spectrumtea

[spectrumtea]

things that can happen bc of executive function impairment:

making decisions feel really hard. even very small, simple decisions

it's hard to switch between tasks so this could be stopping one thing to do something else, getting really upset if you're interrupted while doing something and the interruption stays with you

struggling to do things that have a lot of steps like driving, cooking / preparing a meal, shopping

freezing up and feeling blank if something unexpected comes up in terms of problem solving and it looks like you're not gonna do anything about it at all but you actually just have no idea what to do or how to begin so you're just there

following spoken instructions is hard

you seem as if you're absentminded cause it's hard to remember things sometimes. little things

paying attention / concentrating is super hard especially when you're not really interested in something and u just cant make yourself do the thing cause you're so uninterested

not finishing things you start

blurting stuff out suddenly or sharing too much and just regretting it after

difficulty starting things like even though you want to do it, it's hard to just start it so this could be lots of things like taking a shower, cleaning up your space, organizing, starting a project, applying for a job or program or anything. it might seem like you're lazy or unmotivated

sometimes even doing familiar tasks you have to be really focused or it's hard to do things you're used to doing if you're under some type of stress (which could be lots of things cause we can get stressed out easily)

sometimes it's hard to shift your thinking if you get new rules or info

lack of a sense of time

it might take a long time like even hours of feeling uncomfortable before u realize oh i need to eat or oh i should put on a sweater

looking at tiny problem that you can do something about and it will only take a couple seconds or minutes to get rid of but you just leave it and let it annoy you for days or weeks without realizing you could just do this very simple thing and it will be gone

you're not lazy, unmotivated, a procrastinator, stupid, dirty, spacey, absentminded. you do not need to try harder.

use lists, reminders, routines, schedules, break stuff down into smaller tasks, allow yourself to stim more or just allow yourself to stim if u don't cause sometimes we suppress it, rest when u need to, don't force yourself to try harder, be your autistic self (bc not doing that actually draws on your EF too and will tire you out quickly) 💖

[spectrumtea]

Proprioception and Autism

What is proprioception?

Known as the body's "sixth sense", it's the ability for your body to know its position in the space around it.

It is common for autistics to have issues with their proprioception.

What does this look like?

You may:

Struggle with balance

Frequently walk into walls, objects, people etc

Drop items

Fall frequently

Not understand how much force is a being used for common activities such as closing doors loudly, slamming objects down, or breaking items

Difficulty navigating stairs or areas that require focused balance shifts

Stomping or walking heavily

[spectrumtea]

not so friendly reminder that not all autistic people are "gifted" or have a Special Ability. much love to those with an intellectual disability you guys kick ass <3

[spectrumtea]

the amount of you who have started to say "autism and adhd are so similar they're just the same disorder tbh" makes me big uncomfortable

[spectrumtea]

Posted @withregram • @pacingpixie When we call a disability (not symptom or illness) ‘mild’ or ‘severe’, it ranks Disabled people by their proximity to an ‘abled’ standard. Those that deviate most significantly are labelled ‘severely’ Disabled.

This standard is informed by a Capitalist system that values being 'productive’ above all else. But we all know that your productivity is not your worth. So can we break this ableist yard stick already?

ID: it says, “Disability is often conceptualised like this:” There is a picture of a scale with “Severely Disabled” on one end and “non-Disabled” on the other". When it really looks more like this:“ There is a picture of a network in the shape of a heart where every node is a different colour. “It’s a network, a web, a matrix” “and a beautiful one at that”

#disability #disabilityawareness #disabilityadvocate #ableismistrash #ableism #capitalismsucks #disabilitypride #thefutureisaccessible #accessislove #disabledandproud #disabilityisdiversity #diversity #diversityandinclusion #cripple #cripplepunk #intellectualdisabilities #inclusionrevolution #diversityisbeautiful #differentnotless #babewithamobilityaid #wheelchairdontcare #diversityispower #disabilitycommunity #grateful #community #disabilityjustice #disabilitysupport #capitalismkills #anticapitalism #ableismexists https://www.instagram.com/p/CPYy1xHDomvbh4yLgArwexMBcUp7ynEE5iWBdk0/?utm_medium=tumblr

[spectrumtea]

dam…….. that website “you feel like shit” (it’s like a questionnaire / troubleshooting guide for when you feel like shit) really works………………….. im not even all the way thru it and i even half-assed a lot of the suggestions and i already feel loads better

[spectrumtea]

One thing I don’t see being talked about alot is the feeling like you’re failing even when you’re not. There’s something about being neurodivergent that kinda makes you feel guilty sometimes. Not to be all “we live in a society” but when we’re in a world that favors neurotypicals, there’s a sort of feeling in the back of your mind that maybe you’re taking too much or are a burden for needing help, or needing help is seen as failing in life. When we don’t meet society’s expectations, even if we’re doing relatively okay it can feel like failure. Like I’m in my early 20s and I have a job! That’s good right? I’m making decent money and I get plenty of hours. Currently living with a parent but I’m saving up to move out to an apartment so I can have more freedom plus an area with better walkability(I have a fear of driving due to anxiety, trying to work on it). I’m on the right track. Everything is going smoothly, plus the recent stim check gave me a small boost, so I might be able to move out sooner than I thought. But my doing fine can often be read as failure in the eyes of ableism simply because of a few norms I haven’t met yet. Does anyone else get that feeling? I don’t know if I described it right, this is just some thoughts I had.

oh absolutely this is definitely something i’ve struggled with, and something i think a lot of autistic/disabled people in general have in common. as someone who had to drop several classes in high school and do an extra year to catch up, i intimately know the feeling of everyone around you/in your age group being “ahead” and it fucking sucks :(

[spectrumtea]

You do not have to apologise for existing.

You do not have to apologise for having needs.

[spectrumtea]

So I guess on the subject of hygiene problems, here's some reasons an autistic person might look "scruffy" or have messy hair, unkempt or mismatched clothes, struggle with going to the toilet etc:

Missing body signals: A lot of us have problems with interoception, the sense that lets you know what's going on with your body. So we might not feel when we need to wash, or go to the toilet, or other things.

Sensory hypersensitivity: Managing hygiene and such is very tactile. We can have trouble with touching body parts, or the feel of certain substances like skin creams. This is why I used to scream when I was a kid and someone tried to brush my hair. It can affect other senses too, like for example hairdryers are quite loud.

Executive dysfunction: Even if we notice we need to do something, and we could physically stand it, it might still be hard to make our brains do the steps needed to go and do the thing. For example, if you are in the middle of a task and you notice you need the toilet, it can be hard to just stop and switch to the task of going to the toilet.

The point is, there's a lot of rhetoric out there about autistic people who struggle with hygiene, portraying us as disgusting or mindless, using us as a tool to show autism as a tragedy. Just remember when you see things like that, these are thinking, feeling humans with reasons behind our behaviour. We're not just rhetorical devices or figures of horror or judgement. Autistic people feel free to add things!

[spectrumtea]

What does “The Spectrum” mean? Do some people have “more Autism” than others?

I covered these topics in a comic to help explain the extremely individual and incomparable nature of the autism spectrum!

Instagram // Twitter

[spectrumtea]

too much, too little, too active, too lazy, too unfocused, too focused on the wrong things, too hot, too warm, too sensitive, too insensitive, too fast, too slow, speaks too fast, incoherent speeches, university graduate, A+ marks collected from 4am energy boosts and 3 bags of candies down, too calm in front of danger, too nervous in front of normal situations, too late, too early, so much to do, so little time, so little will and so little space for a middle ground to grow upon

[spectrumtea]

High Functioning.

My entire life I’ve been told that I should be proud of the fact that my disability is “high functioning” and that I’m “basically normal”. Which is just code for I should get over it because if other people can’t see my struggle it isn’t really there. That means that when my eyes feel like they’re being gouged out with flaming hot pokers and I can barely see straight I have to “get over it” because “everyone gets migraines” and when I can’t see something right in front of me because my brain doesn’t know it’s there it’s because I’m “not really trying”. I have to constantly walk the line between admitting to the small little inconvenience I’ve dealt with my entire life and can easily deal with so that people remember that I’m disabled and never telling anyone about the big things that terrify me so that people never have to know how disabled I actually am. I have to be the first one to make every self-depricating joke so that no one else can make it because I’d rather put myself down than be the butt of someone else’s joke.

Being “High Functioning” and “Low Functioning” is something that only matters to people that don’t have disabilities - they aren’t labels that are meant to make our lives any easier because all being high functioning has ever brought me is high anxiety and impressive masking skills.

When you say I should be happy that I’m High Functioning what you are really saying is I should be happy that the only person that’s inconvenienced by my condition is me, you’re saying that I should be proud of the fact that you get to make yourself feel better by pretending I’m just like you

And that’s nothing to be fucking proud of.

[spectrumtea]

[spectrumtea]

It’s extremely annoying how the way autism is discussed on social media has given a lot of people the impression that the worst thing that could happen to us is someone insulting our special interests.

Social exclusion is obviously damaging, but not so much because it’s hard to explain why we’re so “obsessed” with a topic others don’t care about. Growing up without friends, being an outcast during school, not being able to make a lot of connections - all of this is detrimental to our mental health, and one of the main reasons we have so many common comorbid disorders.

And it makes it harder to network and progress economically.

Not doing well in school means you later have a harder time finding a job, and most of the jobs that only require a relatively low form education are inaccessible for us, since they often inherently involve a lot of social interaction or physical labour that is incompatible with how our bodies work.

Add this to all the physical illnesses many of suffer from (bowels, head and back problems are extremely common), and you begin to wonder how we’re meant to survive in this world. The health care system we have here is quite different from what you’re used to in the US - yes, more extensive and without some of the barriers you’re used to. And yet, even I had a time in my life in which I was unable to see a doctor despite being extremely sick. I had to rely on someone actively evading certain required steps in order to help me. I don’t exaggerate when I say that I’m not sure if I would still be alive if it weren’t for them cheating the system for me.

And my situation isn’t at all unique for an autistic person.

[spectrumtea]

people with speech impediments, vocal stims, tics, stutters, an obvious accent, who are mute (to any degree), who talk to themselves, or who have any other noticeable vocal traits, you’re all really cool and wonderful and I’m wishing u all an epic and poggers night

[spectrumtea]

To All The Toothbrushes That Last A Month Because I Chewed On The Brush Until It Was Completely Unusable

[spectrumtea]

Ok so I've found a way to describe what Neurodivergent Can't Do Task Mode™ feels like to neurotypicals

So you know how you can't make yourself put your hand down on a hot stovetop? There's a part of your brain that stops you from doing that? That's what Neurodivergent Can't Do Task Mode™ feels like

Even if we want to do it, there's a barrier stopping us from doing it, and it's really hard to override

And why does our brain see the task as a hot stovetop? Because when neurotypicals finish a task, they get serotonin, but we don't get that satisfaction after completing a task. A neurotypical wouldn't get serotonin from putting their hand on a hot stovetop, it would just hurt. When we can't do a task, it's because our brain knows that the task will hurt (metaphorically) and wants to avoid that.

It's not that we're choosing not to do the task, it's that our brain is physically preventing us from doing it.

Neurotypicals can and should reblog but please don't add anything

(Sorry/not sorry about the random bolding, it makes it easier for us to read)