#autism accommodations

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

Autistic Accommodations Can Look Like Simple Things:

Fidget toys/soft fabrics

Chewing gums

Hoodies/sweaters/hats/gloves

Communication cards

Headphones and sunglasses

Plushies/comfort items

Lil Penguin Studios/Autism Happy Place

[autisticdreamdrop]

dear autistics: please use your accommodations

[good-soupmens]

Y'all should turn on the audio description for good omens, I'm doing BACKFLIPS

It's great for the visually impaired, but it also works for autism. I have trouble interpreting some cues/gestures/facial expressions, especially in the finale when there's a lot going on

It says things like "Aziraphale walks back into the bookshop, deep in thought" "Crowley looks disappointed" "Aziraphale turns away and begins to cry"

Too many things I didn't notice and I'm like OH. That single facial expression was foreshadowing. Plus, you get to hear it passionately describe the kiss so that's cool

[itsaspectrumcomic]

hello! i love your comics they are really relatable

i have been recommended to get tested for autism by friends/school ppl but currently its very hard for me to get diagnosed. do you have any idea about what i could do? the school said id be allowed with headphones/stim toys if i do get professional diagnosis but there seems to be very little hope for family to agree to get me tested

It depends a lot on how old you are and where you live - for example in the UK if you're over 16 you're entitled to decide on your own medical treatment, which means you could talk to a doctor about getting a diagnosis yourself (though obviously that takes... a while). I have no idea how it works elsewhere I'm afraid! I'm also not sure about persuading your family, except maybe showing them examples of other autistic peoples' experiences and explaining how you relate to them, and explaining what benefits a diagnosis would get you (like the school accommodations).

It's very frustrating that schools often refuse accommodations unless you have an 'official' diagnosis, but you might be able to use headphones/stim toys in certain classes if you ask your teachers individually. Some of them might say no, but some of them might say yes so it's worth asking. Since some have already suggested seeking a diagnosis, it seems like at least a few of them will be understanding and help advocate for you :)

You could also try some stealth options for classes that don't allow stim toys, like having a hairband on your wrist or a bit of blu tack or a clicky pen or even a pebble, anything you can fiddle with really.

And if you're willing to break the rules a bit you could try wearing earplugs (like Loops) which are more subtle, and maybe hiding them if your hair if it's long enough. I had a friend who did that (although she did it because she wanted to listen to music in Chemistry lol).

However you do it, I hope you are able to get the accommodations you need <3

[fatalforesight]

just took a shower with loop earplugs in and met god

[autistic-zukoao3]

I often lose my speech, so I have two different apps on my phone to help with that. One is an AAC board with pictures, and the other is text to speech. I haven't used the AAC board one enough to give a review, but I have for my text to speech.

App Name: Tell Me

Location: Google Playstore (unsure if on Apple)

Price: Free

Rating: 4/5

This is the screen you see upon opening the app. You can change the pitch, volume, and speed of the voice right off the bat.

If you tap the three lines in the top left corner it brings you to Preset Text, where you can create and save sentences/words

So far I haven't reached a limit, so I'm not sure how many you can save.

When I was working, this is something I used pretty often because I would lose my speech several times a day. Sometimes I just would not be able to talk with my mouth the entire day, so this app was vital.

Now, onto the few issues I have with the app:

The voice option in settings (which is accessed via the three dots in the top right corner on the main screen) is a bit hard to figure out. Clicking it brings you to your phone's text to speech settings, and from there you edit the voice to one you feel best suits you. That all took me about 30 minutes to figure out.

The dark mode is fine, but the text colour options don't mesh well with dark mode. It makes my eyes strain, no matter what colour I use. So, I keep it on light mode because the text meshes well with it. But if light mode is too bright, then you may have issues.

Overall, I do really like this app. I've had it for about five years, though today is the first time I've actually messed with the settings and changed the voice. I've had to use it quite a few times, and it's helped a lot, though often people would try and talk over it to demand I verbally explain what's happening (mainly my manager at where I used to work, who knew full well I lost speech and used this app to communicate) but that's not the app's fault, it's ableism.

[justanotherstardrop]

We are autstic. We need accomidations. We need our noise canceling headphones, sunglasses, our plushies and fidgets. We need to stim. Our AACs and text to speech apps for when we're nonverbal or semi verbal. We need breaks. We need a service dog. We need to see if there's more stuff we need to navigate life as a autistic polyfragmented system.

[completely-random-stuff]

Ugh. So I'm trying to help a friend out. He got an Artist's booth at a small convention and this hotel is awful (especially in relation to any kind of accessibility). I'm exhausted, I'm frustrated, and honestly I just want to go home.

However, I've been looking around to see if there are any places to share/find accessibility ratings of places. I've found one so far and want to share with anyone else interested (so far, most places don't have many/any ratings, but we have to start somewhere right?):

iAccess allows users to label their own restrictions and accessibility needs, but mostly focuses on mobility

Any other options or suggestions? Apps or websites?

[chasecthompson]

Autistic Accommodations In College

For my autistic friends! I struggle a lot with everyday tasks, and recently started college, and some really good things to look into for colleges is what accommodations they offer before you accept admission. Some really important accommodations are single rooming, housing close to food, and study buddy programs. These obviously aren’t all accommodations you will need and every person is different, but these are the accommodations I've found most help me. 

-Single rooming can help you let yourself stop masking and be yourself, as well as have meltdowns in peace when you have to. Kerry Magro, an autistic talk show host, talks about accommodations within resident halls at https://www.autism-society.org/ask-expert-living-college-dorm-autism-spectrum/. She touches upon her own experiences both as a resident and resident assistant where she realized that single rooming deeply impacted her and allowed her to unwind and not worry about problematic social experiences with a roommate.

-Living close to food (specifically premade food) can be really helpful in reducing the amount of steps and transitions it takes to eat, which has personally allowed me to eat more regularly than I ever have before. Cynthia Kim, in her blog Musings of an Aspie says: “In practice, executive function is a slippery concept. Sometimes it looks like responsibility. Sometimes it looks like self-discipline. Sometimes it looks like being a competent adult. If you have poor EF, people might mistake you for being disorganized, lazy, incompetent, sloppy, or just plain not very bright.”. This helps to explain a bit how executive functioning may change a person entirely from how their efforts should place them. A student who wishes to be very healthy and proactive might only be able to plan far enough to eat junk food and do things at the last minute. Brian Willoughby adds onto this thought at https://www.aane.org/executive-functioning-explained/  by listing how there are several common executive functioning issues often observed in autistic individuals. “For instance, many have trouble shifting sets, namely becoming stuck on a particular line of thinking or showing difficulties tolerating changes in routine”, like changing where we eat our food or what we eat. Adult Autism Center backs up this line of thinking by saying that since executive dysfunction can lead to issues with organizing and sequencing thoughts, lots of people may find it a struggle to complete everyday tasks, such as cooking or even organizing a meal.

-Study buddy programs let you feel a little less alone and isolated when you need help with something academic, especially when it’s hard to make connections or organize studying on your own.  Studying with another student or multiple people allows autistic people to participate in body doubling, a method of productivity where a person's brain finds completing a task easier if there is another person in the room. Marci Wheeler, who has a Master of Social Work, highlights seemingly invisible challenges that autistic people face that are unknown to lots of people around us. She touches on https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/irca/articles/academic-supports-for-college-students-with-an-autism-spectrum-disorder.html on how as a result of these challenges, the observable behaviors of Autistic students may make us “appear inattentive, bored, rude, defiant or possibly even on drugs.”, leaving us to be freely judged by our teachers and peers, and be excluded from regular studying events by being deemed as not trying hard enough anyways.

[autisticdreamdrop]

autistic things 48

embarrassed to use your accommodations outside even when you really need to use them

[yourlocalcryingcryptid]

Help! I need ideas for a shirt

I've been asked to design a few mock up shirts in honor of autism acceptance month and I've got a couple of drafts so far but if anyone has any additional ideas or inspo posts that'd be much appreciated!

 Designs/phrases/slogans to avoid would also be amazing! I know to avoid puzzle pieces and just kida like,,, everything to do with autism speak as well as stuff saying: ‘‘autisms a superpower ((:” ‘‘Normal is boring >:)” etc...

Thank yall ❤🖤❤🖤❤🖤

[otpassionproject]

The word neurodiversity refers to the diversity of all people. The neurodiversity movement emerged during the 1990s, aiming to increase acceptance and inclusion of all people while embracing neurological differences. While it is primarily a social justice movement, neurodiversity research and education is increasingly important in how clinicians view and address certain disabilities and neurological conditions. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with differences in communication, learning, and behavior, though it can look different from person to person. People with ASD may have a wide range of strengths, abilities, needs, and challenges. Stigma, a lack of awareness, and lack of appropriate infrastructure (such as office setup or staffing structures) can cause exclusion of people with neurodevelopmental differences. Understanding and embracing neurodiversity in communities, schools, healthcare settings, and workplaces can improve inclusivity for all people. It is important for all of us to foster an environment that is conducive to neurodiversity, and to recognize and emphasize each person’s individual strengths and talents while also providing support for their differences and needs. (Harvard Medical School, 2021)

[snakeautistic]

The “phone bad” mindset really annoys me because access to accepting internet communities, earbuds so I can drown out overstimulation, the ability to communicate over text and email and the wealth of information easy to reach from google has been so important in accommodating me.

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

Autistic Accommodations Can Look Like Simple Things

Plushies/any comfort items

Headphones & sunglasses

Communication cards

Hoodies/sweaters/hats/gloves

Chewing gums

Fidget toys/sift fabrics

Lil Penguin Studios/Autism Happy Place