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[itsaspectrumcomic]

Why do you think neurotypical people mistake neurodivergent people for be really sarcastic?

Possibly because we tend to be super direct whereas neurotypicals usually dance around the point a lot more. So when we say something bluntly, they get all confused because that's not how they would communicate it, so they assume sarcasm. Probably also our tone - a lot of autistic people struggle to control their tone or naturally have a 'flat-affect' which can come across as sarcastic.

It's annoying to be misinterpreted constantly, but also sometimes people think I'm being incredibly funny for stating something obvious so 🤷‍♀️

[itsaspectrumcomic]

just wanted to say (granted I don't have any sort of diagnosis, nothing beyond arguing with the RAADS-R and looking at the DSM-V diagnostic criteria) I've found your posts/answers to asks, especially about stimming, really helpful - thank you!

I'm so glad I could help! ☺️

[itsaspectrumcomic]

i’m curious how common this is.

even before i realized i could be autistic, id have horribly delayed emotional reactions. like, unless it was big enough to get through my brain within some minutes, it’d usually take hours to process emotionally and i wouldn’t react emotionally until way later. in the moment, id react but in a way where it was obviously logic driven and there was barely any emotional response. thoughts!

Yep I also do this, it can take me ages to register how I feel about something that's happened, good or bad, and I don't always react in a way that makes sense to others. It can be part of alexithymia which is when a person has difficulty identifying or understanding their emotions, and also I think it's because autistic people tend to process things in a different way to non autistic people. Often we actually take in a LOT more information at once because we can't filter things out in the same way - which means it can take longer to process everything!

[itsaspectrumcomic]

As a writer, what are some elements that you would want to see included in a romance between a female autistic character and a male character (who grew up with a sister who is autistic? This is also a bit of a forbidden romance and I’m trying to plan this out well to be very respectful and good representation of the autistic community (idk if that’s the write phrasing so forgive me if I’m saying it wrong). I’ve already started research, but I just need maybe a few ideas/suggestions. thanks!!!

Firstly, remember that no autistic person is the same so his sister being autistic doesn't mean he'll know everything about it or what it's like to be autistic. It would be nice to see some representation of how different autistic people can be by showing differing traits in his sister and the female love interest - eg, differences in masking, different sensory issues, different ways they stim, different ways of enjoying special interests etc.

You could show her struggling with aspects of dating culture (going out to bars which are loud and overstimulating? No thanks) and taking things literally (eg, being asked if she wants to go for coffee and saying no because she doesn't like coffee when the guy is actually trying to ask her on a date.)

Show that she is liked for her autistic traits, not despite them. Maybe he likes that she's very honest, or enjoys listening to her talk about her special interests. Let her be a fully 3-dimensional character wither her own likes, dislikes, goals and interests, and try not to fall into stereotypes.

Definitely don't treat it as if he's some kind of hero for dating an autistic person or for 'dealing' with her autistic traits! Like with any disability, that would be very disrespectful. Also I hope the forbidden romance aspect isn't because she's autistic? I'd need to know more context to know how I feel about that.

If you're not autistic yourself, please do get a sensitivity reader who is, whether that's a friend or a professional.

Speaking of good autistic representation - have you seen the show Dinosaur that came out recently? It's about an autistic woman and her relationship with her sister who's getting married, and it has a storyline where she starts dating the guy at her coffee shop. I love how she was portrayed (she stims with her hands in exactly the way I do!) and it's very funny and warmhearted, plus the lead actress is autistic herself, so if you're looking for inspiration definitely check it out. It's on Hulu and BBC iPlayer :)

[itsaspectrumcomic]

If I don't let myself stim or I'm in an environment where stimming is more difficult (like work meetings!) I can get overwhelmed very quickly. For me it often manifests in the inability to focus and involuntary twitching…

[itsaspectrumcomic]

Thank you so much for flooding my inbox with excellent images today 😭❤️

Hello friends, I've turned on asks with media because I'm feeling kinda bleurgh today and would really like to see some cute pictures of your pets or other things that bring you joy if you'd like to send them in :)

I may or may not respond because of said bleurgh but I would really appreciate it ❤️

[itsaspectrumcomic]

Hello friends, I've turned on asks with media because I'm feeling kinda bleurgh today and would really like to see some cute pictures of your pets or other things that bring you joy if you'd like to send them in :)

I may or may not respond because of said bleurgh but I would really appreciate it ❤️

[itsaspectrumcomic]

Hii! I hope your having a good day! Can I ask about what you think about self diagnosed autistics? I'm asking as one myself, because I'm always nervous to tell other ppl because I don't want them to think I'm not telling the truth just because I don't/can't get a formal diagnosis.

I've said it before and I'll say it again! Self diagnosed autistics are extremely valid :) I was one too before I was officially diagnosed - I know it's not an easy thing to access so I don't see any point in gatekeeping. You know yourself better than anyone else does :)

[itsaspectrumcomic]

quite a while ago i found a small business that sold a bunch of super pretty stim jewelry with a lot of crystals and stuff (i love crystals :)) and there was rlly nice chewelery that didnt look like chewelery at all but i forgot to write down the name of the shop 😭 and i just CANT find it now and im desperate to find it again so i figured as a last ditch effort i would ask if you knew anything like that or if anyone else knew something similar bcs it was seriously gorgeous and looked awesome to stim with and im desperate to find it

Hmmm, could it be this shop on Etsy? They have some really cute necklaces (I had one with a rose until I ate it lol 😳) But there's a lot out there! Can anyone think of anything else matching this description?

[itsaspectrumcomic]

Do you have meltdowns, shutdowns or both?

Unfortunately I have been blessed with both 🙃

[itsaspectrumcomic]

I was born the same day as you lol happy birthday to the both of us

Happy belated birthday! 😁 🎉

[itsaspectrumcomic]

Hello! I've been considering starting a Patreon so I thought I'd make a little poll to gauge interest.

I currently work full time and make comics on the side, but I'd love to be able to dedicate more time to this comic as well as the graphic novel I'm working on (@apocalypsebabycomic), and having a Patreon would really help me with that! Obviously it's completely optional and It's a Spectrum would still be avaliable here for free :)

So:

Bonus question:

What kind of Patreon benefits would you be interested in? Sketches? Early access to comics? Being drawn in a comic or a portrait? Advice stuff?

Thank you!

[itsaspectrumcomic]

hi im really sorry to bother you, and obvs you dont need to answer this at all im just some internet guy lol but do you think i could get some advice?

so ive been diagnosed with autism for like, 5 years (was diagnosed p late, in comparison to others) and im beginning to have some real goddamn big suspicions that i Also have adhd (because. yaknow. the gift that keeps on giving yk? lol). i have a lot of really major issues with executive dysfunction that is directly impacting schoolwork and also a lot of stuff in my life, generally. ive also got a lot of memory issues nd junk

and the thing is; ive got a therapist, but due to a whole slew of things im really scared to like, bring this up with her yk? and, like, im a minor so i cant exactly just seek it out myself yk? and i cant really talk to my parents about it because my mom is a very specific kind of vaguely ableist and my dad generally just isnt involved with that whole section of my being, yk? like, he doesnt manage any of my therapy, aside from bringing me to appointments when my mother isnt available.

and like, ive brought certain things UP to my therapist before and it went mostly ok, aside from one pretty distressing misunderstanding but it feels different for this one because i really do need medication for this, i feel. and thats a whole thing with my mother specifically, since at the start of the whole diagnosis process she outright refused the idea of medication and like. idk man, im so super sorry to write a whole bullshit essay when you're literally just vibing but yk. idk who else to ask lol, and you seem like you know what youre doing i guess?

real sorry. thanks in advance. insert other applicable signoff message here

I'm sorry you're struggling with this. Your therapist should be someone you can talk to about things like this but I understand being anxious about it. Are you afraid to bring it up because she's said ableist/anti-adhd stuff in the past or you have reason to suspect she won't help? If that's the case I really recommend trying to get a different therapist if you can. You deserve a therapist you feel safe sharing things like this with.

If it's impacting schoolwork it might be worth talking to your teachers to see if there's any additional support you can get from them. You don't have to tell them you suspect ADHD if you don't want to, you can just tell them you've been struggling with certain aspects of school and hopefully they can help. School is hard for lots of people so know you're not alone.

It might be different where you live, but in the UK you're able to make your own doctors appointments if you're over 16 so asking a doctor about getting a referral for a diagnosis/medication could be an option as well. Although waiting lists for that are incredibly long at the moment - I've personally been waiting nearly a year just to get an appointment 🙃

In the meantime, have you heard of How to ADHD on YouTube? Her channel has lots of videos with advice and various discussions about living with ADHD which you might find helpful.

Sorry I don't know if that helped much but I hope you're able to get support soon!

[itsaspectrumcomic]

Thank you for all the birthday wishes yesterday! And happy birthday for yesterday as well @coyotecrash 😊🎉

Celebratory gif as requested:

Thank you everyone! I've had a lovely day chilling out 😊

[itsaspectrumcomic]

Thank you everyone! I've had a lovely day chilling out 😊

[itsaspectrumcomic]

HAPPY BIRTH :D

THANK YOU!

[itsaspectrumcomic]

Omg happy birthday!!! What type of cake did you have? Also what's your fav flavour of cake??? Hugs xxoo

Thank you! It was banana cake which I baked myself 😊 but I think my all time favourite is lemon drizzle!