I am autistic and so can you

The Something Awful Forums > Main > BYOB: BYOB BYOB BOYB BBOY YOBB YBOB BBYO?? > I am autistic and so can you

Papa Was A Video Toaster

I haven't really felt comfortable being out about my neural identity on these forums because the top results for intitle:"autism" are two Games threads and intitle:"autistic" yields a GBS thread about hating both political parties. Starting a thread is kind of a big deal in most forums so I figured I could start a discourse here.
I'm not trying to start a pity party, but autistics are people and we face many of the same challenges as other people with disabilities or who are otherwise marginalized, yet the SA community has decided we're acceptable targets for ridicule.
I get it, we can be annoying. I personally have a hard time interacting in person with another person with autism, but that doesn't mean it's okay to call everyone who annoys you an "aspie" or "sperg".

Dx history:
I'm 24 years old, white, AMAB. I was diagnosed with a learning disability when I was about 8 (the now out of vogue NVLD) and only got an Autism diagnosis about two and a half years ago at age 21. I also have a major depressive disorder, a specific learning disorder with impairment in expressive writing and ADHD inattentive presentation. I'm currently medicated for my depression and for "irritability associated with autism".
I support self diagnosis, but barely.

Personal history:
I've dropped out of post-secondary twice, technical college and a BA Economics, both in the first semester and neither time did I feel that I received enough support to compensate for my disability. After dropping out of uni I moved back to my home town and tried finding a job and a place to live, but found my mental health issues a significant barrier. So, I filed papers with the provincial government two years ago and have been receiving disability and living with my mom since.
I'm starting my educational journey again though, this time through the local community college. Right now I'm studying grade 12 level math and English because it's free and I never developed real school skills when I was in high school, but I'm hoping to start a business diploma in the fall with all the supports and grants I can get. I received my first digitized textbook (the novel for my English class), which is pretty pimp and I should be getting a laptop loan in a month.

Anyways, that's my effortpost, ask me anything.

# ¿ Jan 27, 2018 00:26

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# ¿ May 10, 2024 15:01

Papa Was A Video Toaster

poverty goat posted:

Am I autistic

Welcome, weed friend! How was that brisket?

# ¿ Jan 27, 2018 00:30

Papa Was A Video Toaster

I misread your post as "I am autistic". Welcome all the same.
Whether or not one is autistic is a deeply personal question. It's like asking someone else if you're gay.

# ¿ Jan 27, 2018 00:39

Papa Was A Video Toaster

cda posted:

Hello, I am a high school teacher and work with students on the autism spectrum on a regular basis. What do you think is the most important thing for a teacher to know about you to give you the support you need?

Oh jeez. I guess finding out if there are any sensory triggers for your autistic students in your classroom. I for one can't focus on a lecture if there's a whispered side conversation happening. Scent sensitivity can also be a major issue, kids loved using all the Axe and perfume when I was in high school. My college has a scent-safe policy, but that's pretty commonly ignored. I don't stim, so I've never had to deal with the stigma associated with it, but figuring out some way for them to stim without embarrassment is probably pretty key. I also hate group assignments, but that may be more personal preference.

I've never really had direct support from my teachers, like right now I work the Disability Services department of my school.

Cubone posted:

what is your favorite color?

I did say anything. Blaze orange.

# ¿ Jan 27, 2018 01:02

Papa Was A Video Toaster

I definitely experience social anxiety. Did you use CBT, Thingyman or drugs? I asked my doc about drugs and she said she can't help me. The anxiety has been improving alongside my depression.

I should note I was in a pretty bad way this fall and only started improving when I started a job training program at the end of October, because it basically kept school hours and gave me a reason to leave the house every morning. Now I'm in school Mon-Thurs and I'm able to do stuff with ease that I would have agonized over for hours 4 months ago.

My problem used to be I would smoke weed and play Destiny 2 instead of doing anything, but I've managed to kick Destiny 2. joking not joking

Cannabis use has probably played a factor in all my post-secondary attempts. I think because of my poor executive functioning it's hard to delay the gratification of coming home and getting high, so I've been trying to do my school work at school, but I only ever want to do math. On the other hand I could just be a piece of poo poo and I use autism as an excuse for every dumb decision I make.

I think I'm avoiding my English homework because I'm not as good at it as math. I also skipped two days of classes this week to receive a phone delivery because I told myself I wouldn't be able to focus if I tried to go school and did zero studying for that same poo poo reason.

# ¿ Jan 27, 2018 02:07

Papa Was A Video Toaster

On the subject of trying to get uncomfortable: I attended a Toastmasters a couple of weeks ago, but I skipped going to another meeting last night (it's every other week) because I can't afford to be a dues paying member until April, since I have some semblance of a budget for the first time ever (I'm also really uncomfortable about being poor). See my thread in BFC for what kind of trouble instant but fleeting gratification get you into but with consumer debt!

# ¿ Jan 27, 2018 03:00

Papa Was A Video Toaster

This is why we try to avoid functioning labels in the autistic community. We're like everybody else in that we're better at some things than others.

quote:

Applying functioning labels to autistic people is problematic. Maybe an example will help illustrate why.

I�ll describe two autistic women, Mary and Joan. See if you can tell which one is high functioning and which one is low functioning:

Mary is a wife and mother. She�s been steadily employed since age 16, has a BA degree and runs her own small business. She exercises regularly and is health conscious. When her daughter was younger, she volunteered for parent committees, hosted sleepovers, coached softball and drove carpool. As the more detail-oriented spouse, Mary has always managed the family finances and investments. She has a diverse set of hobbies and pastimes that include dog training, target shooting, reading mystery novels and fiction writing.

Joan is a wife and mother too. Her marriage has been rocky at times, thanks to her undiagnosed ASD, and she has no close friends. Joan works at home, avoids speaking to people on the phone and prefers to spend most of her days alone. Joan sometimes needs to be reminded to brush her hair, shower or put on appropriate clothing before going out. She�s never negotiated a lease or car purchase by herself and has never lived on her own. She enjoys going to the zoo, vacations at Disney World, animated movies and has several stuffed animals that she likes to hug after a hard day.

It�s obvious that Mary is high functioning and Joan is low functioning, right?

What if I told you that Mary and Joan are the same person�that I created Mary and Joan by selectively using aspects of myself to construct two polarized versions of me? I am all of those things��high functioning� one moment and �low functioning� the next.

Source: https://musingsofanaspie.com/2013/06/26/decoding-the-high-functioning-label/

# ¿ Jan 27, 2018 03:27

Papa Was A Video Toaster

No offense taken, I don't mean to be the Autism Police, I just read that today so it was front of mind.

# ¿ Jan 27, 2018 06:21

Papa Was A Video Toaster

Ranch, I barely tolerate Le Fromage Bleu.

# ¿ Jan 27, 2018 06:38

Papa Was A Video Toaster

Thank you for all the support, thread.
I hope to keep autisposting for many years to come.

on spec posted:

you should try a vegetarian diet

I've been considering going even further to no animal products no refined grains, just because I'm a fat gently caress. As alluded to earlier I smoke a fair bit of weed still, so not having the option to eat calorie dense animal products when stoned is probably key to staying calorie negative. I also really don't want to have to count calories. I want to be able to eat a lot, I just have to make better choices about what to eat.

# ¿ Jan 28, 2018 02:40

Papa Was A Video Toaster

I'm looking at doing the only dating thing again and I have no idea if I should be up front about my autism on my profile or not. There's so much harmful messaging out there I feel like it'll make me seem broken. I'm also pretty bad at self-description that isn't painfully honest, which isn't how you want to advertise yourself.
Also, my tiny rear end town has like 5 people to show within 100 km.

# ¿ Jan 28, 2018 17:24

Papa Was A Video Toaster

It's only a hundred kilometers, I think I'd have to be in space for there to be no one in 1000 km.
And thanks for looking out, I do tend to seek approval in not the best ways.
My current interests are:
M:tG, but I only go to one event a month because I'm broke and that's when FNM is Modern. I also play Canadian Highlander once a week with my bud James.

Climbing, tried the wall in town when they offered a free night for students, but can't afford a membership right now. The other campus of my college I'll be going to in the fall has a free bouldering gym, so I just need to get shoes before then.

Lifting, I've been looking at starting Stronglifts 5x5 for a few weeks because someone recommended it as a way to get swole arms for climbing, but the barbell is pretty intimidating. I'm scared, but I have a friend who said they might help me get my form down while the weight is low.

Papa Was A Video Toaster fucked around with this message at 18:11 on Jan 28, 2018

# ¿ Jan 28, 2018 18:09

Papa Was A Video Toaster

Koishi Komeiji posted:

Weightlifting is a good form of exercise as long as you go into it with the attitude that it's just a way to stay healthy and nothing more. The people that want to look ripped as hell either quit after a week or injure themselves trying to leg press %5000 their weight.

I don't want to be big, just strong.

I forgot how goddamn cute the Google Weather frog is. His name might be Bixby?

# ¿ Jan 28, 2018 22:06

Papa Was A Video Toaster

AverySpecialfriend posted:

hi: i am not autism spectrum, but i am not neurotypical either (adhd) and while i do not face the same sorts of overt discrimination i can relate on some level to having an invisibilized disability and i am here in solidarity with u all

Welcome and thank you for feeling safe enough to share.

# ¿ Jan 28, 2018 22:38

Papa Was A Video Toaster

BoldFrankensteinMir posted:

What's the process for someone to formally diagnosed with autism?

I didn't go the self-dx then seek out a professional-dx route. I was going to start university and needed a psycho-educational assessment done to prove I still needed learning supports. I'd kind of thought I was on the spectrum, but with DSM-5 all the spectrum disorders got put together as one diagnosis. Quotes to follow verbatim from the report.

The tool used to diagnose me was:
"the Austism Diagnostic Obsvervation Scale 2 (ADOS-2) is a semi-structured observational assessment that allows the examiner to evaluate communication, social interaction, as well as restricted and repetitive behaviours.

The ADOs-2 has been developed according the DSM-5 criteria, which cluster Autism Spectrum Disorder symptoms in two main areas:
(1) Social communication, including:

deficits in social-emotional reciprocity
nonverbal communicative behaviours
develop, maintaining and understanding relationships

(all three symptoms must be present)

(2) Restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests or activities including:

stereotyped or repetitive motor movements or speech
insistence on sameness, inflexible routines or ritualized behaviours
highly restricted, fixated interests
hyper/hypo reactivity to sensory input

(at least two of these symptoms must be present)"

# ¿ Jan 29, 2018 16:46

Papa Was A Video Toaster

I think my current special interest might the yob :ohdear:

# ¿ Jan 29, 2018 18:18

Papa Was A Video Toaster

If any other autists are still lurking this thread, come on over to the GRS thread. I'm still getting caught up, but it seems like a good place. https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3812071

# ¿ Feb 1, 2018 03:06

Papa Was A Video Toaster

I have decided I post too much on these dumb dead forums, so I've installed a blocker called Cold Turkey.
If you see me posting between 7 AM and 7 PM PST Mon-Fri, please yell at me and tell me I am a bod boi.

# ¿ Feb 2, 2018 06:57

Papa Was A Video Toaster

Cold Turkey didn't work exactly as advertised. It sent the two minute warning after it has already locked. I already spent the money to get pro mode for Frozen Turkey, so I get locked out of the computer at 11.

# ¿ Feb 2, 2018 08:03

Papa Was A Video Toaster

There's a chink in the armor in that I haven't locked down my phone super hard. The dude also made a phone app, but it doesn't have a scheduler. It still allows access to the notification shade which is a good thing.

I'm also using my phone to do a time study and results are so far disheartening.

# ¿ Feb 2, 2018 18:48

Papa Was A Video Toaster

My productivity was zero again today. I now have a 2 hour Awful app allowance in addition to all the other fun stuff on the phone being turned off during school hours, with a break for lunch.

# ¿ Feb 3, 2018 07:37

Papa Was A Video Toaster

Sometimes you're not lazy, you just have an autistic brain.
https://nolongerinabox.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/autistic-inertia/

# ¿ Feb 4, 2018 04:19

Papa Was A Video Toaster

Literally got zero vaccines.
Vaccinating yourself to get autism is the new hotness.

# ¿ Feb 4, 2018 05:46

Papa Was A Video Toaster

I'm watching the Please Stand By with my autism Discord. It is fun.

# ¿ Feb 5, 2018 01:09

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# ¿ May 10, 2024 15:01

Papa Was A Video Toaster

It has gotten decidedly less fun. T_T

# ¿ Feb 5, 2018 01:22

The Something Awful Forums > Main > BYOB: BYOB BYOB BOYB BBOY YOBB YBOB BBYO?? > I am autistic and so can you