Victoria Rose

autistic-af:

There’s just one major thing that I don’t think is acknowledged enough about late diagnosed autistics/ADHD (and probably other neurodivergences):

The floor drops away from under you when you’re diagnosed as an adult.

You’ve spent years perfecting coping mechanisms, setting masks perfectly in place, practicing socialising, forcing things that made you uncomfortable or confused (for reasons you couldn’t comprehend).

Then you get the diagnosis and… That’s it. No one tells you what to do. How to cope, how to survive.

All you know is that you’ve spent your life hurting yourself. Your mental health is shot, you’re most likely depressed, anxious, burntout…

And you never had to do that. It didn’t have to be that way.

I’m not saying I wished I was diagnosed as a child. I don’t. That would have a whole other bag of problems.

I just wish there was more in place for us. I wish we weren’t abandoned by the medical community at 18.

monachopsis-11:

Children do not need to grow into being people, they’re already people and of course they have things to learn but they deserve to be treated with autonomy and respect. Especially queer and disabled children, we deserve better.

bpdcrybaby213:

Extremely relatable. Credit to Joy of Autism on Facebook.

mdmcduff:

Autism: knowing you’re weird, knowing it’s inevitable, having no idea when the weirdness will come out until you raise your hand

jovialnightmares:

Someone: Trauma survivors often feel like their life is “behind” their peers. In fact, while those who never had a traumatic experience were free to develop and grow, you were struggling to survive! This is especially true for early-childhood and adolescent trauma!

514k likes!!! 352k shares!!! 1.5k comments that all say something along the lines of “wow so true!!”

So, why is it such a stretch to go ahead and apply this to autistic people, whose everyday existence SINCE BIRTH is a form of trauma? Like…. you’re RIGHT THERE. Just-

adhdxxsdiary:

friendofthefellowshipsnerdblog:

Tips for interacting with autistic people online

These are things I’ve personally found helpful, & I AM autistic, so I’d assume that other people would find these helpful as well

• Some autistic people use an AAC to communicate. When someone writes a post with an AAC, the post might be a bit harder to read or have unusual punctuation and spacing. You’ll get used to it, don’t worry. And don’t rewrite posts made by an AAC user to make them easier to read unless the OP says it’s okay.

• Some autistic people find tone tags helpful. If you’re not sure if a particular person wants you to include tone tags, just ask! Some people also have a request for tone tags on their pinned post or blog description, so check there.

• Most people will gladly answer questions about autism or their experience being autistic. It’s not a subject you have to tiptoe around. Be respectful, of course, but I’ve met very few autistic people who don’t appreciate kind, genuine questions.

• Direct, clear communication is key! Especially if you have a problem with someone. Being passive-aggressive or hinting around will probably not get you anywhere. Most autistic people want to resolve issues, but we can’t do that if we’re not aware those issues exist. So just politely say what you want to say.

• Be aware of how your autistic friends feel about terms like functioning labels, and modify your language if you have to.

• Also be aware of your autistic friends’ sensory issues. Consider avoiding flashy gifs or bright colors, or tag them for eye strain.

• A lot of autistic people experience a lot of anxiety, so be sensitive to that.

• You may receive some infodumps about your friends’ special interests. That’s a way a lot of autistic people show love! So please respond positively <3

• Most importantly, be kind :) autism is a disability, and that means your autistic friends will probably act disabled. Your patience and kindness will help a lot! Just accept them for who they are.

Edit: forgot to say, if anyone has any corrections please let me know, I’m not an expert by any means! :)

grlfreak:

in another life, i find out i am autistic at 12 instead of at 29. i am still bullied, but my parents put me in another school. i get the support i need. i find friends who love me for who i am. my mom and dad don’t yell. instead, they comfort me during my meltdowns. they support me. i grow up knowing who i am, what i am, and i learn how my body works instead of wondering why i can’t speak the language of everyone else around me despite having english as my native language.

ejbuckley:

tw/ bullying, ableism

one of the most heartbreaking things about my late autism diagnosis is realising that i wasn’t bullied for my looks - as i always thought. i was bullied for being autistic, for the way i reacted to things and acted. i grew up hating the way i looked and tried so hard to change myself. it wasn’t until the manic pixie dream girl phase that people were nice to me, it was all ableism and that’s devastating.

i will never forgive the world for that.

andyinmiddleearth:

I can’t speak for anyone else but for me, being autistic is being the one that’s left out of the group every single time

It’s being the wallflower, the ghost, that one unremarkable person that no one would miss if they were gone

Being autistic and interacting with coworkers and friends and supervisors is like trying to solve a puzzle that has no reference picture

It’s like trying to solve a formula with a bunch of different factors such as social cues, tone, body language, eye contact, loudness, etc.

I’m trying to figure out how to solve for x but I can’t even figure out what y is, and I’ve never been good at math

I could read every book on social interactions, and still be unable to know when it’s my turn to talk because my brain isn’t wired that way

My brain was wired to live in my own fantasy land, in my middle earth. It was not meant to handle the stress of work plus socializing

Today I felt like everyone hated me because I cannot figure out what someone’s tone means. Is she joking with me, or is she mad?

My brain makes me feel like people pour poison about me onto other’s ears, behind my back, like how Claudius poisoned Hamlet’s father

I’ve had therapists that would tell me to just simply talk to people and ask them to hang out, as if it were that simple.

Alas, if only they knew that for me that feels like taking a dive into the fires of Mountain Doom! That the mere thought makes me shiver

I am autistic. And I’m proud to be autistic. But it is hard to exist in a world that was not designed for me, and I’m tired