It is no secret that autistic police brutality is a real problem. From beatings & violent, wrongful arrests to deadly shootings; the aggressive force police use against us, autistics, is our unfortunate reality. In fact, I DON'T FEEL LIKE POLICE OFFICERS PROTECT ME at all, but to be quite honest, it is the exact opposite— I FEEL LIKE I HAVE TO PROTECT MYSELF FROM POLICE OFFICERS. When I look at police officers, I see the grownup versions of my high school bullies. I knew for a fact that the majority of the guys who bullied me in school, the guys who made my high school, my middle school experiences a living hell were going onto college to study criminal justice to become police officers. It does make sense. The tough guys in school. The guys who bullied the quiet, meek girls like myself. They have the exact right type of personalities, the desire & the thrill deep inside of them to want to catch the bad guys. Of course they want to become cops! I have been absolutely petrified, absolutely terrified of police officers my entire life & that is the main reason why. In my mind, POLICE OFFICERS ARE BULLIES, people who misunderstand me, people who mistreat me, people who don't treat me like a human being. And no one, no situation has ever proven me wrong. Interacting with police officers causes me so much stress that my autistic traits become much more exasperated, much more visible than they are typically. But, even with how exaggerated my autistic traits become, I still don't "look autistic" in a stereotypical sense. I spent the majority of my life not knowing I was autistic, but despite that, I still knew that my interactions with police officers were dangerous. While I never act in ways that are considered "typical," that is exaggerated exponentially when I'm faced with high-stress situations, like when I'm in the presence of law enforcement personnel. And when police officers see someone not acting "typical," they often assume the worst & react in ways that put the life & the well-being of an autistic person, such as myself, at risk. I now know that the kind of stress police officers trigger inside of me causes autistic shutdowns. Before I knew I was autistic, I knew that I shut down when in the presence of police officers, but I had no explanation as to why that was. During an autistic shutdown, I more often than not become nonverbal, meaning, even if I wanted to talk, it would be impossible for me to make the words come out. And if I am able to talk during an autistic shutdown, I don't have control over what I am saying, my words often not making any sense. Acting in this way when conversing with police officers is extremely problematic because a person who acts like this is typically on drugs. I'm not on drugs; I never have been & I never will be. It's being autistic that makes me act this way. On top of that, it takes an extremely long time for me to process information & it takes exponentially longer when I'm highly-stressed. So, when spoken to by a police officer, I am often non-responsive. Not because I don't want to respond, but because I physically can't. I simply haven't had enough time to process whatever was just said to me OR that I was spoken to at all. Having an extremely long processing time is very common with autistics, but again, it is also very common with drug users. During the few interactions with police officers I've had in my lifetime, I have been told every time that there was something off about me, that they thought I was on drugs when they first interacted with me. It would have been SO helpful to know that I was autistic at the time I had those interactions rather than for those police officers to automatically assume that I was on drugs. The fact that it is automatically assumed that I am on drugs when I'm not is awfully troubling. This is why soon after I received my autism diagnosis, I designed myself an autism wallet card. This card explains that I am autistic, what autism spectrum disorder is, as well as certain behaviors that I may exhibit that others will likely perceive as unusual, but they are actually very typical behaviors of an autistic woman. I also wear a medical alert bracelet that contains my name, my diagnoses, & an emergency contact number. Plus, it states that I have a wallet card. I did this because I know that it isn't safe to reach for something without asking the police officer for permission first. But, since I often have trouble communicating verbally with police officers, I needed something that would allow me to safely communicate that I'm autistic & I have a wallet card without needing to speak. The reason why I have an autism wallet card & wear a medical alert bracelet is to protect myself from police officers, something that shouldn't be my job or my responsibility to do. Not only is a police officer's job to protect us, but I shouldn't have to disclose my disability in order to be treated with respect or to keep myself safe. My autism wallet card is pictured below (click on it to view it larger). Now, police officers aren't purposely harming autistic people. They simply aren't educated about how to recognize autism & the different behaviors autistic people exhibit. For example, when police officers see a person:
Autism Training & Education:
Police officers across the country & around the world are just not being properly educated or trained on how to treat & interact with autistic individuals. In fact, the type of & the amount of autism training that police officers receive is variable in different police departments in cities across the country. Plus, it's usually voluntary, not mandatory. Another problem is that the education police officers receive on autism tends to be tacked onto the end of the training on another topic. When this happens & only a short discussion is had about autism, how are police officers supposed to get the training, we, autistic people so desperately need them to have? On another note, it's hard to even pinpoint what constitutes as effective training. There is very limited research on how well various kinds of training programs work & ineffective training does more harm than good. There is also some research that suggests that while proper autism training makes police officers understand autism, it still doesn't make them any less likely to use force on autistic people. There really needs to be police training on autism that is standardized across all departments nationwide. However, some experts & advocates say that the best way to decrease violence is to minimize interactions between police & autistic people altogether. That just doesn't seem like a viable solution to me though, especially for autistic people like me, who drive. The Blue Envelope Program: The Blue Envelope Initiative represents a collaborative effort aimed at fostering a safer & a more understanding environment for autistic drivers during motor vehicle operator interactions & traffic stops. This program was just introduced in Massachusetts, the state in which I reside, earlier this month. It involves a Blue Envelope, which is intended to hold a driver's essential documents— a license, the car's registration, & a contact card. However, the significance of this envelope isn't that it is just a storage solution. This envelope features critical communication guidelines on its exterior, specifically tailored to assist law enforcement officers in recognizing & adapting their approach when interacting with a autistic drivers. While the thought behind this program is great & it shows that Massachusetts is trying, as an autistic driver, I don't love everything about the Blue Envelope Program. This is why I have a problem with the Blue Envelope Program:
Also, ever since the Massachusetts Police Department announced the introduction of the Blue Envelope Program, I have been reading numerous comments online from allistic people about how people who require a Blue Envelope in order to have simple conversations with police officers shouldn't be allowed to get behind the wheel. These comments are extremely hurtful & extraordinarily ableist. The people who made these types of comments clearly don’t understand autism or how it impacts people. I probably will get a Blue Envelope to keep in my car only because Massachusetts police officers recognize its purpose. But, it will either remain empty or I will put a few of my autism wallet cards inside of it. I don’t love the idea of keeping my driver's license anywhere other than my wallet. When Interacting With Police Officers, Autistic People May:
Key Facts About Autism, Disabilities, & Police Officers:
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What Is Autistic Masking, Anyway? Autistic masking, otherwise known as camouflaging, is sometimes used by autistic people to disguise or minimize specific autistic traits or behaviors in social situations. Why Do Some Autistic People Mask? Some reasons autistic people might mask include, but are not limited to:
Who Masks? While any autistic person may mask, it is more likely for autistic people to mask if they:
What Are Some Examples Of Masking?
What Are The Consequences Of Masking?
Masking & Me:
Ways I Masked Growing Up:
Ways I Mask As An Adult:
A good night's rest is imperative for a person's health & wellbeing & I'm sure you know what I mean when I say that you just feel better when you're well-rested. However, this is MUCH easier said than done, especially when you're autistic. Being autistic is downright exhausting, so autistic people generally need more sleep than their neurotypical counterparts do. But, at the same time, sleep problems are very common in autistic individuals. This cycle is endless & a perfect example of that is the fact that it is after 1:30 in the morning as I am typing this. Bedtime procrastination is something that is very common with us autistics & it is something that I struggle with SO much. But, that is something I'll get to on another day. So, let's take this time to talk about autism sleep statistics:
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:
The past week has been incredibly stressful for me. A little over a week ago, one of my dogs woke up from his night sleep covered in his own urine. This is the first time he has ever done that in his lifetime. He's never even done that when he was a tiny puppy, prior to being fully potty-trained. He's always warm (dogs' body temperatures are warmer than humans' body temperatures), but this particular morning, he felt warmer than warm. I put him in the bath tub while I called his vet & figured out what to do with him. Unfortunately, his vet wasn't able to get us in until 7:20 that evening. I wiped him down, but didn't give him a full bath because he hadn't quite had his flea & tick topical on for long enough before being able to be bathed. Plus, with him needing to go to the vet that evening & me being the germaphobe that I am, I wanted to bathe him after he came home from the vet rather than beforehand. I have to tell you, that day was the longest day ever. My little guy; who will be turning ten in a week; is typically such a lively, happy, energetic little man; but the life was completely sucked out of him. I had never seen him this lethargic & sickly before & that was quite scary & stressful. He didn’t pick up his head if someone walked in or if his name was called. But, it was even more alarming that he didn’t want belly rubs. That boy is the king of belly rubs. Even with the number of dogs I've cared for, I've never met a dog who loves belly rubs more than my sweet Teddy. When it was finally time for Teddy’s vet appointment, my mom & I both took him in. Based on his appearance as well as my observations that I shared with the vet, she thought that due to the area we live in, he probably had a tick-borne illness. He was brought back for a urine test & couple of blood tests (one of which was to check for tick-borne illnesses). Teddy tested positive for two out of the three tick-borne illnesses that he was tested for. Specifically, ehrlichiosis & anaplasmosis. I am super religious about combing my boys & checking them for ticks every single night. Plus, them being all white helps tremendously with being able to easily spot something like a tick on them. Not only that; I apply a flea, tick, & mosquito killer & repellent topical on them twice a month during the warmer months of the year; & I don’t allow them to romp around in tall grass, in wooded areas, & in all other places where ticks are likely to be. I did everything right & I never saw any ticks on him. The first day that I really thought he was almost all better was yesterday (exactly one week since symptoms started), but until I saw major improvements, I was stressed to the max. That would stress anyone out, autistic or not. With that in mind, let’s take a moment to talk about stress, how neurotypical people deal with it, how autistic people deal with it, & how I deal with it. What Is Stress?:
As explained by the World Health Organization: Stress can be defined as a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation. Stress is a natural human response that prompts us to address challenges and threats in our lives. Not everything that we experience that causes stress is negative. Here are some examples of negative & positive stressors. Negative Stressors:
Positive Stressors:
The Impacts Of Different Intensities Of Stress: Mild Stress: This type of stress typically motivates the individual to work as hard as (s)he can to achieve some type of end goal. Severe Stress: This type of stress is typically debilitating for both the individual & his or her performance. How Stress Affects Autistic People: Because autism tends to reduce the resources a person has to cope with challenges brought on by stress, an autistic person's experience with & their ability to handle various stressors will likely be much different than it would be for an allistic, or a non-autistic person. Autistic Comorbidities: In my blog post about why most autistics don't want a cure for autism, I mentioned the fact that there are a lot of comorbid disorders that tend to accompany autism. Some disorders that autistic people are at higher risk for are mood disorders. In fact, it is estimated that 10 to 50% of autistic people develop depression in their lifetimes & about 5% of autistic people develop bipolar disorder in their lifetimes. In the general population, prevalence rates for depression & bipolar disorder are much lower & are estimated to be up to 7% & less than 1%, respectively. Other mood disorders that autistic people are at a higher risk of developing include, but are not limited to anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), & obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Autistic people who are verbal & who do not have intellectual impairments are at a much higher risk of developing mood disorders than those who are non-verbal &/or are intellectually impaired. Due to the high prevalence of mood disorders in autistic individuals, stress could be highly problematic to cognitive, physiological, & behavioral functioning in the autistic population. Common Stressors For Autistic People:
Common Ways Autistic People React To Stress:
Studies Indicate That Autistic People Have Heightened Responses To Stress:
How Stress Affects Me: I have never been able to handle stress well. Stress tends to cause me to get flustered & prevents me from being able to think clearly or rationally. Depending on the intensity of the stress I am experiencing, it may cause shutdowns, which prevent me from being able to communicate verbally or non-verbally with others. Meltdowns are an extremely rare occurrence with me, but stress has caused meltdowns to happen in the past. My Most Common Stressors:
While some of the above stressors also may stress out allistic people, it is important to remember that I experience stress on a whole different level than what is considered normal. For example, there have been times in the past where I was trying to have conversations with my supervisors, but was unable to form simple coherent sentences due to the panic that resulted from my supervisor simply being in the same room as me. Another good illustration of how stress affects me is I have been told from multiple police officers that they thought I was on drugs during their initial interactions with me. I have never been on drugs in my life, but clearly, police officers stress me out so much that interacting with them causes me to act like I'm under the influence even though I am far from it. There will be a future blog post written about issues surrounding police officers & autism where issues like this will be discussed further. Multiple times throughout this blog, I have referenced the three levels of autism, but what exactly do the levels of autism mean? And what's the difference between them? Let's get into that right now. Each person who received an autism diagnosis after May 2013 (when the DSM-5 was published) was diagnosed with level 1, level 2, or level 3 autism. The difference between the levels is simply the level of support that a person needs in his or her daily life, with level 1 autistics needing the least amount of support & the level 3 autistics needing the most amount of support. I am a level 2 autistic, so that means that I fall right in the middle. Level 1 Autism Spectrum Disorder:
Level 1 autism was formerly known as Asperger’s syndrome, high-functioning autism, or the mildest form of autism. It is very important to remember that these terms are no longer used & using these terms are actually harmful to the autistic community. You can read more about that in my prior blog post about the harm of autism function labels. Although there isn’t just one set of characteristics that level 1 autistic children AND adults have (remember autism is a spectrum with a very wide array of characteristics), there are some traits & experiences that level 1 autistics tend to have in common:
Level 1 autistic people might also experience depression or anxiety that is the direct result of social difficulties. They also tend to get bullied or left out of social situations, which can lead to mental health issues & difficulties later in life. I personally experienced very severe bullying from early childhood all the way through college, with the worst of it being in my mid-teens & beyond. I will get more into this in a future blog post. Level 2 Autism Spectrum Disorder: Level 2 autism is where I fall on the autism spectrum. This level is in the middle of the spectrum & usually requires substantial support for independent & successful daily living. Level 2 autistics tend to experience all of the level 1 characteristics, but to a greater degree. They also might have more noticeable stimming behaviors (sometimes called restricted or repetitive behaviors). Stimming isn't something to get rid of unless it causes harm to the autistic person or to the people around them. Hair pulling, biting, slapping, & banging the head against something are all examples of harmful or dangerous stims that should be gotten rid of or exchanged for another stim that isn't harmful or dangerous. Level 3 Autism Spectrum Disorder: Level 3 autism was formerly known as low-functioning autism or severe autism. However, it is very important to remember that these terms are no longer used & using these terms are actually harmful to the autistic community. You can read more about that in my prior blog post about the harm of autism function labels. Level 3 autistics require very substantial support for daily living. This means that they would benefit from more assistance & more accommodations at home, at school, at work, in the community, in relationships, etc. in order to live as independently & as successfully as possible. Level 3 autistic people may also need a lot more supervision, even in adolescence & adulthood than level 1 & level 2 autistic people do. Level 3 autistic children AND adults tend to experience all of the level 1 & level 2 characteristics, but to a much greater degree. Some other common characteristics of level 3 autistics are:
Final Thoughts: The levels of autism are the medical community's way to help clarify the needs & abilities of autistic individuals. It is also important to remember that individuals across all areas of the autism spectrum have amazingly unique strengths & abilities that neurotypicals often do not have. We need to remember to recognize & support these strengths & abilities as well. Regardless if someone is a level 1, a level 2, or a level 3 autistic person, all autistic people experience this world very differently from each other. We all may struggle with daily living, but in very different ways. In my previous blog post about Autism Speaks, I briefly mentioned that my life would be so much easier I wasn't autistic & that I wish I wasn't autistic, but I didn't get into why I feel that way. Let's take a moment to get into that now. Why I Wish I Wasn't Autistic:
I know I am not like most autistic people, but this is truly how I feel about being autistic & how I think being autistic hinders my life. I would be elated if there was a cure for autism, or even if there was a medication (with minimal side effects) I could take that could get rid of my autistic traits, but, at the same time, I know that that isn't going to happen. At least not in my lifetime. I am someone who was brought up to be accepting of all people: different religions, different backgrounds, different cultures, different disabilities, etc. So, whether you are autistic or not, all I ask is that you are accepting of me regardless of whether you think similarly or differently from me. I am using Splashed With Water as a way to educate, but also to share what it's like to be an autistic woman & thinking these thoughts is part of what being an autistic woman is like for me. Now that we've covered why I DO want a cure for autism, let's talk about why most autistics disagree with me.
Why Autistics Don't Want A Cure For Autism:
You'll find that throughout this blog, my personal opinion often differs from the opinion of the autistic community as a whole. When that happens, I'll do my best to cover both sides. I hope doing it this way was helpful to you. This also shows you that all autistic people are different from one another, just like how all neurotypical people are different from one another. Is Autism Really More Common In Males?: Statistically, boys are four times more likely to be autistic than girls, but because we know so much more about autism now than ever before, we are now questioning if it is actually more common in boys or if it is just more commonly diagnosed in boys. Since it was historically believed that autism was more prevalent in boys than in girls, scientists & doctors have focused their autism research on boys. Because of this, the diagnostic criteria for autism is modeled around male behavior. What we didn't know until very recently is that autism can look very differently in girls. Since autistic girls often have different traits that do not match the diagnostic criteria for autism, traits are easier to miss & are mistaken for other things, like shyness & social anxiety, which are much more socially acceptable in girls than in boys. Girls are also more likely to mask their autistic traits & may mimic appropriate social behaviors by copying behaviors that they see in everyday life & on tv in order to fit in. For example, many girls & women force themselves to maintain eye contact by looking in between someone's eyes rather than into them if eye contact makes them uncomfortable. (I do this until a certain level of comfort with a person is reached, which is when eye contact becomes comfortable & natural for me.) Masking is something that is much less common for boys & men to do. Girls are also often diagnosed with depression &/or anxiety, conditions that frequently coincide with autism, rather than with autism spectrum disorder itself. Because scientists & doctors just began learning about how autism presents itself differently in females within the past decade, many women in their twenties & older have just now been receiving the autism diagnoses that they deserve. Many of these late-diagnosed autistic women never presented stereotypical male autistic traits. These women tended to be evaluated for & diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder after having significant problems with things in their adult lives such as treatment-resistant mental health issues, employment, friendships, romantic relationships & more (all things I struggle with). Other women were diagnosed after their child(ren) was/were diagnosed & they recognized some of the same traits in themselves. I truly believe that the reason I was not diagnosed during childhood is because of my gender. What Does Autism Look Like In Females?:
Social Deficits
Pretend Play One of the most common traits of both male & female autism is not knowing how to participate in pretend play. However, it is more likely that this struggle will be noticed in boys because girls tend to be taught from a very young age to be little caretakers, taking care of a baby doll or a stuffed animal. Because boys tend to be not taught this, struggling with pretend play is much more obvious in males. However, I only knew how to play with baby dolls & stuffed animals. When my little cousin asked me to use her plastic horses & farm animals to engage in pretend play with her, that was a struggle for me. I would often ask my little three-year-old cousin what to say or do. My aunt bringing out a craft project for me to help my cousin with brought great relief! Special Interests One of the most common symptoms of both male & female autism is having a special interest. However, male special interests tend to be very specialized & technical, where female special interests tend to be more "normal." For females, the level of intensity of the interest is what is abnormal. Because of this, it can be harder to notice the difference between a "normal" interest & a special interest. Common special interests in females are:
Wheels Many autistic children have a fascination with spinning wheels that are on a toy truck or train, for example. However, because toy vehicles tend to be boy-specific toys & I was a very feminine girl, I didn't own any toys that had wheels other than a child-sized stroller I used to push my baby dolls & stuffed animals around in the neighborhood. Miscellaneous
What Are Autism Function Labels?: Autism function labels are used by allistic, or non-autistic people, such as parents, family members, friends, caretakers & medical professionals; to describe an autistic person's abilities. If you refer to someone as having "high-functioning" or "low-functioning" autism, for example, you are using autism function labels. What Is "High-Functioning" Autism?: "High-functioning" autism isn't an official medical diagnosis, but is a term that allistic people use when talking about autistic people. When people talk about an autistic person who is "high-functioning," they are referring to someone who despite his or her autism, is able to read, write, speak, & handle daily tasks such as eating, getting dressed, & personal hygiene independently. A "high-functioning" autistic person can also live independently. People may also call "high-functioning" autistic people mildly autistic, less autistic, or something similar. These terms essentially mean the same thing as "high-functioning" autism. "High-functioning" autism is just the term that is used the most often. What Is "Low-Functioning" Autism?: "Low-functioning" autistic people are usually unable to live independently & will require support from a parent or caretaker throughout their lives. "Low-functioning" autistic people are either nonverbal or they have much more pronounced communication impairments. People may also call "low-functioning" autistic people severely autistic, more autistic, or something similar. These terms essentially mean the same thing as "low-functioning" autism. "Low-functioning" autism is just the term that is used the most often. How Are Autism Function Labels Harmful?: Autism function labels are harmful because they cause ableism, or the discrimination of disabled people. How Autism Function Labels Harm "Low-Functioning" Autistics
How Autism Function Labels Harm "High-Functioning" Autistics
What Does the Autism Spectrum Look Like?: Many allistic people would be very surprised to learn that the autism spectrum is NOT linear & the below image is absolutely NOT what the autism spectrum looks like. The autism spectrum looks more like this ↓. More specifically, this graphic is what MY autism spectrum looks like because it illustrates my specific abilities, as well as my challenges. As noted below, the more white space a particular area of the spectrum contains, the more I struggle with that particular situation or activity & vice versa. You will not be able to find another autistic person out there who's spectrum looks exactly like this because each & every one of us is different from one another. What Terminology Should We Use Instead of High-Functioning & Low-Functioning Autism?: Instead of calling us high-functioning or low-functioning, please simply call us autistic or if you need to be more specific, refer to us an autistic person with low support or high support needs. This makes us feel less judged about who we are as people, but still lets caregivers, teachers, or employers know what to expect in terms of how much support & what type of accommodations we may require. What Is Asperger's Syndrome?: No longer an official diagnosis, Asperger's syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder where a person has normal language & cognitive abilities, but has difficulties with social interactions & repetitive patterns of behavior & interests. Aspies, as individuals diagnosed with this syndrome call themselves, may struggle with conversational skills & nonverbal communication (e.g. eye contact, facial expression, body language, etc.). They also tend to have a narrow or intense focus on particular interests. The History of Asperger's Syndrome: Dr. Hans Asperger was an Austrian pediatrician who during World War II, sent nearly eight hundred children to Spiegelgrund, a special children's clinic in Vienna where children who were mentally ill or physically disabled were incarcerated, tortured, starved, & often murdered due to being deemed inferior or worthless by the Nazis. Asperger kept four highly intelligent, but socially awkward & physically clumsy children alive because they were higher functioning. These children were deemed worthy of survival, so that they could be studied. This is also why autism function labels (e.g. high-functioning autism, low-functioning autism, mild autism, severe autism, less autistic, more autistic, etc.) are harmful & should no longer be used. I will get more into autism function labeling in a future blog post. The term Asperger's syndrome was not coined by Asperger himself, however, but was coined by British psychiatrist Lorna Wing in 1981. It was added to the DSM-IV in 1994. "The Geek Syndrome":
In 2001, Asperger's syndrome gained some notoriety due to an article in Wired magazine entitled "The Geek Syndrome," where it was described as the "milder cousin" of autism. The article describes people with Asperger's as being quirky, creative, anxious, & socially challenged. The Retirement Of Asperger's Syndrome: The term "Asperger's Syndrome" was retired in May 2013 when the American Psychiatric Association (APA) published the 5th edition of the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Now, Asperger's syndrome is no longer a diagnosis, but is known as autism spectrum disorder, level 1. This is the lowest out of the three levels of autism spectrum disorder. Even so, lots of people still use the term Asperger's. Reasons For Reclassification:
Personal Thoughts: During my autism diagnosis journey, as I began learning more & more about autism spectrum disorder, one of the things that quickly came to light was that Asperger's syndrome is no longer a term that is used. When I learned the reasoning behind this & the history behind the syndrome, I was horrified, deeply disturbed, & sick to my stomach. I was raised in a culturally & religiously-blended household, celebrating both Christian & [some] Jewish holidays, growing up. Due to having a partial Jewish background & having family members who do still practice the religion, the history behind Asperger's syndrome affects me on a deeply personal level. In fact, my parents & I don't purchase German car or appliance brands due to the Holocaust! If I were ever in a situation where someone told me that they were an Aspie, it would take some serious tongue-biting for me to not tell them that they aren't! Autism spectrum disorder is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disability caused by differences in the wiring of the brain that often cause difficulties with social communication & interaction. It also can cause restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. Autism is referred to as a spectrum because there is such a wide array of traits & it has a unique effect on everyone. No two autistic people will exhibit exactly the same traits or behave exactly the same way. There isn't any one single way that autism should look & for many people who know me personally, I am not their image of what autism looks like. When I "came out" as autistic to a member of my family, she asked me how being autistic affects my life. My autism affects every aspect of my life, from my social interactions to my relationships to how I communicate to my physical movements to my habits to my interests to my sensory sensitivities & more. There isn't a single day that goes by that I am not reminded in one way or another that I am autistic. I am still in disbelief that almost thirty-two years of my life went by before I knew this crucial information about myself.
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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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