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Hello! I would like to introduce you to this subreddit, https://t.co/pDqfoSv4CD because it's a great way to get an at-a-glance understanding of what day to day life as an #ActuallyAutistic person feels like. Here's a quick thread discussing common meme themes!
A lot of these things are pulled in from other contexts. A lot of these are going to be relatable to a lot of people. But if you find yourself nodding along to most of them, then hmm! I am going to screen cap reddit images and post with link + my own commentary.
Sure, a lot of people prefer texting! This is a meme channel by and for autistic people, some of whom are nonverbal, but most of whom experience That's Not For You with some regularity. https://t.co/598JZii1Oh https://t.co/6BDXO8IlDw
Special Interest: many of us have interests that we're happy to focus on Masking: behaving "normally" to ease social interactions But the tone of the title is sardonic - why? Masking is exhausting and soul-destroying. It fragments the self. https://t.co/hM6vjbAGo7 https://t.co/eUyk0qRTeQ
We know how we get - if you've got an autistic person in your life you've probably had this experience more times than you can count. ;) (Note the internalized ableism in "I should care". We learn to see ourselves as constantly falling short. 😔) https://t.co/pJZEFmfTFa https://t.co/7fyyGi99ox
Autism means you can't expect that your very real needs around stimulus, autonomy, communication etc will be respected, and must approach the world defensively. You also internalize that it's correct to value "politeness" over your own well-being. https://t.co/RiF9Znyt8x https://t.co/Scs8dK5P4I
Our brains tend to model things differently. A question like "How's that thing?" may seem reasonable if most people would agree about what "that thing" means, in context. What about the rest of us, though? My brain is miles away, which thing you mean? https://t.co/8QygJWaBdj https://t.co/i6e1fTpMND
Look, something simple like this? A lot of kids who really need to hear it never hear it. They get good grades and don't act out, so they're fine, right? We're failing these kids because nobody in their lives recognizes their struggles and needs. https://t.co/4oIiXtZYTr https://t.co/Jmhn2WOJCg
I'm starting to feel like being traumatized in a specific way is a common experience for us. Like a lot of "autistic" traits, this is also how attachment trauma and cPTSD manifest. https://t.co/RAsc05rAeB https://t.co/K1cDboyHuH
"I know, I'll organize a social event!" -> "I have to email guests." -> "Oh no what if dates are hard to coordinate what if I don't have everyones email what if what if what if" -> "Oh look too late!" -> "Why do I never see my friends?" -> "I know, I'll organize a social event!" https://t.co/jzc8MDl1E8
I, uh, I set out to provide a light-hearted introduction to the memes of my people but jeez. Lots of pain in here, huh? It's not a happy community that bonds over this, you know? https://t.co/XmBQ7WvJqI https://t.co/FznE9R0llv
Yeah I definitely needed a few years longer than I should have needed to learn to read social cues well enough to not just talk. I still have a complex about it - I'm often reluctant to talk. https://t.co/kdrESAaJ2M https://t.co/wjdHh5kPhv
I'ma end on a high note, cuz friends a lot of these got darker than I expected TBH. Autistic people are struggling, many without access to the support they need. But it's easy to be supportive - just believe people. Believe kids. https://t.co/oIC3Xcxv9G https://t.co/QcKibgo2kp
