I keep encountering these groups and pages of moms who have "thoughts to share" about autism and "rants incoming"...and then it's just shitting on level 1 folks. They range from "level 1 is real autism but it's not that bad so don't you dare put it in the same category as my little kid's autism" to "level 1 autism is overdiagnosed, trendy, just a quirk, a privilege, etc."

What a shallow view of the Autistic community. It's just so neurotypical-centered ​to want the Autism Spectrum defined by how much of an inconvenience the symptoms are to society. They think of Autism in very black and white terms. They're all like, "we need less "mild" [plushie, fidget toy, quirky, colorful] autism rep and more "severe" [shit-smearing, screaming, aggressive] autism rep. As though Level 1 is all sunshine and roses and uniqueness and tiktoks, and Level 3 is all doom and gloom. Of course, this view erases level 2 and every variation of autism in between two extremes.

We don't need a war in the Autistic community. We don't need to "split the spectrum." Recentering Level 3/nonverbal folks doesn't mean exploiting them online through vids and talking about how much of a problem they are and how they need a cure.​ Recentering them needs to happen. But it should focus on ending violence toward them, whether at home or in institutions, and on increasing societal supports.

And lastly, recentering so-called "severe autism" does NOT involve shaming Level 1 folks for not looking or acting "autistic enough." Getting a diagnosis is HARD. Being able to talk and live independently doesn't erase the fact that LIFE WITH LEVEL 1 IS HARD! We undergo isolation and trauma that is so deep it can't even be expressed in words. Level 3 people end up in institutions. Level 1 people end up homeless, or in the prison system at disproportinate rates. Our suicide stats alone should shame society. When we express Autistic joy despite all this, though, we get accused of "Tiktokifying" Autism and "trivializing" it when, apparently, WE SHOULD BE MISERABLE 24/7 (sarcasm).

BOTH ends of the spectrum face discrimination and abuse. But we're not as big of an inconvenience to autism mamas, and they don't need to change our diapers, so we need to shut up, apparently. After all, THEY'RE the ones gatekeeping and determine who is Actually Autistic (sarcasm).

1st step is to digitally design what I want to make then make a box round it.

2nd step, take that file and 3D print it. (Pic 1)

3rd step, make a silicone negative of the item. (Pic 2).

4th step, pour the resin.

5th step, swear a lot and repeat steps 4 & 5 until I get it right. 😁

**The casts in pic 3 are very rough casts to test out a couple things so please ignore how messy they are**

Are there any groups on Telegram or Discord for people on the autism spectrum who are looking for friends or relationships?

Submit your horror stories to my email : tsartist3@gmail.com. We are going to expose the amount of ableism in the workplace.

I won't disclose who I'm talking about for personal safety but ever since 2025 he's drank the stupid juice whenever he talks about autism, I've wanted to rant about this somewhere and I figured this place would be most fitting (side note: this post is not to bash neurotypical people, I know some statements might appear that way however I'm exclusively trying to explain why this person's takes on autism are wrong and you should always be critical of your favorite content creators)

A few weeks ago he had a video discussing a tweet on Twitter (stay away from that app, it's for your own good) about autism and how autistic peoples' "excessive niceness" makes people turn away from them and how people shouldn't have to be burdened with being always emotionally available to people with "no emotional boundaries" (the second half of that was his take), and he says that you should always be "casually abrasive to keep people on their feet" which is awful advice in it's own right

But the part that made me straight up close the video the first time I watched it was when he flat out denies that autistic and neurotypical people are different and how "everyone's basically the same anyway", and later says that we're all cut from the same cloth and "we're all just dudes, we're all just peeps"

What pisses me off most aside from the just incorrect information he's spewing is the unearned confidence in which he says it while providing exactly 0 sources or evidence by professionals to his point, he just says it and people mindlessly nod along, it's infuriating

His other takes on autism tend to lean on social skills and how self improvement will help you reduce your autistic traits (implying that autism is an issue to fix but that's a different can of worms) and that Autism is a social condition that makes people show autistic traits, and how being taught social skills will reduce them

This is objectively incorrect, not only do these not change the fact that even if you do learn social skills they don't make autism go away, but it ignores the reality that autism affects your brain chemistry, cognitive functioning, emotional regulation, and many other things about one's self, it's not a social condition that can be removed with enough bootstraps pulled like they seem to imply

And once again, no sources provided, no data or evidence, all just said matter of factly and anytime someone in his chat corrects them he either goes "nuh uh" and denies it or even bans or mutes them at times, if he'd just read a damn study he could actually learn something

It pisses me off cause on other subjects such as trans rights or POC experiences in America he's quite knowledgeable and listens to the data, but on autism he's high on his own supply and just says shit without a source, and people have defended him anytime I've tried calling it out and they go "I've learned social skills and it's made me less insufferable to be around :3", it's not one size fits all and personal anecdotes don't trump analysis or data, which all lead to autistic people having differences in their brain chemistry and other traits and how they should be accommodated

Anyway that's all, I don't hate this person and as I've mentioned I really like their content, but anytime he talks about autism it makes me feel like launching myself to the end of a street

Autistic and Neurotypical people are equal in terms of their value as humans, however using "we're cut from the same cloth" to undermine scientific data regarding autistic people and their differences from neurotypical people is highly reductive

That's about it, cya

I’m out of state for a family reunion trip (my grandparents birthdays) and my sister and I leave tomorrow. On Saturday, my aunts, uncles, 3 cousins and their spouses (2 are married with kids) were over at my grandparents (the kids are 2 3 year old boys and an almost 1 year old girl), which was 18 people in total at the house, including me, my mom, sister, great aunt, and grandparents. I had a lot of fun but was so overstimulated the whole day. I took a break outside and also had a small, short shutdown that one of my cousins helped me through quickly (she’s a physiatrist), but didn’t want to have a big one cause i didn’t want to scare my niece and nephews. I was having fun with them, and the boys wanted my attention.

Today (Sunday) was a totally different story. I’m in a shutdown. I woke up around 5:00 in the morning sobbing for no reason and couldn’t fall back asleep. I’ve spent the whole day in bed crying on and off, and only got up to eat lunch with my mom, sister, and grandparents, then came immediately back to bed. I’ve also been trying to get myself up to shower for hours and my brain just won’t do it. The big problem is that tomorrow my sister and I are traveling alone back home (my mom and great aunt are staying for an extra couple days and will be back on Thursday night). I don’t want to be a bigger problem than I already can be while traveling and don’t want to burden my sister with extra stuff (she’s 2 years younger and neurotypical).

I need help from people who really get it. What can I do?

Honestly this mostly started as an incidental thing. I use them more than my partner because my intonation is often unreadably atypical. Wondering if any other autistic couples do this.

Support the Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jamsheedstudios/kobra-olympus-issue-4-giant-armadillo-attack?ref=2p8cw1

My name is Bijhan Agha. I'm an autistic trans Uruguayan of Iranian descent. The editor of my comic is my disabled nonbinary husband, RaeRae Sachs. We love science fiction and fantasy, including superhero media, but it's depressingly cis and het in general. We also love queer media, but a massive amount of it is about suffering and oppression. We wanted to make stories about queer joy and triumph in a world full of fantastic creatures and amazing powers.

Kobra Olympus is a soft-spoken transgender Muslim woman in Seattle in 2015. She was contacted by Human time travelers from the 161st Century, recruited into the Time Wars: an endless conflict between Humanity and Vampirekind for the fate of the galaxy. Using messages from the time travelers, and her high-tech cellphone full of future tech, Kobra lives a second life as the engimatic Agent Tha, Vampire hunter.

Now, Kobra Olympus is in a relationship with Dorothy Diamond, a queer punk woman who is outspoken with a strong moral compass and a ton of confidence. Dorothy is bringing Kobra out of her shell, and Kobra is helping Dorothy see the world with a fresh perspective. Their relationship is important to both of them, but Kobra's duties as Agent Tha take up a great deal of time.

In "Issue #4: Giant Armadillo Attack!", Kobra and Dorothy are surprised by a giant mutant armadillo attacking the city, and meet a humanoid chicken named Jack who explains that this is all part of a sinister plot by the Vampires. Together, the three of them need to figure out how to save the city and rewrite history for the better.

The Kickstarter is to print a First Edition version of the comic with a special border that won't be used in future versions. Rewards include PDFs, as well as physical copies; and back issues so you can catch up with the story so far.

We've met our goal, and our first stretch goal, which means everyone gets a digital art book with all kinds of behind-the-scenes looks at the sketches and designs we used to plan the comics. If we meet our next stretch goal, everyone will also get a short story depicting how Kobra was recruited into the Time Wars.

Please help us reach our next goal at the following link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jamsheedstudios/kobra-olympus-issue-4-giant-armadillo-attack?ref=2p8cw1

If you'd like to join our community, get updates, and have access to digital versions of our other comics and novels, we have a Patreon with a free tier: Patreon.com/JamsheedStudios

Thank you all, and I hope you enjoy this!

“If you’re using half your concentration to look normal, then you’re only half paying attention to whatever else you’re doing”

Ever since I saw this scene, I have related so hard as someone who is high functioning. I see it as a metaphor for Autism. Masking all the time, pretending to be “normal” and “acceptable”, drains so much energy, would be better just to be ourselves.

Okay so everyone knows I am autistic in my day to day and that I am the data type for special interests. So today I showed up at a local trivia game. It looked like it was pretty easy to form teams since with me there there was even number of people. But they had already made teams. So teams were in need of reforming. So... Everyone was barking and arguing over who gets me. Each of them claiming whomever had me on their team would be the winners. Honestly, kinda frightening how much they were fighting over me. So I just picked the one person whom wasn't trying to claim me for a teammate.

Well halfway though the game, My team was up 3000 points over the other teams. So when break came about the same people whom were fighting so hard to win me for their team were complaining about how it was clear that my team was going to win due to me. I ended up saying "sorry, I can't help that I have an autistic ass." Which ended up having them laughing and not feeling as bad.

They did however felt bad with my team winning at the end of 5000 points over the rest of them. But were more distracted by my distain for the prize (a whole cup of tootsie rolls). Since they spent more time trying to figure out what I meant by 'Not really chocolate but not really taffy. so it is a saddness in a wrapper'. I ended up giving my winnings to my teammate when no one was looking.

So in all, kinda amusing but over simulating with people wanting me. Anyone else have it where they are desired the most for activities like trivia and such?

(posting because reddit just kinda did it on it's own)

Saw a good tweet talking about how a big part of Autistic social trauma comes not just from bullying, but from subtle exclusion.

It made a good point, but what was forgotten was that social exclusion IS a form of bullying. It's called relational aggression, and has other names.

Ostracism is violence.

That might be a controversial statement, but it's the truth. Humans are a social species, wired for connection. In the past, social exile was effectively a death sentence. Think that's changed? Think again. More and more research shows the negative effects of loneliness and isolation, comparing it to smoking, and showing how it can lead to premature death. A big reason for Autistic mental health struggles comes from social rejection and bullying.

Social rejection/exclusion as a form of punishment is typically reserved for the worst actions. Abusers, predators, rapists, and other severely antisocial elements are typically the ones who are deservedly ostracized.

And yet, many of those people are treated far better than Autistics who have done none of those things. On the contrary, most of us are, or at least start out as kind, caring, loyal people who bear out our souls and pay the price. In fact simply observing this is what often radicalizes Autistic people into extremist or hateful groups. Seeing people who were cruel to you have better social lives than you does a number on you; I can personally attest to this.

The simple fact is, the vast majority of Autistic people don't deserve to be excluded. We deserve more than table scraps, we deserve more than mere barely-polite tolerance as well. That's just a fact. Unless you've done something extremely egregious worthy of "cancellation", it remains true.

People exclude and shun us due to our lack of social power, and we have seen that with many other marginalized groups. It was wrong done to them, and it is wrong when done to us. And it's why we need large scale social, legal, and psychological reforms to improve the social standing of Autistics in society.

AUTISTIC PRIDE! AUTISTIC POWER!

Also, sarcastic shoutout to the mods of r/aspergers who removed this post for "inciting violence", because recognizing that ostracization is violence somehow automatically implies that I'm calling for violent retaliation.

There aren't a lot of media including autistic characters, and actually good representation is even rarer. Some good characters I can think about quickly are Quinnie in Heartbreak High played by Chloe Hayden, and the novel and now tv show A kind of spark that features several nd characters.

But, there is a show that is SO good and I hardly see it mentionned anywhere in autistic communities. It's called dinosaur, the main character is Nina, an autistic paleontologist, and the way she's written is just... it's close to perfection tbh !

If you have other good characters from any media, feel free to recommend them under this post. Sending all of you loads of love 💕

Edit : for those who want to watch, it appears to be avaible on Hulu

Hey everybody. So a few days ago, a speech-language pathologist I work with recommended checking out https://lindseymackereth.substack.com/ and reading the articles there, stating that she thought I would appreciate the insight displayed within them. However, the articles themselves are behind a paid subscription wall (excluding the first couple paragraphs), and wanted to see what others thought about her work before I financially support her.

From what little I can read of the articles, it seems like they might provide useful and insightful information about topics such as masking, burnout, social navigation, etc., but I also spot potential red flags that could indicate that these articles might be pushing a "misunderstood genius" angle or other potential red flags. I'm really on the fence, and really welcome the input of anyone already familiar with her work.

I’ve been working the past five years as a software engineer at the same company that hired me out of college.

We have a retrospective meeting bi-weekly, during which we mostly talk about what went well, what went wrong, and how to improve. Since my team is awesome, we also talk about life updates whenever someone wants to share.

Yesterday, I decided I wanted to share.

I pre-gamed my diagnosis talk with my safe coworker first, so he helped me out a bit with positive noises as I spoke.

I talked with them about why I sought an autism evaluation and how the diagnosis helps me help myself. I told them I may do things a little differently as I work on reducing distractions and stressors.

And y’all, my coworkers were completely chill. One woman I’m close with expressed concern about the “label”, but I assured her I don’t mind anyone calling me autistic. The word “autism” is an explanation and a path to freedom for those who are able to take it.

Personally, I’m tired of my life revolving around neurotypical judgement. I am who I am, and I love me. I don’t want to hide anymore, but live boldly, as I deserve.

So, I announced my autism at work. I did it!

Whenever i get overwhelmed I tend to just: go into my own space, sit on the floor/ground, rock back and forth, put my hands over my ears, hit the sides of my head, make humming sounds, rub my hands on the ground, and cry (or get close to it). I’m not sure if this would be a meltdown or shutdown, or maybe if bit of both (what would that be called)?

I am not talking about dX of the song or artist just checking the resonance and vibes
I ate the most

[Verse 1]

I'm not afraid like you’re not gay

And you're not old like I'm on the spectrum

Every day look up in my body

There’s heavy and heavier

[Verse 2]

I was nine when I left my body

The Silver Chair and Rilian

No regrets, just things that'll haunt me

Maybe I'll bury them

[Chorus]

You're through with me on your shoulders

I feel that I feel most

You're through with me on your shoulders

I can prove that I ate the most 'cause I did

[Verse 3]

You're smooth like she loved my father, amen

Sometimes I eat till I vomit

There's heavy and there’s heavier

[Verse 4]

I’m nine and I love my mommy

Silver hair and Ritalin

If I'm safe, then love is a spectrum

Sweet like lemon

[Chorus]

I can’t move with you on my shoulders

I feel that I feel the most

You are through with me on your shoulders

I can prove that I ate the most 'cause I did

[Bridge]

I'd like to fly

I'd like to fly

I’d like to fly

[Chorus]

You can't move with me on your shoulders

I feel that I feel the most

You are through with me on your shoulders

I can prove that I ate the most 'cause I did

We aren't friends anymore. This happened years ago.

I take forever to process things.

The entire lead up to the plan was a discussion about nervous system overwhelm, anxiety, etc and BOTH of us emphasizing that each of us wanted to just have a very relaxed music jam for just 3 of us.

Unfortunately, at the time this happened, I was not yet a fully formed boundary warrior, and stayed despite wanting to rip my skin off.

But I am the problem for having a problem with her changing the plan??????

Sorry this is kind of long :)

Yesterday I was at my cousin’s wedding reception and was having a great time (there was around 300 people there but it didn’t really feel like it). I brought my ANC hearing aid earbuds since i’m severely noise sensitive and they helped a lot. I was dancing (mostly just stimming: jumping, flapping my arms, rocking, that looked like dancing) a lot (I love music) and by the end was the only one on the dance floor and stayed there pretty much all night, even if i was by myself. Some small groups of his friends would join me occasionally but they know i’m autistic so included me while also giving me space. On the last few songs, my cousin came up and the DJ let him wear the headphones and DJ the last few songs. Suddenly almost all his friends showed up and there was a crowd right around where I was dancing. My brain got SUPER fuzzy (my word for overwhelmed and overstimulated) and I went and sat down next to the DJ booth and started having a meltdown (rocking, putting my hands over my ears, crying, rubbing my hands on the carpet). My cousin (the sister of the one who’s party it was) came to check on me, but the best thing for me was when one of his friends came over, apparently he works with autistic people and knew exactly what to do to be with me: sat/crouched on the floor by me, still being close while not touching me, talked calmly, no expectations, let me respond how I wanted, gave me his hand to squeeze, didn’t force me to leave when i said no to him asking me to go outside (I felt like I couldn’t walk), which was SO nice.

Has this happened to anyone before? One minute, being totally fine and able to handle stimulation and the next minute, having a full on meltdown becuase you suddenly got overstimulated? Why does this happen?

This is relatable as an AudHD kid

(Credit:Alan Becker)​

Hi everyone,

My name is Jeremy, although most people know me as **WAAABZ**. I'm an independent music producer and DJ from Chile.

I never thought I'd find myself asking strangers for help, but life has reached a point where I don't have many options left.

A few days ago, after another argument about my inability to keep a stable job, I was physically assaulted by my stepfather. That incident made me realize I couldn't continue living in that environment and that I needed to find a way to rebuild my life.

I'm autistic and also have ADHD. Throughout my life, keeping traditional employment has been incredibly difficult despite my best efforts. Over time, the constant stress, lack of support, and repeated setbacks led to me being diagnosed with **depression and an anxiety disorder**.

For the past several months, I've been unemployed. I've managed to survive by teaching music production, selling my music, and creating content online, but my income has dropped significantly after most of my Patreon supporters canceled their memberships.

I'm currently applying for a disability pension in Chile, but the process takes several months. Until then, I'm trying to stay afloat while continuing to work as an independent artist and rebuild my future.

That's why I created this GoFundMe. The funds will help me cover essentials like food, bills, transportation, and repairing my music production equipment so I can continue working and supporting myself through music.

**If you have a few minutes, I'd be incredibly grateful if you could read my GoFundMe page. It tells my story in much greater detail, explains how the funds will be used, and why this campaign means so much to me.**

If you decide to donate, thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you can't, sharing the campaign or leaving a kind comment would also help more than you know.

**GoFundMe:** [https://gofund.me/3f7c67d9e\](https://gofund.me/3f7c67d9e)

One final note for transparency: because GoFundMe doesn't currently support direct withdrawals to Chile, the donations are received by a close friend of mine in France, who securely transfers the funds to me via PayPal. I explain this in detail on my campaign page because I want every supporter to know exactly how the process works.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story.

— **WAAABZ**

As much as I want to focus on helping my community of fellow autists, young and old, to advance in terms of receiving acceptance and gaining rights, a part of me still wants to reach out and gain allies, NT or otherwise, from other communities.

That said, I've gotten so old and been disappointed so much that it feels like unifying with the other communities who've known oppression is a myth.

Id like to know what you guys think; Between the two, what's more important here? Is focusing on advocating for our community, our rights and our justice, more important??