Now Playing Tracks

[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)
Zoom

[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
Zoom

[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: Using your autism as an excuseBOTTOM: Is not excusable] I doubt this would apply to anyone here, but still, it’s an important issue. There is a massive difference between a valid excuse and an “I can use this to get out of trouble” excuse. I won’t give examples because all examples are context dependent, however it’s usually fairly obvious even to us when someone’s just “playing the autism card” as it were, versus a requirement that they actually need. — Sam
Zoom

[Caption - TOP: Using your autism as an excuse
BOTTOM: Is not excusable]

I doubt this would apply to anyone here, but still, it’s an important issue.

There is a massive difference between a valid excuse and an “I can use this to get out of trouble” excuse.

I won’t give examples because all examples are context dependent, however it’s usually fairly obvious even to us when someone’s just “playing the autism card” as it were, versus a requirement that they actually need.

— Sam

[Caption - TOP: My headphones are not a fashion statementBOTTOM: 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?
Zoom

[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 - 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
Zoom

[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 - 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
Zoom

[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

[Caption - Has to pretend to be NT for 30 minutes / Spends the next 6 hours in bed recovering from the stress] I was applying for permanent residency, and so when I went in for my medical check, I had to talk to the doctor about what medical conditions I have. Autism tends to be a condition that prevents you getting residency, so I had to be 110% perfect for my certificate and act totally NT. NOT EASY. However, I succeeded, and barring any serious issues with my dad’s job or our visas or anything, I should be receiving residency within the season! — Sam
Zoom

[Caption - Has to pretend to be NT for 30 minutes / Spends the next 6 hours in bed recovering from the stress]

I was applying for permanent residency, and so when I went in for my medical check, I had to talk to the doctor about what medical conditions I have. Autism tends to be a condition that prevents you getting residency, so I had to be 110% perfect for my certificate and act totally NT.

NOT EASY. However, I succeeded, and barring any serious issues with my dad’s job or our visas or anything, I should be receiving residency within the season!

— Sam

[caption - “Do you want to come to [social event]?” / Is there a cat?] Whenever I’m at any social event, I spend about 5 minutes socialising and the rest of the time either curled up in the bathroom overloaded or hugging the nearest pet.  At one point, this culminated in a choice between interacting with human adults or hugging a venomous snake in a corner. I didn’t choose the adults. — Sam the cat-lover
Zoom

[caption - “Do you want to come to [social event]?” / Is there a cat?]

Whenever I’m at any social event, I spend about 5 minutes socialising and the rest of the time either curled up in the bathroom overloaded or hugging the nearest pet. 

At one point, this culminated in a choice between interacting with human adults or hugging a venomous snake in a corner. I didn’t choose the adults.

— Sam the cat-lover

EDIT: forgot the caption - [Caption - has to eat purple food / panic attack] How many times must I say this to people: FOOD. IS NOT. PURPLE. The list of foods that are purple that I will eat goes like this: Purple sprouting, purple sweeties (because they’re meant to be purple), purple cakes, purple berries that are unprocessed. That’s it. Done. I will not eat or drink anything else that’s purple, because FOOD ISN’T PURPLE. Purple is not a food colour, it’s a poison colour. — Gastronomic Sam P.S. If you like the new sign-offs I’m doing, drop me a line. Likewise if you don’t.
Zoom

EDIT: forgot the caption - [Caption - has to eat purple food / panic attack]

How many times must I say this to people: FOOD. IS NOT. PURPLE.

The list of foods that are purple that I will eat goes like this:

Purple sprouting, purple sweeties (because they’re meant to be purple), purple cakes, purple berries that are unprocessed.

That’s it. Done. I will not eat or drink anything else that’s purple, because FOOD ISN’T PURPLE. Purple is not a food colour, it’s a poison colour.

— Gastronomic Sam

P.S. If you like the new sign-offs I’m doing, drop me a line. Likewise if you don’t.

To Tumblr, Love Pixel Union