Continuing on the topic of autistic headcanons, here’s my boy Hyakkimaru. The 2019 anime one is so autistic, it warms my heart– I mean, it gives me FIRE!
Tired of having an allistic chosen month be all about how allistics should be aware of or accept you?…Tired of allistic feelings being centered and spending a month defending yourself?… Welcome to Autgust! Grab your denim jacket and chew toy and lets ROCK OUT.
The prompts above are just fun suggestions. Celebrate any way you want. This month is for YOU.There are no rules - just rebellion.
Allies can reblog and share, but should not participate.<3
image transcription below:
1. Selfie! (or portrait, etc)
2. Special Interests
3. Autistic Memes
4. Intersectional Disabilities
5. Pets & Service Animals
6. Favorite Autistic Animal Mascot
7. Self Diagnosed⛅
8. Sign Language & Alternative Communication
9. Autigender ⚧
10. Autistic Adults
11. ACTUAL Autism Parents (Autistic Parents)
12. Autistic Kids (4 Autistic Youth to SELF Advocate)
13. Queer Pride️
14. Favorite Autistic Characters (& Headcanons)
~SENSORY WEEK~
15. Light
16. Sound
17. Texture
18. Smells
19. Favorite Foods
20. Your Stims!
21. Flapping Pride
~~~
22. Autistics of Color✊
23. Nonverbal 2 Hyperverbal
24. Introverts 2 Extroverts
25. Autistic Love❤
26. Neuropunk Looks
27. VENT(Ableists get lost.)
28. Trans Autistics️⚧️
29. Autistic Artists
30. Autistic Writers and Stories
31. Autistic Rebellion
(You know what? Maybe steal september and make it “allistic awareness month”)
Hey! Tired of having to share a month -that was chosen by allistics- with allistics? Tired of spending “your” month having to raise your voice over “autism moms”, promoting “awareness”, and fighting puzzle peices and hate groups? ~ WELL NO MORE!
August is officially Âûtistic Rebellion Month. Its ÂûtisticPRIDEMonth. We’re not out here for allistics - we’re out here for ourselves and this is OUR month. ❤
To celebrate, I’ll be making a cheeky Autistic Rebellion fact of the day for each day. Today’s fact is obviously: It’s Autistic Rebellion Month babeyyyy!
autism acceptance day is over but this was what i wore for autism acceptance day complete with red light up shoes, red wig (which i also use when i dress up like a karen) and even a red chewy also autism acceptance day may be over but it’s only the beginning of autism acceptance month
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all autistics & autistic cousins are created equal; that all are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights; that among these are Agency, Acceptance, & the pursuit of Happiness; that the pursuit of happiness can take many forms, including but not limited to Stimming both with & without Toys, seeking and avoiding Sensory experiences, & interacting with Special Interests & HyperFixations.
– That to secure these rights, Advocacy groups are instituted among Men, deriving their just missions from the consent of the affected,
– That whenever any Form of Advocacy becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Forms of Advocacy, laying their foundation on such principles and organizing their powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Advocacy Groups long established should not be abandoned for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that autistics and autistic cousins are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism and Eugenics, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Advocacy Groups and provide new Advocates for their future security.
–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Autistics and Autistic Cousins; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to overthrow their externally imposed Systems of Advocacy. The history of the present Autistic Awareness Movement, as embodied by its largest proponent, Autism Speaks, is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute removal of Atypical Traits from these Autistics and Autistic Cousins.
To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. among many concerns, we draw attention now to chiefly the following:
They have refused to acknowledge the opinions and intelligence of actually Autistic persons and Autistic cousins.
They have refused to respect the agency of actually Autistic persons and Autistic cousins, except wherein those persons make the choice desired of them.
They have supported and continue to support such barbaric forms of ‘intervention’ as ABA therapy, despite knowing the horrific roots of such strategies and its close relation to the nearly universally denounced torture of conversion therapy.
They have supported and continue to support measures of eugenics, such as funding research into the 'cause’ of such atypicalities and funding research into possible 'cures’.
They have contributed to stigma and fearmongering among the general population, furthering a narrative that tells society that autism is a monster stealing their children away, a narrative that lends itself to despair, pity, and increased sympathy for such evils as filicide.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Advocacy Group whose character is thus marked by every act which may define an Enemy, is unfit to be the advocate of any people.
We, therefore, the Nebulous Masses of Autistics and Autistic Cousins, Assembled and Connected via the Internet and Blogosphere, appealing to the Moral Arc of the Universe in the Belief that it Shall Bend toward Justice, do, in the Name, and by Authority of Our Own Minds and Will, solemnly publish and declare, That these Autistics and Autistic Cousins are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent Self-Advocates; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the Autistic Awareness Movement, and that as Free and Independent Self-Advocates, they have full Power to lobby Legislatures, make their Own Decisions, protest Indignities and Betrayals, and to do all other Acts and Things which Living Persons may of right do.
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the belief in the Inherent Human Desire to Do Good, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
Please don’t support Ty Beanie Babies anymore! They support Next For Autism and Autism Speaks!
They’ve deleted comments 3 times now that have been speaking up about it. There are still some left but this is making me very sad. I wanna get rid of my paw patrol beanie babys now :( Next for Autism is trying to completely get rid of autism and “find a cure.” Our brains are different. There is no cure. Plus all the people that want a cure aren’t autistic!! Nobody asked autistic people about what we thought.
I want to be happily autistic. I want to enjoy my special interests. I want to stim. I want to be happily autistic in peace.
(no dni banner bc i don’t mind who interacts w this post!!)
For everyone asking about Paw Patrol since y'all didn’t read my comment, it’s my special interest. I’m not really sure what else to tell you. Different people like different things and enjoying kids shows about dogs does not make me a bad person. I will block you if you say anything rude about it.
Rules: Answer the prompt of the day on your own separate post. You can answer as many or as few of these as you like. Answer with as much or as little detail as you wish. Some questions this year have an alternative option that you can do if you prefer. You can answer just one or both of them. And make sure to tag it as #30daysofautismacceptance and #2022. And feel free to do this on any other social media platform that you want as well. And once again I am doing this with the help of my wonderful friend @lesmiserabby! Half of the prompts were created by them just like last year. So please give Abby credit for the prompts this year as well! And please help me spread this before the start of April!
April 1st: Introduce yourself. Talk about who you are as a person. Your age, hobbies, special interests, family, etc. Anything you feel comfortable sharing.
April 2nd: Post your redinstead photos today. Alternatively, you could talk about what autistic pride/autism acceptance month means to you.
April 3rd: Talk about jobs. Do you currently work or have you worked before? Was it hard for you to find a job? Does your job work well regarding your autism? Alternatively, if you don’t work, what was school like for you as an autistic person? What was good about school? What was bad?
April 4th: Talk about humor. Do you feel that your autism affects your sense of humor in any way? Are there any inside jokes in the autism community that you really like?
April 5th: Talk about instances of miscommunication. Are there any examples you can give for a time where you misinterpreted an interaction with someone else or them you? What do you think went wrong with that interaction?
April 6th: Do you tend to infodump about things that you’re interested in?
April 7th: Is there anything in particular that you’d like to see more of in autistic representation? Anything you’d like to see less of?
April 8th: Do you feel like your social skills have gotten better or worse with age?
April 9th: How are you when it comes to clothes? Are there certain clothes that you avoid or seek out for sensory reasons? Do you prefer tight or loose clothing? Would you consider yourself a fashionable person?
April 10th: Do you collect anything? Do the things that you collect have anything to do with your special interests? How do you organize your collection? Show off your collection if you want.
April 11th: Would you consider yourself to be a creative person? What kind of things do you create? Does being autistic influence how creative of a person you are?
April 12th: Do you consider yourself to be an organized person or disorganized? In what ways? Does being autistic affect how organized you are?
April 13th: What are some aspects of being autistic that you feel don’t get talked about enough
April 14th: Talk about connections, platonic and/or romantic. Who are some of the most important people in your life? Is it generally hard for you to connect with people? If it is, what kind of issues do you have with it? Do you find it easier to get along with other autistic people?
April 15th: Media is something that has the power to speak to a lot of different people in different ways. What are some media (movies, tv shows, books, etc) that really speaks to you as an autistic person? Something that you can really relate to?
April 16th: Talk about discovering yourself as an autistic person. When did you first find out you were autistic? If you were diagnosed, what was that process like? If you are self diagnosed, when did you first start to suspect that you could be autistic? How did you feel about it when you first found out compared to how you feel about it now? Have you gotten to a place of acceptance? What does being autistic mean to you?
April 17th: Do you prefer fiction, nonfiction or a mix of both for entertainment?
April 18th: Do you have any pets? If not, do you want any in the future? Why or why not?
April 19th: How do you feel about self diagnosis?
April 20th: What are your thoughts on terminology? (ie, high functioning and low functioning vs high support needs and low support needs, nonspeaking vs nonverbal, person first vs identity first, etc)
April 21st: What do you think about euphemisms for disabilities such as special needs, differently abled, etc?
April 22nd: Do you like hugs or dislike them? What about other forms of physical contact? Does it depend on the person or situation?
April 23rd: If you could live absolutely anywhere, real or fictional, where would you live? What would your dream home look like?
April 24th: How easy is it for you to focus on things? Are you easily distracted? Is it harder if it’s something you’re not interested in?
April 25th: Do you struggle with switching tasks or is it easy for you? Does it depend on the task/situation?
April 26th: Do you stim? What sort of stims do you have? What do you wish people knew about stimming?
April 27th: Do you have trouble identifying physical feelings like hunger or being tired? Do you have trouble with identifying emotions?
April 28th: Can you drive? If so, do you like driving? If not, do you want to learn?
April 29th: What sort of things do you like to do to relax/for self care?
April 30th: Do you like to plan ahead for things or do you like to just “go with the flow” and see what happens? A mix of both? Does it vary by day to day?
It’s not enough to just be aware. This is why we try to change “Autism Awareness Month” to “Autism Acceptance Month!” It’s better to learn about autism and how to accept it ❤️ ♾
Many assume that autistic people aren’t good at making friends, but we can thrive in social environments that better suit our needs. This comic is all about making friends on the internet as an autistic person! ✨
School dress codes can be harmful to autistic people.
We received a DM the other day from an autistic student who is not allowed to wear a bandana at school (around their nose/mouth or anywhere else), even though it’s a useful sensory tool for them.
So here’s an incomplete list of clothing items autistic people might need to wear for sensory reasons, that are against certain school dress codes:
Sunglasses (indoors)- many autistic people wear sunglasses because they’re sensitive to light, particularly fluorescent lighting, which is very common in schools.
Bandanas-autistic people might wear bandanas over their faces to protect from smells. Or, they might wear a bandanna on their wrist or around their neck as a comfort item/ stim toy.
Hooded sweatshirts- most schools ban students from wearing hoods inside. However, autistic students might use hoods as a tool to block out visual input in their peripheral vision, and to slightly dampen sound in the classroom. Hoods can also be very comforting in that they provide the sensation of being held in a soft cocoon.
Chewlery and other wearable stim toys- some schools have policies that restrict the type of jewelry students can wear, if any. In addition, many schools have restrictions on stim toys, thanks to neurotypicals abusing things like fidget spinners (which originated as tools to help neurodivergent people) .
Earbuds/headphones-many schools ban students from listening to music in class, even during quiet individual work. However, some autistic people need to be able to listen to music to block out all of the distracting, uncomfortable auditory input of the classroom.
Schools also often have bans on chewing gum, which is understandable because they don’t want students putting gum in irresponsible places. But some autistic people need to be able to stim by chewing on gum, so this ban can do more harm than good in those circumstances.
Fortunately, autistic students may be able to request accommodations under 504 plans or IEPs, which would allow them to make exceptions to the school dress code and wear what they need.
But the official dress codes are one thing. Another aspect that isn’t often talked about is the way that autistic students are treated by peers based on the things they wear.
Autistic students may be stigmatized by classmates for wearing certain things like ear defenders, sunglasses, or chewlery. This is because these sensory tools (and dare I say, staples of autistic fashion) are not worn at school by the vast majority of people.
This makes it more difficult for autistic people to meet their sensory needs. Even if certain things, like ear defenders, are perfectly acceptable and allowed under the school dress code, autistic students who wear them run the risk of being socially ostracized even more than they would have been just by virtue of being autistic. This can create a situation where autistic students feel that they have to choose between meeting their sensory needs, and being accepted by their peers.
Even fashion choices that have nothing to do with sensory needs can result in judgement from classmates. For example, some autistic people wear items of clothing related to their special interests. They may wear graphic T-shirts with their favorite cartoon characters, or homemade gadgets that mimic the things certain characters wear. Especially if their interests aren’t widely deemed “age appropriate,” the risk of being teased for this type of clothing is unfortunately high.
Autistic people may also have a habit of wearing the same clothes every day, of wearing clashing colors, or wearing seasonally inappropriate clothes. All of these things can contribute to social isolation- but that’s not autistic people’s fault.
What autistic people wear, and whether or not it conforms to dominant standards, can make it more or less obvious that we’re “different” in some way. The key thing to remember is that being different isn’t a bad thing, even though other people often act like it is.
Autistic people deserve to live in a world where we can wear whatever we want, and whatever we need, without other people misunderstanding us.
Hyper-focus is very common trait in autism and is both a blessing and a curse. Hyper-focus can best be described as feeling intense passion towards something. Examples of hyper-focusing include spending large quantities of time doing the thing you’re hyper-focused on, thinking about your special interest/subject of hyper-focusing often, wanting to discuss your interest, or feeling strong emotions regarding what you’re hyper-focusing on.
THE DRAWBACKS:
Hyper-focusing has a few major drawbacks to it. Examples of the drawbacks are becoming fixated on unproductive things like browsing social media, becoming irate when someone interrupts you in the middle of your hyper-focusing, pushing aside important things/obligations, being unable to switch gears, or getting so deep into what you’re fixated on that you forget even the most basic necessities.
I’d say in my own experience as an autistic person who hyper-focuses, the biggest issue I face is neglecting my obligations and even taking care of myself to pursue what I’m fixated on. Right now, I should be finishing the 14 assignments in my to-do list for school, but I’m so eager to write this blog post that doing the mountain of homework assigned to me has been pushed to the back of my mind. The amount of times that I’ve come into class and had to explain to my teacher that I did not complete my homework probably exceeds 300. I’ve forgotten to brush my teeth, forgotten to shower, been late for class, stayed up beyond reasonable hours, or forgotten to even eat or drink when I’m hungry/thirsty plenty of times. I typically forget one or more of these things per day. Often, my mom and dad or others need to remind me to do basic tasks such as the aforementioned ones. Also, plenty of times I find myself getting hyper-focused on unproductive things like reading the Attack on Titan shipping wiki.
THE BENEFITS:
Despite the drawbacks, there are plenty of positives surrounding hyper-focus. Some benefits of hyper-focus are when hyper-focusing, an autistic person may be practically unstoppable and very motivated. Hyper-focus can lead to an autistic person achieving seemingly impossible/impressive goals. When hyper-focusing on a positive or productive subject, it can lead to a plethora of positive outcomes and make one seem very diligent and motivated in the eyes of others.
My own hyper-focus has helped me out in many ways. It has granted me the ability to do things which seem impressive to a lot of neurotypicals, increased my enthusiasm for life, given me escapes from hardships, and helped me become who I am today. My favorite example of how my hyper-focus benefitted me was in 6th and 7th grade. I had a major World War II special interest throughout that period of time. Because of this, I decided to write a story about children growing up in Germany during the war. I was able to write about 50,000 words in the project because I was so fixated on the topic. I never finished the story simply because my World War II special interest faded out around 8th grade, but my World War II novel stands as one of my proudest achievements.
CONCLUSION:
Overall, hyper-focus has its benefits as well as its drawbacks.
