Memes about being autistic

Yeah, all of these. Just... Don't.

Since discovering 2 years ago that I'm autistic the best thing has been finding that there are actual names for things I've always struggled with! This is Auditory Processing Disorder and is An Actual Thing (I always thought I was just a bit stupid).

Please forget all of your stereotypes. They're wrong.

I had someone on here tell me that I must be "high functioning" because I could clearly advocate for myself.

I mean, yeah. When I can read your comment, close the app, think about your comment, probably reopen the app and re-read it multiple times, think carefully about what I want to say, type it out, re-read your comment and my comment, edit what I said, and then hit send.

Talk to me in person (especially in a confrontational manner) and I can't string two words together. And will probably cry.

Yes we fucking are!

In conversations - particularly group conversations - I either interrupt a lot ("I have something to say that is relevant and it's really exciting and I must say it NOW!!!) or I can't find the right point to join in so I end up saying nothing.

I read a book (Odd Girl Out) about a woman who discovered she was autistic at 40.

I kept thinking to myself "But everyone does that/feels like that. I do!".

After, like, the fifth time the lightbulb flicked on.

My life in one meme.

And this.

This!
My 5 year old is now in the process of being diagnosed with both ASD and ADHD.
I am NOT interested in any "treatment" that suppresses his natural behaviours in order to make him fit in. He is weird, he is wonderful, he is free to be himself.

I have spent the last 2 years doing this.
"Oh, THAT'S why I did that thing."

Masking is one of the reasons why 4 x as many boys are diagnosed as girls.
Boys literally do not give a shit. They do what they want.
Girls are desperate to fit in. So they watch and they learn and they copy. They suppress and they apologise. They're quiet and never any bother at school but breakdown when they get home.

The interesting thing is - that for those of us who aren't diagnosed until later - it can become completely subconscious. It's not a thought out and considered process, it just sort of happens. You mimic those around you until you don't even know who you are any more, but you just kind of assume that everyone else around you is pretending too.

Picking apart my subconscious mask and discovering who I am underneath has been the most freeing thing about my diagnosis.

I love Autistic Me.

Another thing I now have a name for. I'm not lazy or unmotivated. I have executive functioning issues.

This actually works BTW. I don't this is ND specific at all but I'm tossing it in here because it helps.

It's like using my customer service voice in every conversation ever.
Exhausting.

Oh, so true!
My uni housemates labelled me as "the eccentric one" within a week.
But I didn't get labelled as ASD until I was 30.

LISTEN TO US

So much happier now.

Full house!

Very important.
We're not all the same.
We're not "more autistic" or "less autistic".
We don't all for the stereotype.
We're just us.
And we're really fucking awesome.