PROACTIVE... Don't wait for a meltdown to act... Ask our specific needs and offer suggestions when we can't enlist them from the top of our heads..
4 weeks ago | 46
Sticking up for autistic people EVEN IF YOU THINK NONE OF US ARE NEARBY (actually, someone high masking very well may be!).🌻 It’s painful for us to hear conversations that accuse us of being burdens, or “preventable”, or childlike, etc. If more neurotypical folks can shift the narrative to talk about us as Actual People with hopes and feelings, the world will shift to accept us just a little bit more each time…!🌻
4 weeks ago | 33
At this point I would love to be believed, especially by the people who complain that I'm too honest.
3 weeks ago | 8
Also dont ignore passive aggressiveness, if you have an issue tell that person. I left a job that really suited me due to a couple of older passive aggressive bullies who shouldn't have even been paying attention to me due to us not working together
4 weeks ago | 22
Help with navigating social situations & assistance with appointments and filling out forms.
4 weeks ago | 11
It's hard to give a concise answer, not only because there is less support for late-diagnosed adults, but also because our needs can vary from day to day. Today, support for me looks like my mother coming by to spend some time with my dog and I because I have been so plagued by overthinking and anxiety that I had to call out of work.
4 weeks ago | 20
A lot of it boils down to being kind, understanding and patient, which we should really strive to do for everyone. Believing me when I say I’m uncomfortable and always assume I am coming from a place of curiosity not judgement. And not taking it personally when I want to be alone or not go with others. As a high-masking, late-diagnosed 43 yo adult, those are the things I need most from others now. The rest I have figured out for myself along the way!
4 weeks ago | 15
Actually listen to a full thought I have. Otherwise I may as well not say a bloody word.
4 weeks ago | 13
Listen to us. Ask us questions. Try to be patient with us. Try to be kind. Try to not get frustrated. Don't tell us how we should act. At least, that's what I think support should look like...
4 weeks ago | 10
just being understanding and accepting QUICKLY. regardless of whatever about that person, if someone has sensory needs and you straight up ignore it, thats cruel and rude asf. trying to understand and connect genuinely while being accommodating instead of ridiculing is essential. smb else said being proactive and i AGREE 100%! just taking the initiative if you know what they need to help them/us through that or avoid situation that arent necessary
4 weeks ago | 8
Letting me be a moody dude and loving me anyways.
4 weeks ago | 9
Actually caring to explain things instead of assuming we already know about something especially when its new and not jumping to assume the worst of others. But again anything that people should do to autistic people i feel like society ahould already be doing to everyone in general
4 weeks ago | 9
People coming to help me get house chores done and more flexible schedules and more ppl to help run errands
4 weeks ago | 6
Autistic support means understanding our differences and being willing to actively accommodate our needs in order to participate. And don’t make us feel it’s unacceptable when we accommodate ourselves, for example, by wearing bearable clothes, wearing something that makes sound bearable, or taking little breaks in social settings.
3 weeks ago | 3
I mean... right now I am having to avocate for myself at work by asking for workplace accommodations... to reduce my hours to 40. Because they looooove giving us "voluntold" over time. I have been working it for a year, but now, every other day, I go home and have a breakdown. I got my diagnosis recently of AuDHD. So it helped explain things to me. But I feel so bad asking to work just a normal work week. They want me to file it through FMLA with conjunction to ADA? It's all confusing. All I want to do is my work and go home, not wanting to disappear into the void every freaking day.
4 weeks ago | 8
There is a ton of support for children, but because I’m 63, I’ve yet to find anyone that gives a damn. I reached out to several organizations who simply added me to their mailing lists which are nothing more than requests for donations.
3 weeks ago | 2
An attempt to understand. I though, feel guilty about that comment, bc autistic or not, don't we all want to be understood. I hate that I have no idea what others are experiencing and only really know how I am affected by life. Feels a little narcissistic. Thank you for all you do, Mom on the Spectrum!
4 weeks ago (edited) | 11
Mainly for “me” it would probably be (understanding) and stability/ slow changes. But I’m not professionally diagnosed. So perhaps I’m working with something different than most. Living in a place that makes sense. My family life as a kid made enough sense for me to feel safe. Granted It was all I knew. But Compared to school/ other places it was the only place I felt safe/ comfortable in. The only caveat being that it made leaving the house challenging. So in turn that prolonged my lack of understanding around my family’s “suspected” (genetic) differences. I knew enough that I didn’t fit into most situations so I avoided them because I had the ability to get most of my needs met at home. But that same thing kept me isolated/ safe for way longer before I finally realized some of the “why”. It actually took my father passing away before I finally really started to question my reality/ perceptions of myself and others. Before that, I was ok not understanding some of the why’s because it didn’t matter “yet”. So I’d say having a tribe/ family that shares similar traits and that I understood enough to feel safe was “MY” number one support need for (survival). But maybe not the best for growth…? If I would’ve had knowledge or understanding on neurodivergence, with a strong family support system, I believe that could’ve saved me a lot of isolation and anxiety/ avoidance of others/ situations that I didn’t understand. Maybe…lol. I’m just not sure what that would’ve looked like. Like how much personal growth aka struggle/ work is necessary really. Nobody is perfect…but who’s to say when enough is enough. After basic survival needs are met, every thing else is kinda up to the individual to decide as to what’s most important imo. Unless you are basing it off social norms. But even that is kinda vague and flawed to some degree.
4 weeks ago | 7
Mom on the Spectrum
What does autistic support actually look like?
4 weeks ago | [YT] | 257