#I Really Needed Occupational Therapy As A Kid

[arovoidant]

things in my childhood that honestly should have tipped people off that i was autistic, but it was the 90s/00s and i was afab, so, (nonexhaustive list)

hyperlexia (i learned to read at 4 with no formal instruction)

obvious special interests in owls, neopets, the lion king… (but because i got identified as ‘gifted,’ these got explained as just topics of expertise)

“odd intonation”/“has an accent” according to one neighbor who told my mom i should be in speech therapy (25 years later… i am the speech therapist…)

extreme sensory sensitivities, especially smells & sounds

difficulties socially

that period of time where i almost only ate blueberries…

difficulties with hygiene (there was a period where i Did Not brush my teeth [thank god i have good enamel], had difficulties with toileting unrelated to IBS up until middle school)

difficulties with certain motor skills (can’t ride a bike, can’t catch things coming straight at me without clutching them to my chest [which i think about every time i see a specific assessment ask about ball catching skills], use too much pressure when writing with pencils, can’t typically focus on speech or other people and sitting up straight at the same time,)

can’t fuckin operate snaps

[cherry-alive]

Most of the time it's not that big of a deal, my symptoms are mild and I have ways to work around it in most areas. But sometimes my lack of coordination and fine motor skills is really really annoying. I feel really happy when I look pretty, and want to do things like braid my hair or paint my nails or wear makeup or put on clip-on earrings or do jewelry clasps or do up little buttons or whatever. And I can't do any of that stuff easily, and some of it I can't do at all. I don't have the tremor in my hands I had when I was on lithium, at least, that sucked. But my coordination and motor skills are still pretty poor and it makes it really hard to do a lot of things like that, and it's just frustrating. I'm trying to learn how anyway but I just wish it was easier.

[writing-for-life]

Thanks for the tag, @marlowe-zara This is actually a nice one, and I’ve got time (I always take the day after the Oscars off, I’m really that sad)…

*****************************************

Are you named after anyone? No, not that I know of. I use the name I nearly got as my writing pseud/pen-name though.

When was the last time you cried? Not a crier about a lot of stuff because my go-to-mechanism is to get on with it, for better or worse (so not saying that’s always a good thing). If I cry, it’s mostly when I’m proud of my kid, so rather happy tears than angry/sad ones. I know when I need to cry because of latter reasons though and can easily get the floodgates to open with art/music/films/books when I feel it’s safe for me to do so. That sounds… well-adjusted? Not 🤣

Do you have kids? One, primary age.

What sports do you play/have you played? Dance (professional performer). Knees, hips and back are fairly wrecked, so gentler stuff these days (mostly the right gym-stuff, Yoga and walking/running if my joints oblige). But do they count as “playing” sports?

Do you use sarcasm? Yes. Not always proud of it, so I try to limit it.

What is the first thing you notice about people? Their voice (occupational hazard, but also a kink 🤣). And the way they communicate in general, whether written or orally. That can mean many things—I like the occasional, well-placed swear-word, as an example. But most of all, I notice if people understand that words hold meaning, and if they use them well (again, in all sorts of ways).

What's your eye color? Some say blue, some say green. Very dark, whatever it may be (I have my own opinion, and I shall call it dark teal).

Scary movies or happy endings? Neither really. Not into scary movies, not the biggest fan of sappiness either. But it all depends. A good movie is a good movie and all that.

Any talents? I speak four languages fluently—is that a talent? All joking aside, I believe it’s all a mix between some natural aptitude, interest, support and commitment anyway, so the idea of “talent” is always one that makes me scratch my head a bit. I’ve had people comment favourably on my singing, acting, writing and drawing. Plus that I’ve got good problem-solving skills?

Where were you born? Western Central Europe 😜

What are your hobbies? Reading, writing. And reading. And writing. I also like reading, and did I mention writing?…

Do you have any pets? Yes, a black cat called Morpheus. His name used to be something else entirely when he was a kitten, but especially my kid and I think his attitude is very Murphy. We’re really that pathetic, and so is he. He also has a little scar under his eye now, courtesy of a love interest that didn’t reciprocate his feelings (I wrote about it on here), so it is very… apt?

How tall are you? 1.80m/5’11 My back and joints thank me every day.

Favorite subject in school? Languages, hands down. Everything that relates to writing, reading, literature, drama. And music. I’d love to say art, but I’ve only ever had arsehole art teachers who ruined it for me. So that’s to say: It’s not just the subject. It’s also the people who see you, support you, want you to succeed.

I teach performance-psychology at University, so I like that, too 🙂

Dream job? Oh, that’s tricky. Usually the one I’m doing, but that doesn’t mean it’ll forever stay that way. I’m lucky enough to have basically three degrees (the first one a science/music double major, the second in psychology), and I loved working in all three fields—until I didn’t. And if I didn’t, I stopped. It was hard every time, both financially and emotionally, but I’ve come to the conclusion that my gut usually lets me know when it’s time to move on, and that it’s advisable to listen. At the moment, I split up my time between writing professionally, seeing therapy clients roughly 2 days a week and having a teaching gig. My brain likes the variety and needs it, and for the time being, that’s my happy place.

I see the usual suspects have already been tagged, so I’m going to mix it up (no pressure though if this stuff isn’t your thing) and send this into the direction of @morpheusbaby3 @duckland @dxliriumoftheendless @stellerssong @bobbole

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

Hi there! My friend is going to be opening a toddler / child “play place” and she wants to develop a sensory room to help give a safe space to autistic or other neurodivergent children. She’s enlisted my help, but since I was diagnosed in my early 20’s, I really am not sure what would help autistic children. Not to mention the wide variation of symptoms!

So now, I’m gathering information. I know it’ll never be a “one-size-fits-all” type of thing, but we want to get as close and as inclusive as possible. Do you have experience with places like this? Or, would you have any suggestions? Thanks in advanced <3

Hi there,

I found an article talking about how to build a sensory room. According to this article:

How do you set up a sensory room?

Before designing the room it is important to consider:

1. The individual needs of the clients who will use the room. What are the ages, abilities, and needs of the individuals who will use the room?

2. How many individuals will need to use the room at the same time?

3. How the room will be used. Will the room be a calming area? Will it be used for therapy sessions including occupational therapy, speech, sensory integration therapy, or one on one instruction? 

4. Keep in mind the long term use of the room. If all of your equipment is static, students can become bored. A good goal is to create a flexible space that allows you to create different scenes or moods depending on the emotional, cognitive, and physical needs of the students. How will the room be adapted to meet changing needs and keep it interesting?

Common Components of a Sensory Room

* Bubble tube

* Fiber optic sprays, or lighting

* Beanbag chairs

* Interactive Wall Boards

* Rocking chairs 

* Stereo or MP3 Player with Headphones

* Therapy balls

* Lighting/projector that can display various colors & patterns

* Weighted blankets or weighted lap pads

* A flowing water fountain

* Bins with assorted sensory activities

* Aromatherapy diffuser kit

The full article will be linked below, as it goes into more detail:

I also found another article on what items to include in a sensory room:

What Items To Include in Your Sensory Room

Large crash pillows or mats

Bean bag chair

Body sock

A net swing or therapy sensory swing

Fidget items that allow for a repetitive moment

Weighted blankets or vests – the blankets and vests I linked to here are handmade by a fellow Occupational Therapy Assistant with a small business on Etsy.

Tunnel

Therapy balls

Sensory break cards

Books to read

A stuffed animal or favorite toy – the Soothing Sammy dog and program is a great option for preschool and kindergarten-aged children

Calming, alerting, and organizing activities for kids – free printable included to hang in your sensory room

The article will also be below if you want to read it too.

I hope these help. Thank you for the inbox. I hope you have a wonderful day/night. ❤️

[dirtytransmasc]

please, talk more about Tsu'tey's disabilities. How does our brave (and very much alive) warrior cope?

so this is going on the observation that he was only shot in the upper-middle chest, and that he survived the fall due to hitting trees and brush on the way down. spoiler warning, he's so fucked up its not even funny, he means it when he says he wishes Jake just let him die.

first and foremost, he's got fibromyalgia, I don't make the rules (yes I do, and I'm projecting, cause if I have it, he can have it too). fibro is a chronic pain and fatigue caused by traumatic events on the body, mentally or physically, and is often found in soldier/warriors, people who have suffered traumatic injuries or infections, and people with ptsd; tsu'tey is 3 for 3.

this means he has widespread pain from the aching muscle pain to the stabbing of nerve pain, fatigue that makes functioning difficult, brain fog, stiffness, sensitivity (to light, sound, touch/pain, etc.), and mental health issues.

the damage to his lungs from taking multiple chest shots makes him more breathless than the fatigue did. he gets a lot of chest pain and dry coughing fits, and if he really pushes himself he tends to cough up blood (which really scares spider)

because his wounds got infected pretty horribly he has long-term immunocompromisation, and particularly lung sickness (especially due to the above).

the blood loss, tissue death, and muscle loss from the injury and bed rest equals more pain more weakness and more feeling like shit. his entire body was poorly oxygenated do to the blood loss meaning he suffers all sorts of organ issues, including brain damage. it's what makes the day to day so hard. being laid up in the infirmary caused all the muscle he had honed to be a good warrior and chief to die off. he lost so much of himself so quickly and it's something he can never truly gain back.

the fall also fucked him up, breaks and fractures to heal from, more trauma to his already haywire nervous system.

all of the above gives him horrible mobility and mental health issues; horrific, paralyzing depression, paired with insomnia, PTSD, nightmares, panic attacks. main problem is, he tries to push through his issues, trying to 'break past them' further breaking himself. he hates himself and his life, he hates his body and his mind. he hates everything. he doesn't do his physical therapy, he just tries to jump back into life like it was before the accident. he sinks to a depression that knows no match, he cycles through different forms of pushing himself to far, self harming as punishment, over and over again until he's more broken that he began. he doesn't cope, not for the first few years; he becomes a secluded bastard that hates everything.

that is until spider starts taking to him and he's forced to exist, to go slower, to have fun.

he starts wearing his respirator (it purifies air and offers a little bit of support to his lungs) when he needs it, cause the coughing makes the kid worry. he paces himself so the kid can keep up and so that way he has the energy to take care of him, protect him, even love him by a certain point. the kid serves as physical and occupational therapy, bringing tsu'tey out of the pit he dug himself into and lets him actually start healing. he has to train with weapons again, starting at the easy stuff, to train the kid. he has to show him the ropes of the forest slowly, building up in advancement, so the smaller human can keep up. he has to smile and indulge the kids need for play and affection, ultimately opening him back up.

as he attatches to the kid he finds himself worried about him, spider needed a positive role model, especially as spider started to understand his own limitations, disabilities, he didn't want spider to be anything like he had. so he starts letting people help him, if only fractionally, so he can start making himself someone spider can look up to.

when spider befriends the viperwolf tsu'tey ends up forming the "gruff disabled dad who didn't want the dog, but then they end up being friends and the dog helps him move cope with his disability" (I watched that happen between my dog and my grandpa and it's so sweet). he has to take the thing on walks (no he doesn't), needs to go out into the woods when spider doesn't come down from high camp to make sure it's ok (he also doesn't have to do that either), needs to give it company so it doesn't get lonely without spider (even tsu'tey knows he doesn't need to do that, sue him)

by the time spider is 16 and s trained warrior under tsu'tey, the man has healed as much as one can, it had been about 11 years of the two of them stuck together. tsu'tey is still very much disabled, but his minds in a better place about it, he stops trying to be who he was and rather who he can be now. he tries to be who spider needs him to be, because his opinions the only one that really matters anymore (Jake can go to hell [affectionate])

the one thing tsu'tey had truly lost to the war was his ability to love and have kids. he had sylwanin taken from him, his soulmate. he didn't want to be with neytiri but was willing to take her as his mate, but even she was taken from him. with no role in the village he was not mandated to mate, and he really had no interest. he didn't want someone who wasn't sylwanin, so he gave up on that and the prospect of children; even if the one thing he wanted in life was being a father. it killed him to let go of that dream, and he's sure that was part of why the depression got so bad. but now he had spider, his spirit child, and it saved his life.

[unnervinglyferal]

Background: I work with toddlers. I have an anecdote.

There are two situations when I ask this question. When parents are very frustrated with their toddler’s antics, and when they are thinking of having another child. You would be astonished to learn how many parents will casually mention to their child’s occupational therapist that they want another kid.

Do you remember when you held your child as an infant? When you looked at them and knew you would kill or die for this child to be happy and safe?

Are you going to be able to keep that love? You would kill or die for them. Will you love them the same when you get up for the nineteenth night in a row to read them a second bedtime story? Will you still love them the same when they are melting down in a grocery store? Will you love them the same when they absolutely refuse to put on clothes and you’re running late and have had no breakfast? Will you love them the same when they backtalk your family or won’t listen to your good advice or bother you over and over again?

So many people want a baby, but just a baby. Babies are uncomplicated, they aren’t really a person yet. Once your daughter becomes her own person, will you love her and have the same amount of patience?

I say this not because I think you’re that kind of dad, but because of the post you made about your own father. It’s possible he felt the same way. He thought “I would kill or die for this little baby boy” in his arms. That he did not feel contempt but rather protectiveness. And he was blinded by his entitlement and selfishness to the needs of other people. That he had his own deep rooted problems, and when you became a real person, he did not know how to use that love to parent.

I don’t mean this in the “actually I, a stranger, know for a fact that your father did love you!” way. I have a similar dynamic with my own dad. I mean this in a “it is not necessarily true that as a baby you were treated with the contempt that your father might have had for you as you grew older” way.

Source: several degrees in childhood development, many years working with kids and parents in sometimes troubling situations, and things I learned in therapy.

Congratulations on your daughter. You’ll do great.

Reading that made me understand how much I really do look forward to her growing up, too. Like it's weird that there are people who just want a baby and for the baby to be a baby forever. My father was the opposite, he wanted to have adult children who respect him one day, but hated every part that has to happen before that. He literally refused to pick up, hold, or in any way touch his children, to the point where we just didn't even try by the time we were toddlers.

It was really weird as a kid to go to friends' houses and notice that their dad or stepdad actually seemed to like the kids, and didn't just treat them with contempt and disgust.

[gentil-minou]

I'd love to go into psychology. I think that diagnosing people is absolutely fascinating, but I have a really hard time with empathy. I can understand characters in TV shows and books and why they do the things that they do, but when it's real people it feels like there's a mental block or something? I just have to try really hard to be understanding and patient and I think that doing that for years would make me feel terrible. I have the right personality to be a psychiatrist, but I hate science and I know that I'd hate doing medical school. I know that there's other jobs in psychology (like a research psychologist, or a professor or something maybe) but getting a PhD is phenomenally hard and I'm not sure if I can do it. I feel like, for a therapist or really for anyone in psychology, having a lot of empathy is almost a requirement. Can you be a therapist if you have a hard time with empathy and relating to people?

Hi! I'm so excited to hear you're interested and I always love talking to folks who are passionate about this as a career! We need folks, yes including folks like you!

For starters: psychology is a broad field and not just one career. There's different types and paths to follow, not just the stuff you see on TV. It can be stuff like psychiatry (which is more medication based and why more like med school), therapist (my field which I didn't need a doctorate for in the USA, only my masters and liscensure hours), occupational therapy (which is its own field and so so very important), school counselor. And etc etc. Some folks even use psych in other fields, like teachers and I know it helps im advertising and marketing. It's so multifaceted that there really isn't a limit!

What I mean to say is, in short, it's about figuring out what you're comfortable with doing and what's the right fit for you. And you have time! One of my classmates in my masters was 50, and they're terrific. Higher education is necessary, but there's many paths for the same thing. I'd say see what opportunities might be available for you now to test the waters, see where your interests lie. Do you like working with kids or adults? Do you prefer play therapy or talking about feelings? Do you like moving around and working on motor skills or helping someone in a crisis or trauma situation? Are you interested in social work or working in schools? Start with researching and see what sparks your interest, the more passionate you are about it the more motivated you'll be to go to school for it.

And as to your second question: you already HAVE empathy. You said you understand what a fictional character is thinking and why they act a certain way, and that's a start.

It's true having empathy is an important skill in this field, but it's a SKILL for a reason. It's something we have to practice, and that's part of why school is so important. Part of it is understanding how someone's experiences lead to they way they act, which comes from not just empathy but understanding the symptoms in play here.

I'll give a real example: a parent comes to me and says they don't like the work I'm doing with their kid and they want a new therapist, even though the kid doesn't. My instinct, and this I cannot stress enough is valid and normal reaction, is to be hurt and upset. I'm even angry, because I know I am doing good work and it's the parent who has been causing issues. I'm frustrated and so very very hurt.

But I can also acknowledge that my feelings are separate from the situation, that I need to dig deeper to find out the full bigger picture here. This career is a lot like detective work, because we have to search for clues that might tell us why someone does or acts a certain way. So for this parent I might think about what I know of home life, current events that might he impacting them. Does the parent have their own mental health that causes issues? Are they upset with me or the situation? And can I help them figure put and communicate? It builds on more than just empathy I think, and it's something that comes largely from experience and recognizing patterns.

It doesn't always come naturally, but it does come with practice. You definitely have empathy if you are able to think about how your reaction affects another person. It's just building on those skills! Gathering experience and letting yourself learn, recognizing what might be a weakness that you can build on. And crucially: Practice practice practice!

[vivanightcity]

Name: Adiel Miller

Age: 27

Gender: None, they barely align with ‘human’ fuck having a gender. 

Pronouns: Any and all, with a personal love for ‘it/its’, a sort of reclamation of the dehumanizing language it was raised with. (Practically, you can mix and match, or just pick one and use it, it’s all good)

Lifepath: Streetkid 

Occupation: Doll at a dollhouse that works with a number of corpo hotels and short term rental style hotels in Downtown. Can be found in a number of BDs still knocking about though. 

Cyberware: Doll chip, prototype long term behavioral chip, scratchers and big knucks (reinforced nails and knuckles that are concealable and look like standard human parts) 

Sexuality: People hot. That’s about it. 

Born and raised in NYC. Their parents worked themselves to the bone to get by and take care of him, but it was always a struggle. Maybe the city wasn’t as bad as Night City is now, but it was still a far cry from safe or easy. When it was around 15, and already getting into trouble and running around acting like he had a damn clue, Arasaka (subject to change what corp, I just thought it tied in with their vibe) started contacting parents of minors with records. Offering them an opportunity. A bright future and a new start for their son, get them out of trouble and away from bad influences before things get worse. All it took was signing away its bodily autonomy and they got a good payout and one less mouth to feed. 

They were testing out some more long term behavioral chips targeted at wealthy families, a hopefully safer and more useful version of what was already in use in juvenile correction facilities. A fully customizable range, as much or as little control as wanted across a host of 'problem' behaviors. Even focused on pushing manners and etiquette. It could dissuade kids from indulging, make them obey their parents without question, or just give them a ‘helping hand’ in sitting still and focusing on school. A replacement for conversion therapy, fat camps and drugs, all in one easy package that could be installed when your kid went in for routine work. They never needed to know! But of course that sort of work needed thorough testing before going to market with people who could afford it, and having empirical proof of its efficacy was always good for marketing. 'This wonderful neuralware could make even the worst kids act like a child you'd be happy to have next to you at for press conferences and family dinners'.

A controlled environment, classes to show the improvement rate of those with the chip and those without. Little corrections to strength of influence, fine tuning and fixing it up as they went. So what if some other kids never came back from the surgery room? Price of progress. They’d do big demonstrations pretty frequently, every few months, showing off test scores, video comparisons of posture, attitude, vocabulary use, antisocial behaviors etc. etc. Then the suits visiting would get a chance to interact. To test the parameters themselves, screaming abuse or even pushing whatever sorry sack was chosen for the demo around, proving that these kids - most of which, like Adiel, had some history of violence - would never argue back to those they were told to obey. 

Few short years later, Adiel was around 18, everything seemed golden. Working as intended. Even kids they took the chips out of, or turned them off in the case of some earlier models which couldn’t be safely removed, didn’t seem to be suffering the same level of addiction and withdrawal as seen in traditional behavioral chips on the market. There wasn’t NONE, but it was a manageable amount comparatively. At that point, they turfed everyone out, loosed unto a world they’d been isolated from for a few years, and in the case of a fair number of them, stuck with various degrees of control still implanted in them. ‘A reward for their help’. Saying it would help them stay on the straight and narrow, when really, in the world around them, it just set them up to be manipulated and controlled.

They put protections on the hardware, and the software was heavily encoded. No one Adiel has gone to for help has been able to safely remove it, and the rumor was that someone who tried triggered some sort of anti piracy/corpo espionage failsafes and them and the ripperdoc ended up mulch. Even after it entered the market during Arasaka’s big push in the early 2070s to get back in with the NUSA and free states money, it took money to access the kind of docs who had it on the shelves, and even when he scraped together enough it turned out what they had going was different enough from the market release that it was still a risk. 

So it’s still there. Nearly ten years and a cross country relocation later. Despite everything it went through because of Arasaka, they are the reason he moved to NC. When the city became the international hub it was, and Arasaka’s new north american headquarters, Adiel figured it was their best chance. Get back on their radar, get a foot in that door, and get the damned thing removed or turned off so they could get back to some semblance of a normal life where they doesn’t have to avoid everyone in white coats, expensive suits, or decked out in arasaka combat armor. Eventually, Addy was able to get hired. Went in for a physical and for them to check its doll chip and make sure he didn’t have any sort of spyware installed, made the mistake of telling the doc checking it over what was up, and got sent away with the promise they’ll look into it… Only he woke up the next day to a termination message. No more arasaka job, no more answers, no more way in. 

And that leads us to here. Burnt out from working non stop to get to NC and then get in with Arasaka, only for it to fall apart. Found working as a doll and sticking to hobbies far away from armed guards, docs and corpos, was the best way to control when he was near people who could fuck with him. Then the fancy suits were already paying for their time, and they didn’t have to remember doing what they said. 

One of the only good things that came out of his time with Arasaka was the opening of doors and access to education and the time to explore. Where it grew up there weren’t any stars visible. Even outside of the city the most you could see were satellites that were near enough to shine through light pollution. Getting to see stars, not only as they used to be, but through flicks and even BDs from orbit. To feel so small was freeing. Getting there is something it longs to do. 

Any sort of hobby or task that can be repeated methodically, over and over, to practice and perfect, is the kind of thing Adiel leans into. Repetition, focusing so completely onto the task over and over, helps to calm it down, to think things through. Worryingly, he’s not sure if this was always the case, or if it’s yet another side effect. One that can have it so completely wrapped up in a drill that they don't stop to rest or eat or anything until made to. Shifting that focus sucks, and getting pulled out of it can be jarring and stressful. 

A side effect of the behavioral chip is a sort of mirroring. His posture, inflection, language use, it seems to shift and alter depending on who it’s talking to. Reacting to the people around it to fit in. Well. He thinks it’s a side effect, it could also just be a survival method because of how he grew up. 

[lunashifts]

DR Self 🌙💖

🌙LUNA LILY WAYNE💫

- nickname(s): little moon, moonbeam, lunes (mostly tim and the girls), lulu (mostly childhood)

- alias: baby/little bat

- birthday: 17. October

- age: 20

- height: 163cm

- hometown: gotham

- race: human

- sexuality: straight

- pronouns: she/her

- gender: female

- hair color: blonde (natural), pastel pink (dyed)

- eye color: blue (Bruce's eyes)

- occupation: studies pedagogy at gotham University

- language(s): English, French, German, Japanese

- s/o: Jason Todd + Dick Grayson (poly)

- positive traits:

very kind, always tries to help, very empathetic and compassionate, is more bubbly and fun when she knows the people around, creative, introverted

- negative traits:

little shy, stubborn, naive sometimes, trusts too fast, insecure sometimes, definitely (a little?) spoiled and coddled

- likes: books, movies, superheroes and vigilantes, fall, rain, night time, boba tea, the color pink, dogs, cats

- dislikes: too hot weather, waking up early, thunderstorms, if other people are sad/hurt, insects

- hobbies: reading, dancing, watching movies, journaling, video games, painting, piano, baking, Horse riding (mostly as teen/kid)

I'm the daughter of Bruce Wayne and Maria Claire Windfield, a random fling he had. She didn't tell him she was pregnant until one day when I was four years old she just showed up at the Manor and handed me over to him and then left Gotham. From that day on I grew up in the Manor.

Dick was only there a few months when I showed up but he helped me settle in and always played with me even though I was much younger than him. Then a few years later Jason came along and the three of us became inseparable. I always had kind of a crush on them but like more of a little girl crush because I admired them and loved spending time with them.

After Jason's death, Dick helped me a lot and I tried to help him too. We grew even closer through it all. It was a really hard time and I never like talking or thinking about it. I even had some therapy sessions with Leslie about it.

When Jason came back it was like the best day of my life. Even though he was angry and changed a lot I still saw Jason in him and was just so happy he was back. That's also why I went behind everyone's back to meet him because I just needed to see him with my own eyes.

The second best day of my life was when Jason returned from being away with the Outlaws after two years and rejoined the Batfamily. Then slowly but surely dick, jason and I became our inseparable trio again.

Currently I still live in the Manor and study pedagogy at gotham University. I help out around the cave the first hours of the night and the whole night on weekends.

[iliadette]

What are some reasons to actually like Spirk + Star Trek?

I'm an ORV fan but I used to watch Voyager as a kid and I've seen a one or two of the newer movies a few years back (dark something something?) I stayed away from the Star Trek fandom as an adult because I mainly associated it with racism and misogynistic nerd guys.

Hi, anon. Sorry if this ask will take a long time to appear, English is not my first language an I am bad with words on a good day.

You're probably thinking of Into Darkness. It's the second reboot movie. There's a lot of different opinions about those lmao. Personally, I love them even though they do have bad bad points, but then again, I love everything about Star Trek, even at its worst.

There's no denying that there was a bit of period-typical misogyny in the original Star Trek, and it got worse in the long run after Rick Berman was selected for production. Latent misogyny, hetero and amatonormativity, as any 60-to-90s show does. To deny that would be stupid. But.

Star Trek was one of, if not the first, tv programs to depict people of different races working together, as equal as they could get in a military-like setting, in a time when segregation and Cold War were still a thing. A Black woman, an Asian man, a Russian one, a Scottish one, all holding a major position in a government vessel, all iconic characters to this day. Censorship never let him, but Gene Roddenberry, the original creator, always intended to include queer people in ST, as I will explain better later. ‌The original series had episodes which very clearly condemned nazism, racism, the Vietnam war, genocide. The Ferengi race of the Next Generation were created to be a satire of western capitalists but were wrongly pegged as an antisemitic stereotype. If a major character is disabled, they have accomodations made for them, they don't have their disability erased, though I hear that Strange New World kind of fucked that up. An episode of TNG was in protest of conversion therapy though people didn't like how it ended. A major theme of Deep Space Nine revolves around colonialism. It had the first black protagonist (commander and later captain); the first female first officer in the franchise to have a major role, who formerly fought in a resistance movement against a the occupation of her planet by a fascist imperialist race; the first trans woman in all but designation, who btw very much kissed another woman in an absolutely iconic scene; a canonically very neurodivergent doctor. Voyager had the first female captain to star in a series. Seven of Nine's character is particularly dear to me because while it's obvious that she was added mainly to boost and entice the male audience with her sex appeal (and well, I am sapphic and far from immune), it's also obvious how much the writers and Jeri Ryan cared for her storyline and growth. She's such a complex character, I really love her. Seven-centric episodes are always a treat for me. I can't remember anything else off the top of my head, sorry abt that (I also haven't watched Enterprise and the newest series yet so I can't talk about that).

Does ST have bad moments? Misogynistic, racist, homophobic, ableist, amatonormative moments? Hell yes. Some episodes are really cringy and have very bad writing. But there are more good ones than not, and those are the ones I live for, the ones that can give you a message that stays with you, where there was somebody in the crew/cast who read the script, saw something terrible, and went "this will not pass on my watch" and worked together to fix whatever they could. I'm sorry if your experience with Star Trek was with dudebros who think "the woke of the latest series ruined the franchise".

Now, about K/S. I believe with all my heart that nobody needs a reason to ship any two or more characters together. That said, I think Spirk is one of those ships where you have to wear anti-ship goggles not to see the potential (but no big deal if you don't). They touch each other all the time, they risk their life and career multiple times to save the other. This is not inherently a sign of non platonic feelings, and they sure aren't canon as we usually mean it, but.

Writers sure had a field day sprinkling suggestive bits (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) all throughout the franchise, especially queer writers (Theodore Sturgeon, writer of Amok Time and Shore Leave, may his soul be blessed for all eternity).

Bonus for how they look at each other. (1) (2) (3) (4)

Roddenberry himself described their relationship as one of love. It's not mentioned in the series, but in the books it's revealed that they share a telepathic bond that connects their souls, which in Vulcan culture is called t'hy'la which can mean "friend, brother, lover". This definition was created specifically for the two of them, so this is a very obvious wink/nudge, if not an outright acknowledgement that "yes they're in love, but homophobia exists so this is all we can do."

In The Motion Picture when Kirk looks at Spock like a lovesick puppy after a long separation, and the simple feeling not much later.

And can anyone dare to say that those death scenes from The Wrath of Khan and Into Darkness are supposed to be platonic, or what Kirk says about Spock at the beginning of The Search for Spock, that his death feels like he lost "the noblest part of his soul"? And what about "Not in front of the Klingons"??

The books, too, have some very interesting nuance.

Sooooo yeah I absolutely think that Spirk is and will always be the one ship that best comes to mind when it comes to ST. In my eyes and in those of a lot of people they're canon in every way that matters, and if either of them had been female there would have 100% been a marriage in one of the movies, à la Riker/Troi. They'll forever be my ST otp, though I'll occasionally indulge a little bit of Spones and McSpirk. I could even like and reblog other ships like McKirk or Spuhura but only in fanart and only in moderation. I personally wouldn't be interested in reading fanfiction about those. But every ship is valid and equal in fandom, and none is superior just because it's canon and/or had a major role in the birth of shipping culture. Which is the very point all this behemoth of a post originated from, I guess.

This.... Has turned into way more than I thought. Sorry about thay. I hope my answer was satisfactory, anon. Also that I didn't bore you. Hope you have a great day, and thank you for reaching out. ❤️🖖

[ijustthinkhesneat]

I’m back and with a vengeance!

It’s ya boy Dicks turn. I’ve reflected on my relationship with canon and decided I don’t have one so if people feel like it’s ooc, then your probably right and you can fight me in the Denny’s parking lot.

Age: I am a firm believer that Dick is in his early twenties so like 22.

Got adopted by Bruce at 9-10 and had his rebellious faze around 16.

Gender: Male, he/him pronouns

Sexuality: This man is pansexual I’m sorry but it’s the truth.

Ethnicity: Romani. DICK GRAYSON IS A PERSON OF COLOR SAY IT LOUD FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK.

Favorite food: Cereal. I firmly believe that Dick can cook but simply chooses not too.

-Dick has ADHD, this man is hyperactive, has the attention span of a mushroom and is constantly stimming. Like your trying to tell me he bends himself into all these wacky shapes just for fun exercise? Wrong, he’s fidgeting and just has the range.

-Dick practices gymnastics to work off all his excess energy.

-I also headcanon that Dick has Joint hypermobility syndrome. He didn’t get treated for it until he moved in with Bruce because everyone just thought he was a really good circus kid. Bruce figured it out when he realized Dick had trouble writing and and doing precise actions with his hands. Dick went to occupational therapy for a few years after that.

- This is all to say Dick has a Superman themed hand splint he uses when he needs to write for long periods.

- Dick slowly drifting away from Bruce happened a lot less violently than in canon for me for a few reasons. One I think Bruce is a better parent here and is a lot less emotionally neglectful of Dick and treats him with more respect. Relatively speaking, Bruce is still a broody emotionally constipated emo. Instead I think a lot of it has to do with the teenage desire for freedom, Dick had a really mutable life in Hally’s circus where he was meeting all different kinds of people and traveling all over the place, but now is has a much more structured lifestyle and he wants to push the boundaries. The other reason is because I don’t like DC making Bruce ✨physically abusive✨.

- I think their first big fight is when dick decides to really test the limits by sneaking out to go to a concert, he ends up having a few drinks and smoking some cigarettes. When he got back to the manner Bruce was freaking out. They end up having a screaming match about being responsible and Dick feeling like Bruce is too controlling.

- In reality before Dick got back Bruce was having a full blown panic spiral because he thought one of the rogues captured Dick.

- The fight that actually causes Dick to finally run away is one night Bruce finds him having a moment with another boy from Gotham Academy. A lot of Bruce’s repression, trauma from his childhood and internalized homophobia flares up and he says some cruel things to Dick. Bruce goes up to Dicks room an hour later to apologize to him but his room is already empty.

- Dick spends the next year primarily with the Titans, sometimes he calls Alfred. Bruce tries to contact him many times but Dick ignores him. After this he moves to bloodhaven and becomes Nightwing. Dick learns that Batman has a new Robin and is furious.

-When he goes back to the manner he comes in swinging. He immediately tries to pick a fight with Bruce and starts yelling, this ends up scaring Jason that he hides in the library. Dick learns that Bruce is in therapy to unpack his trauma and Dick leaves.

- The first night Dick spends at the manner is a few months later, his relationship with Bruce is still bad buts he’s willing to tolerate him now at least. In the morning he finds a stick figure drawing that was slid under his door while he slept showing him and Jason holding hands. Dick decides if he can’t repair his relationship with his dad coworker for himself he could for this kid.

- Sometimes Dick let’s Jason sleep at his apartment on the weekends and teaches him French. Their relationship isn’t perfect but Dick grows to love his little brother.

-Then Jason goes off the grid and Dick learns about Jason’s death. Jason’s funeral is the first time Dick calls Bruce dad again.

- I think that Dick warmed up a lot to Bruce and really supported Tim I’m becoming the next Robin. I think he tried to keep his emotional distance but ultimately really warmed up to Tim when he asked Dick to teach him gymnastics to improve his acrobatic skills.

- When Damian shows up I think Dick is really conflicted because while he is internally excited about having a new baby brother he will never get over the trauma of losing Jason so he’s really on guard.

- Dick feels his big brother instincts kick in when he sees some other boys bullying Damian because he isn’t white.

-When Cass shows up Dick has fully given up on resisting the urge to baby his siblings. He helps her practice ballet and they have flexibility contests.

- Dick is in a throuple with Kory and Wally, sorry I don’t make the rules just serve them up.

- When Jason comes back I think Dick is hit almost as hard as Bruce. Dick first runs into Jason one on one After the events of under the Red Hood, and sees Jason kill someone. Dicks brain kind of short circuits because he is watching something terrible but on the other hand Jason is still baby brother shaped in his mind.

- Jason finally starts talking to Dick again when he breaks into Dicks apartment to snoop and sees that Dick keeps the drawing Jason gave him framed in his bed room.

Trigger warning for the next part: SA/R*pe

- Dick getting assaulted by tarantula was really changed Dick. Like obviously it would, but DC never talks about it so I will. After Tarantula, Dick started self isolating, he wouldn’t leave his apartment for days on end. Feel water on him was a big trigger so he started to even avoid showering. Eventually Kory and Wally found him and brought him to the manor.

-His recovery was really slow going and years of undiscussed objectification, mind control, memory loss and sexual harassment had left Dick with a terrible self image. But the batfam really pulled together to support him. Bruce even convinced him to go to therapy. He’s getting better day by day.

Okay this was so long and basically just evolved into a story outline, promise I’ll try to reign it in next time.

[f1uckinghell]

please tell us more about our favourite neurodivergent triplets

I love them so much <3 warning: this contains some angst regarding the parenting of ND children

So, Evie and Flynn have ADHD, and Jakob has autism. Before they get the diagnoses, it’s a real struggle; Max and Dan are overwhelmed by suddenly having 5 children, Charles, Pierre and Michael help them out a lot of course but 1. Lando had Luna around the same time and since the birth was so tough he needs a LOT of help with her 2. Max and Dan want to give all of their kids enough attention, they don’t want the twins to feel like they’re being pushed aside and get less love now that they have younger siblings.

They do their very very best, but since they just don’t know how to handle ND children (of course! most parents have no idea!) and there’s 3 of them, it escalates a lot. They’re incredibly likeable and cute children but there’s meltdowns and food issues and sleep issues and sensory issues and it’s just A Lot. They find ways to deal with it for most things, but sometimes it’s just so overwhelming that Max just needs a good, secret cry in the pantry away from his children.

I think there’s something about Flynn’s high energy/low concentration behavior that sometimes really sets Daniel off, they get into a few fights even though Daniel loves him so dearly. Until one day Grace makes an off-hand remark that Flynn is 100% a mini Daniel; Daniel was just like this as a kid. And that’s really eye opening for Daniel, because Flynn just displays so many qualities that were trained or shamed out of Daniel when he was a kid (eventually) and so he promises to do better and embrace his son as he is.

Unfortunately, it escalates really badly one time, because Max is just overwhelmed and Daniel is too (but he always has the possibility to „hide“ at work) and it just all comes crashing down. They make an appointment with a pediatrician the next day and finally, the triplets are eventually diagnosed. It makes it a lot better for everyone to handle, they all go to occupational therapy, Flynn gets some meds, they find an ADHD omega playgroup for Evie so she has an easier time making friends, they learn better ways to deal with Jakob’s food and sensory issues and his nonverbal behavior, and they learn how to handle meltdowns properly. Also I think both Max and Dan get some therapy themselves because there’s just a lot coming up.

asdfghjk this was probably way more than you bargained for lmao sorry, I could go on for ages, I could literally write an essay

[clunelover]

I was going to do this as a reply but it was getting too long, so @alfa-lima-limon and anyone else who is interested - how we got the idea to check out OT is actually along the lines of what you just said - he would have big meltdowns over seemingly small things (or sometimes just nothing, as far as I could see). If I go through my MyChart messages between me and his pediatrician, I think as far back as 2 years old I was asking her about what I considered unusually explosive tantrums…but we were told “well it’s age appropriate still, just keep an eye on it” and then “everyone is stressed due to the pandemic and it’s especially hard on some kids” etc etc until he for sure became too old to be tantrumming like this. e

I really didn’t know what to make of it, I thought he was just “difficult” (I know not a good label but I didn’t think he fit the profile of any specific condition) but my best mom friend has a kid who’s a year or so older and autistic, and she was the one who first said “it sounds like sensory issues actually” and then I asked social worker BFF and she said she agreed - it’s still sort of amazing to me, I could not put these pieces together on my own, but now I can see he had:

- extreme meltdowns especially at times of transition, like trying to leave in the morning, which is often a hard time for these kids

- when in the midst of a meltdown about leaving in the morning, he would try to strip off all his clothes. If he was prevented from doing it he would at the very least take his shoes and socks off in the car. At the time I thought this was him “being obstinate” and just seizing at any possible thing to delay, but now I know he was overwhelmed and seeking a particular sensation to make him feel better (air on skin, or escaping clothes that feel confining or scratchy and thus upsetting). He still doesn’t like to have shoes and socks on.

- really rigid about getting his way or having people play exactly how he wants. Again, another thing I thought was him just being…kind of a jerk (🫣) but is more to do with changes feeling upsetting, so anything he can do to control what is happening will make him feel better. It doesn’t mean that’s okay for him to do of course but now we know that if he’s not overloaded with sensory stimuli he’s more likely to be able to go with the flow, and sometimes he just needs a little extra time to calm down and accept what is happening.

So, I was kind of skeptical (and still in dark moments sometimes think “isn’t all this just CODDLING him?”) but we got him evaluated by a local place that does OT among other therapies and services (like speech, psychology, etc) and they said he did seem like a good candidate for OT.

As part of the occupational therapist’s initial assessment, she checked for “retained primitive reflexes” …like, the Moro reflex is the only one I’d ever heard of prior to all this, but there are others! And you’re supposed to not have them by a certain age but if they don’t go away, it can lead to issues with integrating sensory information. C has retained a couple (I forget which) that, when retained, can cause issues with tracking movement with your eyes (which then leads to getting overstimulated easier than people who don’t have it). Isn’t that CRAZY?! This is something that is still a little in the “sounds fake but okay” realm for me, but at the same time does make sense to me. It’s weird.

So a lot of our OT activities involve things where you need hand eye coordination and balance.

This whole thing about “being afraid to fail” is something he’s only recently started bringing up, but the occupational therapist told me he probably did already have that fear, but he’s only now become able to express it. And it goes right back to wanting things to be a certain way, unexpected outcomes feeling bad, etc.

So yeah, it’s been a journey for sure! A lot of the work is of course us learning how best to react and help him get what he needs.

He had the recent evaluation for autism and didn’t meet criteria for a diagnosis, but has symptoms for sure. Jeremy has bonded with his mom over this, because according to her this is exactly what he was like as a kid (eventually diagnosed with ADHD as a teen). So we just kind of keep an eye on it and get him evaluated again if his symptoms get markedly more severe.

Okay that was a large dump of info, but anyway, happy to answer any questions about it any time!

[rafacarreno]

Pedro Pascal | He/Him | Cis Man | Have you met Rafael "Rafa" Carreño yet? They’re the 44 year old teen social worker that lives around West Point Homes. I think they’ve lived in Seattle for his entire life. From what I’ve heard, they’re communicative but they can also be weak-willed if you get on their bad side. When I think of them, I usually think of In the Aeroplane over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel.

BASICS.

Full Name: Léon Rafael Flores Carreño Nickname(s): Rafa, Raf Gender: Cis man (he/him) Sexuality: Heterosexual Birthday: October 13, 1978 (44) Religion: None Hometown: Seattle, Washington Current Residence: Townhouse in West Point Homes Occupation: Teen social worker at a youth services center Education: BSW from Seattle University; MSW from University of Washington School of Social Work Languages: Spanish, English

FAMILY.

Mother: Valeria Carreño (66) Father: Léon Flores (65) Sibling(s): Elena Carreño (sister, 41), Diego Carreño (brother, 39) Ex-Wife: Delilah Carreño née Wells (44) Children: Sadie Carreño (daughter, 24), Theo Carreño (son, 8) Pets: An 8-year-old Australian Shepherd named Serj

PERSONALITY.

Pos. Traits: Effective communicator, honest, emotionally available, open-minded, easygoing Neg. Traits: Irresponsible, scatter-brained and unorganized, bad at planning and sticking to schedules, restless Likes: Old 90s cartoons, anything that gives him an adrenaline rush, his kids, glass blowing, eating cereal for dinner, watching basketball, giving people gifts, snarky teenagers, scrolling jstor for cool psychology articles, grilling, violent video games, his dog, camping, metal and classic rock Dislikes: People who don't like kids, shitty parents, most rom coms, celebrity culture, fancy restaurants, having to get dressed up, sleeping around a lot, super hot weather, reading novels, pop music

TL;DR.

**trigger warnings for alcoholism and some parental neglect

grew up with alcoholic parents who were never violent but often neglectful and forced raf to have to learn to take care of himself pretty young. his mom suffered post partum depression for several years. she got sober when he was around 5 and they started bonding finally but dad never managed to get fully sober

did some acting out in high school but nothing major. immediately after graduating started dating delilah, the best friend of his senior year girlfriend, and got married three months later, when they were about 19

at 20 had their first kid, sadie. rafa had no idea what he wanted to do with his life and needed to support his family so he spent a lot of time going from job to job

was NOT ready to be a family man yet. loved sadie more than anything but had a hard time giving up partying and shit so by the time sadie was 5, he and delilah got a divorce. it wasn't lack of love but rather lack of being able to co-parent successfully in that situation

things got a lot better when he moved out. he took sadie on weekends and was able to do his own thing (for the most part) during the week

at around 27 he started going back to school and decided on social work. got his degree from seattle uni and then went on to do his msw at uni of washington school of social work. he started out working with schools and youth programs and finally in his early thirties landed a really good job as a social worker for troubled teens at a youth services center where he runs a program and does group therapy and some individualized stuff

eight years ago delilah got pregnant (bc yes they started sleeping together again periodically!!) and had their second kid, a boy named theo, when sadie was 16. raf stayed at the house for a little bit after theo was born to help delilah, which was very confusing for sadie obviously

he's still got some irresponsible tendencies but is overall a great dad and loves his kids more than anything and cares sm about the teens he works with and would go to bat for pretty much any child in the world

HEADCANONS.

has a little glass-blowing setup in his garage and has been doing it for like over ten years, makes his own weed-smoking paraphernalia

does drink but not a ton because he's very wary of having two alcoholic parents and how susceptible he is to it. smokes weed tho somewhat on the regs

tba

CURRENT CONNECTIONS.

baby daddy of and ex-husband to @delilahcarreno

dad to @sadiecarreno

rafa's dog's vet @cemile-sahinx

WANTED CONNECTIONS.

raf's siblings, cousins, any family

parent friends

dad friends im begging you

people he's a father figure to

someone he's a good influence on

people he smokes weed and plays video games with

he loooves hiking and camping, someone he does that kinda stuff with

if ur chara was a teen 10 years ago? gimme people who were in his troubled teen groups

one or two serious exes post-divorce (one could potentially be current)

some fwb, one nights stands, maybe a regular hookup

coworkers at the youth services center

[teamdilf]

For the OC asks, please may I have: -💯, 💔and 💘 for Cecilia pls 🥺 and then maybe... -🥯, 🍃 and 🎮 for Adrien (I know it says OC but frankly you know him better than bioware shh)

Cecilia:

💯

She likes to sing! She's not an amazing singer, but it's one of her favourite ways to comfort her kids when they're young.

She's allergic to varrens and the thought of experimenting with allergy medication to find a combination that works exacerbates her anxiety. This is something that was missed during the gene therapy she received while her mother was pregnant with her, and her parents probably could have pursued some sort of claim, but figured a pet allergy is hardly the worst thing that could happen.

She's only had a few sips of alcohol in her life - after her anxiety disorder diagnosis, she resolved to avoid intoxicants. Plus she just didn't like the taste of it and never understood why people would want to drink something that (in her mind) tastes gross.

💔

She's stubborn, and sometimes pushes too hard when she encounters red tape or a rule that prevents her from doing something. Garrus gets that from her!

When she's hurting, she can be blunt in a way that hurts those around her in an attempt to get through to them. This is most apparent following her diagnosis when Castis is struggling with the reality of the situation.

If you buy her the wrong brand of food/personal care products she gets cranky.

💘

I'm gonna cheat and say Castis, Garrus and Solana. Castis would claim that she puts the kids above him (and believes that is the way things should be), but when the kids are old enough to be left with her sister, Val, once a year she travels to the Citadel to spend a week with Castis - just the two of them. Her marriage is important to her and she recognizes the need to have time alone.

Adrien:

🥯

Before having children, it was usually a protein bar as he was going out the door, but after the kids are born, he and Tullia really want to get their children into the habit of eating healthy meals for breakfast, so one of them cooks breakfast every morning. When he's home, this means he almost always has a hot breakfast - eggs, toast, sausages and dextro bacon are common breakfast items in the Victus household.

🍃

Military tactics and the pre-combat lessons he received in grade school before beginning basic training. He was obsessed with strategy - partially because he wanted to find a way to do things better.

🎮

Bad movies! It started out as a form of rebellion for him - his dad wouldn't let them watch action movies, indicating that they'd rot their brains, so as soon as Adrien left for basic training he downloaded as many action movies as he could get his hands on. Unfortunately no one intervened as he wound up with a bunch of really lame ones, but he discovered how fun it was to crack jokes while watching them, and it's something he got his sister, Sabina into, and then decades later, he started watching them with his daughter, Aurelia.

Exercise. Keeping in combat condition is a priority for him, which means he maintains a strict exercise regimen that includes an early morning run and at least an hour in the gym. He doesn't necessarily spar with someone every time he visits the gym, but he does several times a week, and post-retirement often finds himself fighting fairly green young people who haven't been around at the gym long enough to realize that he's really damn good at hand-to-hand. Most of the people his age at the gym are smart enough to stay well away from the sparring ring when he's around!

Photography. As a boy, someone gave him a camera and it became an excuse to escape the estate. He prefers landscape photography and enjoys hiking to photograph captivating views, sunrises, sunsets, and anything else that happens to catch his eye. He refuses to ever sell his photos - at least while he's still alive, because it's important to him that it remain a hobby and not an occupation.

[birdofmay]

so before in a post you said your parents had an autistic friend who helped when you got your diagnosis, this question is semi related to that -(maybe 😋)

(some parts are bold if the paragraphs are to wordy cramps)

as an autistic teen, what resources help you the most??how or where did your parents find these resources?? Asking because my parents and me (and no one) is given some sort of autism guide when you get a diagnosis,,,

cw aba mention

there having me try ABA (which scares me but gonna try and see ? Theyve already hurt my ears)

cw over

more specifically maybe like what therapies/accommodations help you ? how do you and other people adjust to communicate with AAC and have them respect you ?? resources like your disability ID card and stuff,,

a summary is: where are you and your family finding these resources to help you ??? 😂 me and my family are at a loss !

(To those reading this: anon is from the US, if you're from the US and think you can help and maybe guide anon, feel free to comment on this ask! Follower or not, it doesn't matter! 😁)

There's a German online forum called "REHA kids"; it's primarily for parents (abled or disabled) who have disabled kids. And a great German blog (ellasblog); the owner is a mum of a high support needs autistic, she helps parents finding their way around in the German law system because this can be really overwhelming - autistics are absolutely welcome to share their point of view, especially if they're higher support needs.

Maybe there are similar online resources in the US? Online forums where you or your parents can find information about how things work in your state and what to pay attention to?

Important: Sometimes you're "bound" to a therapy center or something because it's the law. I'm in an "autism therapy center" and I'm supposed to stay there until I'm either old enough or I officially don't need help anymore. My parents thought it's important to make me go to therapists outside of this facility, so that if it should ever happen that the therapy center suggests something I really don't want, I can show them a doctor's note from a professional who proves that what they suggest absolutely isn't necessary and that I'm actually doing fine. If the doctor's note proves that something isn't necessary, the insurance won't cover it and they're only allowed to do things that are covered by the insurance. German loophole 😄

What other therapies I had/have: Speech therapy, music therapy, social skills training, sensory integration therapy. Maybe more, the autism center adjusts the therapy plan to the individual, so sometimes occupational therapy is beneficial, sometimes sensory integration, sometimes simply painting a rainbow with finger paint 🤷🏻‍♀️ (no joke)

Regarding AAC and my disability ID card: I had my card before I had my autism diagnosis because I was developmentally delayed and had brain damage, but I think in the US you don't have those cards. The ministry of social affairs is responsible for that in my federal state, they regularly reassess me. I had my first AAC device before I entered school, but I also learned German Sign Language. After a while I got more and more fluent in typing and faster in responding, so at some point I decided that I only want to type, and now I simply use text to speech.

I think that's all I can say without being too unrelatable because everything else is how things work in Germany and not in the US, that wouldn't be of much use 🤔

Again to people from the US: Please share in the comments how things work in your state and if you have any advice for anon!