WELCOME to the first Autism Acceptance Month blog post of 2024! Today, I wanted to take a few steps back & go over some autism terms & what they mean. I use many of these terms throughout my blog & I try to provide definitions as I write. It's always good to take the time to pause & review what some of these terms mean though. And there's no better time to do that than when we're kicking off Autism Acceptance Month! Important Autism Terms & Definitions:
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Happy Halloween! Well, maybe it's a Happy Halloween to you, but it's not for me. I've never liked this haunting holiday. So, there. I've come out & said it. I don't like Halloween! Now, having said that, if you're a Halloween-loving person, that's no biggie. In fact, one of my closest friends has a Halloween birthday & I just love her excitement around this frightful day. But, for me, Halloween just isn't my day. And that's okay, too. This Is Why:
I don't dislike everything about Halloween, so this is what I do like about the holiday:
Halloween Challenges For Autistic People:
How You Can Help:
When I first disclosed my autism to my family, friends, & some former teachers; I received the following email response from one of my mom's cousins: Kim, I’ve read and re-read your email. I was super impressed with you when you came to take care of your gung-gung and am even more impressed now. I am fascinated by your story and the extent you are taking to understand your past, present so that you can move forward. I can tell that it has been monumental for you to put a name to explain all of the struggles you have had. I’m happy for you and if you spent any amount of time blaming yourself (like we all have a tendency to do). You now know, it wasn’t you. While I was disheartened to learn the extent of what you’ve been going through, it was equally troubling to learn that your delayed diagnosis was primarily due to your gender. Another example of how these stereotypes can do real harm. But you are not focused on that, you’re focused on moving forward. Everything in your email points to that. Again, so much respect for you. Thank you for putting so much care into this message. Thank you for including me. If I have said anything that does not strike the right tone, let me know. I am processing and want to learn. What my mom's cousin is referring to in the line that I made bold, is the trip I made to my grandparents' home in California in the fall of 2019, about three & a half years ago. My grandma, who I called Haw-Bu, was recovering from having part of her tongue surgically removed due to a malignant tumor & because I had so much flexibility in my schedule, I planned to stay with my grandparents for two weeks to help out during my Haw-Bu's recovery. However, my Haw-Bu ended up having numerous complications due to the surgery & needed to stay in a rehabilitation facility to gain her strength back before she could safely live at home. So, I ended up extending my stay by another week & stayed for three weeks instead of two. Also, rather than helping out both of my grandparents, I became my grandpa's primary caregiver during that timeframe. I was responsible for the usual caregiving & household responsibilities as well has driving my grandpa, or my Gung-Gung as I call him, to & from the rehabilitation facility everyday so that he could visit my Haw-Bu. My Gung-Gung survived a major stroke several years earlier that severely disabled him, so he couldn't live in his house alone. I had turned twenty-nine just before making this trip. That is a lot of responsibility for any person, but it's especially a lot for a young person, particularly one who had so many different mental health challenges & now I know autism, as well. Let's talk about how autism, diagnosed or not, affected my caregiving responsibilities:
Social & Communication Deficits
Excessive Adherence To Routines & Resistance To Change
Interests That Are Abnormal In Intensity & Focus
Hyper-Reactivity To Some Sensory Input
Prosopagnosia
Topographic Agnosia
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AuthorHello! My name is Kim, I didn't know I was autistic until I was in my thirties, & this is my story. Categories
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