i will never apologize for my accessibility needs. i will never apologize for standing up for myself and my accessibility needs. i will never apologize for having accessibility needs. i will never apologize for asking for my accessibility needs to be met. neither should you.
undiagnosed or late-diagnosed autistics, time to reveal yourselves. what is one memory from your childhood or pre-teen years that should have suggested to people that you might have autism, but didn’t.
for me, i made my mom sing me a lullaby every night until i was 12, because i didn’t like the idea of my nightly routine ever changing. if she didn’t sing me one, i would get out of bed, go get her from wherever she was in the house, bring her to my room, and make her tuck me in and sing one to me. i wasn’t able to fall asleep until she did.
Late-diagnosed autistic here.
My nana was the only one that got suspicious over this, but I would cry and scream if I was interrupted while in the middle of a task (ex: coloring a page) but would be perfectly calm about having to stop what I was doing if I was allowed to finish. She said my distress looked as if I was in physical, real pain over this every time it happened.
Can everyone please stop saying things like this? Just because we don’t show traits around certain people doesn’t mean that we’re faking/don’t have the disorder. I had to learn to the best of my ability to be, what society says, is normal. And not be so “weird”. It’s harder than people think. And it really drains you too.
[Image text]: I learned against my own will how to hide my entire being at a young age as a result of chronic, repetitive child abuse, emotional neglect, bullying, ostracism, and social isolation simply because I am autistic that lasted for over a decade, causing me to involuntarily mask on a daily basis and become a bitter, confused dissociating mess of a human shell who for a long time believed that there was something horribly wrong with me as an existing human being and couldn’t comprehend that I was just different and that there was actually nothing wrong with me and I never came to terms with it until early adulthood and that is why, my friend, I do not ‘look’ autistic to you.
this may not work for everyone, but the best advice i’ve ever heard was something like “if you’re struggling with something, make it easier.” that sounds like bullshit, but it actually helps me a lot.
i struggled to brush my teeth for years. i still do! but i made it easier for myself by paying attention to my needs. what kept me from brushing? part of it was the sensory experience, so i switched to an electric one and it works much better for me. part of it was having to stand in the bathroom for two minutes, so i moved my brush and toothpaste into my bedroom, where i lay or sit in bed and look at my phone while i use them. this didn’t solve the entire problem for me, but it made things so much easier.
i can’t stand having a shirt collar, so i wear mostly tank tops, but for the shirts i really like, i usually just cut the neck part out. yeah it’s not super pretty, so i keep some of my shirts uncut if i really like them for their look, but it helps for my every day clothes. (my mom taught me this one.)
showering and doing dishes are two things that make me want to die from boredom(? i don’t really have a term for that crushing boredom/dread of executive dysfunction and trauma responses). now i have a speaker for my shower and headphones for chores, and i just listen to music or podcasts. it makes things easier, even if it isn’t enough every time.
just. look at what you’re struggling with and think about what specific part is bothering you most. if there’s an easy fix, take it. even if it only makes things slightly more manageable, you deserve that. you deserve an easier way to do things that you struggle with. even if the solution seems silly or weird, is it hurting anyone? is it making anything worse? is it better to brush your teeth in bed or not at all?
I really love the autism positivity on this website, but it seems to mainly focus on verbal autistics. Can I get a reblog for nonverbal autism positivity?
I want the mile long Prince Sidon Analysis on why you think he's autistic because I'm totally neurotypical and I love him a completely normal amount 👍👍👍
I AUDIBLY SAID YAY WHEN I READ THIS ANON ILY anyways
The most noticable symptoms I have observed in Sidon as an autistic person are observed in his relationships, body language, routine, and interactions with Link.
Let's start with relationships. Sidon is without a doubt an extrovert, but I have a maybe painful, maybe controversial observation to make here. Other than Link, Sidon doesn't have any observable friends. A common misconception about autistic people is that we are all introverts, but this is not the case. Often we want to make friends, but struggle with social cues to where we are alienated in conversation. In Sidon's case, he struggles with social ques, either implying something he does not mean, or misunderstanding a figure of speech. For, "Implying something he does not mean" a certain hylian serves as evidence for this. Traysi.
Remember how Sidon introduced himself to Link? Well, not everyone took kindly to it. Traysi can be found hiding before you meet Sidon at Inogo bridge. To paraphrase her, she says Sidon is "A freak (or creep? I can't remember which one)" and that he said he was, "watching her." Yeah, Sidon did say that to Link as well, but as the players we know that he did not have any stalker like implications, however as a lone traveler, it's not insane of Traysi to assume that. This exemplifies the fact that Sidon, like many other autistic people, will give off unintentional implications due to wording. Sidon mistakingly came off as a stalker to Traysi, and likely did not understand why she hid, as he says the same thing to Link after. I bold that because autistic people often do not understand neurotypical's social rules, we will not know why we have upset something 90% of the time.
Next is body language. I'm sure most already know but i will clarify anyway because I want to: a common trait in autistic people is stimming! This is a method of emotional regulation where we will move a part of our bodies in a repeated motion/action, or repeat words and phrases. Sidon's trademarked pose is very likely a stim! He does it when he is excited, whether it be from encouraging others or good news. This stim gives a lot of enjoyment and is very charming (plus he has done it since he was a child!) So he does this a lot due to positive reactions from others. This is not Sidon's only stim, as he noticeably bounces a lot when he talks. A more subtle stim can be observed in Age of Calamity, where he bounces his head a lot while talking! (My personal favorite, it's fucking adorable.)
Next is routine. This is a more simple observation, and more dismissible due to video game logic, but I thought to include it anyway. Sidon has a routine of: Staring at Mipha's statue by night, staring at Vah Ruta by day. Autistic people are known to have strict routines to follow, and Sidon's routine centers around Mipha. We also may be found getting upset when routine is disrupted, as Sidon does when Link overhears his grieving at night.
Last and most definitely not least, we have his interactions with Link. My personal favorite is at Inogo bridge. When Sidon asks you if you are going to help with Vah Ruta, one of the response options is, "I'll think on it." Sidon's response is, "You'll think on it? ... ... ... ... ... Was that sufficient time to think? Surely, let's go!" Holy FUCK I love this dialogue. Sidon does not catch what the implications of, "I'll think on it" are. Normally one would use this dismissively, (as it kinda serves as a no option...) But luckily Sidon has autism immunity! He couldn't read the social que that was being conveyed, one being dismissive, and instead gives Link maybe 10 seconds to "think on it." As a whole, when Sidon talks to Link his mannerisms are definitely different from the other Zora. He has is own way of wording things, for example, "Have I mentioned how incredible you are? And how thankful I am? Because you are, and I am!" Also... speaking of this line of dialogue, the first part is written in a larger font because our boy here is yelling. Like many other autistic people, Sidon seems to occasionally lack control with the volume of his voice. Other zora are not often found yelling as often as Sidon, and many of his behaviors are specific to him.
Another interaction I like is an alternative cutscene. Instead of meeting Sidon at Inogo bridge, you can pass him, and meet him at the throne room instead. Here you will see Sidon's more... bitchy side, which I love. Though Sidon did have some bitchy intent in this conversation, I doubt it was truly malicious. However, his tone definitely comes off very rude. I am unsure if this was intentional, because he apologizes immediately after. Another instance of Sidon's bluntness (autistic people are also known to be very blunt) is when he tried to recruit the Goron Reagah, who hangs out in the general store. Sidon says to Reagah, "I simply cannot carry you!" Which I really don't think he had any malicious intent behind, however Reagah feels it was rude of Sidon. I think this was an instance of Sidon showing that classic bluntness of autistic people (a bluntness that he apologizes for!!!) And, in his blunt honesty, he came off as offensive towards the Goron.
As a final note, Sidon constant apologizing gives off a subtle internalized ableism, and low self esteem. But these mile long paragraphs are my main reasons for headcanoning him as autistic. I addition, I think he may have ADHD as well, many symptoms of the two are shared, but they are also present together frequently. Here is a venn diagram I found where I highlighted symptoms Sidon shows.
I wasn't sure about some, so I'll explain why.
Short attention span: This is something I quite frankly don't know how to catch in Sidon. He does tend to switch between subjects sometimes in conversation, but I am not confident enough to be sure if that indicates a short attention span.
Emotional dysregulation: Sidon has a few responses that don't seem traditional, most indicative in the alternative throne room cutscene and his interaction with Reagah. However I again do not have enough evidence to confidently identify it.
Rejection sensitive: I an actually pretty sure Sidon is rejection sensitive, as I feel his self esteem is dependent on how others perceive him. Then again, this may be an interpretation specific to me so it's debatable.
Anxiety from routine change: Sidon does have routines, but we simply don't get enough info to tell if he gets anxiety from change. He was anxious when Link heard his grieving, but that's all we have. Not enough to make a sure conclusion.
Not understanding social rules: This plays into social ques. Sidon didn't seem to understand why someone would think, "I've been watching you" sounds weird, so that indicates he doesn't understand social rules. I leave this up for debate because honestly I think I'm reading into things too much.
The ones that are fully highlighted should have been explained to some degree already. I would have provided screenshots instead of paraphrasing, but that required me to play through the entire beginning again just to get them, or get a YouTube video. My memory is fairly reliable when it comes to Zoras, especially Sidon, so I hope my explanation is enough. Again, thank you so kuch for asking this, I have wanted to yell about Autistic Sidon for so long.
The autistic experience is having a memory of a day you ate a popsicle and then cringing for ten minutes while you relive the sensation of wet wood on your tongue.
What are some tricks for getting executive dysfunction to bugger off long enough to do the thing?
Here are some ideas I’ve either found work for me or I’ve been told work for other people. Hopefully you’ll find some of them effective or, if not, maybe they’ll inspire you to come up with some brand new strategies of your own.
I’ve also talked more in-depth about how I personally tackle doing tasks despite executive dysfunction here, and I have an ADHD Writing Advice post here that has some tips that may be applicable to tasks other than writing.
Source ~ TikTok jeremyandrewdavis
[Transcript:
*Bullying Autistics Sounds Like*
That dude is so awkward.
Why you wear the same clothes all week?
I can't believe you brought your own food into a restaurant. Tha's weird.
I need you to look at me when I'm presenting, so I know you're paying attention.
Hey, watch how ticklish he is.
You don't got kids, but you still play with Legos?!
Sorry. We're late. Slowpoke here doesn't believe in going any over the speed limit.
Dang man, you fidget so much you'd cause an earthquake.
You trying to be cool wearing your sunglasses inside?
You need your ears checked man. I don't hear a high pitched whine.
Don't be so sensitive.
I would NEVER bully an autistic person!
End Transcript]
April 24th through April 30th I will be posting daily autism-related content! While I will not be posting additional requested content during this week, feel free to send in asks and requests! I’ll be responding like usual, and I will start filling requests I receive after the celebration ends.
This is your reminder to turn off notifications or block the celebration tag if you are not interested or do not want to be spammed! All content posted during this week will be tagged with #autism acceptance month.
So I have a question for you or your followers.
I'm autistic and I'm working on becoming a teacher over the next few years. Thing is, I haven't found many resources for autistic teachers. I'm having difficulty coming up with lesson plans and getting my point across. Anxiety is also making me shut down a little bit.
If anyone has any tips or resources, that'd be much appreciated.
If anyone has a response for @lollipopdollie and wants to send an anon ask, I'll be watching my inbox for responses.
Advice originally about something else: it's always easier the second time around. When tutoring, I found it true that I would get more comfortable teaching a topic as more students asked me about it. (I tutored math for two quarters in college, but am not a teacher.)
Eureka Math has (almost) minute-by-minute scripts of their lessons, for free. It seems a lot of neurotypical teachers hate how inflexible the scripts are. It sounds like lesson scripts are just what you need. I don't know if they have scripts for their other textbooks, though.
Anyway, you don't have to be good. Just good enough. They were in their school's general college preparatory program. As a tutor, I just had to be better than the student's professor. Not even better at the subject matter. Just better at listening to their questions and understanding where their confusions are. Teaching strategies that include frequent quizzing/testing are meant to help with this.
Also, a quick little tip: if a student asks a question and doesn't seem helped with your answer, ask the class to answer the question. Usually another student had the same question/thought process already and can explain clearly. If not the answer, at least they can try to rephrase the question for you since, again, there's probably other students with the same question. This will help you keep the class moving instead of getting stuck on a question.
Is there something you planned to do before you got trapped in the endless tumblr scroll?
Are you yelling at yourself to get up and do the thing, but you can’t, because you’re trapped in the endless tumblr scroll?
Consider this your save point.
Put tumblr down, stand up, stretch, and go do the thing you planned to do. Future you will be incredibly grateful.
Things people in the notes have been able to do thanks to this post:
I need y’all to know that you’re doing amazing, and I’m so glad that I was able to help you break out of a procrastination loop you did not want to be stuck in.
having emergency meds for my sensory overload days has helped like, incredibly. more autistic people need to know this is an option
ok so basically no autistic folks I talk to are aware there are medications that can prevent/alleviate sensory shutdown/meltdowns, and overall just help w/ sensory issues in general.
my psychiatrist & I discovered this accidentally when we were treating my anxiety symptoms & discovered the meds I was on did wonders for my sensory issues. it turns out anti-anxiety medication can be used off label to treat autistic/sensory issues. (that’s probably not the best article out there, I’ll find more later)
I personally used benzodiazepines*, first on a daily basis to deal with the massive amounts of overstimulation in my day-to-day life. gradually, as the meds gave me room to recover & make environmental changes, it became something I only take occasionally, on unusually bad days.
If you guys have ADD/ADHD, autism, OCD, or something else that affects your ability to concentrate, I highly recommend the chrome extension Mercury Reader. You just open whatever link you're using, then click on the MR icon (it should look like a rocket) and it'll simplify the page so that it's in a focus-friendly layout. Instead of having random pictures and word boxes all over the screen, it'll be in a vertical format with nothing to distract you so you can focus on what's important. You can also adjust the text size (small, medium, large), font (serif, sans), and theme (light, dark). And the best part is, it's completely free! It's honestly one of the best things I've ever downloaded.
This is an article without the extension. See that messy format, and how the actual article content only takes up a fraction of the page? It's no wonder it took me 7 hours to write that paper.
The same article, this time with Mercury. The user-friendly settings are at the top, and the rest of the article is formatted vertically down the middle with no free-roaming pictures or words. How nice.
YES IVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS FOREVER
((i know scrolling through and reblogging long posts can be annoying sometimes, but if you have the time please read through and reblog because i’m sick and people need to know about this))
this movie is called music and it’s about a supposedly about a nonverbal, austistic girl named music. the problem? music is played by maddie ziegler
maddie is neurotypical (individuals of typical developmental, intellectual, and cognitive abilities,) ie: she is NOT on the spectrum and NOT disabled. so there’s the first issue. but then we get into sia’s response to the whole thing which ends up being worse somehow
people are obviously and rightfully upset with maddie’s casting.
so what was sia’s response to the criticism?
“oh well, we tried”
now i work as a paraprofessional in an elementary school and many of our students are on the spectrum, nonverbal, disabled, or some combination of all three and/or more. sometimes working with students with disabilities can be challenging but the biggest lesson i have learned in the last 3 years is that there are always ways to be ACCOMMODATING because it often is a LOT more difficult for the student who is neurodiverse than the adult who is neurotypical. i have seen tremendous growth when working with students with educational and social disabilities when they are given the appropriate accommodations, patience, and understanding.
the actress sia and this team worked with probably did find the whole situation daunting and stressful, because like the fucking movie says in the trailer, her brain is DIFFERENT FROM OURS. if this movie was really about spreading awareness about disabilities, they would have accommodated to the actress so that she could work stress free and feel safe and if they couldn’t figure out how to do that, they shouldn’t have made the fucking movie at all
sia also manages to criticize sex workers and people struggling from addictions at the same time during her “defense”
let’s see what else?
oh the movie is not accessible
there are no also no fucking captions for a movie supposedly about disabilities
oh and autism speaks is involved too which sia justifies “not knowing how garbage they are” on a MOVIE ABOUT A GIRL WHO IS ON THE SPECTRUM HOW FUCKING STUPID DO YOU HAVE TO BE
this one actress states that she and many other austistic actors said they would be a part of the movie short notice
to which sia had to say this
i’m not trying to be a proponent of cancel culture but this is fucking DISGUSTING. sia is trying to justify her actions with ableist bullshit. she’s upset that people are judging her movie “before they’ve seen it” when it’s CLEARLY NOT WORTH SEEING because like many people have pointed out, this movie is NOT an accurate portrayal of disabilities, not accessible, the people involved clearly didn’t put the effort and time into making something that actually brought any kind of awareness, and all of this boils down to sia and her team being a bunch of ableist who weren’t willing to put in the effort or time.
imagine having such a large platform as these celebrities have and creating an ableist, garbage piece of media that only polarizes and discriminates even further and then acting like you’re the victim in the situation. i’m DISGUSTED, APPALLED, ANGERED, and OUTRAGED and you should too.
people on the spectrum matter, nonverbal people matter, people with disabilities matter, neurodiverse people matter.
while we do our social justice thing to shut down racism, sexism, homophobia, etc, let’s remember to shut down ableism as well because it fucking matters too
Posting on behalf of a student in the Marquette Autism Project lab:
Hello!
My name is Alexis Arias, and I am a student at Marquette University working in Dr. Amy Vaughan Van Hecke’s Marquette Autism Project. I’m recruiting participants to complete an anonymous, online survey. The study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Marquette University. This research project is intended to develop a better understanding of the neurodiversity demographics and experiences with behavioral interventions amongst different communities.
The findings of this study will hopefully help us understand demographics including human sexuality and gender identity, as well as past experiences with behavioral interventions in general. I would truly appreciate it if you could take 15-20 minutes of your time to complete this anonymous, online survey.
In appreciation of your participation, we are going to raffle off:
1 - $100 amazon retail gift cards
2 - $50 amazon retail gift cards
10 - $10 amazon retail gift cards.
If you decide to participate, you can have your email address entered into a raffle.
Please note that you must be at least 18 years of age to participate in this study. To learn more about the purpose of the study, the benefits and risks, and the incentives for participating, please visit
https://marquette.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d0ZliJLCPxNGYux
Again the survey is anonymous - your email address will not be linked to your data and you will never be asked to provide your name or other identifying information. Your participation is completely voluntary. If you have any questions about the study, please do not hesitate to contact our research lab at (414-288-4438) or by email [email protected]
Thank you for your time,
Alexis Arias
Marquette University
Survey Link: https://marquette.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d0ZliJLCPxNGYux
Is this survey international or specific to USA? Nothing in the survey requirements contains any information about regional restrictions to the survey, so clearly it’s open worldwide. However, one of the questions asks me what state I live in, and lists only USA states, despite me living in New Zealand. So clearly it’s for people living in USA only.
Can this be clarified?
I just talked to the person. I know they already responded to you @matt-lock, but for those who may have the same issue, here is their response:
‘That was an error in crafting the survey, it’s open to everyone! The question isn’t required, so people can just skip it if doesn’t apply to them.’
