ASD & OCD

lgbt | 31 | intj

[anxietyproblem]

[marxism-ex-silium]

So glad I get to experience homosexual desire. One life and thank god I'm not straight

[theorangepdf]

getting fixated on something is funny because the first like week i have an insatiable need to tell everyone i know about it and spread the good word but by weeks 2 and 3 it becomes so intense and personal that even hearing it mentioned in public makes me sweat as if a dark secret was alluded to

[blackforestbride]

my body is a machine that makes headaches

[neurotypicalontheoutside]

me and bestie when each of our favs drop content at the same time

[sunshinerotting]

ever since i was a child ive had a headache

[identitty-dickruption]

it's crucial that you untie "special interest" from "expertise". "it's true just trust me bro" doesn't have any extra weight when you add "I know because it's my special interest". you are not immune from falling for misinformation, and you are not immune from sharing misinformation. not to mention the fact that "amount of knowledge" isn't even a requirement for something being classified as a special interest lol!

[identitty-dickruption]

FAQ based on frequent responses to this post

"if you can't cite your sources is it really a special interest?"

yes. "special interest" does not mean the same thing as "expert" or even "knowledgeable". it refers to a certain type of emotional relationship an autistic person has to a subject area (e.g. can't stop thinking about the thing, is emotionally soothed by the thing, etc). many autistic people may struggle to remember facts and figures for any number of reasons, but may still experience a special interest. honestly, these kinds of misinformation about what a special interest even is feels like a reinforcement of the savant stereotype, and I really do not like that

"who is this post even aimed at?"

this post is about two related phenomena I have seen both in online and offline spaces:

someone is asked for a source for a piece of information -> "source? it's my special interest". this is unhelpful because it does not provide any additional information, and is also a really easy way for misinformation to spread

autistic people saying things like "I don't really have any special interests because I don't really know anything". this is sad to me, because it is a sign that people are denying themselves the joy of a special interest just because they'll never have encyclopaedic information about the topic. your special interest is still special even if it isn't expertise

"what if I use my special interest as motivation to become an expert (i.e. receive xyz qualification)?"

well now you are an expert! congratulations! this should also provide you with enough information to know that "it's my special interest" is not the same as a citation. however you should also be aware that not all autistic people will become experts in their special interests, and you should not hold them to that standard

okay thanks <3 have a good one

[loveridden1999]

[tordenvejr]

art will save you, being unreasonably passionate about something niche will save you, letting past sources of joy show you the way back to yourself will save you, earnestness over composure will save you, the natural world will save you, caring for something bigger than yourself will save you, daring to be seen will save you, kindness not as a whim but a principle will save you, appreciation as a practice will save you, daring to try something new will save you, grounding will save you, love will save you, one good nights sleep will save you

[glowcowboy]

i love re-consuming media i used to love when i was younger. like wow! child me still is in me i am holding her hand and keeping her safe and doing her favorite things with her!!!!

[neurotypicalontheoutside]

just read an article about emetophobia and i felt so Seen

[yessoupy]

GOD I just want to be CREATIVE but all my energy is being used to survive

[bonesandthebees]

one of the most infuriating things about becoming an adult is when you realize that it actually is 10x easier to solve problems by making a phone call vs literally any other communication method

[the-future-is-chrome]

the neurodivergent experience:

20% of the time: wowwieee!!! i love my passions and interests!!!!! they make me so happy i want to jump up and down!!!!! weee!!!!!!! :3333333333

80% of the time: this mind is a prison

[neurotypicalontheoutside]

i read through my blog for the first time in a while and thought huh i've been doing pretty good recently

and then later today i got punched in the mouth by my dog and i felt her claw on my front teeth

so now i'm spending the night awake cuz i'm too anxious to sleep

[werewolf-transgenderism]

do you ever think about how a series of tiny choices like “I guess I’ll watch that show” can like totally and entirely change huge aspects of your life

[furryprovocateur]

when you're autistic and you learn how to smalltalk it literally feels like you started hacking real life

[furryprovocateur]

lifehack: if you exchange pleasantries with people and fake smile a lot people will think you're nice and be nicer to you usually. REBLOG FOR MORE FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE