AutisticAdam

AutisticAdam, 6 months ago to actuallyautistic

I have been asked by numerous people where am I, so thought I would address this.

These days you will find me on Bluesky.

There is an Autistic Community building there just like here.

If you would like a invite code, then let me know.

Thank you for the support.

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 7 months ago to actuallyautistic

Anyone can be inquisitive, but many Autistic people are extra thirsty for knowledge and I love it. Unknown things that intrigue others for a few minutes become our hyper fixations, interests and areas of expertise. It’s like others want to know things, but we need to know things.

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 7 months ago to actuallyautistic

Just to confirm it is me over at autisticadam.bsky.social

Do I know how to use bluesky ? No.

Do I have any spare codes ? No.

Feel free to follow me over there if you wish.

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic #autistic #autism

AutisticAdam, 7 months ago to actuallyautistic

Autistic me:

Loves books but does not have the mental stamina to sit and read a book from start to finish for hours on end. So instead consumes short-form content online for hours and hours.

Yeah because this makes sense...

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 7 months ago to actuallyautistic

Autistic people may appear ‘negative’, ‘pessimistic’ or ‘critical’ when sharing their thoughts or concerns about something, but usually we are just being realistic and helpful if we can.

Often, I have no clue what forms are asking or their instructions can be interpreted 5 different ways. I try to call for help if I can, but I have to hype myself up for it because I rarely do phone calls. If I can’t get help, I have to guess, and this rarely goes well.

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 7 months ago to actuallyautistic

When people invite you to dinner/movie.. the chances are the activity is just an excuse to meet up and the real objective is to socialise. I find this endearing, for years I didn’t know this.

I used to automatically assume that the suggested activity was the main purpose of a meet-up. I thought an invitation to dinner meant that the predominant point of focus was the FOOD, or an invitation to watch a movie meant the MOVIE was the centrepiece of the night.

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

Autistrain, 7 months ago to actuallyautistic

I had a great afternoon at a meeting with autists. We had lots of subjects, and not only autism related. It was a moment without judgement and everyone expressed themselves in an autistic way. A great success.

#ActuallyAutistic @actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 7 months ago to actuallyautistic

My autistic brain’s aversion to surprises extends to gifts. I’m grateful when people think of me and want to buy me gifts, but 99% of the time I’d rather they didn’t. Surprise gifts or gifts in general
can carry great expectations and generally bring me so much stress that I derive little joy from them.

Even if its something I really like. Its the same when buying gifts for others too, I don't like it. I'm not being "tight with money" or lazy.

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 7 months ago to actuallyautistic

Just a few things I struggle with:

• Having to put on a vivacious, inauthentic display of happiness at a moment’s notice.
• Having to adjust to a new item coming into my possession.
• Finding somewhere to put it.
• Potentially having to change my plans/do something out of character to use the item.

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

autism101, 8 months ago to actuallyautistic

Autistic love languages can look different than NT ones. We like to share experiences, may unmask around people we are comfortable with, do penguin pebbling, share a special interest, stim, or infodump.

image: @littlepuddins.ie

#ActuallyAutistic #AuDHD @actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 8 months ago to actuallyautistic

Do any other Autistics do that thing where if someone suggests changing plans suddenly you blank out like you're downloading the new patch update ?!

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic #askingautistics

AutisticAdam, 8 months ago to actuallyautistic

"You can’t be autistic - you can make eye contact!”

Being autistic doesn’t mean I can’t make eye contact, rather that eye contact can be painful and overstimulating for me. Yet, I make it because I have to. If I didn’t, many would be hurt/angry, and I’d face further ostracism. Thanks for your pointless comment anyway from someone that clearly doesn't know what your talking about.

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 8 months ago to actuallyautistic

Misunderstood traits in masked autism:

• Seen as unstable and reactive, but it's really that I misunderstood intentions.

• Seen as shy because I don't do small talk, but it's really that I don't know how to ask about someone's family and hobbies.

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 8 months ago to actuallyautistic

Autistic people often feel tremendous guilt or fear even when they have done nothing wrong. This may be a trauma response to years of being made to feel like a bad person for being how they are or behaving what some people would say..differently.

Don't forget being blamed for things that aren’t their fault in the mix aswell.

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

thomas, 8 months ago to genealogy

@genealogy @geneadons
What's the largest number of people with identical names you've ever come across in one household?

I've just found a census record in which Margaret Rankin is living with her husband, her sister-in-law Margaret Rankin and several children, including another Margaret Rankin. It must've been a confusing household!

#genealogy #FamilyHistory #geneadons

AutisticAdam, 8 months ago to actuallyautistic

Many autistic people struggle with “multiple choice” and “select the right answer” exam questions. A key reason for this is that the options available can feel - to our brains - like such vague simplifications or awkwardly worded answers that they all feel somewhat incorrect. 1/2

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 8 months ago to actuallyautistic

Them: "You should step outside your comfort zone more”.

Me: "I do. I step outside to put something in the bin, then go back inside”.

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 8 months ago to actuallyautistic

Autistic people can be excluded from so many places and abandoned by so many people and then be criticised for spending so much time alone and doing things (by) themselves.

It’s giving “I don’t want to help you, and I don’t want you to help yourself either” energy.

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 8 months ago to actuallyautistic

There are a lot of people who say they don't want to be defined by being Autistic, but honestly, I wish I could go back to every adult who thought I was rude or lazy, and explain to them that, I was doing the best I could, with limited understanding I had of myself.

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 8 months ago to actuallyautistic

It’s really weird how many people truly believe that Autistic people are lying about not understanding things as if we like to purposely be confused and misread situations for fun.

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 8 months ago to actuallyautistic

It’d be so helpful for autistic people if social interactions were like The Sims and there were relationship bars that could confirm our relationship status with each person and how they feel about all of our interactions. We could pattern-spot and avoid various social landmines. Sounds like an autistic dream to me.

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 8 months ago to actuallyautistic

Part of autistic masking was feigning understanding. I did this in conversation and in my school years. I nodded in agreement or gave a filler response so people would not know I was confused & that I struggled. I wasn't aware but did this so others would like me.

This ultimately hurt me because it kept me from assessing what I needed to know and it made people more upset when they would inevitably find out that I did not know. I did this to protect myself.

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 8 months ago to actuallyautistic

The autistic urge to believe you don’t take things literally, because it is said that autistic people take everything literally, and you only take some things literally - not everything - with one of the things you take literally being the word “everything” (in this context).

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 8 months ago to actuallyautistic

I take what you say at face value, but that doesn’t mean I don’t notice dishonesty. I think you’re cool, but I will probably place my sense of morality ahead of our friendship.

I need a lot of time alone, but this isn’t because I dislike you. I just need time alone in order to recharge. I read all comments but find it too much to reply to all.

I like to receive all the details you can give. My brain won’t naturally intuit what most people’s brains intuit.

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 8 months ago to actuallyautistic

A strange part of being autistic is getting in trouble for your facial expressions, tone of voice, not inferring things you haven’t been told, & somehow implying things you haven’t implied. It can feel like people get offended by stuff that’s unavoidable & beyond our control.

You're basically getting in trouble for what others are reading in between the lines because they're making assumptions that are only valid for the people they're used to dealing with.

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 8 months ago to actuallyautistic

My first and instinctive reaction is to take what people say at face value, but that doesn’t mean I won’t process it further. Often, I take things at face value but then process them for a few more seconds/minutes and land upon what the person really meant. 1/2

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 8 months ago to actuallyautistic

Some of my less talked about autistic traits:

• Reading captions on videos despite having solid hearing.

• Only speaking when you’ve knowledge or valuable insights.

• Answering “how are you?” honestly.

• Proofreading texts/emails/etc 10+ times before sending.

• Clumsy phraseology (e.g saying “present opening” instead of present opening” instead of “opening presents”).

• Not upgrading items due to a strong attachment to current items.

What's yours ?!

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 8 months ago to actuallyautistic

Autistic people are called robotic and said to treat others like objects, yet we tend not to follow social rules like manuals or expect people to perform on cue. We invite authenticity, individuality and depth. We’re far from robotic, and we treat people with care and compassion.

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

theautisticcoach, 8 months ago to actuallyautistic

Being #ActuallyAutistic is not a disease or a disorder.

But it doesn’t mean you aren’t disabled either. You are.

But it doesn’t mean you can’t believe in superpowers. You can.

But you CAN believe that life is incredibly hard without help too.

Autism isn’t one thing.

@actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 8 months ago to actuallyautistic

Autistic people are often attracted to one particular line in a song and will sing that one line aloud or in their brain for days, possibly in the singer’s accent. This may be considered a form of stimming, as well as a form of echolalia.

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 8 months ago to actuallyautistic

I find it hard to put instructions and processes into the context other people assume I naturally infer. This tends to result in me thinking that instructions and processes are either: a one-time thing; or apply to every similar situation without exception.

I’ll often ask if this is not volunteered), because without this info I’ll either never follow them again or follow them every single time, and usually neither of these are the intended or optimal path.

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 8 months ago to actuallyautistic

I wish more non-autistic people knew and believed that autistic people who can seemingly do a lot of things. We may truly need to rest after doing them, may not be able to do them in quick succession, and may sometimes not be able to do them at all.

The lack of awareness and belief in this may stem from misbeliefs that: we find all of these things easy, and our executive function and energy levels are static. 1/2

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 8 months ago to actuallyautistic

It's come to my attention more recently on here that some people are saying, "that's not autism"

This is incorrect and is just different for everyone.

Whatever it is to you, remember that others may have different views from you. Their views or experiences isn’t wrong and neither is yours.

Let autistic people describe their experiences how they see fit, not by how you say they should be because of how it is for you.

Thank you.

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic

AutisticAdam, 8 months ago to actuallyautistic

Sorry I can’t come to the phone right now. I’m autistic and simply not good at calls. Please call back literally never. Texts and emails exist for a reason.

Thank you.

@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic