actuallyautistic

Why might it be that society doesn’t seem to understand enough about autism and how can we change that?

So many groups of people who think, or feel, or behave differently, are readily accepted, understood, and even protected, but often this doesn’t seem to be the same for people who are given the labels attached to brains that divert from the majority neurotype.

There are so many myths and misconceptions leading to a myriad of misunderstandings, that the truth about what autism really is, and really isn’t, is often hidden behind the stereotypes and stigma. The same is true for ADHD, ADD, OCD and all of the different neurological ways of processing.

In the recent documentary about autistic minds, Dr Chris Packham created a digital image of the way that his brain sees and seeks out knowledge. I was excited because it was how I see things, but then he didn’t explain. Dr Camilla Pang, in her book Explaining Humans describes a similar thing, but refers to what she calls tree thinking: the way that her brain and her thoughts flow and grow.

My Sherlock Holmes thing.

I call this my Sherlock Holmes thing - but without the ability to solve crimes. I see and hear and feel and process everything all at once which often causes physical and mental meltdowns.

I know this now, but I have spent over fifty years thinking that I am just awkward or ungrateful or too fussy. There have been occasions where I have presumed that I felt uncomfortable, or unable to cope, because the people didn’t like me, or because of something that I had said or done. And whilst that might have been true, I would often cause an argument or become hysterical so that I could find a reason to leave.

If I had been able to identify what was really happening to me, and if I had been able to explain, then maybe I could have navigated life in a way that wouldn’t have left me feeling confused, rejected, and feeling unable to fit in.

If we all talk more about how we feel and hear and see the world, then my hope is that the world will become a place that is more autism friendly than we often feel it is right now.

My hope is that we start to talk about our autism, or neurodivergent ways of feeling and seeing the world, in ways that others can recognise and understand.

As part of my Post Graduate Course in Autism Studies, I have created material for autism recognition and identification without lists of deficits or impairments. Whilst the language is only negative, and focused on disorder and disability, it is not surprising that autism is misunderstood.

#feelingtheworlddifferently #womenandautism #actuallyautistic #neurodifferentminds

Hi, my name is tracyclements68. I'm here because at age 50 I found out that I feel, and see, and hear the world differently. I want to change and challenge some of the myths, the misconceptions and the misunderstanding. I am worried that autism is still not understood for what it really is and for what it really isn't. I'd like autism to be discussed without lists of deficits and impairments, and without the stereotypes that cause the stigma, meaning many of us don't dare to disclose, or even to self identify.

#MightyTogether #AutismSpectrumDisorder #feelingtheworlddifferently #actuallyautistic #womenandautism

I’ve illustrated 22 books to date 🙏🏽 🦋 Never make fun of someone's passion, it could just be the thing that saves them from the world 🦋 or even themselves Art is LIFE art saved my life, if I didn't have a friend I have art, if I have nowhere else to turn I have art, if I can't speak it I can draw it, art was my first form of communication I drew before I spoke! I never thought others would trust me with their visions I never knew something I did to help me continue living would be loved by others! Limitless, that's how art makes me feel, if you have a child with any type of disorder & you see their passion for it or even just a developing interest! FEED it, feed that passion because the limits the world puts on us, can't fly if we don't accept them #Autism #AutisticAdults #actuallyautistic #AutismAcceptance #AutisticNotWeird #autisticandblack #autizzy