[Caption - Will touch other people and their clothing compulsively / Hates being touched]

Actually, I personally don’t mind touch in general. It’s only strangers touching me, or when it’s a sudden touch, that I actually mind. In general I actually require touch, since I’m hypotactile and need lots of textures to stop myself melting down. This often results in hugs. LOTS of hugs. All the time. It makes people uncomfortable. And I need hard pressure, so I have a lot of blankets on my bed, and I wear heavy clothing with semi-rough textures (not enough to chafe but not too little so that I can’t feel it).

— Sam

(Wow, I’m flip-flopping between Sam and Abby today like no-body’s business)

[Caption - Spends three days coding / can’t spend three minutes paying attention in class]

This is a real issue, because class is just plain dull. I learn something, then don’t need to keep hearing or practising it, because I know it now. I can’t cope with having to slow down to the same speed as everyone else. As a result, I generally have to flick through the book to learn something new, or just ignore the lesson completely and do other work once I’ve finished. Drives the other kids and the teachers mad.

— Abby

[Caption - TOP: My headphones are not a fashion statement
BOTTOM: They are a necessity]

This is in response to people who say that my wearing headphones in public rather than earbuds or earphones is just a phase or a fashion statement.

Yeah, no. I need these to function. I’m not as easily overstimulated as most hyperauditory aspies, mostly because of extensive occupational therapy, but I need some form of dampening device to prevent my ears from exploding in pain and confusion.

— Sam

Note, I changed the caption template. Better/worse?

[Caption - Waits for the end of each season of favourite TV show / So that they can marathon their special interest]

This might just apply to me, but I definitely do this, especially if I’m halfway through the series/season when I join it or notice a new season has started.

— Sam

Facebook’s newest change has left me twitching, and has made me mostly shut down. Super.

ALL THEY DID WAS FLIP EVERYTHING AROUND. WHAT IS THE POINT OF THAT? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO ME?!

I’m just gonna go cuddle my dogs and cry now.

-Lindsay

I had to..

MY PSYCHOLOGIST FINALLY SENT IN THE LETTER FOR ME TO QUALIFY FOR A FREE SERVICE DOG!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!

I happy stimmed so hard I fell over and hurt my wrist.

This is my favorite part of it:

“Lindsay’s particular preoccupied area of interest is with dogs. When I first met Lindsay, she was sitting on the floor in my waiting room, having found a giant book about dogs in the stack of materials available for clients to peruse. Lindsay quickly shared with me everything she knew about every type of dog, and quickly described to me the manners in which dogs are not only an interest of hers, but also quite soothing to her.”

Oh Doc, trust me; that wasn’t NEARLY everything I knew about every type of dog. I only infodumped about Great Pyrenees, which, incidentally, is the breed I want to get for my service dog. :{D

Let’s just hope I get approved.

-Lindsay

[Caption - needing personal space / does not necessarily make me antisocial]

This is another targeted meme, specifically to people who don’t have a social phobia.

One thing that bugs me about not having social phobia is that whilst I can’t be around large groups of people, small groups of maybe 2 - 6 are fine, even encouraged some of the time. I have no issues integrating with a small group of people I like, but it’s when people crowd and crush me that I freak out.

Just because I need personal space does not mean that I don’t want you around. I just don’t like hugs or hand shakes or things from people I don’t know too well.

— Sam

[Caption - The word percent / feels good in my mouth]

This is certainly related to autism, because I could just sit down and say words that feel good in my mouth for hours and not be bored.

And I have.

On multiple occasions.

DOORKNOB.

— Sam

[Caption - I’m not insane / I am differently normal]

This is in response to people who call autistics r-words or insane or some other bullshit.

— Sam

[Caption - Just because my stims aren’t visible / Does not mean I do not stim]

My stims don’t tend to be visible, physical stims. Most of my stims are actually verbal, or at least sonic. For example when angry, frustrated or hunting (not literally, just in the “hunter” mindset) I tend to growl under my breath, by vibrating my epiglottis behind bared teeth.

When enraged or scared, I’ll openly and loudly hiss like a cat, and bare my open teeth. This doesn’t happen too often, since I’m not often that scared or angry.

When I’m happy, I’ll making popping noises or whistle like a Singing Dog (look it up, you’ll be happy forever), plus I click my tongue loudly a lot, typically when I’m either happy or just because it feels like a good thing to do.

When overexcited, I clap and growl/hiss, but in a less threatening way.

— Sonic Sam

Um, I love to do things that make my partner happy stim. Ze usually flaps zir hands and coos/giggles. This often makes me happy stim.