#developmental abnormalities

[biology-geology-beaches-india]

The Science Research Manuscripts of S. Sunkavally, p 811.

[botanical-garden-system]

Psychology is a very broad field, and there are a lot of different aspects to this field. It’s really hard to navigate this science without a bit of academic knowledge, so I’m going to open up my asks in general for people who are interested in psychology. I have access to several academic databases and I would love to share them with people who want them! I also really want chances to info dump and get excited over psychology more often :,))

My research surrounds psychology, especially psychopathology and DID research, so a lot of my support will be good through that. However, I do have a bit of knowledge on other branches of psychology if you are interested (e.g. sensation and perception, cognitive, early childhood development, some neuropsychology). I can also connect these to psychopathology fairly well, that being my specialty. If this actually gets interest, I may make a side blog to help give psychology education.

I have more information under the cut if you would be interested!

(Yes I know a lot of the tags are DID related but thats a big target audience of mine so sue me /lh)

If you do send me an ask, make sure to be as specific as possible. I can (and will) do some extra preliminary research to figure out things, but the more specific the better for me! Terms that are used colloquially usually have other terms in research/are misunderstood by general discussion. I also have access to general textbooks covering branches of psychology if you are interested in the overall field!

Also please be sure to ask me for a simplified explanation if you need one! The abstract, background info, and discussion sections are your friend.

No question is a stupid question!!

Here are some different overall categories to stir up some interest (and these are categories I definitely feel the most comfortable in, but it is not an expansive list):

Sensation and Perception: This is the study of the different senses and how this contributes to our perception of the world. The research surrounds the physical detection of stimuli through the senses (sensation) and how the brain interprets this information (perception). Some commonly covered sense are: vision, audition (hearing), vestibular, somatosensation (touch), interoception, olfaction (smell), and gustation (taste). (I am currently looking into the vestibular system, it’s very cool).

Cognitive psychology: This is the study of how people think and process things. A lot of this includes attention, perceptions, memory, language, and problem-solving skills. This branch is all about the process of information, including the ones we are not consciously aware of. (I have been a TA for this class).

Developmental psychology: This is the study of development through the human lifespan. It is typically broken down into early childhood (infancy to 10-11 years of age; infancy can also be separated on its own), adolescence (roughly 12-18 years), adulthood (age ranges from 18-65, but this is usually broken down), and later adulthood (65+ years of age). It can be very all encompassing of psychological functions.

Social psychology: This is the study of how society impacts the thoughts, feelings, and actions of the individual—regardless of whether it is an imagined or actual interaction. Social psychology can cover things such as race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, disability, etc.. Covers conformity, deviance, socialization, prejudice, and more.

Personality psychology: This is the study of personality traits we can find in an individual and how it influences an individual’s behaviors, adaptations, or interactions. The three levels of personality analysis: human nature (how alike we are to the entirety of humanity), individual/group differences (how alike we are to specific groups), and individual uniqueness (how we are like no one else).

Biological psychology: This is the study of the biological and physiological processes that make us react and behave in the ways we do. It includes human anatomy to explain the interactions of biology (endocrine, immune, neural pathways, etc.) to psychology. When I use the term “biomarkers,” it is most likely related to biological psychology

I can probably make a few posts about how to navigate research papers, the kinds of papers you will come into, different statistical tests, and some general basic introductory psychology information.

[proudfreakmetarusonikku]

god it just fucking fascinated me that c!tommy projects the exact opposite flaws to what he actually has as a defence mechanism. he acts overly cocky and arrogant, but he’s got no self esteem and hates himself. he acts selfish and overbearing, but he’s a self sacrificing people pleaser. he childishly insists he’s a big man, while deep down he's surprisingly mature in a lot of aspects and sees himself as so worthless he'll cling onto someone he is fully aware is torturing him if they'll be kind to him. he acts violent and aggressive, but he's most violent with himself, and shuts down into an extreme fawn instinct while pressed. the only thing the same is that they’re both reckless and impulsive.

and it works! because it’s so obvious his persona is covering up his insecurities! and more than that, the traits he pretends to have to protect himself and the traits he has when he lets the mask slip come from the same obvious roots. both the angry, cocky false tommy and the scared, self-loathing real tommy are the same cheerfully obnoxious, deliberately bratty, iron willed and deep down very kind person. and more than that- while you’d think the careless persona he presents is more flawed than the deeply self loathing one, it isn’t. c!tommy's difficulty finding an identity for himself and being so willing to die he doesn’t bother to live caused more harm to everyone on the server than the stuff he deliberately caused. it’s just easier to demonise him for one than acknowledge the suffering and need for help of the other, and therefore the underlying issue is never fixed.

and like! that’s how mentally ill and traumatised young people act! which c!tommy was even at the very beginning of the series he literally got his discs bc his self loathing was so bad he needed physical items to have something to convince him he was worth anything that’s canon! they build up walls of defences and lash out in a desperate attempt for reassurance because they’re too young to have realistically developed the tools to ask for help! behaviour like c!tommy's in adolescents is a cry for help, not cruelty, and i love how the series showed both the shell he built up to defend himself and the real reasons he desperately kept sending out that cry for help that everyone ignored.

[comingtoyoursenses]

Sometimes I feel invalid using the word trauma because it's become such a buzzword for stupid people. This girl in my sociology class said learning about (in her words) 'stranger danger' traumatised her as a kid cus it was upsetting. Like girl I was molested and only knew it was wrong becus of education in elementary school. Sorry that it's uncomfortable for you to hear about other people's lives experiences but if we didn't talk about this to young people they wouldn't be able to have the wherewithal to help themselves. um and very small things to one person can be traumatizing to another but idk I just don't think that you hearing about how to be safe is traumatizing like how do you think it feels for kids in that situation. Like it's embarassing and shameful for me to think about the way that my childhood impacts me and has affected my thought processes and behaviours throughout my life. And ppl using it so frivolously makes me feel like they're not taking this seriously when it's been disruptive to a lot of facets in my life. And that just really hurts . Btw she wants to be a social worker

[an--artistic--autistic]

Found some paperwork from when I was in kindergarten

Guess who was supposed to get a referral for a physiotherapist (that never was filled)

[reanimatestar]

whiteboard drawings <3

[image description: two images featuring drawings of the artist's original characters on a whiteboard in black marker. the first image is two drawings of giuseppe as an anthropomorphic scottish fold with doll like joints. in the first, she looks to the right with a neutral expression. in the second drawing he is scowling and gesturing with his left hand. an arrow with the caption "eyes always dilated" points to his head. claws are taped to her fingers and an arrow points to her hand with the caption "used to tape "claws" to his hands edward scissorhands style (heart)".

the second is a drawing of carxes. he is a tiefling with long curly hair tied in a low ponytail and a swirling scar on his neck. he has a broken horn, with the intact horn curved like a ram's, except where it curves upwards at the tip. carxes is facing the viewer and smiling with his head tilted to the left. /end description]

[reasonsforhope]

"Once thought to be extinct, black-footed ferrets are the only ferret native to North America, and are making a comeback, thanks to the tireless efforts of conservationists.

Captive breeding, habitat restoration, and wildlife reintegration have all played a major role in bringing populations into the hundreds after near total extinction.

But one other key development has been genetic cloning.

In April [2024], the United States Fish and Wildlife Service announced the cloning of two black-footed ferrets from preserved tissue samples, the second and third ferret clones in history, following the birth of the first clone in December 2020. 

Cloning is a tactic to preserve the health of species, as all living black-footed ferrets come from just seven wild-caught descendants.  This means their genetic diversity is extremely limited and opens them up to greater risks of disease and genetic abnormalities. 

Now, a new breakthrough has been made.

Antonia, a black-footed ferret cloned from the DNA of a ferret that lived in the 1980s has successfully birthed two healthy kits of her own: Sibert and Red Cloud.

These babies mark the first successful live births from a cloned endangered species — and is a milestone for the country’s ferret recovery program.

The kits are now three months old, and mother Antonia is helping to raise them — and expand their gene pool.

In fact, Antonia’s offspring have three times the genetic diversity of any other living ferrets that have come from the original seven ancestors.

Researchers believe that expanded genetic diversity could help grow the ferrets’ population and help prime them to recover from ongoing diseases that have been massively detrimental to the species, including sylvatic plague and canine distemper. 

“The successful breeding and subsequent birth of Antonia's kits marks a major milestone in endangered species conservation,” said Paul Marinari, senior curator at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. 

“The many partners in the Black-footed Ferret Recovery Program continue their innovative and inspirational efforts to save this species and be a model for other conservation programs across the globe.”

Antonia actually gave birth to three kits, after mating with Urchin, a 3-year-old male ferret. One of the three kits passed away shortly after birth, but one male and one female are in good health and meeting developmental milestones, according to the Smithsonian.

Mom and babies will remain at the facility for further research, with no plans to release them into the wild.

According to the Colorado Sun, another cloned ferret, Noreen, is also a potential mom in the cloning-breeding program. The original cloned ferret, Elizabeth Ann, is doing well at the recovery program in Colorado, but does not have the capabilities to breed. 

Antonia, who was cloned using the DNA of a black-footed ferret named Willa, has now solidified Willa’s place as the eighth founding ancestor of all current living ferrets.

“By doing this, we’ve actually added an eighth founder,” said Tina Jackson, black-footed ferret recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in an interview with the Colorado Sun. 

“And in some ways that may not sound like a lot, but in this genetic world, that is huge.”

Along with the USFWS and Smithsonian, conservation organization Revive & Restore has also enabled the use of biotechnologies in conservation practice. Co-founder and executive director Ryan Phelan is thrilled to welcome these two new kits to the black-footed ferret family.

“For the first time, we can definitively say that cloning contributed meaningful genetic variation back into a breeding population,” he said in a statement.

“As these kits move forward in the breeding program, the impact of this work will multiply, building a more robust and resilient population over time.”"

-via GoodGoodGood, November 4, 2024

[giannic]

Dear reader: I read this in the original French, in its entirety, when I was 21. I loved it. Little did I realise at the time that I loved it because I too, would be perceived, considered as a freak or a monster. Today, with my childhood memories freed from the depths of repression, I am recovering my humanity. Now I love this novel even more than ever, understanding it more, feeling it deeply. - sincerely, giannic

[five-thousand-loaves-of-bread]

disabled children not allowed be children.

especially. intellectually and/or developmentally disabled (I/DD) children, & children w behavioral or “behavioral” struggles (aka many I/DD children) not allowed be children.

which may be weird thing say at first because I/DD famous for be infantilized, be treat as forever children. so would think children be only thing they “allow” be, n say they not allow be children contradicting—

but not actually.

as general whole, nondisabled children “allowed” tantrums. allow emotional immature. allowed childish quirks.

what be normal child tantrum fuss in (white) nondisabled children, even with child health/care professionals who whole entire job be understand that nondisabled typically developing child have underdeveloped brain n not yet have self regulate skill n that developmentally appropriate that normal, it may be talk as annoying & inconvenient, but for I/DD children every. single. time. where they “tantrum” “fuss” even in developmentally appropriate ways, chance be write as sign of their disability, sign of behavior problem, sign of emotional problem. be evidence of disorder. of abnormal. of something wrong. which be “okay” reason dehumanize, abuse, be talk about like animal, like not in room, like difficult problem to be solved.

nondisabled adults fondly look back at childhood comfort objects that maybe still have now, stuffed toys blankets or maybe less usual things that mean something to them. but when disabled children have them it be more likely *automatic* see as problem, as something need be weaned off, need be taken away, as unhealthy overattachment, be write into behavioral plan, only allow x minute per day, see as “impractical” & “useless”.

as general whole, nondisabled children allow say no, allow act out “no,” allow prefer, allow not want do something so protest by not doing, by not listening, by pretend not hear you. it may be see as funny or annoying but meanwhile for disabled children it largely see as oppositional as noncompliance as inattentive as something need be trained out of by all means possible.

nondisabled children do things because they kids. disabled children do things because there something wrong with them.

nondisabled children rights n autonomy not fully respected by any means but disabled children get even less of it.

disabled children often not allowed many leeway’s as nondisabled children, what be developmentally appropriate for same age nondisabled children often be over label as disorder as problem as something abnormal need be get rid off in disabled children.

n especially when come to behaviorally, white nondisabled children get be the most “child,” n Black n other disabled children of color get “child” stolen from them in multiple ways.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

how to go about writing autistic characters please

Writing Notes: Autism

Autism – (also referred to as autism spectrum disorder) constitutes a diverse group of conditions related to development of the brain

A neurodevelopmental disorder

Characterized by:

markedly impaired social interactions and verbal and nonverbal communication;

narrow interests; and

repetitive behavior.

Manifestations and features of the disorder appear before age 3 but vary greatly across children according to:

developmental level,

language skills, and

chronological age.

They may include:

a lack of awareness of the feelings of others,

impaired ability to imitate,

absence of social play,

abnormal speech,

abnormal nonverbal communication, and

a preference for maintaining environmental sameness.

Autism was integrated into autism spectrum disorder in DSM–5 and DSM-5-TR and is no longer considered a distinct diagnosis.

It is called a "spectrum" disorder because people with ASD can have a range of symptoms.

People with ASD might have problems talking with you, or they might not look you in the eye when you talk to them.

They may also have restricted interests and repetitive behaviors.

They may spend a lot of time putting things in order, or they may say the same sentence again and again.

They may often seem to be in their "own world."

Terminology

Prior to 2013, subtypes of autism, such as Asperger’s syndrome, autism and childhood disintegrative disorder, were classified as distinct conditions. The 5th edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders consolidates all autism conditions under the larger autism spectrum disorder diagnosis.

Opinions vary on how to refer to someone with autism.

Some people with autism prefer being referred to as “autistic” or an “autistic person.”

Others object to using autistic as an adjective.

The Autism Self Advocacy Network details this debate.

NCDJ Recommendation

Refer to someone as having autistic spectrum disorder only if the information is relevant to the story and if you are confident there is a medical diagnosis.

Ask individuals how they prefer to be described.

Many prefer to be described as “autistic,” while others prefer “an autistic person” or a “person with autism.”

AP style

The stylebook states that it’s acceptable to use the word “autism” as “an umbrella term for a group of developmental disorders.”

It also says it is acceptable to use the word autism in stories.

It does not address the use of autistic as an adjective.

Possible Causes

Available scientific evidence suggests that there are probably many factors that make a child more likely to have autism, including environmental and genetic factors.

Extensive research using a variety of different methods and conducted over many years has demonstrated that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine does not cause autism.

Studies that were interpreted as indicating any such link were flawed, and some of the authors had undeclared biases that influenced what they reported about their research.

Evidence shows that other childhood vaccines do not increase the risk of autism.

Extensive research into the preservative thiomersal and the additive aluminium that are contained in some inactivated vaccines strongly concluded that these constituents in childhood vaccines do not increase the risk of autism.

Diagnosis

No single medical test can diagnose ASD.

Early signs of this condition can be noticed by parents/caregivers or pediatricians before a child reaches 1 year of age.

However, the need for services and supports typically become more consistently visible by the time a child is 2 or 3 years old.

In some cases, the problems related to autism may be mild and not apparent until the child starts school, after which their deficits may be pronounced when amongst their peers.

Social communication deficits may include:

Decreased sharing of interests with others.

Difficulty appreciating their own & others' emotions.

Aversion to maintaining eye contact.

Lack of proficiency with use of non-verbal gestures.

Stilted or scripted speech.

Interpreting abstract ideas literally.

Difficulty making friends or keeping them.

Restricted interests and repetitive behaviors may include:

Inflexibility of behavior, extreme difficulty coping with change.

Being overly focused on niche subjects to the exclusion of others.

Expecting others to be equally interested in those subjects.

Difficulty tolerating changes in routine and new experiences.

Sensory hypersensitivity, e.g., aversion to loud noises.

Stereotypical movements such as hand flapping, rocking, spinning.

Arranging things, in a very particular manner, often toys.

Parent/caregiver/teacher concerns about the child's behavior should lead to a specialized evaluation by a developmental pediatrician, pediatric psychologist, child neurologist and/or a child and adolescent psychiatrist.

This evaluation involves:

interviewing the parent/caregiver,

observing, and

interacting with the child in a structured manner, and

sometimes conducting additional tests to rule out other conditions.

In some ambiguous cases the diagnosis of autism may be deferred, but an early diagnosis can greatly improve a child's functioning by providing the family early access to supportive resources in the community.

Healthcare providers look for the following problems during well-child visits before age 2:

No babbling, pointing, or gesturing by age 12 months

No single words spoken by age 16 months

No two-word phrases by age 24 months, just repeating words or sounds of others

Loss of any language or social skills at any age

No eye contact at 3 to 4 months

If a child has any of the above problems, the healthcare provider will do more screening. This will help show if your child has ASD or another developmental disorder. Your child may need to see a healthcare provider with special training to diagnose and treat ASD. Your child may also need these screening tests:

Nervous system exam

Imaging tests such as CT scan, MRI, or PET scan

Mental health tests

Genetic tests to look for gene problems that cause ASD or other developmental disorders

The first step is seeking an evaluation. Most parents start with their pediatrician who is checking on developmental milestones.

If your child is under the age of 3 years, you can obtain an evaluation through your local early intervention system.

If your child is over the age of 3, you can get an evaluation through your local school (even if your child does not go there). Contact your local school's preschool special education team to request an evaluation.

Example: Tomás is a 6-year-old boy whose family is troubled by Tomás' intense love of trains. His interest in trains, in addition to giving him great pleasure and serving to communicate his preferences, can sometimes lead to unintended consequences. For example, he gets angry and upset if his old trains are thrown away, or if his parents can't hold his train while he eats breakfast and gets ready for school in the morning. Teachers report that at school he tends to be very quiet and only listens when the topic of trains is brought up.

In Children

ASD can keep a child from developing social skills. This is in part because a child with ASD may not be able to understand facial expressions or emotions in other people. A child with ASD may:

Not want to be touched

Want to play alone

Not want to change routines

Other signs:

A child with ASD may also repeat movements (flapping their hands, rocking).

They may also have abnormal attachments to objects.

But a child with ASD may also do certain mental tasks very well. For example, the child may be able to count or measure better than other children. They may do well in art or music, or be able to remember certain things very well.

Each child may have different symptoms. The most common symptoms of ASD:

Social Symptoms

Has problems making eye contact with others

Has problems making friends or interacting well with other children

Communication Symptoms

Does not communicate well with others

Starts speaking at a later age than other children or doesn’t speak at all

When the child is able to speak, doesn’t use speech in social settings

Repeats words or phrases (echolalia) or repeats parts of dialogue from TV/movies

Behavior Symptoms

Does repeated movements, such as rocking or flapping fingers or hands

May be too sensitive or less sensitive to certain things around them, such as lights, sounds, touch, or taste

Has rituals

Needs routines

The symptoms of ASD may look like other health conditions. Make sure your child sees their healthcare provider for a diagnosis.

Other Characteristics

Most people with ASD have other related characteristics. These might include:

Delayed language skills

Delayed movement skills

Delayed cognitive or learning skills

Hyperactive, impulsive, and/or inattentive behavior

Epilepsy or seizure disorder

Unusual eating and sleeping habits

Gastrointestinal issues (for example, constipation)

Unusual mood or emotional reactions

Anxiety, stress, or excessive worry

Lack of fear or more fear than expected

It is important to note that children with ASD may not have all or any of the behaviors listed as examples here.

Treatment

There is currently no one standard treatment for ASD.

There are many ways to increase your child's ability to grow and learn new skills. Current treatments for ASD seek to reduce symptoms that interfere with daily functioning and quality of life.

Starting them early can lead to better results.

ASD affects each person differently, meaning that people with ASD have unique strengths and challenges and different treatment needs.

Treatment plans usually involve multiple professionals and are catered to the individual.

Living with ASD

How ASD impacts everyday life. Living with a person with ASD affects the entire family. Meeting the complex needs of a person with ASD can put families under a great deal of stress—emotional, financial, and sometimes even physical. Respite care can give parents and other family caregivers a needed break and help maintain family well-being.

Transitions. The transition from high school to adulthood can be especially challenging for a person with ASD. There are many important, life-changing decisions to make, such as whether to go to college or a vocational school or whether to enter the workforce, and if so, how and where. It is important to begin thinking about this transition in childhood, so that educational transition plans are put in place—preferably by age 14, but no later than age 16—to make sure the individual has the skills he or she needs to begin the next phase of life. The transition of care from a pediatrician to a doctor who treats adults is another area that needs a plan. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends transition planning for all adolescents starting at age 12 years that includes the healthcare provider speaking with the adolescent separate from family members, discussing the transition to adult care, and coaching the adolescent in taking charge of their own care.

Physical activity. To stay healthy, people with disabilities need the same basic health care as everyone else. They need to eat well, exercise, get enough rest and plenty of water, and have complete access to care, including regular physical and dental check-ups. It is important to find healthcare providers who are comfortable caring for people with ASD. Sometimes when people with disabilities have a behavioral change or behavioral issue, it may be because they have a medical problem they cannot describe. For instance, head banging could be related to a disability, or it could be due to a headache or toothache. For this reason, it is important to find out if there is a physical problem before making changes in a person's treatment or therapy.

Safety is important for everyone. We all need to be safe in order to live full and productive lives. People with disabilities can be at higher risk for injuries and abuse. It is important for parents and other family members to teach their loved one how to stay safe and what to do if they feel threatened or have been hurt in any way.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 ⚜ More: Notes ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

You can find more details I wasn't able to include in the sources. Speaking with someone with ASD would also provide valuable information you could incorporate in your story. All the best with your writing!

Writing about Mental Health Conditions

More useful references:

https://autisticadvocacy.org [Download the free PDF, "Guide for Parents of Autistic Kids" here]

https://neuroclastic.com

https://www.autistica.org.uk

https://www.autism.org.uk

https://autismacceptance.com/ [Read more articles here — from autism facts, knowing about disability rights, to being an ally]

Thank you to @jxwmv for these helpful resources! Read their addition to this post. I learned so much from their insights. They have some apps and book recommendations that I myself added to my to-read list, and I'm looking forward to reading more articles in the above sites. The free PDF from autisticadvocacy is such a valuable guide as well.

[crispy-art-on-fire]

TFA Cybertronian Sexual Reproduction

A speculative biology infodump by me because I think way too much about these stuff and might have had a fixation on reproduction in one point in time.

CW for discussions around reproduction, infertility, miscarriage, and alien biology. Dead dove do not eat essentially.

Cybetronians aren't a species that sexual reproduction comes easy, with every stage of conception there is high risk that a pregnancy will not come to pass and such asexual reproduction is preferred in most cases.

First of all a Cybetronian has one reproductive system, they have their transfluid tank, a transfluid tank for doners, a gestational chamber, a forge, and then a valve and spike. Spike is where the transfluid exits through ejaculation while valve intakes transfluid, during a pregnancy the spike will be disabled. The gestational chamber is where everything is connected together and where the sparkling will develop.

Infertility can occur when Cybetronian's own transfluid tank dries up or if they were born lacking parts of their array. To prevent pregnancy the easiest way is to expel a doner's transfluid after copulation but other ways are to medically put in a block on the transfluid tanks, or to cut off the connection point between them and the gestational chamber.

Conception of a sparkling occurs as a chemical reaction between carrier and sire(s) transfluid within the gestational chamber with the resulting energy makes a spark. This can be detected through heat cameras. To increase chance of conception spark merging and overloading is recommended to increase the energy produced. The resulting spark will then attach to the carrier's own and begin siphoning energy from it. In the early stages the newspark is very fragile and has a high likelihood of being reabsorbed or snuffed out.

Impacts on the carrier is typically decreased energy and spark pain, which can be lightened by a spark merge as the doner gives their energy to the newspark as well. A newspark can also attach to the doner's spark but this is highly discouraged since it has a high risk of spontaneous abortion, usually this procedure is done as a last ditch effort if the original carrier is dying.

When the newspark has stabilized it will drop down into the gestational chamber where it will start to develop its protoform. Lack of transfluid at this stage can lead to developmental abnormalities or stillbirth as the transfluid is what the sparkling is kept in and also informs of its frame is developed. The carrier at this point will develop cravings and appetite for various metals and minerals. These go into a special track down the throat into a forge where they are melted down into what one calls a protoform- a highly impressionable soft metal. Some of the leftover metal will also be used to transform the carrier's frame to leave room inside for the developing sparkling, usually gaining width and weight as the frame is reinforced to carry the additional weight.

Their structure will also change in accordance to frame type; war-frames gains hardened metal exterior while civilian-frames "crumbles" under high impact while avoiding major damage to the sparkling and carrier. This has lead to the impression Decepticon carriers are neigh unstoppable while Autobot carriers are excessively fragile, an false impression used by either side to protect their respective carrier. Autobot carriers having the ability to "play dead" (grey out their frame) until they feel safe while Decepticon carriers are encouraged to be highly aggressive.

When the sparkling is ready to emerge the carrier programming will encourage the carrier to find a safe spot with soft bedding before their abdominal plating and gestational chamber opens up to expel the sparkling. Clean up the little thing off from the transfluid and voila, you have your bitlet.

After the birth the carrier will begin to 'molt' their excess metal, eating it to melt it down and then feed it to the growing bitlet, something sires can do as well. Most importantly the sparkling will need lots of fuel and contact to develop properly as it will absorb the rest of its programming from its caretakers.

[wandamaximoffsbadgirl]

Teacher's Pet Baby

Safe

Cg!Professor!Wanda Maximoff x little!student!reader

Summary: Wanda's voice lulls you to sleep while she's on the phone

Word Count: 592

Warnings: Age regression, fluff and comfort

Authors notes: This was a wala request here

The semester was finally over for you and you found yourself happily living with Wanda during the break. Just cause it was over for you doesn't mean she gets much of a break though. She's been working hard on next semester's classes. You were happy to be taking another class with her; abnormal developmental psychology. You weren't thinking about that though or much of anything at the moment as Wanda had let you crawl into her lap as she sat at her desk.

Wanda’s fingers never stopped moving, typing away as she worked through lesson plans and student evaluations. You had found comfort curled up in her lap, your head resting against her chest while she absentmindedly traced soothing patterns down your back. The rhythmic sound of her keystrokes mixed with the occasional sip of coffee created a lull that left you feeling weightless, barely clinging to wakefulness.

Then, the sudden ring of her phone jolted you, pulling you out of your relaxed haze. Your body tensed instinctively, your breath hitching as you tried to ground yourself.

“Oh, Malyshka, shh, it’s okay, you’re safe,” Wanda murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of your head as she reached for her phone. Her voice was soft, soothing, instantly pulling you back into the warmth of her embrace.

She answered without checking the caller ID, her fingers gently combing through your hair as she spoke. “Hello?”

A familiar voice came through the speaker, deep and matter-of-fact. “Wanda. Glad I caught you.”

You could practically hear the smirk in his voice. Wanda rolled her eyes, though there was no real annoyance behind it. “Hello to you too, Stephen,” she replied, her tone playfully dry.

Dr. Strange was well-known on campus—not just for being a renowned neurosurgeon before shifting to academia, but also for his sharp wit and no-nonsense approach to teaching. He and Wanda had developed a rapport over the years, exchanging insights on their respective fields, often challenging each other’s perspectives.

“I wanted to run something by you. I know you're teaching Abnormal Developmental Psych next semester, and I have a few students from my Neurophysiology class who might benefit from a bit of cross-discipline collaboration.”

Wanda hummed thoughtfully, shifting slightly in her seat. You barely registered the movement, already sinking back into the warmth of her arms.

“That could be interesting,” she mused, her fingers still absently rubbing small circles into your back. “What kind of collaboration are we talking about?”

“Guest lectures, joint discussions—maybe even a case study or two.”

You were barely listening now, your body melting further into her as your breathing slowed. The steady rise and fall of her chest, the soft vibrations of her voice against your cheek, the warmth of her touch—it was pulling you under, lulling you back toward sleep.

You barely registered her saying, “I’d have to look at my schedule, but I like the idea.”

Dr. Strange said something else, but it was distant, unimportant. Your eyelids grew heavier, your grip on awareness slipping.

Wanda’s voice softened, as if sensing how close you were to sleep. “I’ll email you later, Stephen. I have something very important in my arms right now.”

There was a brief pause before Strange chuckled. “Say no more. Enjoy your break, Wanda.”

“You too,” she murmured, ending the call.

You felt her shift, her arms tightening slightly as she pressed another kiss to your temple. “Sleep, Malyshka,” she whispered, her voice dripping with affection.

And just like that, you let go, drifting into the warmth and safety of her embrace.

[revelboo]

I like how most bots have a meet ugly and a bad time with autobots, but then you look at the side and realize just how bad things can actually be. the decepticons’s human have a bad time. how vortex, Tarn, Sunstorm, and most of the decepticons huma have a horror and just a general very bad time with their mech.

Yeeeeah. These guys are the equivalent of the person who impulsively buys fish from a pet store. Have no idea what they’re doing, aren’t motivated enough to do any homework, just go home, fill the tank, dump the fish and chemicals straight in and are surprised when it immediately dies. The bots at least make an effort, but most of them also know absolutely nothing about humans

Everything Is Alright Scenario- Memories

Shockwave

• Cannon bumping against the Medbay table before coming down gently across your lap to try and pin you down so he can scan you, he shudders. And you huff at him, glowering and shoving at his cannon like you think you can actually make him move. “You understand that you can just politely ask me to not move?” You demand, resting your elbow against his cannon and your cheek on a fist. Staring up at him. Hates touching you, the feel of your soft skin and of little hands on him spark through him with memories he can’t quite get a hold of. Memories that still manage to hurt, all sharp, ragged edges.

• Big and creepy stares at you, antenna going back before grabbing the scanner to run over you. Keeping you pinned for sheer spite. And now he’s ignoring you, leaning to make a notation on his datapad to send anxiety skittering through you. Wish Soundwave or Star were with you. Even Megs, because being alone with Shockwave for checkups? You’re way outside your comfort zone. “Is the spark okay?” Your voice is soft, uncertain, but you have to know. And he doesn’t speak to you unless he has to.

• “Size is abnormally small and far behind normal developmental targets,” he says, attention on his datapad and he stiffens when you grab at his cannon. Looking down, your eyes are wide and he rocks uncomfortably. “But the spark is a hybrid and can’t be expected to develop as a purely Cybertronian spark would,” he adds because you look like you’re about to start leaking. Something you seem to do with disturbing regularity and he wants nothing to do with it. It bothers him when you do that as illogical as it is.

• Feeling dumb, you don’t really know what that means. Is there a problem or not? Or is it just that he doesn’t know because this is a first? Are you looking for problems where there are none? “So we’re okay?” And he’s just staring at you, antenna flicking slightly and that unsettling, single optic’s glow narrows to a pinprick. Dialing up his creepiness. Not answering you and slowly rocking again. Nope. He’s bypassed uncomfortable straight to frightening. “Um, Shockwave?” Why had Soundwave left you alone with him?

• Stop looking at him like that. So hopeful and uncertain. ‘We’re okay, right?’ The words drift up from the depths of his processor. A broken fragment of memory that slowly tears him apart. Who’d said that? Little hands on his servos and an uncertain smile. Had that happened or is it just a corrupted memory? Past and present mingling until he can’t tell. Shoving away from the Medbay table, he retreats, looking away from you. Unable to stand looking at you. You’re not the one who said those words to him. Is that memory even his? It feels like grief as his spark constricts, but he doesn’t experience grief or sadness. Why doesn’t he? No matter how many times he follows these spiraling thoughts, he gets no closer. No matter how many experiments he’s done on himself to try and figure out the phantom memories he’s not even sure are his, he has no answers..

[calypsolemon]

ive mentioned before but in terms of age hc the more i think about it the more i really like the idea that lloyd was already technically the same age as / maybe even older than the rest of the ninja when he drank the tomorrow's tea, it's just that his oni/dragon heritage makes him physically age slower than humans, and he continued to age rather slowly after the tea. i like this bc it explains a LOT of things that don't make sense in canon otherwise like

inconsistency in the timeline as to when exactly misako concieved lloyd / when garmadon was cast into the underworld

the fact that misako seems rather old for someone with such a (seemingly) young child

why lloyd's voice didn't drop until s8 and why he STILL struggles to grow facial hair as of DR, despite the tommorow's tea and the length of time likely passing between these events

why his social development wasn't really as hindered as it seems like it should have been due to arteficial ageing (basically, why he seemingly takes ageing up a few years in an instant like a champ)

there's also some details that aren't inconsistencies, but just add some depth to canon with this interpretation

this read would mean that not only was he at darkley's for a lot longer than it would seem, he would have been developmentally out of sync with his peers, isolating him further

it makes his decision to take the tomorrow's tea more complex, bc an extra motivating factor would be to finally be seen as an equal to those his actual age, esp the ninja

adds an extra reason as to why he hesitates in acknowledging his nonhuman heritage

gives further explaination as to why he seeks to emulate wu so much in dragons rising as well. since he hardly got to know his father before his abnormal death and resurrection, wu is the only other oni/dragon hybrid he has as a model for his own socal development

idk there's like a whole slew of ways i can imagine this hc enhances the read and just makes the whole age situation make more sense

[drdemonprince]

I think we all know on some level that age is a pretty blunt instrument for measuring maturity and capability. We all develop at different rates and in different ways, especially when you take into account environmental factors as well as disability. I said my first words at six months old and didn’t get comfortable walking until I was two. Both of those are developmentally ‘abnormal,’ but in completely opposite directions. Intellectually, I was able to spar with most adults before I was old enough to drive a car, but at age 36 I still cannot handle cooking dinner or doing my taxes. (I also really shouldn’t be trusted behind the wheel of an automobile, if I’m being real).

Research suggests that many Autistic people develop social and emotional skills at a slower pace than most non-Autistics; in our 40s, 50s, and beyond we are still learning a lot of valuable lessons about how to better relate to people, and show less difficulty in our relationships as time goes on. I didn’t learn how to make friends or name my emotions until my 30s — was I not an adult until then? What skills must a person have to qualify as really, fully an adult?

This points to a major problem in how our current systems look at intellectually disabled people — their abilities and needs are often summarized using the confusing metaphor of “mental age.” A person with Down Syndrome who cannot read or use the toilet might be labelled as “mentally three-years-old,” for instance — but what does it mean to be mentally three? Which kind of imagined three-year-old is setting that standard? Which skills are important to determine someone’s mental “age”? If a person can write fluently using an adaptive communication device but can’t tell when they need a shower, what mental age do we give them — and which rights?

Why does ability level determine the rights that a person has, anyway?

In our current society, people considered “children” receive certain resources that nobody else gets, like free schooling and special state-provided health insurance, and if they do not have a guardian they are assigned one. A legal adult gets to make all legal, medical, and educational decisions for the child, and makes sure they remain housed and fed.

There are many adults who could use this kind of support. But relying upon others for such support means you don’t get the rights of a legal adult, according to the Support-Freedom Dichotomy. If an intellectually disabled person can’t understand complicated legal and financial documents, for instance, they’re likely to be placed under a conservatorship and lose the freedom to buy the things they like or live how they want to live. They do have preferences and insight into their own lives, but because they need help carrying those preferences out, they don’t get to make them.

I propose that rather than equating needing support with losing freedom, and instead of trying to define a simple category of people who does not get to be an “adult,” we ask specific questions about people’s needs, capabilities, preferences, and desires in a way that allows for everyone to get both the help and the autonomy they require.

I wrote about abolishing age as a meaningful way of categorizing what rights a person gets -- and what supports they are entitled to. You can read the full piece for free on my substack.

[autisticvelo]

id: a 5x5 bingo game labelled “higher support needs autism”, there are some orange details by the caption, as well as an orange arrow with text “@ autisticvelo” pointing towards the ‘t’ tumblr icon at the bottom. the squares are described from left to right, starting on the top row: ‘constant infantilisation’, ‘used to / does elope’, is / was in special education’, need(ed) 1:1 help in school’, restrictive & intense interests’. 2nd row: ‘on disability benefits’, ‘needs help with some or most / all iADLs’, ‘nonverbal / semiverbal (or long-term struggle with speech’, ‘developmental delays / abnormalities’, ‘has / needs a caregiver’. 3rd row: ‘violent meltdowns’, ‘needs help with some or most / all bADLs’, ‘free space (golden infinity sign)’, ‘comorbid physical disability’, ‘gets verbal shutdowns’. 4th row: ‘struggles with hygiene’, ‘assumed to be LSN’, ‘can’t live alone / requires great support’, ‘poor motor skills, ‘comorbid mental illness’. bottom row: ‘sensory seeking / avoidant’, ‘has ID / mild ID / BID’, uses AAC of some kind’, ‘poor saliva control / drools’, ‘won’t ever be independent’. end id

🧡 INFO:

• first point: if anything here is hard to read, let me know and i will simplify it for you, i do not mind.

• if you are able to, please copy the image description i’ve provided above into your post if you repost the bingo game to make it more accessible to visually impaired folks / screen reader users etc. !!

• this is made to include people who are somewhere between L-MSN and HSN, i’m hoping i’ve gotten some things right that many experience, but also remember that these might not be exclusive to HrSN autistic people but in combination with each other they are very common for HrSN autistics.

• if you have feedback on if i got something wrong, i’d like to know so i can learn more and do better next time!

• if a box kind of fits you, it’s okay to count it i think, example: if you are not nonverbal or semiverbal but struggle long term with speech, it’s okay to cross that one. i did add some notes in some boxes.

• i wasn’t completely sure on what terms to use for ID + mild ID and borderline ID, if anything is wrong, please tell me! i’m still trying to learn more so i can be inclusive.

• last point, if you struggle with image descriptions it is okay to tag me and i will write one for you! i am often able to write them even if words are hard and i don’t mind.

🧡 MINE:

id: the same bingo card as described above, with the following boxes coloured in orange (left to right, starting on the top row): ‘used to elope’, ‘need(ed) 1:1 help in school’, ‘restrictive and intense interests’. 2nd row: ‘on disability benefits’, ‘needs help with most/all iADLs’, ‘(or long-term struggle with speech)’, ‘developmental abnormalities’, ‘needs a caregiver’. 3rd row: ‘violent meltdowns’, ‘needs help with some bADLs’, ‘free space (golden infinity symbol)’, ‘comorbid physical disability’, ‘gets verbal shutdowns’. 4th row: ‘struggles with hygiene’, ‘assumed to be LSN’, ‘requires great support (context: living situation)’, ‘comorbid mental illness’. bottom row: ‘sensory avoidant’, ‘uses AAC of some kind’, ‘won’t ever be independent’. end id