JGamer

23, Comp Sci student. DW fan, image is the Gallifreyan equivalent of my nick. Developer of the Emergency Chat app.

[pandaspansawareness]

Neurodiversity isn’t just autism

It’s Tourette’s

It’s Sensory Processing Disorder

It’s ADHD

It’s auditory processing disorder

It’s OCD

it’s dyspraxia

It’s dyscalculia

It’s dyslexia

Its schizophrenia

It’s intellectual disabilities

It’s Down syndrome

It’s epilepsy

It’s executive dysfunction

It’s irlen syndrome

It’s ALS

It’s stroke survivors

It’s Non verbal learning disorder

It’s working memory deficit

It’s bpd

It’s bipolar disorder

It’s personality disorders

It’s depression

It’s anxiety

It’s ODD

Its kleptomania

Its many many many more things whether it be to do with movement, learning, sensory,memory, sensation,emotion , thoughts , social skills or anything

feel free to add more

[defectivegembrain]

like even if someone’s completely nonverbal, they can’t write or type or sign or use PECS or anything, and even if their behaviour is hard to interpret, that doesn’t mean they don’t have anything important to say or you shouldn’t try to understand them as much as possible or that anyone else can ever truly be their voice. they are an individual, a full person and they should be treated as such.

[13faeinapenguinsuit]

If you don’t understand why this is so important, you need to familiarize yourself with the incomparable Carly Fleischmann, who was entirely “non-communicative”… until she wasn’t. And lo and behold even when she couldn’t make people understand her, she could understand them. This is why you presume competence!

[nyxtheautisticbean]

It hurts to think how many kids, teens, and adults are out there, hearing what’s going on around them when people assume they don’t understand.

The only comparison I have is when I have my nonververbal episodes and big shutdowns but that comes nowhere close to a life-time of it.

Carly is amazing. She’s funny and adorable and smart. I follow her on Facebook. I do recommend looking into her. To everybody. But especially those who assuming no apparent communicative skills = no listening comprehension.

I might not be making sense. Basically felt the need to reblog.

[pixierainbows]

“The only comparison I have is when I have my nonververbal episodes and big shutdowns but that comes nowhere close to a life-time of it.”

!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you!!!! for understand that experiencing having some time of not talking is not at all same as being nonverbal whole life. never see anybody say admit to this ever .

so so so many People more say - “I’m non verbal but forced to be verbal”. and even worse, recently seen person Tag a thing as nonverbal was about person not liking how person-voice — [Word not on communication device meaning how feel in person-ear ?] … showing just how little People understand . just. No. that is not right. that is not right. not Okay. so hurtful me cry tears of frustrated hurt so Much again again again feel like need to Stop! be on internet need to put away shut down remove me tumblr for how how much hurt me to see again again again People appropriate/hijack the nonverbal label more more more awful bad feelingS.

have seen that as more autism-People change real-used meaning of nonverbal label from can not talk to can talk but is “ just ” difficult to talk , People have more more believing all People who claim can not talk are just making choice to decide to not talk and can be force made to talk

this this make more hard to get People to believe in the need for AAC and make it a required for person to REALLY not be able to talk before Okay use AAC. this [ Word not on communication device meaning opposite of follow ] to demanding prove it is real not faking legitimate in-ability to talk before anybody accept use of AAC. and helps legitimize limitting AAC to only those People who “need” it .

if helps, take this as a legitimately ( full- time, officially diagnosis ) nonverbal person me saying not only is it VERY OKAY to decide should not or do not want to use body voice … but telling People so and then using AAC really helps People like me. saying can talk and making choice to use AAC for any reason, include talking is too difficult and “ just ” not wanting to talk, help make using AAC seem more— normal good cool right healthy possible (? ) ( Sorry not know what Word is right meaning of what me try to say )

[howtoautism]

how to stop counting in threes for everything ever

[catadromously]

flap types

*flaps smol and fluttery-like* - you’re a moth

*flaps enthusiastically and hops/spins* - you’re a barn swallow

*flaps majestically* - you’re a hawk

*flaps at light speed* - you’re a hummingbird

*flaps with entire body and knocks things over* - you’re a friggin pterodactyl, they should all be very afraid

[strangerdarkerbetter]

Autistic people are AuMazing!

[spongebob-autisticquestions]

Did any other autistic people tend to get really startled by yelling even if they weren’t the one being yelled at?

[jgamer-aspie]

Yup, instant fear response

[undeterr-ed-deactivated20161230]

Friendly reminder

“Doing your best” does not mean working yourself to the point of a mental breakdown.

[vastderp]

this one still smashes me in the face ten times a year. do not ignore pain, it’s no longer your best at that point

[xovortex]

it’s no longer your best at that point

[sinnaisanemotionalman]

@eighteenbelow

[eighteenbelow]

Thank you for the reminder :D

[snakedance]

You can’t do someone else’s best.

[heyatleastitsnotcancer]

When someone is struggling and you respond with “at least you have x or y and I don’t”, you are dismissing that person’s struggles a bit. Yes they may have a partner or stable living situation or what not but that doesn’t mean they automatically have it better than you.

It doesn’t even matter if they do since there is no hierarchy of suffering. It’s the same as “at least it’s not cancer.” It’s harmful and dismissive and elitist. Please stop doing this. We need to treat each other better than this.

[kittyseeker-deactivated20200610]

I suck at words. So when someone tells me something bad that’s going on with them, I generally say “that’s rough” or “that sucks” accompanied by a headshake.

Because I want that person to know, “I hear you and you truly seem to be dealing with something terrible” and nothing else invalidates how much that particular struggle just utterly sucks.

Our struggles aren’t a competition. Be supportive.

[heyatleastitsnotcancer]

That’s what people usually want to hear. They just want to be supported and know someone understands.

[k-pagination]

Autistic community issues: Gatekeeping edition

Hi. This is re: the special interest terminology kerfluffle. I am an autistic person with ADHD. I have a request. Could you stop telling me that I have to use two different words to describe the same experience I have that I have no idea which “diagnosis” it comes from? (By the way, brains are not partitioned like that, so my neurology is affected by both, sometimes in very interchangeable ways that you don’t know which one is which!)

Related - the autistic community, as @alliecat-person​ points out here - has a pretty long history, some of which I have put together at @ourautistichistory​, and some of which is probably lost as domain names expired or the list servs went defunct. But the moderator of @actuallyadhd​, who has ADHD, has been involved with list servs and later platforms of the autistic community since 1994. She is an autistic cousin, which is a decades-old term that refers to someone “who is not NT, is not quite autistic, but is recognizably “autistic-like” particularly in terms of communication and social characteristics.”

To ignore that fact, along with @alliecat-person​‘s note that these kinds of words have not been considered exclusive to the autistic community from the start - which is roughly three decades ago - is negligent. A community should know its history, and we need to know our history to work for change. 

And it tells people that we are not a community that welcomes people unless they share our specific neurotype. It tells many people who are wondering if they are autistic that we are a community who will not welcome them. That may make them afraid to approach us, or learn more about autistic community and autistic culture. It tells people we are a community who is willing to gatekeep, and that is not what I want people to think of the community I love and fight for.

[slimeandsensitive]

It’s really not that hard to give your autistic child privacy and respect in regards to random people you interact with in public as well as with friends and acquaintances. Autistic children are allowed to be autistic in public without you disclosing their whole medical history or their personal information. Sure, people may not understand behavior that’s different from the “neurotypical standard” but that doesn’t mean the child has to adjust or that you have to explain everything just for some random person’s “comfort.”

[pro-autistic]

Shout out to the autistic people who used to be called “gifted” and “prodigies“ when they were younger kids, only to then get screwed over by the school system and left feeling like faliures.

Despite what those feelings might try to tell you, you are not a faliure.

The school system failed you. You did not fail it.

[strangerdarkerbetter]

Finding someone to share in a special interest with you is one of the most magical experiences. Having someone to talk to about your special interest endlessly with is so beautiful. Being able to engage with your special interest together adds to the joy and warmth of it all. 

If you haven’t found someone yet, they’re out there. One day you will find someone to share your joy, someone who will love the way your face lights up when you talk about it, someone who loves how much you love your special interest. 

You may not have found them yet, but you will. 

[ladyautie]

Okay, so I finally, finally, finished to watch Atypical and it was not a pleasure. Anyway, I’m going to start with its qualities, because, well, it’s going to be shorter than starting with its flaws.

Keep reading

[howtoautism]

How to stop grinding your teeth when you're awake

[13faeinapenguinsuit]

That autistic / ADHD feel when you want to do… something.

[shinybluething]

I call this “activity cravings” because it’s like when you want a certain food but you aren’t sure which food. But for activities.

Do I want to go for a walk? Play a game? If so, what kind of game? DO I want to make things? Read? Watch tv? A movie?

[letschristianfeministus]

then when that executive dysfunction comes into play and since you could do literally anything in the world, you end up trapped and unable to choose anything to do at all, and do nothing instead but live in that restlessness

[13faeinapenguinsuit]

One of the best additions to this post yet. This is one of those nuances of choice paralysis that people fail to understand - sometimes it is because we lack the executive function to choose, sometimes we want to do all the things and can’t choose.

[spongebob-autisticquestions]

Do any other autistic people get that feeling where although you’re not experiencing a meltdown, you know one could be imminent if you can’t get out of an overwhelming environment soon?

[jgamer-aspie]

Yup. More frustrating is when you're on that edge for a prolonged stretch of time, but can't just get it over with.

[strangerdarkerbetter]

To all the self-diagnosed autistic people...

You’ve done your research. A lot of it. Like a lot, a lot. You’ve studied autism thoroughly and have found yourself in what you’ve learned. You’ve had so many aha! moments and moments where it seemed like everything clicked into place. 

You’ve taken your time. You’ve analyzed yourself extensively, reflecting over so many experiences you’ve had. You’ve spent so much time considering whether or not autism fits your experiences or if it might be something else. 

I know the doubts that crop up. Sometimes these doubts are uninvited, invading your mind like a parasite that eats away at your thoughts until you’re consumed with self-doubt. Sometimes these doubts are brought about by others questioning you or invalidating you. Their words echoing in your mind until that’s all you can hear. 

So many of us, whether clinically diagnosed or self-diagnosed, doubt ourselves from time to time. Your doubts don’t define you or mean that you aren’t valid. These doubts are the ableism we all internalize from this world. We’re constantly told that we can’t be autistic because of X, whether it’s because we have friends or can speak or can hold a job or can make eye contact or any other untrue reason. 

Remember that no one autistic person has every trait. We are each unique individuals with unique mixes of traits. Just because you’re different from another autistic person you know doesn’t mean you aren’t autistic. We are each beautifully different and that’s wonderful. 

Trust yourself. Trust the research you’ve done. Trust the time you have spent. Trust your self-analysis and self-reflection. If you know that you are autistic, that’s what truly matters. A clinical diagnosis may grant access to accommodations or services, but, for many, it’s not necessary. Self-diagnosis grants us access to our community and resources to help us live better lives and self-understanding that can radically change how we live. 

Trust in yourself. Accept yourself. Love yourself.