thatautisticgirlnextdoor - Tumblr blog

[thatautisticgirlnextdoor]

My mother: you just started new meds (vyvanse) don't to anything drastic

Me *has a meltdown & quits school*

Both of us:

(it's okay, I went back to school)

[thatautisticgirlnextdoor]

It feels like I spend all my spare time scripting conversations in my head

I swear if I actually spent it on something productive - I'd be ready to take over the world

[thatautisticgirlnextdoor]

Self check check list

ADHD can make it difficult to figure out how we are feeling physically, mentally and emotionally. Commonly it is due to difficulty with self awareness caused by our executive dysfunction.

This is a checklist I go through mentally to try and figure out why I might be feeling off. Referring to it helps speed up the process.

I feel off..

Am I sitting funny/ have I been sitting in this position for a period of time?

Am I mentally drained?

Have I been working on this task for a long time?

Have I eaten/ drank anything recently?

Have I been eating properly? Am I craving something specific?

Have I gotten enough sleep recently?

If not, am I being kept up by any specific thoughts/ worry?

Have I socialized recently?

Have I forgotten to hang out with my friends?

Have I spent time with my family?

Is how I’m feeling positive or negative?

If negative, have I experienced anything recently that I haven’t processed?

Have I fought/ argued/ had disagreements with people close to me?

Is there anything coming up that I am worried about?

Have I been making a lot of small mistakes recently?

Have I felt that I lot of things have been happening to me that I can’t control?

If positive, have I let myself enjoy the feeling?

If don’t know, has anything happened recently out of the usual?

Have there been any changes in my life, big or small?

Have I done my usual relaxing activities/ hobbies?

Have I been unable to follow my normal schedule due to any reason?

Have I exercised recently?

[thatautisticgirlnextdoor]

reblog if you’d like one of these in your inbox

- ask me things you want to know about me

- why you follow me

- what’s on your mind/what you’re thinking about

- a compliment

- make me choose between two things

- ask for advice

- tell me a secret

- things you associate me with

- anything!!!!

[thatautisticgirlnextdoor]

The universal ADHD brain mood y’all

This is the internal discourse that I experience daily.

[thatautisticgirlnextdoor]

[thatautisticgirlnextdoor]

this is far too real...

[thatautisticgirlnextdoor]

[thatautisticgirlnextdoor]

Self check check list

ADHD can make it difficult to figure out how we are feeling physically, mentally and emotionally. Commonly it is due to difficulty with self awareness caused by our executive dysfunction.

This is a checklist I go through mentally to try and figure out why I might be feeling off. Referring to it helps speed up the process.

I feel off..

Am I sitting funny/ have I been sitting in this position for a period of time?

Am I mentally drained?

Have I been working on this task for a long time?

Have I eaten/ drank anything recently?

Have I been eating properly? Am I craving something specific?

Have I gotten enough sleep recently?

If not, am I being kept up by any specific thoughts/ worry?

Have I socialized recently?

Have I forgotten to hang out with my friends?

Have I spent time with my family?

Is how I’m feeling positive or negative?

If negative, have I experienced anything recently that I haven’t processed?

Have I fought/ argued/ had disagreements with people close to me?

Is there anything coming up that I am worried about?

Have I been making a lot of small mistakes recently?

Have I felt that I lot of things have been happening to me that I can’t control?

If positive, have I let myself enjoy the feeling?

If don’t know, has anything happened recently out of the usual?

Have there been any changes in my life, big or small?

Have I done my usual relaxing activities/ hobbies?

Have I been unable to follow my normal schedule due to any reason?

Have I exercised recently?

[thatautisticgirlnextdoor]

It’s not uncommon for me to either trip over my words, forget a word, or mess words up. Even when I’m relaxed and happy this still happens. It can be really frustrating, and embarrassing, but definitely more so when someone reacts angrily, or mockingly.

[thatautisticgirlnextdoor]

Reblog if you support self diagnosed autistics

There’s been some negativity in the #actuallyautistic tag recently so I wanted to spread some positivity. Keep in mind that it can be really hard to get an autism diagnosis in adulthood. Plus it could be expensive trying to get a diagnosis. There are a lot of reasons that someone doesn’t have an official diagnosis so don’t judge. Self diagnosed autistics are just as valid!

[thatautisticgirlnextdoor]

Welcome to Build-a-Frog!

Click here to enter

[thatautisticgirlnextdoor]

I know that change is really hard for everyone, and I don’t want to invalidate the feelings of NTs, but as someone who is incredibly sensitive to change being told that everyone feels the same about change feels as if they are trying to discredit my struggles.

My mother is not completely on board with my diagnosis as I only got it 9 months ago when I was 16. She has always complained to me about how much “she hates changes”. So yes, she must understand stress associated with large changes, yet she refuses to stop changing small things in my life (such as cleaning my room or cancelling an appointment) until she sees me have a violent “tantrum” and then agrees to stop then forgets about it a few days later... and repeat. I just wish that people who know what change feels like and know my “sensitivities” would actually try and help instead of dismissing me or calling me a baby when I “overreact” on something changing at the last minute or without my knowledge that “isn’t a big deal”. Because you know what - it is.

change

NT: you know what; I hate change. 

Me (an autistic): yeah must be super stressful, I’m sorry.

Also me: *has a violent meltdown when my mum cleans my room without telling me first*  

[thatautisticgirlnextdoor]

change

NT: you know what; I hate change. 

Me (an autistic): yeah must be super stressful, I’m sorry.

Also me: *has a violent meltdown when my mum cleans my room without telling me first*  

[thatautisticgirlnextdoor]

Just in case not enough people have seen or been able to find this.

[thatautisticgirlnextdoor]

Do You Have a Hidden Disability? Have You Experienced Discrimination as a Result?

Hello! My name is Kel! I’m 25, living in California, and I have been unofficially diagnosed by my therapist with ADHD! I’m also going to introduce my brother, who does not have a Tumblr! His name is Aaron, he’s 20, also in California, and he has ADHD, dyslexia, SLD (specific learning disability), and an auditory processing disorder.

Aaron has struggled all his life with his disabilities, but he didn’t know he had them. Our parents initially wrote it off as him being lazy, he didn’t try hard enough, or he was just acting out. He got diagnosed with ADHD around 13, but it wasn’t until he was 17 and in his senior year of high school that something changed. His teacher made some comment and called him “r*tarded,” which invoked fury in my parents that a teacher could be so cruel to a student, especially their own son. As a result, this fueled the process to find out what was really going on, and he ended up getting diagnosed with all these hidden disabilities that we know he has today.

Fast forward to college. He started playing football, and faced even more discrimination. His coaches would call him “r*tarded” and taunt his disabilities in front of the whole team. He started PACE (Program for Accelerated College Education), which has done nothing but let him down. He’s flunking school because he’s not getting the help he needs, the help that he was promised. This has caused doubt, anger, frustration, and depression in my brother. He’s normally a very bubbly and positive person, and he loves socializing and being around people, so knowing he’s been this down is very upsetting to me as an older sibling.

My brother, who has never struggled with depression, is now having depressive, borderline suicidal thoughts because the American Education System and the American Health Care System are failing him. My brother, who is wonderfully kind and funny and smart and loved by everyone who’s ever met him, feels like he’s dumb, and a failure, because he’s been failed by the very people who are supposed to support him and help him out.

Aaron aside for the moment, my story is a bit different, though they have their similarities. I have been unofficially diagnosed with ADHD. It didn’t happen until I was 24. I say “unofficially” because my therapist (who is fantastic) wants me to be officially diagnosed by someone who can write me a prescription if I decide I want one. The problem is, I’m 25 now, and it’s been a struggle finding a doctor who is willing to help me out and get me the diagnosis I need.

My whole life, I’ve struggled. I’ve struggled with school, I’ve struggled with jobs, I’ve struggled with finances, and I’ve struggled with my emotions. My whole life, I’ve faced challenges and discrimination over these things. I’ve been teased and taunted, it’s damn near impossible to get someone to take me seriously, and I can’t help but feel if I would have been formally diagnosed as a kid, things would be a lot different for me now. Because of my disability being ignored, I’m in debt, I struggle to hold down a job, I’ve flunked out of college four times, and I have a hard time with life in general because my family doesn’t want to accept that there could be “anything else” wrong with me (on top of general depression and anxiety). Countless times I’ve been told, “you’re so smart, but you don’t apply yourself.” I’ve had my disability written off as laziness by teachers, my parents, employers, and coworkers.

So my brother and I called each other to vent about our disability-related problems. As a result, we put our heads together and hatched an idea.

This is where all of you come in.

Do you have a hidden disability? One that you’ve faced any form of discrimination against? Are you ridiculed, taunted, teased, dismissed, or otherwise disregarded by your teachers? Your employers? What about doctors, the very people who are supposed to help you with these things? Your coaches, teammates, coworkers, parents, government officials, police officers, friends, ANYONE who has ever made you feel dumb or like a failure simply for existing with a disability?

We want to hear from you! We want to know your experience, and share it with the world! We want to raise awareness for those of us in the world who have been put down because we have a hidden disability! We want to speak up for those of us who grew up hating ourselves because our brains are wired different.

Disabled Does Not Mean Dumb!

My brother never wants to hear about anyone else going through what he’s had to go through again. He wants to call out the people who actively participate in the discrimination and prejudice against people with hidden disabilities. ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia, SLD, auditory processing disorders, sensory disorders, you name it. Disorders or disabilities unlisted, or that we’ve never even heard of! Anything that is not visibile to the naked eye that causes others to struggle with their lives because people don’t want to believe in what they can’t see. Anything that makes your brain wired different from what’s “normal” to others.

If anyone is interested in participating in this experiment/survey, please give this a like or a reblog. Share this with anyone you think would be interested. If I get enough people interested, I’ll post a link to a survey for you to take with a series of “fill in the blank” questions so you can share your experience with us.

My brother wants this to go viral. He wants to hold everyone who has ever harmed someone with a hidden disability accountable. His goal is to become a motivational speaker, and he wants to raise awareness for people with hidden disabilities. He wants everyone to know that we’re here, we exist, and we’re just as capable as neurotypical people.

So please, if you’re interested in participating, share this. Like it. Send it to your friends, your family, anyone you think would be interested. If I get enough people willing to participate, I’ll post the link to the survey for anyone to take.

Thank you all for reading!

With lots of love,

Aaron & Kel

[thatautisticgirlnextdoor]

Sensory overload 

(and why loud music sometimes helps)