🌻🌼🌱Mar 18, 2019

Hello, does anyone here know much about autism? My girlfriend is autistic and thinks I might be too, and tbh I don't really care either way if I am or if I'm not but I'm a bit curious whether she could be right.

So some things that make her believe I might be autustic:

- I have sensory issues. Sometimes they can get bad enough where I go mute or actually start being very loudly upset.
- Apparently I'm selectively mute because I stop talking in some stressful or uncomfortable situations. I think it's because I'm worried about being rude so I end up just not saying anything when I want to object.
- I repeat stuff a lot. She noticed it like the second day we met. I have trouble getting thoughts out of my head. I also get really obsessive with things.
- I get really stressed out by having my stuff moved or re-arranged.

(I'll continue this post in a reply)

Show threadEmber Mar 18, 2019

@Some_Person It wouldn't surprise me if you are autistic with these things you've described. I've done *a lot* of research and self-diagnosed. We have a good little autistic community on here that talks about this stuff a lot.

I think "special interests" are often talked about in a very confusing way. They definitely manifest differently for different people. I think it's more about a type of focus and fixation rather than having one specific special interest.

Show threadEmber Mar 18, 2019

@Some_Person You may benefit from reading about masking, which can help people appear non-autistic in social situations.

I've also realized for myself that communication and language/languages are actually a special interest of mine, which had helped me with masking, sometimes even in ways that aren't too tiring.

If you check out the #ActuallyAutistic hashtag here and on Twitter you can talk to Autistic people and see if you relate. If you don't that's fine too!

Show threadEmber Mar 18, 2019

@Some_Person

Here's an article on masking.

https://www.theautisticadvocate.com/2018/07/masking-i-am-not-ok.html?m=1

I don't have a ton of links on hand, but @stackingstones and @tmorizot always seem to have good resources

Masking: I am not OK

A blog about Autism, Neurodiversity, being Autistic and a parent of Autistic children.

Show threadScott Morizot 

@Laura_I @Some_Person @stackingstones
I would recommend exploring the #TakeTheMaskOff campaign from last year to see the different yet similar ways we mask. The underlying goal was to try to explain to the allistic world all the work we are doing every moment of every day. The hope is we might receive more understanding and perhaps more acceptance and not have to work so hard. Maybe others could meet us somewhere in the middle.

https://www.theautisticadvocate.com/2018/06/takethemaskoff.html

#TakeTheMaskOff

A blog about Autism, Neurodiversity, being Autistic and a parent of Autistic children.

Mar 18, 2019 at 4:28pmWeb
Show threadScott Morizot Mar 18, 2019

@Laura_I @Some_Person @stackingstones
If video works well for you, the kick-off livestream is available here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-jnKYjAY4Y&t=2s

#TakeTheMaskOff Live Launch with Do I Look Autistic Yet, Agony Autie and Neurodivergent Rebel

YouTube
Show threadScott Morizot Mar 18, 2019

@Laura_I @Some_Person @stackingstones
My first post in the series is here. (I wrote long form since that's often more comfortable for me. Some things I can't organize as easily and those often become my more random, rambling threads instead.) The others follow in order.

https://faithandfood.morizot.net/2018/07/25/when-you-work-to-become-the-mask-takethemaskoff-week-1/

When you work to become the mask – #TakeTheMaskOff Week 1

The #TakeTheMaskOff campaign has been designed as a way for autistic people to share our experience of life in a world that often makes little space for us. The stories, blog posts, and videos ofte…

Faith and Food