To whom it may concern:

Keep being real & genuine & straightforwardly honest. Your real friends will continue to appreciate you, not despite your attitude, but because of it.
#ActuallyAustistic #AutisticAppreciation #Neurodiversity #Neurodivergence #HelpSky #NEISVoid

Ideally, every student doctor runs into at least one of us talkative zebra teacher-activists before graduation so we can encourage them to explore medicine in healthy, useful ways.

I deeply enjoy that duty. Infodumping for great justice! 3/3 #NEISVoid #MedSky #ActuallyAutistic #AutisticAppreciation

Stimming is a way of regulating one's experience of the sensory world. It can be conscious and unconscious. Stims might include: Hand flapping, Whistling, Rocking, Repeating words (echolalia), Touching certain textures, using fidget toys, chewing, pressing buttons etc. It helps reduce anxiety and stress, allowing a person to cope at difficult times. Everyone stims in one way or another, however, Autistic people stim more due to our different experiences of the sensory world being more overwhelming to us. Suppressing or restricting someone's stims or ability to stim causes greater overwhelm and distress due to the inability to regulate how they feel. Normalise stimming rather than shaming it or judging it as weird. Simply rocking side to side can make a person feel happier and more at ease. There's nothing wrong with that!

Stimming, what is it, why we do it and why we should not restrict them!

#autism #autistic #neurodivergent #ActuallyAutistic #adhd #MentalHealthAwareness #neurodiverse #neuroqueer #neurokin #AutisticAppreciation #neurodiversity #neurodivergence #AutisticExperience #adhder #Stims #stimming

"Burnout is the state of mental, physical and emotional exhaustion which impacts energy levels and functioning capabilities. It can occur from masking, social situations, sensory overload, Autistic overwhelm, or running low on energy. Burnout might look like reduced speech/ability to talk, increased sensory sensitivities, inability to carry out tasks/routines, little/no motivation or reduction in self-care. Take time to put yourself and your needs first. Remove expectations, demands and set boundaries. Regain energy in safe environments, doing things that bring you joy. DON’T assume someone is just lazy when they may be struggling with burnout."

Autistic Burnout, what is it, what might it look like and what helps?

#autism #autistic #neurodivergent #ActuallyAutistic #AutisticPride #adhd #neuroqueer #neurokin #AutisticAppreciation #neurodiversity #neurodivergence #AutisticExperience #AutisticBurnout #Burnout

"Shutdowns are internalised meltdowns in which the Autistic person has become overwhelmed/distressed, in the same way as a meltdown, but that distress is kept inside and is not as visible. Signs of a shutdown include: reduced or no communication, low activity/loss of interests, sudden low mood or withdrawal/isolation. Causes includes: Overwhelm from sensory overload or increased demands Exhaustion (e.g. from excessive masking) Changes (in routine, environments etc.) Difficulty navigating a social situation/relationship Feelings of rejection sensitivity Shutdowns are harder to identify than meltdowns, so make sure the person is comfortable and feels safe. Do NOT pressure or force someone to re-engage or communicate until they feel able to."

Autistic Shutdowns. What are they, what are the signs, what are the causes and what helps?

#autism #autistic #neurodivergent #ActuallyAutistic #neurodiverse #neuroqueer #neurokin #AutisticAppreciation #neurodiversity #neurodivergence #adhder #shutdown

Alt text: "Masking is when you project an 'acceptable' version of one's self as an unconscious response to trauma. Masking can include: forcing eye contact, suppressing stims, copying social cues, hiding sensory discomfort, forcing mouth words or refraining from talking about interests. Masking can negatively impact Autistic people since it is draining and often leads to burnout. It can make someone lose their true identity trying to be who they are not or make you feel as though you are not good enough as you are. Sadly, people will always discriminate and judge. The best thing to do is to surround yourself with people you feel safe with who you can be your true self around. Remember you are amazing as you are and do not need to change for anyone!" Alt text ends.

Masking - what is it, what it might look like, what the impacts are and what helps

#autism #autistic #neurodivergent #ActuallyAutistic #AutisticAcceptance #adhd #MentalHealthAwareness #neurodiverse #neuroqueer #neurokin #AutisticAppreciation #neurodiversity #neurodivergence #AutisticExperience