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A possible alternative for those of us who used to use the IBM Watson Tone Analyzer before it died

HEY TUMBLR

Have you heard about this thing?!! It's called Goblin Tools: it uses AI to help neurodivergent people navigate tasks they might find difficult.

Here's the link:

For example: The Judge takes the text you input and lets you know how it comes across! This is great for people who cannot read tone (theirs or anyone else's) to save their life!

The Magic To-Do breaks down your tasks for you. You can adjust the chili pepper slider according to your level of brain spice and it will break down or consolidate your tasks as you need. Here's the one for super spicy showering:

I haven't tried the other tools, but I'm looking forward to it!!

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I know this is a weird question but do you use your chew necklace in public? And if you do what are the reactions you usually receive? I really want one but I'm scared people will think I'm weird

I know this was not meant for me specifically but I’ve used my chew necklaces in public before without an issue. I wear a black or muted colored one and keep it under my shirt for the most part, hiding it in my hand when I use it. Generally speaking, people don’t care but people closer to your own age may be awkward about it. Ultimately, the more you do it the more comfortable you become. This is all out the window bc COVID but if you’re not comfortable you can also use more socially acceptable oral sensory tools like gum or mints.

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Which meds? My dr isn’t allowed to prescribe benzodiazepines

having emergency meds for my sensory overload days has helped like, incredibly. more autistic people need to know this is an option

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Tip for ND’s and people w/ sensory issues!!!

If you get bothered by bright colors and lights and turning down the screen brightness just doesn’t do it for you, turn down white point!

If you go to settings - accessibility - display & text size and scroll down there should be this option

It works way better than just turning down the screen brightness.

(This is just how you do it on iOS I’m assuming it’s the same on MacOS but idk for any other OS, if you do please leave it in the notes!)

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Marie Kondo is full of anecdotes about the weird ass shit that she not only lets people keep but encourages them to elevate in their lives. She says one of her clients ended the process with a bedroom full of vintage pinball machines because what sparks joy in that particular woman was basically sleeping in the middle of an arcade.

Marie Kondo would never make you throw away your weird shit! She wants you to pare down to just your weird shit.

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College Executive Functioning Tips

Fair warning: this post is not really about doing homework, rather ideas for successfully acquiring/accessing more general living and organizational skills while dorming. Also, my first semester has been a shitshow so idk how qualified I am to give advice on the matter, but take it as you will. In a way it’s “things I learned the hard way”/a reflection on my first semester.

That being said, here we go:

1. To remember to bring the correct notebooks and materials, get a hanging clothes organizer and label for the 5/7 days of the week. Place the books/materials needed for each day on each labeled shelf. If you need certain books on multiple days, you can put index card placeholders or label what should be in each compartment.

2. Alternatively, you can get a mini days of the week dry erase board or a computer printout and write what materials you need on which days and which classes you go to (in order.)

3. This tip also works for homework: in college, the workload is much more predictable week to week, so if you always have online math due Monday, put it in another weekly table and schedule days to work on it in advance.

4. Schedule your asssignments to be done ahead of time. It’s a lot harder to get deadline-related accommodations in college and if you’re like me you feel uncomfortable asking for them. I’ve only needed to ask for one non accommodation included extension this semester, and it’s largely due to this.

5. Get. Your. Accommodations. In. Order. Before. The. School. Year. Starts. (if at all possible)

Learn from my mistakes. To be fair I didn’t have another option because my school requires everything to be done in person but it took me a month to get my letters which resulted in some awkward/discriminatory situations. Oops.

6. College accommodation processes are different than high school. There are no 504s/IEPs/under the table stealth accommodations here. Some colleges require retesting for your documentation. All require you to fill out a bunch of forms. You are largely responsible for knowing what helps you (though your liaison will likely make suggestions) so make a list of what worked for you in high school and will fly in college and request those (bring it with you to the meeting if you will forget). Also, your parents are generally forbidden from getting involved unless you sign a consent form, which is a huge change. You will need/be forced to develop self-advocacy skills. I definitely did. You also generally need to request to renew your accommodations every semester, and it’s your responsibility to remember. Set a reminder on your phone/digital calendar.

7. Post its are your friend. For me, they’ve been a valuable asset to my sucky working memory and using them minimizes resulting anxiety.

8. Laundry is hard, especially when you have physical disabilities. Double check your pockets or you might accidentally send your favorite pen through the wash and induce a meltdown. (To be fair I do check- which is why I said double check)

9. Choose specific dates/times to do your laundry, and set reminders. If you alternate lights and darks and do it, say, every Wednesday morning (pick an off time- Friday nights are great) you are a lot less likely to end up with a month’s worth of laundry and nothing to wear when you really need to look nice. Also, your suitcase can double as a rolling laundry basket.

10. Try to eat around the same times every day. Set alarms if you forget. Try to go on the off hours and eat as healthily as possible.

11. Clean your room before it gets too messy. This should go without saying but my drawers got junky by the end of the semester. Try scheduling a day of the week to do a quick clean up.

12. Your space can be a reflection of your mental state. I need things visually organized, but when I’m not doing well mentally I stop cleaning off my desk, putting my clothes in the laundry basket, making an attempt to make my bed, you name it. I’ve learned to recognize that this is a sign of stress and that tidying up a bit will make me feel a bit better.

13. College is not conducive to sleep, especially for work heavy majors. You. Need. (around) 8. (ish) Hours. Get them. It’s hard but everything else will fall apart if you don’t.

14. Make “ routine cards” for things like showering. Write down everything you need to take a shower on an index card and your steps for taking a shower (you can set a timer) so that you don’t take half an hour to get out your shampoo.

15. Drink water. Carry a water bottle so you have the visual reminder. Drink a glass at every meal. Schedule “teatime” and make an event of staying hydrated.

16. Allow yourself to relax. This is hard because the college environment demands you be “on” at all times, and this resulted in me feeling guilty for not studying when I was, well, not studying. I’m trying to work on scheduling times to work and times to not work, and to remember that I need to do fun things to take care of myself.

17. If you dress nicer than usual, you will apparently not look as depressed (assuming you have depression in the first place…). Use this to your advantage.

18. If you have un/undertreated/situational depression, get help before it gets really bad. I know a lot of college mental health offices push people away but put your self advocacy skills to use and get that counseling or whatever.

19. In the same vein, if you are struggling in a class (for whatever reason) don’t be ashamed to get extra help/sign up for tutoring. Especially if you’re like me and never needed to study a day in your life before this because the courses are structured differently.

20. Recognize your accomplishments. College can be really, really hard for people with impaired executive functioning, mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, etc. The change is hard and the learning curve is steep. But you’ve made it this far- so congrats! Celebrate!

If you liked this, please consider following my blog for more related content if you are not already. I post advice and sensory product reviews/suggestions.

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I was getting groceries the other day and the cashier asked, “Aren’t these those things for babies?”

Well, yes.

This is the kind of thing I was buying:

Fruit and veggie pouches are a lifesaver for me. Yes, they are primarily intended for babies. No, I don’t care. They are an easy way to trick myself into eating healthy foods that I normally can’t due to sensory issues, because they’re all puréed and the texture is no longer an issue.

So if you have trouble with eating stuff in the “colorful plants” category (fruits, veggies), maybe try these! Look for ones with vegetables as well as fruits, and less added sugar. I like the Peter Rabbit Organics ones, but there are lots of good brands. (There are also juices, but I’ve found the healthy ones tend to taste too bitter for me.)

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I’ve boosted this shop before but they’re also more than willing to make fidgets in specific textures or accommodate your preferences with a custom order! Even if you don’t want/need to order anything right now, favoriting items on Etsy helps boost shop metrics.

We’re back open!

My fidget/stim toy shop is back open after a somewhat long vacation! Thank you to everyone for your patience and understanding! You can find my Etsy shop HERE. [Image description: a white nonbinary person with red facial hair is smiling and wearing a red autistic pride t shirt. They are holding a variety of marble maze fidgets and a beaded fidget.]

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First steps of a new project (hacksaw not in frame 🙈)... what could it be? #actuallyautistic #autisticadult #sensoryprocessingdisorder #spd #project #pvc #pvcprojects https://www.instagram.com/p/CEZwy07BkQ8/?igshid=enlv67hxvjf9

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A research group at Marquette University is interested in perspectives on online and in-person social interactions of US residents (18 or over) during COVID-19 and their relationship to mental health. All adults are invited to participate in this study, with autistic and other neurodivergent individuals especially encouraged to discuss their experiences. Participation in this study includes taking a survey regarding your interactions with others and your mental health, which will take an estimate of 15-20 minutes and is anonymous. 

If you have any questions, please contact Amy Van Hecke at amy.vanhecke@marquette.edu. To participate, please use the following link: https://marquetteneurodiversitystudies.tumblr.com/socialexperiencesstudy

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So Im someone that gets understimulated easily, especially in right now in quarantine. So i made a list of things to stimulate your senses and I thought I would share it with the autistic and ADHD community.

Tactile:

-putting on tight clothes (tight tops, leggings, socks, etc)

-putting on chapstick

-rolling your feet on a cylindrical object (feet massager, rolling pin, etc)

-using a weighted blanket or pilling blankets on top of you

-asking someone to lay on top of you (if you are both comfortable with the idea)

-sitting cross legged or with you legs under you

-petting you animal if you have one

-running hot or cold water on your hands and/or switching between the temperatures

-taking a bath or shower

-putting on a hat or ears protectors

-massaging your head/playing with your hair

Auditory:

-listening to music

-listening to asmr

-reading out loud

-tearing paper or fabric

-tapping on stuff that make nice sounds

-making a DIY maracas by putting dry beans or rice in a tupperware or bottle

Olfactory (smell):

-making your favorite tea

-smelling or putting on lotion or chapstick

-opening random stuff in your fridge or pantry and smelling them

-starting essential oil diffuser if you have one

-baking something

-cooking up some garlic and butter (found this idea on tumblr)

-opening a window and smelling the fresh air

-smelling your laudry detergent or your shampoo

-hugging a partner or friend to smell their scent (if you are both comfortable with it)

-lighting up a scented candle

-cleaning the bathroom so that it smells like cleaning supplies

Gustatory (taste):

-chewing on a stim toy

-brushing your theet

-drinking juice

-eating something

-finding a food for every type of taste (sweet, salty, bitter, sour, umami) and eating one at a time (ex: a spoonful of jam, then a salty craker, then a piece of dark chocolate, then a a sip of cranberry juice, then a mushroom)

-getting a buch of veggies and then multiple dipping sauces (they can range in heath, texture, acidity, etc) (also got this idea on tumblr)

Visual:

-cleaning up the clutter

-watching people from your window or balcony, trying to find out stuff about them just by the way they are dressed and are walking

-arranging your colored crayons in a way you like, then doing it again and again in other orders

-arranging your folded clothes by colors

-if you have a lava lamp, watching it

-putting glitter and/or little pieces of paper in a see through bottle filled with water and then shaking it (this is one of my favorite stim also)

-watching a nature documentary

Vestibular/ Proprioceptive:

-jumping on your bed

-putting a lot of pillows and blankets on your bed and flopping onto it (also found this one on tumblr)

-shaking you leg while balancing on the other one and switching between them

-spining

-trying to make up/learn a new dance

-holding a really light object in one of your hand and a heavy one in the other. Trying to lift them at the same time

If you have acces to those things:

-making good use of a trampoline

-getting in the pool while hugging your knees and letting the water move you around.

-getting on the swings

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Fun Question for Everyone:

What was your first special interest? Funniest one?

I think this is going to be hilarious so please share. For me I honestly have no idea but it was probably Dora the Explorer. Of course we didn’t have cable in those days so I watched the same 2 episodes on vhs over and over and over and had to get my “backpack” before my parents started the tape and if I couldn’t find it in time I would freak out lol. I watched Dora more casually until I was pretty old too- like 8 or 9- until a “friend” dissed it in front of me saying that it was boring and just the same thing over and over again.

I was also obsessed with a dvd of Bear in the Big Blue House at one point. The goodbye song still gives me warm fuzzies lol.

My funniest childhood obsession was probably acorns when I was four or five. I had a huge bag of acorns that I wanted to carry everywhere and loved to sort them and collect them and hold them and stare at them lol.

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Someone put red paint on the "Serve and Protect" sculpture at the Salt Lake City police building and it is such a powerful statement.

"Good art should disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed." -C.A.C.

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Giant tangle next to a tangle jr for scale. How is everyone holding up? Personally, I have not handled the total annihilation of all my routines particularly well. My semester is over now, thankfully, which helps with anxiety levels. I might be able to go back to one of my part time jobs soon though, which is exciting yet terrifying. Let me know how you are doing in the comments or in a DM- I’m happy to offer some support. https://www.instagram.com/p/CAtnxc2hS8n/?igshid=1cki4nmyjnvy5

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It’s been several years since the sōsh app died and I still haven’t recovered

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hey does anyone have any good recommendations for soundtracks to have in the background while you work? so far i have animal crossing new leaf, sims 2, and sims 3 - i’m looking for more in that vein or similar-ish, preferably unobtrusive and without any vocals

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Free App Alert- Time Timer Mobile (iOS and android)

The official Time Timer app has temporarily gone free due to the pandemic. Analogous to the physical time timers. It is available for iOS (separate iPhone and iPad versions) and on the google play store.