AGXStarseed
Well-Known Member
(Not written by me. Click the link at the bottom of the page to read the full article)
IMAGE OF THE AUTHOR & HER HUSBAND — CAYAN ASHLEY PHOTOGRAPHY
I have high-functioning autism, a learning disability, and severe ADD. While my autism has given me many strengths, I also have a lot of challenges. My mind is such a busy, chaotic place that I'm easily overwhelmed by outside stimuli. Grocery shopping is especially difficult for me. There's something about all the different, brightly-colored packages that fill towering shelves, combined with bright fluorescent lighting, overhead music and crowds, that's just too much for me to handle. I get disoriented easily, I can't do even basic arithmetic, and I make a lot of social missteps, because conventional socialization doesn't come naturally to me. Even with all these challenges, some of the misconceptions that come with having autism have been the most difficult. Still, I have a great group of friends who really appreciate me for who I am, and that's probably the best feeling in the world.
I'm married to a neurotypical (an individual who do not have qualities of autism) man, who never had any experience dealing with anyone with severe mental illness before he met me. When we started dating, I told him about my diagnoses, and he was very proactive about learning how to help me. He accompanied me to psychiatry and therapy appointments, and did endless research on the internet about how to support me. I feel so fortunate to be surrounded by thoughtful people who appreciate me, even though I'm idiosyncratic (or, as my husband calls me, quirky).
So many incorrect assumptions and generalizations about autistic people are often thrown around. So many neurotypical people have tried to speak for us, and a lot of them have misrepresented us. I'm autistic, and here are a few things I'd really like you to know.
Autism doesn’t just affect children.
So much information about autism is geared toward parents of children with autism. Even the standard autism awareness symbol, the colorful puzzle piece, appears very juvenile. While I’m so glad that parents have more access than ever to information that benefits their autistic children, the community as a whole is disappointing adults with autism by having such a singular focus on kids.
Autistic children grow up into autistic adults, and we adults need representation, too.
Not every autistic person has the same needs and struggles.
When people find out that I’m autistic, I’m often told that I don’t seem autistic. This is annoying to me, because it just demonstrates their ignorance about autism. Autism presents in very different ways. There’s no standard way for an autistic person to behave or seem. Sometimes, when people tell me I don’t look autistic, it’s obvious that they mean it as a compliment, and that’s honestly very insulting. There’s nothing shameful about being autistic. Who cares if my autism is obvious to others or not? Being autistic doesn’t make me any less of a person. It just makes me different.
Autism is often accompanied by other mental illnesses, according to The National Autistic Society. Along with my autism comes severe ADD and a learning disability. Essentially, my intellect is extremely unbalanced. I can’t do even basic math with single digits, but I memorize French poetry in my spare time and study theoretical astrophysics for fun. I’m also almost always disoriented. Even in my own home, I sometimes forget the layout and get confused about how to get from one room to another. Thank the heavens for GPS! I always keep a few backup GPS devices in my car, because I can’t even navigate my own neighborhood without one, and my brain can’t decipher maps. We autistic babes all have different needs and limitations, so please don't make generalizations about us. Get to know us individually.
Please be open to changing our plans to something more low-key I’m feeling overstimulated.
My autism makes me sensitive to overstimulation. My mind is such a hectic, busy, colorful place that external stimuli can easily overwhelm me. I think in layers; my brain has three to six inner dialogues going on at once at any given time, and when you combine all that chaos with loud music, bright lights, or bustling environments, it’s often just too much for me to handle. When I’m overstimulated, it sends me into a panic. As a kid, I’d have classic tantrums. Now that I’m an adult, I get angry, irritated, scared and frustrated when too much is going on in my brain, and I make a lot of rash decisions that I quickly regret. If my mind is calm and I’ve had time to prepare myself with self-care and therapy techniques, I can sometimes handle intimate concerts, shopping at busy, bright stores, or being around crowds for a small amount of time. Still, overall, I’m just never going to be the wild, party girl who’s down for anything, anytime, and that's OK.
I wish more people understood my autism enough to realize that I’m not trying to be stubborn and inflexible when I say I’m not feeling up for a lot of commotion. In fact, it’s taken me years to become self-aware enough to be able to communicate my need for low-key environments and activities. I’m proud of my ability to communicate my needs, and when others get frustrated with me for wanting to avoid overstimulation, it really bums me out. Being my friend might not be terribly exciting, but I think I still bring a lot of great qualities to the table. I just want people to stop seeing me as a stick-in-the-mud for needing to plan ahead and stick primarily to chill activities.
Full Article: I’m An Adult Living With Autism & Here’s What I Want You To Know
IMAGE OF THE AUTHOR & HER HUSBAND — CAYAN ASHLEY PHOTOGRAPHY
I have high-functioning autism, a learning disability, and severe ADD. While my autism has given me many strengths, I also have a lot of challenges. My mind is such a busy, chaotic place that I'm easily overwhelmed by outside stimuli. Grocery shopping is especially difficult for me. There's something about all the different, brightly-colored packages that fill towering shelves, combined with bright fluorescent lighting, overhead music and crowds, that's just too much for me to handle. I get disoriented easily, I can't do even basic arithmetic, and I make a lot of social missteps, because conventional socialization doesn't come naturally to me. Even with all these challenges, some of the misconceptions that come with having autism have been the most difficult. Still, I have a great group of friends who really appreciate me for who I am, and that's probably the best feeling in the world.
I'm married to a neurotypical (an individual who do not have qualities of autism) man, who never had any experience dealing with anyone with severe mental illness before he met me. When we started dating, I told him about my diagnoses, and he was very proactive about learning how to help me. He accompanied me to psychiatry and therapy appointments, and did endless research on the internet about how to support me. I feel so fortunate to be surrounded by thoughtful people who appreciate me, even though I'm idiosyncratic (or, as my husband calls me, quirky).
So many incorrect assumptions and generalizations about autistic people are often thrown around. So many neurotypical people have tried to speak for us, and a lot of them have misrepresented us. I'm autistic, and here are a few things I'd really like you to know.
Autism doesn’t just affect children.
So much information about autism is geared toward parents of children with autism. Even the standard autism awareness symbol, the colorful puzzle piece, appears very juvenile. While I’m so glad that parents have more access than ever to information that benefits their autistic children, the community as a whole is disappointing adults with autism by having such a singular focus on kids.
Autistic children grow up into autistic adults, and we adults need representation, too.
Not every autistic person has the same needs and struggles.
When people find out that I’m autistic, I’m often told that I don’t seem autistic. This is annoying to me, because it just demonstrates their ignorance about autism. Autism presents in very different ways. There’s no standard way for an autistic person to behave or seem. Sometimes, when people tell me I don’t look autistic, it’s obvious that they mean it as a compliment, and that’s honestly very insulting. There’s nothing shameful about being autistic. Who cares if my autism is obvious to others or not? Being autistic doesn’t make me any less of a person. It just makes me different.
Autism is often accompanied by other mental illnesses, according to The National Autistic Society. Along with my autism comes severe ADD and a learning disability. Essentially, my intellect is extremely unbalanced. I can’t do even basic math with single digits, but I memorize French poetry in my spare time and study theoretical astrophysics for fun. I’m also almost always disoriented. Even in my own home, I sometimes forget the layout and get confused about how to get from one room to another. Thank the heavens for GPS! I always keep a few backup GPS devices in my car, because I can’t even navigate my own neighborhood without one, and my brain can’t decipher maps. We autistic babes all have different needs and limitations, so please don't make generalizations about us. Get to know us individually.
Please be open to changing our plans to something more low-key I’m feeling overstimulated.
My autism makes me sensitive to overstimulation. My mind is such a hectic, busy, colorful place that external stimuli can easily overwhelm me. I think in layers; my brain has three to six inner dialogues going on at once at any given time, and when you combine all that chaos with loud music, bright lights, or bustling environments, it’s often just too much for me to handle. When I’m overstimulated, it sends me into a panic. As a kid, I’d have classic tantrums. Now that I’m an adult, I get angry, irritated, scared and frustrated when too much is going on in my brain, and I make a lot of rash decisions that I quickly regret. If my mind is calm and I’ve had time to prepare myself with self-care and therapy techniques, I can sometimes handle intimate concerts, shopping at busy, bright stores, or being around crowds for a small amount of time. Still, overall, I’m just never going to be the wild, party girl who’s down for anything, anytime, and that's OK.
I wish more people understood my autism enough to realize that I’m not trying to be stubborn and inflexible when I say I’m not feeling up for a lot of commotion. In fact, it’s taken me years to become self-aware enough to be able to communicate my need for low-key environments and activities. I’m proud of my ability to communicate my needs, and when others get frustrated with me for wanting to avoid overstimulation, it really bums me out. Being my friend might not be terribly exciting, but I think I still bring a lot of great qualities to the table. I just want people to stop seeing me as a stick-in-the-mud for needing to plan ahead and stick primarily to chill activities.
Full Article: I’m An Adult Living With Autism & Here’s What I Want You To Know
