringing them back home as to why this all belongs on Global Dark Theme.

Hashtags that've brought matters along to this point :

#Spring2020AutisticLockdown (~18)
#LatN (5)
#GDTautismIntro (8)
#WhoTalks (13)
#LivingInFear (2)
#DPSO! (7)
#traumapants (next)
#pantrauma (later)

Spoiler: none of this, it turns out, has anything to do with autism.

It has everything to do with trauma.

An experience not at all limited to autistics.

Now if only we knew the neurotypical equivalent; research indicates "How are you?" doesn't mean what we think it means.

In the meantime, the fact that I have special interests to support and distract me, and the neurotypicals don't, is highlighting our differences in ways I never trained for & don't know how to hide.

Neurotypicals, prepare to be amazed by your disabled & ND people.

#LatN

5/5

#Spring2020AutisticLockdown

[fin]

Only when I can't keep up the math course that makes me feel curious and new, the freelancing work that makes me feel strong & in control, and the reading that calms me and keeps me grounded, only when I've had to give up all of those interests, will anything else be affected.

So if you want to know if your autistic person is doing OK, the material question is not "How's work/school/family?"

It's "How are your special interests?"

#LatN

4/4

#Spring2020AutisticLockdown

[fin]

Autistic people and other NDs know how to have one area of their life fall apart and still protect the key areas, for survival. So when we suffer, work/school/family are the last to go.

First, we sacrifice our beloved special interests.

#LatN

3/

#Spring2020AutisticLockdown

The neurotypicals never learned how to sacrifice all of their energy just so they'd appear fine when & where it counts. They don't know how to triage. When they suffer, the big things in their life suffer first: work, school, family.

#LatN

2/

#Spring2020AutisticLockdown

Living among the neurotypicals log

[edit: this was posted April 25, 2020, several weeks into the "lockdown"]

Day 11,353

The neurotypicals are tired. Worse, they are noticing I'm not tired yet. Not like them. I trained for years to pretend I was fine - when they were all fine. To blend in. But now they're stressed and tired; I never trained for that.

#LatN

1/

#Spring2020AutisticLockdown