#actuallyAutistic

[aw-tysm]

Please... Let's stop the assumptions that autistic people who show their symptoms are unmasked.

It's such a gross and harmful take to assume that every autistic person who shows their symptoms actually has a choice in it.

If an autistic person can't mask or can't mask well, then it's not unmasked. And quite often, a lot of those autistics are trying to mask for you and it is never seen or appreciated.

A lot of us aren't our authentic autistic selves just because we show symptoms. Many of us know how we come across and we can not help it, no matter how much you hate us for it.

We're held back by our own disability and people have the audacity to assume we're purposely doing that. That we're proud and happy to be like that.

If you're an autistic person who can mask and you ever see someone who is clearly showing autism symptoms. Please, never assume they are unmasked. Unmasked does not exist for many of us. Unmasked assumes that we have a choice in it. Claiming we are unmasked will only hurt us and yourself more.

[lukeofe]

Some of you may not want to hear this, but sometimes autism accommodation means giving that socially awkward person who said something that came off as passive aggressive or uncomfortable the benefit of the doubt. Not everyone is capable of reading social rules and cues effectively, I thought this was autism 101.

[dissociacrip]

unfollowed someone i otherwise respected on TT because they reposted a video where the op was saying "some self-dx'd autistic people aren't autistic they're just insufferable people, and there's an overlap between them and people who ask for rent every month on gofundme"

once your intra-community criticism (which this 'criticism' already feels weird!) starts sliding into that kind of territory i'm gone, you've officially lost me, goodbye

[defectivegembrain]

Like. Autism doesn't come with an automatic love of hearing anyone infodump about anything they love. In fact sometimes it comes with the opposite. Sometimes restricted interests are in fact restrictive enough to make anything else boring. Sometimes it's just hard to process that much speech. Doesn't mean we get to be unkind about it either but yeah. This fantasy people push of autistics having endless energy and appreciation for each other's special interests is just not realistic.

[green-binder]

This is great! I’ve seen these theories floated before and I really think there’s merit to them. In Captain America: The Winter Soldier during the vault scene we get a good look at his scars surrounding where the metal goes under his skin. (And it does continue under his skin, in order to connect to his body properly. Engineering the Winter Soldier by Colin Keogh has some fantastic stuff on this).

I’m no scar-ologist but the way those scars are 1) pretty deep 2) visibly non-surgical 3) towards his sternum (ie with the way his skin goes over the metal it’s probably the result of a desperate scrabble to get his skin off so he can tear the metal away) definitely makes this theory more plausible! There is also four distinct scars travelling in one direction (the four fingers of a hand, perhaps) plus one scar at the top (consistent with probable hand placement for trying to take his skin off) where his thumb would have been.

Yeah that’s all. This is just my opinion but I do rotate this guy in my head all day if that gives my perspective any credit.

Headcanon that Bucky repeatedly tried to tear off the metal arm

[angelshizuka]

Friendly reminder that autistic people can be depressed and traumatized, this isn't always an "or" situation.

Heck, if anything it's extremely common for autistic people to be either or both. Especially because of the kind of world we live in that hates autistic people's entire existence, wheter they're aware the person they're hating is autistic or not, because our (undiagnosed) symptoms and "vibe" is enough reason for them. It's why stuff like "oh, it's just because of how they grew up that traumatized them/gave them depression why they act like that" isn't a valid argument why someone can't be autistic. Like, whoa... it's almost like growing up undiagnosed until I was 19 left me with permanent trauma or something.

And that's not even getting into how the "not autistic enough" mindset can be really harmful to undiagnosed (and diagnosed) individuals, because that mindset is always fueled by the extremely stereotypical view people have of autism, which is part of the reason so many of us don't get a diagnosis/help until adulthood when the damage has already been done.

I may sound a bit harsh/direct, but this is an extremely personal topic to me and I'm tired of having this same discussion over and over again.

[autisticvelo]

”autistic people don’t do [ extremely common higher support need , higher level autistic trait / symptom ] , that just stereotype”

you need include us too : you need include childish autistic person , you need include nonverbal autistic person , you need include autistic person who drool , you need include autistic people with intellectual disability , you need include autistic person with loud messy public meltdowns .

can not hide behind “it just stereotype” because that not true . there are many people very disabled by autism , you need remember us and include us .

[ganymedian]

Special interest gang rise uppp (blank below)

[musingsfromanautisticmind]

Yes. Always. The more you reinforce your good faith, the more someone will try to disprove it or just flat up not believe you.

As an autistic person, you can literally tell someone "I mean this genuinely and literally and this is all genuinely good faith. I mean this all completely neutrally, I'm not implying anything else and this is all extremely literal and good faith" and someone will still misconstrue you in ways you never thought was possible.

[iluvmybfjavi]

“we all have a little autism.” “you’re just overreacting.” “stop being so dramatic.” “you’re fine.” “you’re not that autistic.”

fuck. you.

you know what’s funny? all that shit came from my own parents. the people who were supposed to love me unconditionally. the ones who should’ve been listening instead of telling me to shut up and stop making things up. they made me feel like i was insane for struggling. for melting down. for crying in silence. for stimming. for existing in a brain that was wired different.

and now that i have the diagnosis? now that there’s a fucking word for it? they STILL act like it’s some kind of phase. like i’m just being sensitive. like everyone feels this way.

NO. everyone does not feel like this. everyone doesn’t shut down in the middle of class because the lights and voices are too loud. everyone doesn’t have to mask so hard they forget who they are. everyone doesn’t spiral into shame because they stim in public or can’t make eye contact or said something “weird” without meaning to.

this is AUTISM. not “quirks.” not “bad behavior.” not “overreacting.”

and i’m so fucking tired of being treated like i’m broken for reacting normally to a world that was never made for me.

[hello-friends9500]

[pigeon-cave]

Spectrum of overwhelm, now in triangle form due to popular demand

[Image description: A triangle chart titled, ‘Spectrum of Overwhelm.’ The three points are ‘404 Error,’ showing a person with an empty thought bubble; ‘wet beast,’ showing a person sweating and sobbing; and ‘rage beast’ showing a person clenching their fists in an outline of orange fire. The peak is the ‘404 error’ vertex, and the inside of the triangle here is coloured beige and labelled, ‘shutdown.’ The lower half is labelled ‘meltdown’ and is red on the rage beast side and blue on the wet beast side. \End description]

[theconcealedweapon]

Autistic people sometimes struggle with apologizing, because they're never taught how to do it the right way.

When autistic people are taught how to apologize, they're often taught that the sincerity of the apology is determined by how well they can hide their disability.

Not enough eye contact = insincere apology

Struggling to phrase it = insincere apology

Wrong tone = insincere apology

Asking questions to figure out how to prevent doing it again = insincere apology (and "arguing" or "making excuses")

Meanwhile, neurotypical people can continue their patterns while still being considered sincere by these standards.

[aw-tysm]

Being inclusive to autistics as an autistic is recognising and accepting that we all have conflicting wants or needs.

You may hate bright lights but another autistic may love them.

You may hate being in crowds but another autistic might love that.

You may hate tags on your shirt but another autistic may actually like having tags on their shirt.

You may love bland foods but another autistic may love rich or extreme flavours.

You may love infodumping to people but it may be too overwhelming for another autistic.

A spectrum includes all ends of extremes. And all of it deserves to be accepted and accommodated for.

[defectivegembrain]

It's unfortunate how often the solution to a problem is just talking to people. You'd think it could be something easier like making a comprehensive chart or list, or reading everything you can find on the subject, but no, so often you can do all that and you still have to talk to people.