You Might Be Autistic

Not mightbeautistic@twitter; however, we are mutuals and she is okay with the existence of this blog. | Information for people who think they may be autistic. Self-diagnosis is valid and important. You have value. Admin: @in-sufficientdata

[youmightbeautistic]

You Might Be Autistic Masterpost & FAQ

Terminology

Neurodiversity vs neurodivergence (outside link)

Outdated terms (Asperger's, Etc.) (outside link)

Diagnosis

Online screening tools (blog tag)

Why getting an official diagnosis as an adult is a bad idea

ADHD & Autism

ADHD & Autism can be comorbid and the symptoms can overlap (outside link)

Hyperfixation vs. hyperfocus (outside link)

Recommended Tumblr blogs

@ApparentlyAutisticAndAnxious

@autism-resources

@autistic-AF

@five-thousand-loaves-of-bread

@fochti

@foone

@MyAutisticPOV

@NDCultureIs

Recommended Twitter feeds

You Might Be Autistic (the inspiration for this blog)

AutismAdulthood

AutismSociety

AutisticCallum_

AutisticCoach_

MaxieMoosie

NoNonsenseND

QueerlyAutistic

ThinkingAutism

FAQ Pending. Please ask questions if there's anything you need to know.

[in-sufficientdata]

Do you ever have to do a pain inventory to consider the answer before you can give the doctor your pain level?

I have chronic pain, and yes I do; I can easily ignore pain

I don't have chronic pain, and yes I do; I can easily ignore pain

I have chronic pain, and no I don't; I can't ignore pain

I don't have chronic pain, and no I don't; I can't ignore pain

I have chronic pain, and it varies

I don't have chronic pain, and it varies

Voting ended onApr 21, 2024

Explanation in replies; please vote before reading it.

[belleevangeline]

April is “Autism Awareness Month”, so here are a few reminders for you to keep in mind:

Autism Speaks is a hate group.

The reasoning behind “Light It Up Blue” (that there are more autistic boys than girls) stems from a tendency in doctors to base their autism diagnoses on stereotypes and sometimes refuse to diagnose girls.

Most autistic people don’t want a “cure” for autism and don’t support Autism Speaks.

Autism Speaks has given abusive/ableist parents legitimacy by portraying autism as a terrifying, life-ruining affliction and sympathising with parents who have contemplated killing their children, or actually killed them.

The views of autistic people are more important in this topic than the views of our allistic family members and peers.

Autism is not a disease.

Very little (about 4%) of Autism Speaks’ proceeds go toward supporting autistic people. More of it goes toward catering.

Autism is not a tragedy.

What autistic people need is acceptance, not awareness. 

Edit: Since some of you can’t take 60 seconds to google it rather than insist that you know more than actual autistic people, here: https://thecaffeinatedautistic.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/why-i-am-against-autism-speaks-and-you-should-be-too-2/

https://autisticbeekeeper.wordpress.com/2016/03/29/this-is-the-last-time-im-going-to-say-this/

[youmightbeautistic]

Thanks for your page!! It makes me feel included and valid

I'm so glad it helps! I'm really hoping to have time to make some more posts in the coming days, but we'll see how it goes

[youmightbeautistic]

Have you ever been to a drag show?

Did you enjoy it?

I found it to be Too Much

[youmightbeautistic]

[youmightbeautistic]

[youmightbeautistic]

[youmightbeautistic]

A lovely piano piece by autistic musician Tania Melnyczuk (@ekverstania on twitter).

[youmightbeautistic]

[youmightbeautistic]

ID: A tweet thread by Päivi Butcher ADHD/Autism Advocate (@FinnAttentive): "The clinical research psychologist who created the concept of HSP and first wrote about it, Elaine Aron, based the HSP criteria on family members who have since been diagnosed with autism." How is HSP even a thing after that?

[The OP originally linked to a tweet about an article, but the account in question has been deleted.]

"If one looks closely at the description of a Highly Sensitive Person it matches the criteria for autism almost word for word." My thoughts exactly when I've read about HSP. I was clearly reading about autism.

People, there's nothing bad about calling yourself autistic.

"Masking traits and constant self-hatred are also damaging, leading to drug addiction, eating disorders, and even suicide. This is why identifying as HSP when you are an unidentified autistic person can be so detrimental."

"Elaine Aron identifies as an HSP, but since autism is genetic and runs in families, the likelihood that Aron herself is autistic is high. She may not even realize it." Her family members turn out to be autistic, not HSP, but she still considers herself HSP? Got it.

"The Psychology Today article emphasizes that HSPs are more extroverted.." (than autistics.) "Many ADHD autistic people seek out novelty and therefore tend to be more social than people who are strictly autistic." Exactly why I thought I might not be autistic! I'm ADHD too. End ID.

[willtheweirdrat]

When are people gonna understand that autistic burnout doesn't require a day of rest, but a lifetime of accomodation in school and work. Like trust me, even if you gave me 3 months of rest, the burnout is still going to be there for as long as I force myself to do things I am not supposed to do.

[youmightbeautistic]

My computer wouldn't let me screenshot this (the drop-down menu kept disappearing when I would hit print screen) but —

My computer thinks I want 'ballistics' rather than 'allistics'.

I really don't know how to take this.

[youmightbeautistic]

[qapleulia]

saving my favourite twitter thread here just in case

[wellthatschaotic]

i have these

[youmightbeautistic]

[ID: Tweet by @kuroufo: "autism mom" /similar images i edited so theyre funnier: a thread.

A picture of the sun glowing against the backdrop of space. It is labeled "the autism" in all caps.

A pink heart made of puzzle pieces. It says, "Autism lol."

All caps white text on a blue background: "I don't normal because I'm a autism."

A silhouetted illustration of a mother kissing her child. The art style is distressed galvanized steel. In all caps, it says, "Autism was created because it's cool."

Text against a background of 4 pastel puzzle pieces. "Just because I'm screaming doesn't mean I'm screaming. I'm screaming."

A graphic with a blue arrow pointing to where the poster's avatar would be when the graphic is posted on social media. The caption says, "This Person hates someone." The word 'hates' has clip art flames coming off of it.

A rainbow-colored handprint against a black background. All caps text in a stencil font says, "Warning: this autism child uses autism on children. Die."

All caps bubble letters: "I am autism."

3 clip art skeletons in a line with a close-up picture of a skull in between. "It's ok to be evil shadow skull." There are 4 heart emojis of various colors beneath the text.

A graphic with a peach-colored blob in the center that's labeled, "Things your autistic loved one wants to hear." Surrounding this, on pastel yellow blobs, it says, "Hit the slay button" 9 times.

White text on a variegated, colorful background. It says, "Autism is 24/7- 365. Autism never takes a break." The graphic is quite pixelated.

White text on a navy blue background. This graphic has a lot of cut-off bits of color and jpg artifacts. It says, "God found some of the women and made them autism women."

6 cartoon emoji heads dressed up like Marvel characters. Text beneath them says, "Autism: we're not here to fit into your box. We're here to open your ribcage and slowly pull out all your organs."

A clip art house and tree. The house is made from rainbow puzzle pieces. The caption says, "wee (with 19 Es). hoohoo haha."

A sepia-toned graphic with blue text. At the top is a fancy scrolled border. It says, "Autism is a word."

A bowl of cereal that has been edited to ave the eyes of Yipee, the autism creature. Next to the bowl, it says, "Has your child got autism? Yippee."

A bowl of Cheerios. The Peta logo in the right-hand corner has been edited to say "pee" instead. The caption, which is partially in a cut-out magazine letter style, says, "get autism. autism milk is cool and wet lol. Studies have shown cows like autism! mm! slurp it up and be an autism milk enjoyer! get more autism at pee.org." End ID.]

[youmightbeautistic]

Unlocking a Hidden Conversation: New study sheds light on the intersection of autism, sexuality, & gender diversity

Link to study on SagePub

[slow-burn-sally]

Someone in an autism facebook group I'm in just asked "How am I supposed to earn enough to make a living without burning out?"

Someone replied: "You're not. Even neurotypicals can't right now in the system designed for them. We're the canaries in the coalmine. When we start failing, they know something is wrong."

[xxxcastielx]

People keep saying, "Oh, everyone thinks they're neurodivergent now!" or they'll say it's the foods or chemicals or whatever other nonsense they've fallen for, but to me the answer is so obvious?

We've gotten to a point that more and more people are being left behind by the system, making it so that neurodivergent parents who could get by fine *enough* in decades/centuries past are bringing children into a world that cannot and will not attempt to accommodate them. There's nothing in the water and people aren't faking, it's just that this is no longer sustainable or livable and of course people with disabilities will be hit first and hit the hardest. There aren't more people with it, it's just harder to go through life without being aware that you're not functioning the way your peers seem to be able to.

[theboy-thebitch-thelegend]

I'd also like to add on to say that the level of labor required for each worker to meet today's standards of capitalism is actively disabling.

If you didn't already have back and joint issues, try working 44+ hours a week lifting and being on your feet and operating machinery that stresses your body.

If you didn't already have trouble sleeping or eating or maintaining your hygiene, try having a work schedule that actively and unavoidably disrupts any possibility of a normal routine for those things.

If you didn't already have memory, information processing, or eye strain issues, try working in an office sifting through endless files and information and being expected to keep pace with fucking COMPUTERS, while under threat that said computers will replace you if you don't.

I work over 40 hours every week when I honestly, physically, can probably handle maybe 30. maybe. And I'm looking for a second job becoz if I ever want to move out of my parents house- even to rent with multiple roommates- one job isn't enough.

I already am affected by diagnosed autism and anxiety. Not to mention the past couple years, also Long Covid (chronic fatigue; compromised immune system). Which is another thing that has disabled a lot of people.

But no one likes to talk about how covid or capitalism or anything like that has disabled people and will continue to. Because the numbers do start to seem almost fake. And yet they're not. Just because everyone's struggling doesn't mean that suddenly that's just the norm and therefore no one's struggling.

Gods help you if you already have a disability that sets you back in this shitty system. But trust me, even if you don't yet, that doesn't mean you're safe.