ActuallyAutistic Wiki - User contributions [en]

Accidentally open secrets regarding Autism

2022-08-26T15:19:26Z

El (Autistic Voices United):

[https://twitter.com/x/status/1534814791923126272 Here is the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

There are facts that are known by so many Autistic people that they don't get talked about much, so people often don't realize they are a "thing" and then once they know ... they know, so they don't talk about it, and then you end up with people who don't "know."

*Autistic people naturally gravitate to other Neurodivergent people.

*When a person realizes they are Autistic, most will quickly develop the ability to "detect" if another person is Autistic.

*The vast majority of Autistic people are glad they are Autistic and want to keep it that way. They want accommodations, not a cure.

*There is a strong connection between Autistic people and cats.

*A lot of Autistic people personify objects and feel they have a semblance of life.

*Autistic people tend to look much younger than they are.

*On average an Autistic person will die 16 years earlier than a peer [[Allism|without Autism]]. Sooner if they have comorbidities such as Kinetism (ADHD), Depression, etc... This is due to lack of accommodations and acceptance.

*Autistic people are frequently drawn to animation, many with a focus on Anime. There are many reasons for this.

*Autistic people tend to eat a very small range of foods that they personally like to eat.

*Elsa from Frozen is Autistically coded and "Let it Go" clearly parallels letting go of Autistic masking.

*Autistic people are very likely to be LGBTQ+ compared to Allistics.

* All the characters in Parks and Recs, except Anne Perkins are Autistically coded. (You will find that a lot of Autistic people loved the show before realizing they are Autistic)

* Autistic people are not socially deficient. Autistic people are as effective at working together as Allistics are working together. There are challenges when Allistics and Autistics work together. Allistics perceive Autistics as deficient because there many many more of them

*There is nothing wrong with being Autistic.

*Self Diagnosis is Valid for a multitude of reasons.

*/#ActuallyAutistic is a hashtag that means you are openly Autistic.

*Autistic people tend to have a different style of "autobiographical" memory than Allistic people. Allistic people have a constant recording of their experiences but Autistic people tend to have vivid powerful memories of specific moments.

*Up to 86% of Autistic people also have Kinetism (ADHD)

*[[Stimming]] can seriously reduce Autistic stress. Many Autistic people have suppressed their ability to Stim for so long that they have to actively "deprogram" to get back to a natural level of stimming.

*The symbol of Autism is a Golden Infinity. A Rainbow infinity is the symbol of the Neurodiversity movement. Puzzle pieces represent the belief that Autistic people are missing a fundamental aspect of humanity. It is therefore considered a hate symbol by the Autistic Community.

*[https://t.co/lyc8IGPjZM Autism Speaks] is considered a hate group by the Autistic Community. This is clearly demonstrated by their "I am Autism" commercial. Please do not allow children to see this video. Proceed with caution if you intend to watch it. It cannot be unseen.

*Many Autistic people are Demi-Sexual. Many are Neuroqueer. Many are Autigender. If you are not familiar with these specific terms, you should definitely investigate them.

*June 18th is Autistic Pride Day

* Being Autistic is the paradox of being human but also being radically different from most people. Before you [[grok]] that you are Autistic it seems impossible to be true. After you [grok] it, it seems impossible that it took a lifetime to figure out something so clearly true.💚

*Many Autistic people experience irrational fears. These are hard wired terror responses to stimuli that pose not inherent threat. Such as an irrational fear of toilets. These can be coped with "irrationally" but traditional phobia therapy will be traumatizing.

*Ableism is discrimination in favor of the abled.

[[Applied_Behavior_Analysis|ABA]] is a conversion "therapy" grounded in the concept the Autistic neurotype is unacceptable and that Autistic people should act in all ways as if Allistic. ABA is therefore ableism and a violation of anti-discrimination laws.

Being diagnosed as Autistic in various states of the U.S. will result in your [[Drawbacks_of_diagnosis|rights being restricted]].

Some states keep [[Drawbacks_of_diagnosis|mandatory databases]] of anyone who has been diagnosed as Autistic in that state.

@Twitter has clear rules that prevent hateful content regarding the disabled.

In spite of clear rules protecting the disabled, @Twitter openly ignores hateful content that targets the Autistic and other disabled people.

It is a myth that all Autistic people are asexual.

Some Autistic people are asexual, some are aromantic, some are demi, some are hypersexual.

Some Autistic people are very kinky. Not following social norms can definitely apply to sex.

The “Autism Community” is arguably anyone who has a connection to Autism.

The “Autistic Community” is anyone who is Autistic.

The distinction is very important when speaking on matters of Autism, especially the experience of being Autistic.

Most countries have laws that technically protect the disabled and are extremely powerful, like the _**ada**_ in the U.S.

Despite the power of these laws, it can take months or years for the law to act, leaving the disabled extremely vulnerable to abuse and mistreatment.

Some parents of Autistic children can be very problematic and attempt to control the Autistic narrative.

Many of the problematic parents are actually Autistic and are unaware of it.

Their lack of self awareness can be extremely harmful to their children and the community.

It is extremely easy for Autistic people to become traumatized.

At times it can be difficult to understand if you are having an Autistic response or a Traumagenic response to an event.

Yes, a lot of Autistic people enjoy LEGO.

Yes, a lot of Autistic people enjoy Pokémon.

There are a lot of things that fit in really well with Autistic traits.

Autistic people tend to have different love languages than the Allistic.

5 Autistic love languages include:

* [[Infodumping]]
* [[Parallel Play]]
* Embracing Touch Needs
* Acceptance
* "This [anything] reminded me of you"

Autistic people often socialize though their special interests.

Groups of people that primarily organize and socialize through intense interest in a shared hobby, are frequently, disproportionately Autistic.

Allistic brains are wired to use heuristics and Autistics are not.

Heuristics are "best guesses" that are quick and efficient but imprecise and prone to error.

* Allistic brains are fast
* Autistic brains are precise

This is fundamental to understanding our differences.

[ href="https://t.co/c3251thHZx" Due to confusion on this topic of unconscious heuristics we wrote this thread to help explain that this is not about conscious thought.

]

Allistic brains are wired to use heuristics and Autistics are not.

Heuristics are "best guesses" that are quick and efficient but imprecise and prone to error.

* Allistic brains are fast
* Autistic brains are precise

This is fundamental to understanding our differences.

- [[Allism|Allistic]] means not Autistic.

* NeurodiverGENT is anyone who is not Neurotypical

* NeurodiverSE means a range of neurotypes which may include Neurotypical.

<a href="https://t.co/xdJAY6kKAN">Empathy gets talked about a '''lot''' regarding the Autistic. There are myths and counter myths.

Empathy is a sense and a knob on the Autistic spectrum which ranges from hyper to hypo. </a>

[ href="https://t.co/0drZ45Jl0g" The Autistic spectrum is not a line.

It is a series of "knobs" set at various levels for each manifestation of Autism.

It is endless forms most beautiful. ]

♾❤️🧡💛💚💙💜♾

Epic Infographic by the Epic @Autism_Sketches </a>

![alt text](http://pbs.twimg.com/media/FU5q18vXEAI25pO.png)

Autistic people tend to be meritocratic.

This can get us into a lot of trouble when we ignore more traditional power structures that are not based on merit.

[ href="https://t.co/wK8WeLgxlB" Many Autistic people are drawn to and even aroused by skilled people and experts.

This is apparently so unusual a fixation outside of the Autistic community that it needed a neologism:

Peritiosexual
]

Despite laws that should protect them, many if not most Autistic people are afraid to be open with their employer and co-workers about being Autistic and do not have confidence that their jobs will be safe if they come out.

Autistic people are often members of some form of counter-culture.

Some Autistic people will only /publicly/ be a member of that counter-culture /or/ be openly Autistic, the social challenges of openly being both can be daunting.

Autistic people remember stories about Autistic characters better than stories about Allistic characters and vice versa.

This will probably tell you something about your favorite characters.

Autistic people tend to be very good at reading things upside down and backwards and take this ability for granted as a human norm.

Various studies, and shocked Allistics, indicate that this is not an easy thing for Allistics to do. (Still looking for exact numbers on this).

Autism is often a multigenerational disability that runs in families.

Until someone realizes the family has Autism, no one in the family will question Autistic behaviors as noteworthy.

It’s literally normal behavior for that family.

[ href="https://t.co/zTFAL3r5VH" Having polled Autistic people:

There is a 72% chance of at least one of their parents definitely being Autistic but only a 13% chance that their parents are aware of this.

There is only a 7% chance that their parents are definitely not Autistic.

]

[ href="https://t.co/XQOXyPZP4m" One of the concrete indicators that a person is Autistic is if they are deeply concerned with “claiming space” that might not “rightfully be theirs” within the Autistic Community.]

For various reasons these Autistics fundamentally believe in the sanctity of marginalized spaces. </a>

[href="https://twitter.com/x/status/1534814791923126272" Here is the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Accidentally open secrets regarding Autism

2022-08-26T15:19:03Z

El (Autistic Voices United):

[https://twitter.com/x/status/1534814791923126272 Here is the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

There are facts that are known by so many Autistic people that they don't get talked about much, so people often don't realize they are a "thing" and then once they know ... they know, so they don't talk about it, and then you end up with people who don't "know."

*Autistic people naturally gravitate to other Neurodivergent people.

*When a person realizes they are Autistic, most will quickly develop the ability to "detect" if another person is Autistic.

*The vast majority of Autistic people are glad they are Autistic and want to keep it that way. They want accommodations, not a cure.

*There is a strong connection between Autistic people and cats.

*A lot of Autistic people personify objects and feel they have a semblance of life.

*Autistic people tend to look much younger than they are.

*On average an Autistic person will die 16 years earlier than a peer [[Allism|without Autism]]. Sooner if they have comorbidities such as Kinetism (ADHD), Depression, etc... This is due to lack of accommodations and acceptance.

*Autistic people are frequently drawn to animation, many with a focus on Anime. There are many reasons for this.

*Autistic people tend to eat a very small range of foods that they personally like to eat.

*Elsa from Frozen is Autistically coded and "Let it Go" clearly parallels letting go of Autistic masking.

*Autistic people are very likely to be LGBTQ+ compared to Allistics.

* All the characters in Parks and Recs, except Anne Perkins are Autistically coded. (You will find that a lot of Autistic people loved the show before realizing they are Autistic)

* Autistic people are not socially deficient. Autistic people are as effective at working together as Allistics are working together. There are challenges when Allistics and Autistics work together. Allistics perceive Autistics as deficient because there many many more of them

*There is nothing wrong with being Autistic.

*Self Diagnosis is Valid for a multitude of reasons.

*/#ActuallyAutistic is a hashtag that means you are openly Autistic.

*Autistic people tend to have a different style of "autobiographical" memory than Allistic people. Allistic people have a constant recording of their experiences but Autistic people tend to have vivid powerful memories of specific moments.

*Up to 86% of Autistic people also have Kinetism (ADHD)

*[[Stimming]] can seriously reduce Autistic stress. Many Autistic people have suppressed their ability to Stim for so long that they have to actively "deprogram" to get back to a natural level of stimming.

*The symbol of Autism is a Golden Infinity. A Rainbow infinity is the symbol of the Neurodiversity movement. Puzzle pieces represent the belief that Autistic people are missing a fundamental aspect of humanity. It is therefore considered a hate symbol by the Autistic Community.

*[https://t.co/lyc8IGPjZM Autism Speaks] is considered a hate group by the Autistic Community. This is clearly demonstrated by their "I am Autism" commercial. Please do not allow children to see this video. Proceed with caution if you intend to watch it. It cannot be unseen.

*Many Autistic people are Demi-Sexual. Many are Neuroqueer. Many are Autigender. If you are not familiar with these specific terms, you should definitely investigate them.

*June 18th is Autistic Pride Day

* Being Autistic is the paradox of being human but also
being radically different from most people. Before you [[grok]] that you are Autistic it seems impossible to be true. After you [grok] it, it seems impossible that it took a lifetime to figure out something so clearly true.💚

*Many Autistic people experience irrational fears. These are hard wired terror responses to stimuli that pose not inherent threat. Such as an irrational fear of toilets. These can be coped with "irrationally" but traditional phobia therapy will be traumatizing.

*Ableism is discrimination in favor of the abled.

[[Applied_Behavior_Analysis|ABA]] is a conversion "therapy" grounded in the concept the Autistic neurotype is unacceptable and that Autistic people should act in all ways as if Allistic. ABA is therefore ableism and a violation of anti-discrimination laws.

Being diagnosed as Autistic in various states of the U.S. will result in your [[Drawbacks_of_diagnosis|rights being restricted]].

Some states keep [[Drawbacks_of_diagnosis|mandatory databases]] of anyone who has been diagnosed as Autistic in that state.

@Twitter has clear rules that prevent hateful content regarding the disabled.

In spite of clear rules protecting the disabled, @Twitter openly ignores hateful content that targets the Autistic and other disabled people.

It is a myth that all Autistic people are asexual.

Some Autistic people are asexual, some are aromantic, some are demi, some are hypersexual.

Some Autistic people are very kinky. Not following social norms can definitely apply to sex.

The “Autism Community” is arguably anyone who has a connection to Autism.

The “Autistic Community” is anyone who is Autistic.

The distinction is very important when speaking on matters of Autism, especially the experience of being Autistic.

Most countries have laws that technically protect the disabled and are extremely powerful, like the _**ada**_ in the U.S.

Despite the power of these laws, it can take months or years for the law to act, leaving the disabled extremely vulnerable to abuse and mistreatment.

Some parents of Autistic children can be very problematic and attempt to control the Autistic narrative.

Many of the problematic parents are actually Autistic and are unaware of it.

Their lack of self awareness can be extremely harmful to their children and the community.

It is extremely easy for Autistic people to become traumatized.

At times it can be difficult to understand if you are having an Autistic response or a Traumagenic response to an event.

Yes, a lot of Autistic people enjoy LEGO.

Yes, a lot of Autistic people enjoy Pokémon.

There are a lot of things that fit in really well with Autistic traits.

Autistic people tend to have different love languages than the Allistic.

5 Autistic love languages include:

* [[Infodumping]]
* [[Parallel Play]]
* Embracing Touch Needs
* Acceptance
* "This [anything] reminded me of you"

Autistic people often socialize though their special interests.

Groups of people that primarily organize and socialize through intense interest in a shared hobby, are frequently, disproportionately Autistic.

Allistic brains are wired to use heuristics and Autistics are not.

Heuristics are "best guesses" that are quick and efficient but imprecise and prone to error.

* Allistic brains are fast
* Autistic brains are precise

This is fundamental to understanding our differences.

[ href="https://t.co/c3251thHZx" Due to confusion on this topic of unconscious heuristics we wrote this thread to help explain that this is not about conscious thought.

]

Allistic brains are wired to use heuristics and Autistics are not.

Heuristics are "best guesses" that are quick and efficient but imprecise and prone to error.

* Allistic brains are fast
* Autistic brains are precise

This is fundamental to understanding our differences.

- [[Allism|Allistic]] means not Autistic.

* NeurodiverGENT is anyone who is not Neurotypical

* NeurodiverSE means a range of neurotypes which may include Neurotypical.

<a href="https://t.co/xdJAY6kKAN">Empathy gets talked about a '''lot''' regarding the Autistic. There are myths and counter myths.

Empathy is a sense and a knob on the Autistic spectrum which ranges from hyper to hypo. </a>

[ href="https://t.co/0drZ45Jl0g" The Autistic spectrum is not a line.

It is a series of "knobs" set at various levels for each manifestation of Autism.

It is endless forms most beautiful. ]

♾❤️🧡💛💚💙💜♾

Epic Infographic by the Epic @Autism_Sketches </a>

![alt text](http://pbs.twimg.com/media/FU5q18vXEAI25pO.png)

Autistic people tend to be meritocratic.

This can get us into a lot of trouble when we ignore more traditional power structures that are not based on merit.

[ href="https://t.co/wK8WeLgxlB" Many Autistic people are drawn to and even aroused by skilled people and experts.

This is apparently so unusual a fixation outside of the Autistic community that it needed a neologism:

Peritiosexual
]

Despite laws that should protect them, many if not most Autistic people are afraid to be open with their employer and co-workers about being Autistic and do not have confidence that their jobs will be safe if they come out.

Autistic people are often members of some form of counter-culture.

Some Autistic people will only /publicly/ be a member of that counter-culture /or/ be openly Autistic, the social challenges of openly being both can be daunting.

Autistic people remember stories about Autistic characters better than stories about Allistic characters and vice versa.

This will probably tell you something about your favorite characters.

Autistic people tend to be very good at reading things upside down and backwards and take this ability for granted as a human norm.

Various studies, and shocked Allistics, indicate that this is not an easy thing for Allistics to do. (Still looking for exact numbers on this).

Autism is often a multigenerational disability that runs in families.

Until someone realizes the family has Autism, no one in the family will question Autistic behaviors as noteworthy.

It’s literally normal behavior for that family.

[ href="https://t.co/zTFAL3r5VH" Having polled Autistic people:

There is a 72% chance of at least one of their parents definitely being Autistic but only a 13% chance that their parents are aware of this.

There is only a 7% chance that their parents are definitely not Autistic.

]

[ href="https://t.co/XQOXyPZP4m" One of the concrete indicators that a person is Autistic is if they are deeply concerned with “claiming space” that might not “rightfully be theirs” within the Autistic Community.]

For various reasons these Autistics fundamentally believe in the sanctity of marginalized spaces. </a>

[href="https://twitter.com/x/status/1534814791923126272" Here is the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Accidentally open secrets regarding Autism

2022-08-26T15:16:23Z

El (Autistic Voices United):

[https://twitter.com/x/status/1534814791923126272 Here is the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

There are facts that are known by so many Autistic people that they don't get talked about much, so people often don't realize they are a "thing" and then once they know ... they know, so they don't talk about it, and then you end up with people who don't "know."

*Autistic people naturally gravitate to other Neurodivergent people.

*When a person realizes they are Autistic, most will quickly develop the ability to "detect" if another person is Autistic.

*The vast majority of Autistic people are glad they are Autistic and want to keep it that way. They want accommodations, not a cure.

*There is a strong connection between Autistic people and cats.

*A lot of Autistic people personify objects and feel they have a semblance of life.

*Autistic people tend to look much younger than they are.

*On average an Autistic person will die 16 years earlier than a peer [[Allism|without Autism]]. Sooner if they have comorbidities such as Kinetism (ADHD), Depression, etc... This is due to lack of accommodations and acceptance.

*Autistic people are frequently drawn to animation, many with a focus on Anime. There are many reasons for this.

*Autistic people tend to eat a very small range of foods that they personally like to eat.

*Elsa from Frozen is Autistically coded and "Let it Go" clearly parallels letting go of Autistic masking.

*Autistic people are very likely to be LGBTQ+ compared to Allistics.

* All the characters in Parks and Recs, except Anne Perkins are Autistically coded. (You will find that a lot of Autistic people loved the show before realizing they are Autistic)

* Autistic people are not socially deficient. Autistic people are as effective at working together as Allistics are working together.
There are challenges when Allistics and Autistics work together. Allistics perceive Autistics as deficient because there many many more of them

*There is nothing wrong with being Autistic.

*Self Diagnosis is Valid for a multitude of reasons.

*#ActuallyAutistic is a hashtag that means you are openly Autistic.

*Autistic people tend to have a different style of "autobiographical" memory than Allistic people. Allistic people have a constant recording of their experiences but Autistic people tend to have vivid powerful memories of specific moments.

*Up to 86% of Autistic people also have Kinetism (ADHD)

*[[Stimming]] can seriously reduce Autistic stress.

Many Autistic people have suppressed their ability to Stim for so long that they have to actively "deprogram" to get back to a natural level of stimming.

The symbol of Autism is a Golden Infinity.

A Rainbow infinity is the symbol of the Neurodiversity movement.

Puzzle pieces represent the belief that Autistic people are missing a fundamental aspect of humanity. It is therefore considered a hate symbol by the Autistic Community.

<a href="https://t.co/lyc8IGPjZM">Autism Speaks is considered a hate group by the Autistic Community.

This is clearly demonstrated by their "I am Autism" commercial.

Please do not allow children to see this video.

Proceed with caution if you intend to watch it. It cannot be unseen.

Many Autistic people are Demi-Sexual.

Many are Neuroqueer.

Many are Autigender.

If you are not familiar with these specific terms, you should definitely investigate them.

June 18th is Autistic Pride Day

Being Autistic is the paradox of being human but also
being radically different from most people

* Before you [[grok]] that you are Autistic it seems impossible to be true.

After you [grok] it, it seems impossible that it took a lifetime to figure out something so clearly true.
💚

Many Autistic people experience irrational fears.

These are hare wired terror responses to stimuli that pose not inherent threat. Such as an irrational fear of toilets.

These can be coped with "irrationally" but traditional phobia therapy will be traumatizing.

Ableism is discrimination in favor of the abled.

[[Applied_Behavior_Analysis|ABA]] is a conversion "therapy" grounded in the concept the Autistic neurotype is unacceptable and that Autistic people should act in all ways as if Allistic. ABA is therefore ableism and a violation of anti-discrimination laws.

Being diagnosed as Autistic in various states of the U.S. will result in your [[Drawbacks_of_diagnosis|rights being restricted]].

Some states keep [[Drawbacks_of_diagnosis|mandatory databases]] of anyone who has been diagnosed as Autistic in that state.

@Twitter has clear rules that prevent hateful content regarding the disabled.

In spite of clear rules protecting the disabled, @Twitter openly ignores hateful content that targets the Autistic and other disabled people.

It is a myth that all Autistic people are asexual.

Some Autistic people are asexual, some are aromantic, some are demi, some are hypersexual.

Some Autistic people are very kinky. Not following social norms can definitely apply to sex.

The “Autism Community” is arguably anyone who has a connection to Autism.

The “Autistic Community” is anyone who is Autistic.

The distinction is very important when speaking on matters of Autism, especially the experience of being Autistic.

Most countries have laws that technically protect the disabled and are extremely powerful, like the _**ada**_ in the U.S.

Despite the power of these laws, it can take months or years for the law to act, leaving the disabled extremely vulnerable to abuse and mistreatment.

Some parents of Autistic children can be very problematic and attempt to control the Autistic narrative.

Many of the problematic parents are actually Autistic and are unaware of it.

Their lack of self awareness can be extremely harmful to their children and the community.

It is extremely easy for Autistic people to become traumatized.

At times it can be difficult to understand if you are having an Autistic response or a Traumagenic response to an event.

Yes, a lot of Autistic people enjoy LEGO.

Yes, a lot of Autistic people enjoy Pokémon.

There are a lot of things that fit in really well with Autistic traits.

Autistic people tend to have different love languages than the Allistic.

5 Autistic love languages include:

* [[Infodumping]]
* [[Parallel Play]]
* Embracing Touch Needs
* Acceptance
* "This [anything] reminded me of you"

Autistic people often socialize though their special interests.

Groups of people that primarily organize and socialize through intense interest in a shared hobby, are frequently, disproportionately Autistic.

Allistic brains are wired to use heuristics and Autistics are not.

Heuristics are "best guesses" that are quick and efficient but imprecise and prone to error.

* Allistic brains are fast
* Autistic brains are precise

This is fundamental to understanding our differences.

[ href="https://t.co/c3251thHZx" Due to confusion on this topic of unconscious heuristics we wrote this thread to help explain that this is not about conscious thought.

]

Allistic brains are wired to use heuristics and Autistics are not.

Heuristics are "best guesses" that are quick and efficient but imprecise and prone to error.

* Allistic brains are fast
* Autistic brains are precise

This is fundamental to understanding our differences.

- [[Allism|Allistic]] means not Autistic.

* NeurodiverGENT is anyone who is not Neurotypical

* NeurodiverSE means a range of neurotypes which may include Neurotypical.

<a href="https://t.co/xdJAY6kKAN">Empathy gets talked about a '''lot''' regarding the Autistic. There are myths and counter myths.

Empathy is a sense and a knob on the Autistic spectrum which ranges from hyper to hypo. </a>

[ href="https://t.co/0drZ45Jl0g" The Autistic spectrum is not a line.

It is a series of "knobs" set at various levels for each manifestation of Autism.

It is endless forms most beautiful. ]

♾❤️🧡💛💚💙💜♾

Epic Infographic by the Epic @Autism_Sketches </a>

![alt text](http://pbs.twimg.com/media/FU5q18vXEAI25pO.png)

Autistic people tend to be meritocratic.

This can get us into a lot of trouble when we ignore more traditional power structures that are not based on merit.

[ href="https://t.co/wK8WeLgxlB" Many Autistic people are drawn to and even aroused by skilled people and experts.

This is apparently so unusual a fixation outside of the Autistic community that it needed a neologism:

Peritiosexual
]

Despite laws that should protect them, many if not most Autistic people are afraid to be open with their employer and co-workers about being Autistic and do not have confidence that their jobs will be safe if they come out.

Autistic people are often members of some form of counter-culture.

Some Autistic people will only /publicly/ be a member of that counter-culture /or/ be openly Autistic, the social challenges of openly being both can be daunting.

Autistic people remember stories about Autistic characters better than stories about Allistic characters and vice versa.

This will probably tell you something about your favorite characters.

Autistic people tend to be very good at reading things upside down and backwards and take this ability for granted as a human norm.

Various studies, and shocked Allistics, indicate that this is not an easy thing for Allistics to do. (Still looking for exact numbers on this).

Autism is often a multigenerational disability that runs in families.

Until someone realizes the family has Autism, no one in the family will question Autistic behaviors as noteworthy.

It’s literally normal behavior for that family.

[ href="https://t.co/zTFAL3r5VH" Having polled Autistic people:

There is a 72% chance of at least one of their parents definitely being Autistic but only a 13% chance that their parents are aware of this.

There is only a 7% chance that their parents are definitely not Autistic.

]

[ href="https://t.co/XQOXyPZP4m" One of the concrete indicators that a person is Autistic is if they are deeply concerned with “claiming space” that might not “rightfully be theirs” within the Autistic Community.]

For various reasons these Autistics fundamentally believe in the sanctity of marginalized spaces. </a>

[href="https://twitter.com/x/status/1534814791923126272" Here is the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Main Page

2022-08-26T15:05:00Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Articles and threads */

Welcome to the '''ActuallyAutistic Wiki'''! This is a community-driven guide to all aspects of autism, allism, and helping build bridges between neurotypes. It emerged recently from the #ActuallyAutistic community on Twitter.

* '''Everyone is welcome to contribute to this wiki!'''
* You can '''edit any page''' without even having an account. Just hit the 'Edit' link on any page (including this one!). ''Important privacy note'': editing a page without having an account or without being logged in will show your IP address publicly in the changelog/history of a page.
* The number one rule of wiki editing is to be bold. '''Go ahead – make changes — even large rewrites of big topics'''. Other people can correct any mistakes you make, so have confidence, and give it a try!
** If you disagree with what someone else has put, please consider adding a [[Help:Style guidelines#Comments|note of disagreement]] and what you think/would do after that section, especially if it could be something that varies by country or even situations or if you want to change it to/from an absolute (such as job interviews or eye gaze)
* None of the content here is sacred. Please just make changes! Some of the articles are just starter content or from a particular person's perspective. Earlier versions can always be restored if necessary. '''These are all collaborative documents'''.
* Here is a [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Starting_a_new_page short guide] on how to create a new wiki page from scratch! Please check first whether a similar page already exists to avoid duplicates.
* Here are some of our [[Help:Style guidelines|style guidelines]] if you're unsure about formatting etc. But '''don't worry or overthink too much about "getting things right"''', these are not "hard rules" – and everything can be edited, formatted & moved later without issue anyway! :)
* Please remember that '''links are CASE SENSITIVE'''. When linking to a missing page, whichever case you use will be created when someone follows the link and makes that new page. Linking to existing articles is case sensitive for every letter ''except'' the first one. Lowercasing or capitalizing a letter other than the first one will break the link / not link to the page you want. Please read [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Links this guide on links] if you want to use them!
* Do you have some '''feedback, questions or suggestions''' about this wiki project? Feel free to add them [[Talk:Meta|here]]!

== Meta ==

* [[Community guidelines]]
* [[Help:Style guidelines|Style guidelines]]
* [[Talk:Meta|Feedback, questions and suggestions]]
* [[Please help these pages]] – [[Add stuff here please]], [[Review please]]

== ActuallyAutistic terminology ==
* [[Augmentative and alternative communication|AAC]]
* [[Allism]]
* [[Applied Behavior Analysis|Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)]]
* [[Autism]]
* [[Overlapping neurotypes|AuDHD]]
* [[Autistic burnout]]
* [[Autistic joy]]
* [[Echolalia]]
* [[Executive dysfunction]]
* [[Grok]]
* [[Highly Sensitive Person]]
* [[Hyperfixation]]
* [[Hyperfocus]]
* [[Identity-first language]]
* [[Inertia]]
* [[Infodumping]]
* [[Justice sensitivity]]
* [[ADHD|Kinetism (ADHD)]]
* [[Late diagnosis]]
* [[Masking]]
* [[Meltdown]]
* [[Monotropism]]
* [[Neurodivergence]]
* [[Neurodiversity]]
* [[Neurokin]]
* [[Neuropeer]]
* [[Neurotypical]]
* [[Parallel play]]
* [[PBS]]
* [[Person-first language]]
* [[Rejection sensitive dysphoria]]
* [[Ritual]]
* [[Routine]]
* [[Safe foods]]
* [[Savant]]
* [[Shutdown]]
* [[Special interest]]
* [[Spoon theory]]
* [[Stimming]]
* [[Miscellaneous terms]] - for similar/confusing terms and definitions that probably better in one place rather than multiple short articles

== List of Autistic traits (incomplete) ==

{{Comment|I propose to de-clutter this section. For example, make a page for the Core Autistic Traits, and migrating the links in that section to that page. But doing the same for each section. --[[User:Fire Eider|Fire Eider]] ([[User talk:Fire Eider|talk]]) 14:49, 25 August 2022 (UTC)

I actually like being able to see all these links in one spot. It lets you scan and get a sense of things. But because the list is pretty long, we could potentially move this entire section to an `Autistic traits` page. On the other hand — it might not actually just be bad to have a fairly long "Main" page that serves as an index into content generally --[[User:AutExplorer|AutExplorer]] ([[User talk:AutExplorer|talk]])

I also like this, for the moment. It reduces the barrier to entry because people see all the stuff that's currently available for editing in one central place and can then just click on something immediately when they think "Oh, I want to add my thoughts to that!" --[[User:Fochti|Fochti]] ([[User talk:Fochti|talk]]) 18:25, 25 August 2022 (UTC)

Good points. I retract what I said earlier --[[User:Fire Eider|Fire Eider]] ([[User talk:Fire Eider|talk]]) 19:38, 25 August 2022 (UTC)}}

Not every autistic person necessarily has many of the traits listed below, but these traits do tend to show up more often in autistic people than in non-autistic people.

=== Core autistic traits ===

* [[Autistic empathy]]
* [[Sensory sensitivity|Hyper-senses & hypo-senses]]
* [[Preference for certainty]]
* [[Routine]] / [[Ritual]]
* [[Special interest|Special interests]]
* [[Stimming]]

=== Autistic nonverbal communication ===

* [[Eye contact|Eye contact avoidance]]
* [[Flat affect]]
* [[Flat facing]]
* [[Being an "old soul"]]

=== Autistic verbal communication ===

* [[Accent mimicry]]
* [[Bluntness]]
* [[Selective mutism|Conditional Mutism]]
* [[Difficulty lying]]
* [[Monotone voice]]
* [[Reframing]]
* [[Verbal footnoting]]
* [[Nonspeaking]]
* [[Phone calls|Phone call avoidance]]
* [[Wordplay]]
* [[name? unconsciously getting word order wrong]]
* [[Auditory processing disorder|Auditory processing difficulties]]
* [[Infodumping|Preference for infodumping]]

=== Gender and sexuality ===

* [[Gender]]
* [[Autigender]]
* [[Demisexuality]]
* [[Autism and LGBTQ+]]
* [[Peritiosexual]]
* [[Neuroqueer]]
* [[Xenogender]]

=== Imperatives and neurological ===

* [[Resistance to bias]]
* [[Dissociation]]
* [[Irrational fears, neurological]]
* [[Divergent stress triggers]]
* [[Divergent touch needs]]
* [[Ethical fearlessness]]
* [[Experiential recreation]]
* [[Gullibility]]
* [[Inability to intuit the "point of diminishing returns"]]
* [[Intense world theory]]
* [[Median (plurality)]]
* [[Nonlinear contradiction response]]
* [[Pattern recognition]]
* [[Preference for certainty]]
* [[Prosopagnosia]]
* [[Plurality]]
* [[Susceptibility to trauma]]
* [[Sympathetic animism]]
* [[name? Willful Sensorium Override]]

=== Familial ===

* [[Autistic relatives]]
* [[Multigenerational disability]]

=== Memory ===

* [[Atypical autobigraphical and episodic memory]]
* [[Emotion memory imprinting]]
* [[Childhood amnesia]]

=== Pychological ===

* [[Imposter syndrome|Autistic imposter syndrome ]]
* [[Cat empathy]]
* [[Rumination]]
* [[Overthinking]]
* [[Preference for animation]]
* [[Preference for autistically coded characters]]
* [[Gravitate to other neurodivergents]]
* [[Social contracts]]

=== Physical ===

* [[Arthritis]]
* [[Autistic baby face]]
* [[Hypermobility]]
* [[Toe walking]]

=== Senses ===

* [[Aural sensitivity to electronics]]
* [[Hyper-empathy]]
* [[Hypo-empathy]]
* [[Temperature sensitivity]]

=== Traumagenic Autistic traits ===

* [[Over-apologizing]]
* [[High mortality rate]]
* [[Irrational fears, logical]] (Contradiction...?) No, they are locial fears that are irrational out of context of ND.
* [[Social anxiety]]
* [[Pathological demand avoidance]]

=== Additional Autistic traits ===

* [[Comorbid interference traits]]
* [[Overlapping Autistic traits]]

== Social Media ==

* [[Instagram]]
* [[TikTok]]
* [[Twitter]]
* [[YouTube]]

== Outmoded terminology ==

While many autists have moved away from these terms, some continue to use them to describe their experience. Please remember that people may have complex reasons for the words they choose, and that differences in vocabulary are okay. In short, while it's important to understand how these outdated terms play to most autists, it's also not helpful to police other people's word choices.

* [[Asperger syndrome]]
* [[Functioning labels|High- and low-functioning]]
* [[On the spectrum]]

== Sociology ==

* [[Ableism]]
* [[Gender]]
* [[Gossip]]
* [[Group dynamics]]
* [[Peer group]]
* [[Phatic expression]]
* [[Saving face]]
* [[Social power]]
* [[Social status]]

== Psychology ==

* [[Alexithymia]]
* [[Anxiety]]
* [[Defence mechanism|Defence mechanisms]]
* [[Empathy]]
* [[Imposter syndrome]]
* [[Theory of mind]]

== Neurology ==

* [[Overlapping neurotypes]]

== Allistic communication & miscommunication ==

* [[Body language]]
* [[Common sense]]
* [[Double empathy problem]]
* [[Eye contact]]
* [[Facial expression|Facial expressions]]
* [[Getting coffee]]
* [[Literal interpretation]]
* [[Multi-channel communication]]
* [[Responding to "How are you?"]]
* [[Social cue|Social cues]]
* [[Tone of voice]]

== Dating and relationships ==

* [[Autistic love languages]]
* [[Online dating]]
* [[Neurodivergent relationship|Neurodivergent relationships]]
* [[Neurodivergent sexuality]]

== Autistic culture ==

* [[Articles]]
* [[Autistic artists]]
* [[Autistic public figures]]
* [[Autistic representation in fiction]]
* [[Books by Autistic authors]]
* [[Jokes about Autism]]
* [[Podcasts by Autistic creators]]
* [[Symbols of Autism]]

== Comorbidities ==

* [[Bipolar disorder|BPD]]
{{Comment|Isn't BPD short for Borderline Personality Disorder, not Bipolar Disorder?}}
* [[Complex post-traumatic stress disorder|CPTSD]]
* [[Dyscalculia]]
* [[Dyslexia]]
* [[Ehlers-Danlos syndrome|EDS]]
* [[Hypermobility]]
* [[Hyperlexia]]
* [[ADHD|Kinetism (ADHD)]]
* [[Obsessive-compulsive disorder|OCD]]
* [[Plurality]]
*Depression/Anxiety

== Accommodations ==

* [[Augmentative and alternative communication|AAC]]
* [[Autism passport]]
* [[Clear instructions]]
* [[Hidden disabilities sunflower]]
* [[Noise-cancelling headphones]]
* [[Support networks and organisations]]

== Culture-specific differences ==

* [[Ask and guess cultures]]
* [[High and low context cultures]]
* [[Peach and coconut cultures]]

== Diagnostic journey ==

* [[Formal diagnosis]]
* [[Overlapping neurotypes|Multiple diagnoses]]
* [[Questioning]]
* [[Research]]
* [[Screening tools]]
* [[Self-diagnosis]]

== Problems with autism research ==

* [[Autism Speaks]]
* [[Autism stereotypes]]
* [[Bias]]
* [[Deficit model]]
* [[Functioning labels]]
* [[Ethics of autism research]]
* [[History of autism]]
* [[Stigma]]

== How to help ==

{{Comment|I have no idea what the purpose of this section and the page below is supposed to be..?}}

* [[Capacity]]

== Mental health ==

* [[Applied_Behavior_Analysis|Applied behavior analysis]]
* [[Depression]]
* [[Difficulties with mental health services]]

== Information processing differences ==

* [[Aphasia]]
* [[Auditory processing disorder]]
* [[Dyslexia]]
* [[Dyspraxia]]
* [[Dyscalculia]]
* [[Dysgraphia]]
* [[Hyperlexia]]
* [[Misophonia]]
* [[Prosopagnosia]]
* [[Synesthesia]]

== Office & work dynamics ==

* [[Corporate buzzwords]]
* [[HR interviews]]
* [[Job interviews]] - ended up writing like a short essay in this one which boils down to the importance of respecting diversity of thought on this wiki. Maybe it would be better suited to copy into another page, but not sure which?
* [[Meetings]]
* [[Networking]]
* [[Team building / work socials]]
* [[Water cooler]]

== Articles and Threads ==

* [["Am I Autistic?" Guide]]
* [[Autism without trauma]]
* [[Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism]]
* [[Signs you might be autistic]]
* [[Accidentally Open Secrets Regarding Autism]]

== Senses ==

Many autistics have differences in their senses, such as maybe hypersensitive to sound but hyposensitive to smell. These articles should try to document examples of both types as well as potential ways to compensate.

* [[Auditory perception|Hearing]]
* [[Gastro-intestinal problems]]
* [[Interoception]]
* [[Proprioception]]
* [[Sensory overload]]
* [[Sensory sensitivity]]
* [[Synthesthesia|Synesthesia]]
* [[Olfactory perception|Smell]]
* [[Gustatory perception|Taste]]
* [[Tactile perception|Texture]]
* [[Vestibulary perception]]
* [[Visual perception|Vision]]

== Yet-to-be-sorted categories ==

You can put stuff that doesn't fit anywhere else (yet) here.

* [[Violence against Autistic people]]
* [[Idioms]]

== Misc ==

* [[special:AllPages|View all pages]]
* [[Special:Categories|View all categories]]

Main Page

2022-08-26T15:03:46Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Traumagenic Autistic traits */

Welcome to the '''ActuallyAutistic Wiki'''! This is a community-driven guide to all aspects of autism, allism, and helping build bridges between neurotypes. It emerged recently from the #ActuallyAutistic community on Twitter.

* '''Everyone is welcome to contribute to this wiki!'''
* You can '''edit any page''' without even having an account. Just hit the 'Edit' link on any page (including this one!). ''Important privacy note'': editing a page without having an account or without being logged in will show your IP address publicly in the changelog/history of a page.
* The number one rule of wiki editing is to be bold. '''Go ahead – make changes — even large rewrites of big topics'''. Other people can correct any mistakes you make, so have confidence, and give it a try!
** If you disagree with what someone else has put, please consider adding a [[Help:Style guidelines#Comments|note of disagreement]] and what you think/would do after that section, especially if it could be something that varies by country or even situations or if you want to change it to/from an absolute (such as job interviews or eye gaze)
* None of the content here is sacred. Please just make changes! Some of the articles are just starter content or from a particular person's perspective. Earlier versions can always be restored if necessary. '''These are all collaborative documents'''.
* Here is a [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Starting_a_new_page short guide] on how to create a new wiki page from scratch! Please check first whether a similar page already exists to avoid duplicates.
* Here are some of our [[Help:Style guidelines|style guidelines]] if you're unsure about formatting etc. But '''don't worry or overthink too much about "getting things right"''', these are not "hard rules" – and everything can be edited, formatted & moved later without issue anyway! :)
* Please remember that '''links are CASE SENSITIVE'''. When linking to a missing page, whichever case you use will be created when someone follows the link and makes that new page. Linking to existing articles is case sensitive for every letter ''except'' the first one. Lowercasing or capitalizing a letter other than the first one will break the link / not link to the page you want. Please read [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Links this guide on links] if you want to use them!
* Do you have some '''feedback, questions or suggestions''' about this wiki project? Feel free to add them [[Talk:Meta|here]]!

== Meta ==

* [[Community guidelines]]
* [[Help:Style guidelines|Style guidelines]]
* [[Talk:Meta|Feedback, questions and suggestions]]
* [[Please help these pages]] – [[Add stuff here please]], [[Review please]]

== ActuallyAutistic terminology ==
* [[Augmentative and alternative communication|AAC]]
* [[Allism]]
* [[Applied Behavior Analysis|Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)]]
* [[Autism]]
* [[Overlapping neurotypes|AuDHD]]
* [[Autistic burnout]]
* [[Autistic joy]]
* [[Echolalia]]
* [[Executive dysfunction]]
* [[Grok]]
* [[Highly Sensitive Person]]
* [[Hyperfixation]]
* [[Hyperfocus]]
* [[Identity-first language]]
* [[Inertia]]
* [[Infodumping]]
* [[Justice sensitivity]]
* [[ADHD|Kinetism (ADHD)]]
* [[Late diagnosis]]
* [[Masking]]
* [[Meltdown]]
* [[Monotropism]]
* [[Neurodivergence]]
* [[Neurodiversity]]
* [[Neurokin]]
* [[Neuropeer]]
* [[Neurotypical]]
* [[Parallel play]]
* [[PBS]]
* [[Person-first language]]
* [[Rejection sensitive dysphoria]]
* [[Ritual]]
* [[Routine]]
* [[Safe foods]]
* [[Savant]]
* [[Shutdown]]
* [[Special interest]]
* [[Spoon theory]]
* [[Stimming]]
* [[Miscellaneous terms]] - for similar/confusing terms and definitions that probably better in one place rather than multiple short articles

== List of Autistic traits (incomplete) ==

{{Comment|I propose to de-clutter this section. For example, make a page for the Core Autistic Traits, and migrating the links in that section to that page. But doing the same for each section. --[[User:Fire Eider|Fire Eider]] ([[User talk:Fire Eider|talk]]) 14:49, 25 August 2022 (UTC)

I actually like being able to see all these links in one spot. It lets you scan and get a sense of things. But because the list is pretty long, we could potentially move this entire section to an `Autistic traits` page. On the other hand — it might not actually just be bad to have a fairly long "Main" page that serves as an index into content generally --[[User:AutExplorer|AutExplorer]] ([[User talk:AutExplorer|talk]])

I also like this, for the moment. It reduces the barrier to entry because people see all the stuff that's currently available for editing in one central place and can then just click on something immediately when they think "Oh, I want to add my thoughts to that!" --[[User:Fochti|Fochti]] ([[User talk:Fochti|talk]]) 18:25, 25 August 2022 (UTC)

Good points. I retract what I said earlier --[[User:Fire Eider|Fire Eider]] ([[User talk:Fire Eider|talk]]) 19:38, 25 August 2022 (UTC)}}

Not every autistic person necessarily has many of the traits listed below, but these traits do tend to show up more often in autistic people than in non-autistic people.

=== Core autistic traits ===

* [[Autistic empathy]]
* [[Sensory sensitivity|Hyper-senses & hypo-senses]]
* [[Preference for certainty]]
* [[Routine]] / [[Ritual]]
* [[Special interest|Special interests]]
* [[Stimming]]

=== Autistic nonverbal communication ===

* [[Eye contact|Eye contact avoidance]]
* [[Flat affect]]
* [[Flat facing]]
* [[Being an "old soul"]]

=== Autistic verbal communication ===

* [[Accent mimicry]]
* [[Bluntness]]
* [[Selective mutism|Conditional Mutism]]
* [[Difficulty lying]]
* [[Monotone voice]]
* [[Reframing]]
* [[Verbal footnoting]]
* [[Nonspeaking]]
* [[Phone calls|Phone call avoidance]]
* [[Wordplay]]
* [[name? unconsciously getting word order wrong]]
* [[Auditory processing disorder|Auditory processing difficulties]]
* [[Infodumping|Preference for infodumping]]

=== Gender and sexuality ===

* [[Gender]]
* [[Autigender]]
* [[Demisexuality]]
* [[Autism and LGBTQ+]]
* [[Peritiosexual]]
* [[Neuroqueer]]
* [[Xenogender]]

=== Imperatives and neurological ===

* [[Resistance to bias]]
* [[Dissociation]]
* [[Irrational fears, neurological]]
* [[Divergent stress triggers]]
* [[Divergent touch needs]]
* [[Ethical fearlessness]]
* [[Experiential recreation]]
* [[Gullibility]]
* [[Inability to intuit the "point of diminishing returns"]]
* [[Intense world theory]]
* [[Median (plurality)]]
* [[Nonlinear contradiction response]]
* [[Pattern recognition]]
* [[Preference for certainty]]
* [[Prosopagnosia]]
* [[Plurality]]
* [[Susceptibility to trauma]]
* [[Sympathetic animism]]
* [[name? Willful Sensorium Override]]

=== Familial ===

* [[Autistic relatives]]
* [[Multigenerational disability]]

=== Memory ===

* [[Atypical autobigraphical and episodic memory]]
* [[Emotion memory imprinting]]
* [[Childhood amnesia]]

=== Pychological ===

* [[Imposter syndrome|Autistic imposter syndrome ]]
* [[Cat empathy]]
* [[Rumination]]
* [[Overthinking]]
* [[Preference for animation]]
* [[Preference for autistically coded characters]]
* [[Gravitate to other neurodivergents]]
* [[Social contracts]]

=== Physical ===

* [[Arthritis]]
* [[Autistic baby face]]
* [[Hypermobility]]
* [[Toe walking]]

=== Senses ===

* [[Aural sensitivity to electronics]]
* [[Hyper-empathy]]
* [[Hypo-empathy]]
* [[Temperature sensitivity]]

=== Traumagenic Autistic traits ===

* [[Over-apologizing]]
* [[High mortality rate]]
* [[Irrational fears, logical]] (Contradiction...?) No, they are locial fears that are irrational out of context of ND.
* [[Social anxiety]]
* [[Pathological demand avoidance]]

=== Additional Autistic traits ===

* [[Comorbid interference traits]]
* [[Overlapping Autistic traits]]

== Social Media ==

* [[Instagram]]
* [[TikTok]]
* [[Twitter]]
* [[YouTube]]

== Outmoded terminology ==

While many autists have moved away from these terms, some continue to use them to describe their experience. Please remember that people may have complex reasons for the words they choose, and that differences in vocabulary are okay. In short, while it's important to understand how these outdated terms play to most autists, it's also not helpful to police other people's word choices.

* [[Asperger syndrome]]
* [[Functioning labels|High- and low-functioning]]
* [[On the spectrum]]

== Sociology ==

* [[Ableism]]
* [[Gender]]
* [[Gossip]]
* [[Group dynamics]]
* [[Peer group]]
* [[Phatic expression]]
* [[Saving face]]
* [[Social power]]
* [[Social status]]

== Psychology ==

* [[Alexithymia]]
* [[Anxiety]]
* [[Defence mechanism|Defence mechanisms]]
* [[Empathy]]
* [[Imposter syndrome]]
* [[Theory of mind]]

== Neurology ==

* [[Overlapping neurotypes]]

== Allistic communication & miscommunication ==

* [[Body language]]
* [[Common sense]]
* [[Double empathy problem]]
* [[Eye contact]]
* [[Facial expression|Facial expressions]]
* [[Getting coffee]]
* [[Literal interpretation]]
* [[Multi-channel communication]]
* [[Responding to "How are you?"]]
* [[Social cue|Social cues]]
* [[Tone of voice]]

== Dating and relationships ==

* [[Autistic love languages]]
* [[Online dating]]
* [[Neurodivergent relationship|Neurodivergent relationships]]
* [[Neurodivergent sexuality]]

== Autistic culture ==

* [[Articles]]
* [[Autistic artists]]
* [[Autistic public figures]]
* [[Autistic representation in fiction]]
* [[Books by Autistic authors]]
* [[Jokes about Autism]]
* [[Podcasts by Autistic creators]]
* [[Symbols of Autism]]

== Comorbidities ==

* [[Bipolar disorder|BPD]]
{{Comment|Isn't BPD short for Borderline Personality Disorder, not Bipolar Disorder?}}
* [[Complex post-traumatic stress disorder|CPTSD]]
* [[Dyscalculia]]
* [[Dyslexia]]
* [[Ehlers-Danlos syndrome|EDS]]
* [[Hypermobility]]
* [[Hyperlexia]]
* [[ADHD|Kinetism (ADHD)]]
* [[Obsessive-compulsive disorder|OCD]]
* [[Plurality]]
*Depression/Anxiety

== Accommodations ==

* [[Augmentative and alternative communication|AAC]]
* [[Autism passport]]
* [[Clear instructions]]
* [[Hidden disabilities sunflower]]
* [[Noise-cancelling headphones]]
* [[Support networks and organisations]]

== Culture-specific differences ==

* [[Ask and guess cultures]]
* [[High and low context cultures]]
* [[Peach and coconut cultures]]

== Diagnostic journey ==

* [[Formal diagnosis]]
* [[Overlapping neurotypes|Multiple diagnoses]]
* [[Questioning]]
* [[Research]]
* [[Screening tools]]
* [[Self-diagnosis]]

== Problems with autism research ==

* [[Autism Speaks]]
* [[Autism stereotypes]]
* [[Bias]]
* [[Deficit model]]
* [[Functioning labels]]
* [[Ethics of autism research]]
* [[History of autism]]
* [[Stigma]]

== How to help ==

{{Comment|I have no idea what the purpose of this section and the page below is supposed to be..?}}

* [[Capacity]]

== Mental health ==

* [[Applied_Behavior_Analysis|Applied behavior analysis]]
* [[Depression]]
* [[Difficulties with mental health services]]

== Information processing differences ==

* [[Aphasia]]
* [[Auditory processing disorder]]
* [[Dyslexia]]
* [[Dyspraxia]]
* [[Dyscalculia]]
* [[Dysgraphia]]
* [[Hyperlexia]]
* [[Misophonia]]
* [[Prosopagnosia]]
* [[Synesthesia]]

== Office & work dynamics ==

* [[Corporate buzzwords]]
* [[HR interviews]]
* [[Job interviews]] - ended up writing like a short essay in this one which boils down to the importance of respecting diversity of thought on this wiki. Maybe it would be better suited to copy into another page, but not sure which?
* [[Meetings]]
* [[Networking]]
* [[Team building / work socials]]
* [[Water cooler]]

== Articles and threads ==

* [["Am I Autistic?" Guide]]
* [[Autism without trauma]]
* [[Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism]]
* [[Signs you might be autistic]]
* [[Accidentally Open Secrets Regarding Autism]]

== Senses ==

Many autistics have differences in their senses, such as maybe hypersensitive to sound but hyposensitive to smell. These articles should try to document examples of both types as well as potential ways to compensate.

* [[Auditory perception|Hearing]]
* [[Gastro-intestinal problems]]
* [[Interoception]]
* [[Proprioception]]
* [[Sensory overload]]
* [[Sensory sensitivity]]
* [[Synthesthesia|Synesthesia]]
* [[Olfactory perception|Smell]]
* [[Gustatory perception|Taste]]
* [[Tactile perception|Texture]]
* [[Vestibulary perception]]
* [[Visual perception|Vision]]

== Yet-to-be-sorted categories ==

You can put stuff that doesn't fit anywhere else (yet) here.

* [[Violence against Autistic people]]
* [[Idioms]]

== Misc ==

* [[special:AllPages|View all pages]]
* [[Special:Categories|View all categories]]

Accidentally open secrets regarding Autism

2022-08-26T15:01:43Z

El (Autistic Voices United):

[[href="https://twitter.com/x/status/1534814791923126272" Here is the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]]

There are facts that are known by so many Autistic people that they don't get talked about much, so people often don't realize they are a "thing" and then once they know ... they know, so they don't talk about it, and then you end up with people who don't "know."

*Autistic people naturally gravitate to other Neurodivergent people.

*When a person realizes they are Autistic, most will quickly devleop the ability to "detect" if another person is Autistic.

*The vast majority of Autistic people are glad they are Autistic and want to keep it that way. They want accomodations, not a cure.

*There is a strong connection between Autistic people and cats.

*A lot of Autistic people personify objects and feel they have a semblence of life.

*Autistic people tend to look much younger than they are.

*On average an Autistic person will die 16 years earlier than a peer without Autism. Sooner if they have comobidities such as Kinetism (ADHD), Depression, etc... This is due to lack of accomodations and acceptance.

*Autistic people are frequently drawn to animation, many with a focus on Anime. There are many reasons for this.

*Autistic people tend to eat a very small range of foods that they personally like to eat.

*Elsa from Frozen is Autistically coded and "Let it Go" clearly parallels letting go of Autistic masking.

*Autistic people are very likely to be LGBTQ+ compared to Allistics.

* All the characters in Parks and Recs, except Anne Perkins are Autistically coded. (You will find that a lot of Autistic people loved the show before realizing they are Autistic)

* Autistic people are not socially deficient. Autistic people are as effective at working together as Allistics are working together.
There are challenges when Allistics and Autistics work together. Allistics percieve Autistics as deficient because there many many more of them

*There is nothing wrong with being Autistic.

*Self Diagnosis is Valid for a multitude of reasons.

*#ActuallyAutistic is a hashtag that means you are openly Autistic.

*Autistic people tend to have a different style of "autobiographical" memory than Allistic people. Allistic people have a constant recording of their experiences but Autistic people tend to have vivid powerful memories of specific moments.

*Up to 86% of Autistic people also have Kinetism (ADHD)

*Stimming can seriously reduce Autistic stress.

Many Autistic people have suppressed their ability to Stim for so long that they have to actively "deprogram" to get back to a natural level of stimming.

The symbol of Autism is a Golden Infinty.

A Rainbow infinity is the symbol of the Neurodiversity movement.

Puzzle pieces represent the belief that Autistic people are missing a fundamental aspect of humanity. It is therefore considered a hate symbol by the Autistic Community.

<a href="https://t.co/lyc8IGPjZM">Autism Speaks is considered a hate group by the Autistic Community.

This is clearly demonstrated by their "I am Autism" commercial.

Please do not allow children to see this video.

Proceed with caution if you intend to watch it. It cannot be unseen.

Many Autistic people are Demi-Sexual.

Many are Neuroqueer.

Many are Autigender.

If you are not familiar with these specific terms, you should definitely investigate them.

June 18th is Autistic Pride Day

Being Autistic is the paradox of being human but also
being radically different from most people

* Before you [grok] that you are Autistic it seems impossible to be true.

After you [grok] it, it seems impossible that it took a lifetime to figure out something so clearly true.
💚

Many Autistic people experience irrational fears.

These are hare wired terror responses to stimuli that pose not inherent threat. Such as an irrational fear of toilets.

These can be coped with "irrationally" but traditional phobia therapy will be traumatizing.

Ableism is discrimination in favor of the abled.

ABA is a conversion "therapy" grounded in the concept the Autistic neurotype is unacceptable and that Autistic people should act in all ways as if Allistic. ABA is therefore ableism and a violation of anti-discrimination laws.

Being diagnosed as Autistic in various states of the U.S. will result in your rights being restricted.

Some states keep mandatory databases of anyone who has been diagnosed as Autistic in that state.

@Twitter has clear rules that prevent hateful content regarding the disabled.

In spite of clear rules protecting the disabled, @Twitter openly ignores hateful content that targets the Autistic and other disabled people.

It is a myth that all Autistic people are asexual.

Some Autistic people are asexual, some are aromantic, some are demi, some are hypersexual.

Some Autistic people are very kinky. Not following social norms can definitely apply to sex.

The “Autism Community” is arguably anyone who has a connection to Autism.

The “Autistic Community” is anyone who is Autistic.

The distinction is very important when speaking on matters of Autism, especially the experience of being Autistic.

Most countries have laws that technically protect the disabled and are extremely powerful, like the _**ada**_ in the U.S.

Despite the power of these laws, it can take months or years for the law to act, leaving the disabled extremely vulnerable to abuse and mistreatment.

Some parents of Autistic children can be very problematic and attempt to control the Autistic narrative.

Many of the problematic parents are actually Autistic and are unaware of it.

Their lack of self awareness can be extremely harmful to their children and the community.

It is extremely easy for Autistic people to become traumatized.

At times it can be difficult to understand if you are having an Autistic response or a Traumagenic response to an event.

Yes, a lot of Autistic people enjoy LEGO.

Yes, a lot of Autistic people enjoy Pokémon.

There are a lot of things that fit in really well with Autistic traits.

Autistic people tend to have different love languages than the Allistic.

5 Autistic love languages include:

* [[Infodumping]]
* [[Parallel Play]]
* Embracing Touch Needs
* Acceptance
* "This [anything] reminded me of you"

Autistic people often socialize though their special interests.

Groups of people that primarily organize and socialize through intense interest in a shared hobby, are frequently, disproportionately Autistic.

Allistic brains are wired to use heuristics and Autistics are not.

Heuristics are "best guesses" that are quick and efficient but imprecise and prone to error.

* Allistic brains are fast
* Autistic brains are precise

This is fundamental to understanding our differences.

[ href="https://t.co/c3251thHZx" Due to confusion on this topic of unconscious heuristics we wrote this thread to help explain that this is not about conscious thought.

]

Allistic brains are wired to use heuristics and Autistics are not.

Heuristics are "best guesses" that are quick and efficient but imprecise and prone to error.

* Allistic brains are fast
* Autistic brains are precise

This is fundamental to understanding our differences.

- [[Allism|Allistic]] means not Autistic.

* NeurodiverGENT is anyone who is not Neurotypical

* NeurodiverSE means a range of neurotypes which may include Neurotypical.

<a href="https://t.co/xdJAY6kKAN">Empathy gets talked about a '''lot''' regarding the Autistic. There are myths and counter myths.

Empathy is a sense and a knob on the Autistic spectrum which ranges from hyper to hypo. </a>

[ href="https://t.co/0drZ45Jl0g" The Autistic spectrum is not a line.

It is a series of "knobs" set at various levels for each manifestation of Autism.

It is endless forms most beautiful. ]

♾❤️🧡💛💚💙💜♾

Epic Infographic by the Epic @Autism_Sketches </a>

![alt text](http://pbs.twimg.com/media/FU5q18vXEAI25pO.png)

Autistic people tend to be meritocratic.

This can get us into a lot of trouble when we ignore more traditional power structures that are not based on merit.

[ href="https://t.co/wK8WeLgxlB" Many Autistic people are drawn to and even aroused by skilled people and experts.

This is apparently so unusual a fixation outside of the Autistic community that it needed a neologism:

Peritiosexual
]

Despite laws that should protect them, many if not most Autistic people are afraid to be open with their employer and co-workers about being Autistic and do not have confidence that their jobs will be safe if they come out.

Autistic people are often members of some form of counter-culture.

Some Autistic people will only /publicly/ be a member of that counter-culture /or/ be openly Autistic, the social challenges of openly being both can be daunting.

Autistic people remember stories about Autistic characters better than stories about Allistic characters and vice versa.

This will probably tell you something about your favorite characters.

Autistic people tend to be very good at reading things upside down and backwards and take this ability for granted as a human norm.

Various studies, and shocked Allistics, indicate that this is not an easy thing for Allistics to do. (Still looking for exact numbers on this).

Autism is often a multigenerational disability that runs in families.

Until someone realizes the family has Autism, no one in the family will question Autistic behaviors as noteworthy.

It’s literally normal behavior for that family.

[ href="https://t.co/zTFAL3r5VH" Having polled Autistic people:

There is a 72% chance of at least one of their parents definitely being Autistic but only a 13% chance that their parents are aware of this.

There is only a 7% chance that their parents are definitely not Autistic.

]

[ href="https://t.co/XQOXyPZP4m" One of the concrete indicators that a person is Autistic is if they are deeply concerned with “claiming space” that might not “rightfully be theirs” within the Autistic Community.]

For various reasons these Autistics fundamentally believe in the sanctity of marginalized spaces. </a>

[href="https://twitter.com/x/status/1534814791923126272" Here is the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Accidentally open secrets regarding Autism

2022-08-26T15:01:00Z

El (Autistic Voices United):

[href="https://twitter.com/x/status/1534814791923126272" Here is the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

There are facts that are known by so many Autistic people that they don't get talked about much, so people often don't realize they are a "thing" and then once they know ... they know, so they don't talk about it, and then you end up with people who don't "know."

*Autistic people naturally gravitate to other Neurodivergent people.

*When a person realizes they are Autistic, most will quickly devleop the ability to "detect" if another person is Autistic.

*The vast majority of Autistic people are glad they are Autistic and want to keep it that way. They want accomodations, not a cure.

*There is a strong connection between Autistic people and cats.

*A lot of Autistic people personify objects and feel they have a semblence of life.

*Autistic people tend to look much younger than they are.

*On average an Autistic person will die 16 years earlier than a peer without Autism. Sooner if they have comobidities such as Kinetism (ADHD), Depression, etc... This is due to lack of accomodations and acceptance.

*Autistic people are frequently drawn to animation, many with a focus on Anime. There are many reasons for this.

*Autistic people tend to eat a very small range of foods that they personally like to eat.

*Elsa from Frozen is Autistically coded and "Let it Go" clearly parallels letting go of Autistic masking.

*Autistic people are very likely to be LGBTQ+ compared to Allistics.

* All the characters in Parks and Recs, except Anne Perkins are Autistically coded. (You will find that a lot of Autistic people loved the show before realizing they are Autistic)

* Autistic people are not socially deficient. Autistic people are as effective at working together as Allistics are working together.
There are challenges when Allistics and Autistics work together. Allistics percieve Autistics as deficient because there many many more of them

*There is nothing wrong with being Autistic.

*Self Diagnosis is Valid for a multitude of reasons.

*#ActuallyAutistic is a hashtag that means you are openly Autistic.

*Autistic people tend to have a different style of "autobiographical" memory than Allistic people. Allistic people have a constant recording of their experiences but Autistic people tend to have vivid powerful memories of specific moments.

*Up to 86% of Autistic people also have Kinetism (ADHD)

*Stimming can seriously reduce Autistic stress.

Many Autistic people have suppressed their ability to Stim for so long that they have to actively "deprogram" to get back to a natural level of stimming.

The symbol of Autism is a Golden Infinty.

A Rainbow infinity is the symbol of the Neurodiversity movement.

Puzzle pieces represent the belief that Autistic people are missing a fundamental aspect of humanity. It is therefore considered a hate symbol by the Autistic Community.

<a href="https://t.co/lyc8IGPjZM">Autism Speaks is considered a hate group by the Autistic Community.

This is clearly demonstrated by their "I am Autism" commercial.

Please do not allow children to see this video.

Proceed with caution if you intend to watch it. It cannot be unseen.

Many Autistic people are Demi-Sexual.

Many are Neuroqueer.

Many are Autigender.

If you are not familiar with these specific terms, you should definitely investigate them.

June 18th is Autistic Pride Day

Being Autistic is the paradox of being human but also
being radically different from most people

* Before you [grok] that you are Autistic it seems impossible to be true.

After you [grok] it, it seems impossible that it took a lifetime to figure out something so clearly true.
💚

Many Autistic people experience irrational fears.

These are hare wired terror responses to stimuli that pose not inherent threat. Such as an irrational fear of toilets.

These can be coped with "irrationally" but traditional phobia therapy will be traumatizing.

Ableism is discrimination in favor of the abled.

ABA is a conversion "therapy" grounded in the concept the Autistic neurotype is unacceptable and that Autistic people should act in all ways as if Allistic. ABA is therefore ableism and a violation of anti-discrimination laws.

Being diagnosed as Autistic in various states of the U.S. will result in your rights being restricted.

Some states keep mandatory databases of anyone who has been diagnosed as Autistic in that state.

@Twitter has clear rules that prevent hateful content regarding the disabled.

In spite of clear rules protecting the disabled, @Twitter openly ignores hateful content that targets the Autistic and other disabled people.

It is a myth that all Autistic people are asexual.

Some Autistic people are asexual, some are aromantic, some are demi, some are hypersexual.

Some Autistic people are very kinky. Not following social norms can definitely apply to sex.

The “Autism Community” is arguably anyone who has a connection to Autism.

The “Autistic Community” is anyone who is Autistic.

The distinction is very important when speaking on matters of Autism, especially the experience of being Autistic.

Most countries have laws that technically protect the disabled and are extremely powerful, like the _**ada**_ in the U.S.

Despite the power of these laws, it can take months or years for the law to act, leaving the disabled extremely vulnerable to abuse and mistreatment.

Some parents of Autistic children can be very problematic and attempt to control the Autistic narrative.

Many of the problematic parents are actually Autistic and are unaware of it.

Their lack of self awareness can be extremely harmful to their children and the community.

It is extremely easy for Autistic people to become traumatized.

At times it can be difficult to understand if you are having an Autistic response or a Traumagenic response to an event.

Yes, a lot of Autistic people enjoy LEGO.

Yes, a lot of Autistic people enjoy Pokémon.

There are a lot of things that fit in really well with Autistic traits.

Autistic people tend to have different love languages than the Allistic.

5 Autistic love languages include:

* [[Infodumping]]
* [[Parallel Play]]
* Embracing Touch Needs
* Acceptance
* "This [anything] reminded me of you"

Autistic people often socialize though their special interests.

Groups of people that primarily organize and socialize through intense interest in a shared hobby, are frequently, disproportionately Autistic.

Allistic brains are wired to use heuristics and Autistics are not.

Heuristics are "best guesses" that are quick and efficient but imprecise and prone to error.

* Allistic brains are fast
* Autistic brains are precise

This is fundamental to understanding our differences.

[ href="https://t.co/c3251thHZx" Due to confusion on this topic of unconscious heuristics we wrote this thread to help explain that this is not about conscious thought.

]

Allistic brains are wired to use heuristics and Autistics are not.

Heuristics are "best guesses" that are quick and efficient but imprecise and prone to error.

* Allistic brains are fast
* Autistic brains are precise

This is fundamental to understanding our differences.

- [[Allism|Allistic]] means not Autistic.

* NeurodiverGENT is anyone who is not Neurotypical

* NeurodiverSE means a range of neurotypes which may include Neurotypical.

<a href="https://t.co/xdJAY6kKAN">Empathy gets talked about a '''lot''' regarding the Autistic. There are myths and counter myths.

Empathy is a sense and a knob on the Autistic spectrum which ranges from hyper to hypo. </a>

[ href="https://t.co/0drZ45Jl0g" The Autistic spectrum is not a line.

It is a series of "knobs" set at various levels for each manifestation of Autism.

It is endless forms most beautiful. ]

♾❤️🧡💛💚💙💜♾

Epic Infographic by the Epic @Autism_Sketches </a>

![alt text](http://pbs.twimg.com/media/FU5q18vXEAI25pO.png)

Autistic people tend to be meritocratic.

This can get us into a lot of trouble when we ignore more traditional power structures that are not based on merit.

[ href="https://t.co/wK8WeLgxlB" Many Autistic people are drawn to and even aroused by skilled people and experts.

This is apparently so unusual a fixation outside of the Autistic community that it needed a neologism:

Peritiosexual
]

Despite laws that should protect them, many if not most Autistic people are afraid to be open with their employer and co-workers about being Autistic and do not have confidence that their jobs will be safe if they come out.

Autistic people are often members of some form of counter-culture.

Some Autistic people will only /publicly/ be a member of that counter-culture /or/ be openly Autistic, the social challenges of openly being both can be daunting.

Autistic people remember stories about Autistic characters better than stories about Allistic characters and vice versa.

This will probably tell you something about your favorite characters.

Autistic people tend to be very good at reading things upside down and backwards and take this ability for granted as a human norm.

Various studies, and shocked Allistics, indicate that this is not an easy thing for Allistics to do. (Still looking for exact numbers on this).

Autism is often a multigenerational disability that runs in families.

Until someone realizes the family has Autism, no one in the family will question Autistic behaviors as noteworthy.

It’s literally normal behavior for that family.

[ href="https://t.co/zTFAL3r5VH" Having polled Autistic people:

There is a 72% chance of at least one of their parents definitely being Autistic but only a 13% chance that their parents are aware of this.

There is only a 7% chance that their parents are definitely not Autistic.

]

[ href="https://t.co/XQOXyPZP4m" One of the concrete indicators that a person is Autistic is if they are deeply concerned with “claiming space” that might not “rightfully be theirs” within the Autistic Community.]

For various reasons these Autistics fundamentally believe in the sanctity of marginalized spaces. </a>

[href="https://twitter.com/x/status/1534814791923126272" Here is the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Accidentally open secrets regarding Autism

2022-08-26T15:00:22Z

El (Autistic Voices United):

[href="https://twitter.com/x/status/1534814791923126272" Here is the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

There are facts that are known by so many Autistic people that they don't get talked about much, so people often don't realize they are a "thing" and then once they know ... they know, so they don't talk about it, and then you end up with people who don't "know."

*Autistic people naturally gravitate to other Neurodivergent people.

*When a person realizes they are Autistic, most will quickly devleop the ability to "detect" if another person is Autistic.

*The vast majority of Autistic people are glad they are Autistic and want to keep it that way.

They want accomodations, not a cure.

*There is a strong connection between Autistic people and cats.

*A lot of Autistic people personify objects and feel they have a semblence of life.

*Autistic people tend to look much younger than they are.

*On average an Autistic person will die 16 years earlier than a peer without Autism. Sooner if they have comobidities such as Kinetism (ADHD), Depression, etc...

This is due to lack of accomodations and acceptance.

*Autistic people are frequently drawn to animation, many with a focus on Anime. There are many reasons for this.

*Autistic people tend to eat a very small range of foods that they personally like to eat.

*Elsa from Frozen is Autistically coded and "Let it Go" clearly parallels letting go of Autistic masking.

*Autistic people are very likely to be LGBTQ+ compared to Allistics.

* All the characters in Parks and Recs, except Anne Perkins are Autistically coded. (You will find that a lot of Autistic people loved the show before realizing they are Autistic)

* Autistic people are not socially deficient. Autistic people are as effective at working together as Allistics are working together.
There are challenges when Allistics and Autistics work together. Allistics percieve Autistics as deficient because there many many more of them

*There is nothing wrong with being Autistic.

*Self Diagnosis is Valid for a multitude of reasons.

*#ActuallyAutistic is a hashtag that means you are openly Autistic.

*Autistic people tend to have a different style of "autobiographical" memory than Allistic people. Allistic people have a constant recording of their experiences but Autistic people tend to have vivid powerful memories of specific moments.

*Up to 86% of Autistic people also have Kinetism (ADHD)

*Stimming can seriously reduce Autistic stress.

Many Autistic people have suppressed their ability to Stim for so long that they have to actively "deprogram" to get back to a natural level of stimming.

The symbol of Autism is a Golden Infinty.

A Rainbow infinity is the symbol of the Neurodiversity movement.

Puzzle pieces represent the belief that Autistic people are missing a fundamental aspect of humanity. It is therefore considered a hate symbol by the Autistic Community.

<a href="https://t.co/lyc8IGPjZM">Autism Speaks is considered a hate group by the Autistic Community.

This is clearly demonstrated by their "I am Autism" commercial.

Please do not allow children to see this video.

Proceed with caution if you intent to watch it. It cannot be unseen.

Many Autistic people are Demi-Sexual.

Many are Neuroqueer.

Many are Autigender.

If you are not familiar with these specific terms, you should definitely investigate them.

June 18th is Autistic Pride Day

Being Autistic is the paradox of being human but also
being radically different from most people

* Before you [grok] that you are Autistic it seems impossible to be true.

After you [grok] it, it seems impossible that it took a lifetime to figure out something so clearly true.
💚

Many Autistic people experience irrational fears.

These are hare wired terror responses to stimuli that pose not inherent threat. Such as an irrational fear of toilets.

These can be coped with "irrationally" but traditional phobia therapy will be traumatizing.

Ableism is discrimination in favor of the abled.

ABA is a conversion "therapy" grounded in the concept the Autistic neurotype is unacceptable and that Autistic people should act in all ways as if Allistic. ABA is therefore ableism and a violation of anti-discrimination laws.

Being diagnosed as Autistic in various states of the U.S. will result in your rights being restricted.

Some states keep mandatory databases of anyone who has been diagnosed as Autistic in that state.

@Twitter has clear rules that prevent hateful content regarding the disabled.

In spite of clear rules protecting the disabled, @Twitter openly ignores hateful content that targets the Autistic and other disabled people.

It is a myth that all Autistic people are asexual.

Some Autistic people are asexual, some are aromantic, some are demi, some are hypersexual.

Some Autistic people are very kinky. Not following social norms can definitely apply to sex.

The “Autism Community” is arguably anyone who has a connection to Autism.

The “Autistic Community” is anyone who is Autistic.

The distinction is very important when speaking on matters of Autism, especially the experience of being Autistic.

Most countries have laws that technically protect the disabled and are extremely powerful, like the _**ada**_ in the U.S.

Despite the power of these laws, it can take months or years for the law to act, leaving the disabled extremely vulnerable to abuse and mistreatment.

Some parents of Autistic children can be very problematic and attempt to control the Autistic narrative.

Many of the problematic parents are actually Autistic and are unaware of it.

Their lack of self awareness can be extremely harmful to their children and the community.

It is extremely easy for Autistic people to become traumatized.

At times it can be difficult to understand if you are having an Autistic response or a Traumagenic response to an event.

Yes, a lot of Autistic people enjoy LEGO.

Yes, a lot of Autistic people enjoy Pokémon.

There are a lot of things that fit in really well with Autistic traits.

Autistic people tend to have different love languages than the Allistic.

5 Autistic love languages include:

* [[Infodumping]]
* [[Parallel Play]]
* Embracing Touch Needs
* Acceptance
* "This [anything] reminded me of you"

Autistic people often socialize though their special interests.

Groups of people that primarily organize and socialize through intense interest in a shared hobby, are frequently, disproportionately Autistic.

Allistic brains are wired to use heuristics and Autistics are not.

Heuristics are "best guesses" that are quick and efficient but imprecise and prone to error.

* Allistic brains are fast
* Autistic brains are precise

This is fundamental to understanding our differences.

[ href="https://t.co/c3251thHZx" Due to confusion on this topic of unconscious heuristics we wrote this thread to help explain that this is not about conscious thought.

]

Allistic brains are wired to use heuristics and Autistics are not.

Heuristics are "best guesses" that are quick and efficient but imprecise and prone to error.

* Allistic brains are fast
* Autistic brains are precise

This is fundamental to understanding our differences.

- [[Allism|Allistic]] means not Autistic.

* NeurodiverGENT is anyone who is not Neurotypical

* NeurodiverSE means a range of neurotypes which may include Neurotypical.

<a href="https://t.co/xdJAY6kKAN">Empathy gets talked about a '''lot''' regarding the Autistic. There are myths and counter myths.

Empathy is a sense and a knob on the Autistic spectrum which ranges from hyper to hypo. </a>

[ href="https://t.co/0drZ45Jl0g" The Autistic spectrum is not a line.

It is a series of "knobs" set at various levels for each manifestation of Autism.

It is endless forms most beautiful. ]

♾❤️🧡💛💚💙💜♾

Epic Infographic by the Epic @Autism_Sketches </a>

![alt text](http://pbs.twimg.com/media/FU5q18vXEAI25pO.png)

Autistic people tend to be meritocratic.

This can get us into a lot of trouble when we ignore more traditional power structures that are not based on merit.

[ href="https://t.co/wK8WeLgxlB" Many Autistic people are drawn to and even aroused by skilled people and experts.

This is apparently so unusual a fixation outside of the Autistic community that it needed a neologism:

Peritiosexual
]

Despite laws that should protect them, many if not most Autistic people are afraid to be open with their employer and co-workers about being Autistic and do not have confidence that their jobs will be safe if they come out.

Autistic people are often members of some form of counter-culture.

Some Autistic people will only /publicly/ be a member of that counter-culture /or/ be openly Autistic, the social challenges of openly being both can be daunting.

Autistic people remember stories about Autistic characters better than stories about Allistic characters and vice versa.

This will probably tell you something about your favorite characters.

Autistic people tend to be very good at reading things upside down and backwards and take this ability for granted as a human norm.

Various studies, and shocked Allistics, indicate that this is not an easy thing for Allistics to do. (Still looking for exact numbers on this).

Autism is often a multigenerational disability that runs in families.

Until someone realizes the family has Autism, no one in the family will question Autistic behaviors as noteworthy.

It’s literally normal behavior for that family.

[ href="https://t.co/zTFAL3r5VH" Having polled Autistic people:

There is a 72% chance of at least one of their parents definitely being Autistic but only a 13% chance that their parents are aware of this.

There is only a 7% chance that their parents are definitely not Autistic.

]

[ href="https://t.co/XQOXyPZP4m" One of the concrete indicators that a person is Autistic is if they are deeply concerned with “claiming space” that might not “rightfully be theirs” within the Autistic Community.]

For various reasons these Autistics fundamentally believe in the sanctity of marginalized spaces. </a>

[href="https://twitter.com/x/status/1534814791923126272" Here is the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Accidentally open secrets regarding Autism

2022-08-26T14:55:47Z

El (Autistic Voices United): Created page with "[href="https://twitter.com/x/status/1534814791923126272" Here is the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ] ## Accidentally Open Secrets Regarding Autism ## There are facts that are known by so many Autistic people that they don't get talked about much, so people often don't realize they are a "thing" and then once they know .. they know. Autistic people naturally gravitate to other Neurodivergent people. When a person realizes they are Autistic, most will quickly devl..."

[href="https://twitter.com/x/status/1534814791923126272" Here is the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

## Accidentally Open Secrets Regarding Autism ##

There are facts that are known by so many Autistic people that they don't get talked about much, so people often don't realize they are a "thing" and then once they know .. they know.

Autistic people naturally gravitate to other Neurodivergent people.

When a person realizes they are Autistic, most will quickly devleop the ability to "detect" if another person is Autistic.

The _**vast**_ majority of Autistic people are glad they are Autistic and want to keep it that way.

They want accomodations, not a cure.

There is a strong connection between Autistic people and cats.

A lot of Autistic people personify objects and feel they have a semblence of life.

Autistic people tend to look much younger than they are.

On average an Autistic person will die 15 years earlier than a peer without Autism. Sooner if they have comobidities such as Kinetism _**(adhd),**_ Depression, etc...

This is due to lack of accomodations and acceptance.

Autistic people are frequently drawn to animation, many with a focus on Anime. There are many reasons for this.

Autistic people tend to eat a very small range of foods that they personally like to eat.

Elsa from Frozen is Autistically coded and "Let it Go" clearly parallels letting go of Autistic masking.

Autistic people are very likely to be _**lbgtq+,**_ especially when compared to Allistics

All the characters in Parks and Recs, except Anne Perkins are Autistically coded. (You will find that a lot of Autistic people loved the show before realizing they are Autistic)

Autistic people are _**not**_ socially deficient.

Autistic people are as effective at working together as Allistics are working together.

There are challenges when Allistics and Autistics work together.

Allistics percieve Autistics as deficient because there many many more of them

There is nothing wrong with being Autistic.

Self Diagnosis is Valid for a multitude of reasons.

#ActuallyAutistic is a hashtag that means you are openly Autistic.

Autistic people tend to have a different style of "autobiographical" memory than Allistic people.

Allistic people have a constant recording of their experiences but Autistic people tend to have vivid powerful memories of specific moments.

50-70% of Autistic people also have Kinetism _**(adhd).**_

Stimming can seriously reduce Autistic stress.

Many Autistic people have suppressed their ability to Stim for so long that they have to actively "deprogram" to get back to a natural level of stimming.

The symbol of Autism is a Golden Infinty.

A Rainbow infinity is the symbol of the Neurodiversity movement.

Puzzle pieces represent the belief that Autistic people are missing a fundamental aspect of humanity. It is therefore considered a hate symbol by the Autistic Community.

<a href="https://t.co/lyc8IGPjZM">Autism Speaks is considered a hate group by the Autistic Community.

This is clearly demonstrated by their "I am Autism" commercial.

Please do not allow children to see this video.

Proceed with caution if you intent to watch it. It cannot be unseen.

Many Autistic people are Demi-Sexual.

Many are Neuroqueer.

Many are Autigender.

If you are not familiar with these specific terms, you should definitely investigate them.

June 18th is Autistic Pride Day

Being Autistic is the paradox of being human but also
being radically different from most people

* Before you [grok] that you are Autistic it seems impossible to be true.

After you [grok] it, it seems impossible that it took a lifetime to figure out something so clearly true.
💚

Many Autistic people experience irrational fears.

These are hare wired terror responses to stimuli that pose not inherent threat. Such as an irrational fear of toilets.

These can be coped with "irrationally" but traditional phobia theropy will be traumatizing.

Ableism is discrimination in favor of the abled.

ABA is a conversion "therapy" grounded in the concept the Autistic neurotype is unacceptable and that Autistic people should act in all ways as if Allistic. ABA is therefore ableism and a violation of anti-discrimation laws.

Being diagnosed as Autistic in various states of the U.S. will result in your rights being restricted.

Some states keep mandatory databases of anyone who has been diagnosed as Autistic in that state.

@Twitter has clear rules that prevent hateful content regarding the disabled.

In spite of clear rules protecting the disabled, @Twitter openly ignores hateful content that targets the Autistic and other disabled people.

It is a myth that all Autistic people are asexual.

Some Autistic people are asexual, some are aromantic, some are demi, some are hypersexual.

Some Autistic people are very kinky. Not following social norms can definitely apply to sex.

The “Autism Community” is arguably anyone who has a connection to Autism.

The “Autistic Community” is anyone who is Autistic.

The distinction is very important when speaking on matters of Autism, especially the experience of being Autistic.

Most countries have laws that technically protect the disabled and are extremely powerful, like the _**ada**_ in the U.S.

Despite the power of these laws, it can take months or years for the law to act, leaving the disabled extremely vulnerable to abuse and mistreatment.

Some parents of Autistic children can be very problematic and attempt to control the Autistic narrative.

Many of the problematic parents are actually Autistic and are unaware of it.

Their lack of self awarness can be extremely harmful to their children and the community.

It is extremely easy for Autistic people to become traumatized.

At times it can be difficult to understand if you are having an Autistic response or a Traumagenic response to an event.

Yes, a lot of Autistic people enjoy LEGO.

Yes, a lot of Autistic people enjoy Pokémon.

There are a lot of things that fit in really well with Autistic traits.

Autistic people tend to have different love langauges than the Allistic.

5 Autistic love languages include:

* Infodumping
* Parallel Play
* Embracing Touch Needs
* Acceptance
* "This [anything] reminded me of you"

Autistic people often socialize though their special interests.

Groups of people that primarily organize and socialize through intense interest in a shared hobby, are frequently, disproportinatly Autistic.

Allistic brains are wired to use heuristics and Autistics are not.

Heuristics are "best guesses" that are quick and efficient but imprecise and prone to error.

* Allistic brains are fast
* Autistic brains are precise

This is fundamental to understanding our differences.

[ href="https://t.co/c3251thHZx" Due to confustion on this topic of unconsious heuristics we wrote this thread to help explain that this is not about consious thought.

]

Allistic brains are wired to use heuristics and Autistics are not.

Heuristics are "best guesses" that are quick and efficient but imprecise and prone to error.

* Allistic brains are fast
* Autistic brains are precise

This is fundamental to understanding our differences.

- Allistic means not Autistic.

* NeurodiverGENT is anyone who is not Neurotypical

* NeurodiverSE means a range of neurotypes which may include Neurotypical.

<a href="https://t.co/xdJAY6kKAN">Empathy gets talked about a '''lot''' regarding the Autistic. There are myths and counter myths.

Empathy is a sense and a knob on the Autistic spectrum which ranges from hyper to hypo. </a>

[ href="https://t.co/0drZ45Jl0g" The Autistic spectrum is not a line.

It is a series of "knobs" set at various levels for each manifestation of Autism.

It is endless forms most beautiful. ]

♾❤️🧡💛💚💙💜♾

Epic Infographic by the Epic @Autism_Sketches </a>

![alt text](http://pbs.twimg.com/media/FU5q18vXEAI25pO.png)

Autistic people tend to be meritocratic.

This can get us into a lot of trouble when we ignore more traditional power structures that are not based on merit.

[ href="https://t.co/wK8WeLgxlB" Many Autistic people are drawn to and even arroused by skilled people and experts.

This is apparently so unusual a fixation outside of the Autistic community that it needed a neologism:

Peritiosexual
]

Despite laws that should protect them, many if not most Autistic people are afriad to be open with their employer and co-workers about being Autistic and do not have confidence that their jobs will be safe if they come out.

Autistic people are often members of some form of counter-culture.

Some Autistic people will only /publicly/ be a member of that counter-culture /or/ be openly Autistic, the social challenges of openly being both can be daunting.

Autistic people remember stories about Autistic characters better than stories about Allistic characters and vice versa.

This will probably tell you something about your favorite characters.

Autistic people tend to be very good at reading things upside down and backwards and take this ability for granted as a human norm.

Various studies, and shocked Allistics, indicate that this is not an easy thing for Allistics to do. (Still looking for exact numbers on this).

Autism is often a multigenerational disabability that runs in families.

Until someone realizes the family has Autism, no one in the family will question Autistic behaviors as noteworthy.

It’s literally normal behavior for that family.

[ href="https://t.co/zTFAL3r5VH" Having polled Autistic people:

There is a 72% chance of at least one of their parents definitely being Autistic but only a 13% chance that their parents are aware of this.

There is only a 7% chance that their parents are definitly not Autistic.

]

[ href="https://t.co/XQOXyPZP4m" One of the concrete indicators that a person is Autistic is if they are deeply concerned with “claiming space” that might not “rightfully be theirs” within the Autistic Community.]

For various reasons these Autistics fundamentally believe in the sanctity of marginalized spaces. </a>

[href="https://twitter.com/x/status/1534814791923126272" Here is the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Main Page

2022-08-26T14:55:20Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Articles and threads */

Welcome to the '''ActuallyAutistic Wiki'''! This is a community-driven guide to all aspects of autism, allism, and helping build bridges between neurotypes. It emerged recently from the #ActuallyAutistic community on Twitter.

* '''Everyone is welcome to contribute to this wiki!'''
* You can '''edit any page''' without even having an account. Just hit the 'Edit' link on any page (including this one!). ''Important privacy note'': editing a page without having an account or without being logged in will show your IP address publicly in the changelog/history of a page.
* The number one rule of wiki editing is to be bold. '''Go ahead – make changes — even large rewrites of big topics'''. Other people can correct any mistakes you make, so have confidence, and give it a try!
** If you disagree with what someone else has put, please consider adding a [[Help:Style guidelines#Comments|note of disagreement]] and what you think/would do after that section, especially if it could be something that varies by country or even situations or if you want to change it to/from an absolute (such as job interviews or eye gaze)
* None of the content here is sacred. Please just make changes! Some of the articles are just starter content or from a particular person's perspective. Earlier versions can always be restored if necessary. '''These are all collaborative documents'''.
* Here is a [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Starting_a_new_page short guide] on how to create a new wiki page from scratch! Please check first whether a similar page already exists to avoid duplicates.
* Here are some of our [[Help:Style guidelines|style guidelines]] if you're unsure about formatting etc. But '''don't worry or overthink too much about "getting things right"''', these are not "hard rules" – and everything can be edited, formatted & moved later without issue anyway! :)
* Please remember that '''links are CASE SENSITIVE'''. When linking to a missing page, whichever case you use will be created when someone follows the link and makes that new page. Linking to existing articles is case sensitive for every letter ''except'' the first one. Lowercasing or capitalizing a letter other than the first one will break the link / not link to the page you want. Please read [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Links this guide on links] if you want to use them!
* Do you have some '''feedback, questions or suggestions''' about this wiki project? Feel free to add them [[Talk:Meta|here]]!

== Meta ==

* [[Community guidelines]]
* [[Help:Style guidelines|Style guidelines]]
* [[Talk:Meta|Feedback, questions and suggestions]]
* [[Please help these pages]] – [[Add stuff here please]], [[Review please]]

== ActuallyAutistic terminology ==
* [[Augmentative and alternative communication|AAC]]
* [[Allism]]
* [[Applied Behavior Analysis|Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)]]
* [[Autism]]
* [[Overlapping neurotypes|AuDHD]]
* [[Autistic burnout]]
* [[Autistic joy]]
* [[Echolalia]]
* [[Executive dysfunction]]
* [[Grok]]
* [[Highly Sensitive Person]]
* [[Hyperfixation]]
* [[Hyperfocus]]
* [[Identity-first language]]
* [[Inertia]]
* [[Infodumping]]
* [[Justice sensitivity]]
* [[ADHD|Kinetism (ADHD)]]
* [[Late diagnosis]]
* [[Masking]]
* [[Meltdown]]
* [[Monotropism]]
* [[Neurodivergence]]
* [[Neurodiversity]]
* [[Neurokin]]
* [[Neuropeer]]
* [[Neurotypical]]
* [[Parallel play]]
* [[PBS]]
* [[Person-first language]]
* [[Rejection sensitive dysphoria]]
* [[Ritual]]
* [[Routine]]
* [[Safe foods]]
* [[Savant]]
* [[Shutdown]]
* [[Special interest]]
* [[Spoon theory]]
* [[Stimming]]
* [[Miscellaneous terms]] - for similar/confusing terms and definitions that probably better in one place rather than multiple short articles

== List of Autistic traits (incomplete) ==

{{Comment|I propose to de-clutter this section. For example, make a page for the Core Autistic Traits, and migrating the links in that section to that page. But doing the same for each section. --[[User:Fire Eider|Fire Eider]] ([[User talk:Fire Eider|talk]]) 14:49, 25 August 2022 (UTC)

I actually like being able to see all these links in one spot. It lets you scan and get a sense of things. But because the list is pretty long, we could potentially move this entire section to an `Autistic traits` page. On the other hand — it might not actually just be bad to have a fairly long "Main" page that serves as an index into content generally --[[User:AutExplorer|AutExplorer]] ([[User talk:AutExplorer|talk]])

I also like this, for the moment. It reduces the barrier to entry because people see all the stuff that's currently available for editing in one central place and can then just click on something immediately when they think "Oh, I want to add my thoughts to that!" --[[User:Fochti|Fochti]] ([[User talk:Fochti|talk]]) 18:25, 25 August 2022 (UTC)

Good points. I retract what I said earlier --[[User:Fire Eider|Fire Eider]] ([[User talk:Fire Eider|talk]]) 19:38, 25 August 2022 (UTC)}}

Not every autistic person necessarily has many of the traits listed below, but these traits do tend to show up more often in autistic people than in non-autistic people.

=== Core autistic traits ===

* [[Autistic empathy]]
* [[Sensory sensitivity|Hyper-senses & hypo-senses]]
* [[Preference for certainty]]
* [[Routine]] / [[Ritual]]
* [[Special interest|Special interests]]
* [[Stimming]]

=== Autistic nonverbal communication ===

* [[Eye contact|Eye contact avoidance]]
* [[Flat affect]]
* [[Flat facing]]
* [[Being an "old soul"]]

=== Autistic verbal communication ===

* [[Accent mimicry]]
* [[Bluntness]]
* [[Selective mutism|Conditional Mutism]]
* [[Difficulty lying]]
* [[Monotone voice]]
* [[Reframing]]
* [[Verbal footnoting]]
* [[Nonspeaking]]
* [[Phone calls|Phone call avoidance]]
* [[Wordplay]]
* [[name? unconsciously getting word order wrong]]
* [[Auditory processing disorder|Auditory processing difficulties]]
* [[Infodumping|Preference for infodumping]]

=== Gender and sexuality ===

* [[Gender]]
* [[Autigender]]
* [[Demisexuality]]
* [[Autism and LGBTQ+]]
* [[Peritiosexual]]
* [[Neuroqueer]]
* [[Xenogender]]

=== Imperatives and neurological ===

* [[Resistance to bias]]
* [[Dissociation]]
* [[Irrational fears, neurological]]
* [[Divergent stress triggers]]
* [[Divergent touch needs]]
* [[Ethical fearlessness]]
* [[Experiential recreation]]
* [[Gullibility]]
* [[Inability to intuit the "point of diminishing returns"]]
* [[Intense world theory]]
* [[Median (plurality)]]
* [[Nonlinear contradiction response]]
* [[Pattern recognition]]
* [[Preference for certainty]]
* [[Prosopagnosia]]
* [[Plurality]]
* [[Susceptibility to trauma]]
* [[Sympathetic animism]]
* [[name? Willful Sensorium Override]]

=== Familial ===

* [[Autistic relatives]]
* [[Multigenerational disability]]

=== Memory ===

* [[Atypical autobigraphical and episodic memory]]
* [[Emotion memory imprinting]]
* [[Childhood amnesia]]

=== Pychological ===

* [[Imposter syndrome|Autistic imposter syndrome ]]
* [[Cat empathy]]
* [[Rumination]]
* [[Overthinking]]
* [[Preference for animation]]
* [[Preference for autistically coded characters]]
* [[Gravitate to other neurodivergents]]
* [[Social contracts]]

=== Physical ===

* [[Arthritis]]
* [[Autistic baby face]]
* [[Hypermobility]]
* [[Toe walking]]

=== Senses ===

* [[Aural sensitivity to electronics]]
* [[Hyper-empathy]]
* [[Hypo-empathy]]
* [[Temperature sensitivity]]

=== Traumagenic Autistic traits ===

* [[Over-apologizing]]
* [[High mortality rate]]
* [[Irrational fears, logical]] (Contradiction...?)
* [[Social anxiety]]
* [[Pathological demand avoidance]]

=== Additional Autistic traits ===

* [[Comorbid interference traits]]
* [[Overlapping Autistic traits]]

== Social Media ==

* [[Instagram]]
* [[TikTok]]
* [[Twitter]]
* [[YouTube]]

== Outmoded terminology ==

While many autists have moved away from these terms, some continue to use them to describe their experience. Please remember that people may have complex reasons for the words they choose, and that differences in vocabulary are okay. In short, while it's important to understand how these outdated terms play to most autists, it's also not helpful to police other people's word choices.

* [[Asperger syndrome]]
* [[Functioning labels|High- and low-functioning]]
* [[On the spectrum]]

== Sociology ==

* [[Ableism]]
* [[Gender]]
* [[Gossip]]
* [[Group dynamics]]
* [[Peer group]]
* [[Phatic expression]]
* [[Saving face]]
* [[Social power]]
* [[Social status]]

== Psychology ==

* [[Alexithymia]]
* [[Anxiety]]
* [[Defence mechanism|Defence mechanisms]]
* [[Empathy]]
* [[Imposter syndrome]]
* [[Theory of mind]]

== Neurology ==

* [[Overlapping neurotypes]]

== Allistic communication & miscommunication ==

* [[Body language]]
* [[Common sense]]
* [[Double empathy problem]]
* [[Eye contact]]
* [[Facial expression|Facial expressions]]
* [[Getting coffee]]
* [[Literal interpretation]]
* [[Multi-channel communication]]
* [[Responding to "How are you?"]]
* [[Social cue|Social cues]]
* [[Tone of voice]]

== Dating and relationships ==

* [[Autistic love languages]]
* [[Online dating]]
* [[Neurodivergent relationship|Neurodivergent relationships]]
* [[Neurodivergent sexuality]]

== Autistic culture ==

* [[Articles]]
* [[Autistic artists]]
* [[Autistic public figures]]
* [[Autistic representation in fiction]]
* [[Books by Autistic authors]]
* [[Jokes about Autism]]
* [[Podcasts by Autistic creators]]
* [[Symbols of Autism]]

== Comorbidities ==

* [[Bipolar disorder|BPD]]
{{Comment|Isn't BPD short for Borderline Personality Disorder, not Bipolar Disorder?}}
* [[Complex post-traumatic stress disorder|CPTSD]]
* [[Dyscalculia]]
* [[Dyslexia]]
* [[Ehlers-Danlos syndrome|EDS]]
* [[Hypermobility]]
* [[Hyperlexia]]
* [[ADHD|Kinetism (ADHD)]]
* [[Obsessive-compulsive disorder|OCD]]
* [[Plurality]]

== Accommodations ==

* [[Augmentative and alternative communication|AAC]]
* [[Autism passport]]
* [[Clear instructions]]
* [[Hidden disabilities sunflower]]
* [[Noise-cancelling headphones]]
* [[Support networks and organisations]]

== Culture-specific differences ==

* [[Ask and guess cultures]]
* [[High and low context cultures]]
* [[Peach and coconut cultures]]

== Diagnostic journey ==

* [[Formal diagnosis]]
* [[Overlapping neurotypes|Multiple diagnoses]]
* [[Questioning]]
* [[Research]]
* [[Screening tools]]
* [[Self-diagnosis]]

== Problems with autism research ==

* [[Autism Speaks]]
* [[Autism stereotypes]]
* [[Bias]]
* [[Deficit model]]
* [[Functioning labels]]
* [[Ethics of autism research]]
* [[History of autism]]
* [[Stigma]]

== How to help ==

{{Comment|I have no idea what the purpose of this section and the page below is supposed to be..?}}

* [[Capacity]]

== Mental health ==

* [[Applied_Behavior_Analysis|Applied behavior analysis]]
* [[Depression]]
* [[Difficulties with mental health services]]

== Information processing differences ==

* [[Aphasia]]
* [[Auditory processing disorder]]
* [[Dyslexia]]
* [[Dyspraxia]]
* [[Dyscalculia]]
* [[Dysgraphia]]
* [[Hyperlexia]]
* [[Misophonia]]
* [[Prosopagnosia]]
* [[Synesthesia]]

== Office & work dynamics ==

* [[Corporate buzzwords]]
* [[HR interviews]]
* [[Job interviews]] - ended up writing like a short essay in this one which boils down to the importance of respecting diversity of thought on this wiki. Maybe it would be better suited to copy into another page, but not sure which?
* [[Meetings]]
* [[Networking]]
* [[Team building / work socials]]
* [[Water cooler]]

== Articles and threads ==

* [["Am I Autistic?" Guide]]
* [[Autism without trauma]]
* [[Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism]]
* [[Signs you might be autistic]]
* [[Accidentally Open Secrets Regarding Autism]]

== Senses ==

Many autistics have differences in their senses, such as maybe hypersensitive to sound but hyposensitive to smell. These articles should try to document examples of both types as well as potential ways to compensate.

* [[Auditory perception|Hearing]]
* [[Gastro-intestinal problems]]
* [[Interoception]]
* [[Proprioception]]
* [[Sensory overload]]
* [[Sensory sensitivity]]
* [[Synthesthesia|Synesthesia]]
* [[Olfactory perception|Smell]]
* [[Gustatory perception|Taste]]
* [[Tactile perception|Texture]]
* [[Vestibulary perception]]
* [[Visual perception|Vision]]

== Yet-to-be-sorted categories ==

You can put stuff that doesn't fit anywhere else (yet) here.

* [[Violence against Autistic people]]
* [[Idioms]]

== Misc ==

* [[special:AllPages|View all pages]]
* [[Special:Categories|View all categories]]

Main Page

2022-08-26T14:54:46Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Articles and threads */

Welcome to the '''ActuallyAutistic Wiki'''! This is a community-driven guide to all aspects of autism, allism, and helping build bridges between neurotypes. It emerged recently from the #ActuallyAutistic community on Twitter.

* '''Everyone is welcome to contribute to this wiki!'''
* You can '''edit any page''' without even having an account. Just hit the 'Edit' link on any page (including this one!). ''Important privacy note'': editing a page without having an account or without being logged in will show your IP address publicly in the changelog/history of a page.
* The number one rule of wiki editing is to be bold. '''Go ahead – make changes — even large rewrites of big topics'''. Other people can correct any mistakes you make, so have confidence, and give it a try!
** If you disagree with what someone else has put, please consider adding a [[Help:Style guidelines#Comments|note of disagreement]] and what you think/would do after that section, especially if it could be something that varies by country or even situations or if you want to change it to/from an absolute (such as job interviews or eye gaze)
* None of the content here is sacred. Please just make changes! Some of the articles are just starter content or from a particular person's perspective. Earlier versions can always be restored if necessary. '''These are all collaborative documents'''.
* Here is a [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Starting_a_new_page short guide] on how to create a new wiki page from scratch! Please check first whether a similar page already exists to avoid duplicates.
* Here are some of our [[Help:Style guidelines|style guidelines]] if you're unsure about formatting etc. But '''don't worry or overthink too much about "getting things right"''', these are not "hard rules" – and everything can be edited, formatted & moved later without issue anyway! :)
* Please remember that '''links are CASE SENSITIVE'''. When linking to a missing page, whichever case you use will be created when someone follows the link and makes that new page. Linking to existing articles is case sensitive for every letter ''except'' the first one. Lowercasing or capitalizing a letter other than the first one will break the link / not link to the page you want. Please read [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Links this guide on links] if you want to use them!
* Do you have some '''feedback, questions or suggestions''' about this wiki project? Feel free to add them [[Talk:Meta|here]]!

== Meta ==

* [[Community guidelines]]
* [[Help:Style guidelines|Style guidelines]]
* [[Talk:Meta|Feedback, questions and suggestions]]
* [[Please help these pages]] – [[Add stuff here please]], [[Review please]]

== ActuallyAutistic terminology ==
* [[Augmentative and alternative communication|AAC]]
* [[Allism]]
* [[Applied Behavior Analysis|Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)]]
* [[Autism]]
* [[Overlapping neurotypes|AuDHD]]
* [[Autistic burnout]]
* [[Autistic joy]]
* [[Echolalia]]
* [[Executive dysfunction]]
* [[Grok]]
* [[Highly Sensitive Person]]
* [[Hyperfixation]]
* [[Hyperfocus]]
* [[Identity-first language]]
* [[Inertia]]
* [[Infodumping]]
* [[Justice sensitivity]]
* [[ADHD|Kinetism (ADHD)]]
* [[Late diagnosis]]
* [[Masking]]
* [[Meltdown]]
* [[Monotropism]]
* [[Neurodivergence]]
* [[Neurodiversity]]
* [[Neurokin]]
* [[Neuropeer]]
* [[Neurotypical]]
* [[Parallel play]]
* [[PBS]]
* [[Person-first language]]
* [[Rejection sensitive dysphoria]]
* [[Ritual]]
* [[Routine]]
* [[Safe foods]]
* [[Savant]]
* [[Shutdown]]
* [[Special interest]]
* [[Spoon theory]]
* [[Stimming]]
* [[Miscellaneous terms]] - for similar/confusing terms and definitions that probably better in one place rather than multiple short articles

== List of Autistic traits (incomplete) ==

{{Comment|I propose to de-clutter this section. For example, make a page for the Core Autistic Traits, and migrating the links in that section to that page. But doing the same for each section. --[[User:Fire Eider|Fire Eider]] ([[User talk:Fire Eider|talk]]) 14:49, 25 August 2022 (UTC)

I actually like being able to see all these links in one spot. It lets you scan and get a sense of things. But because the list is pretty long, we could potentially move this entire section to an `Autistic traits` page. On the other hand — it might not actually just be bad to have a fairly long "Main" page that serves as an index into content generally --[[User:AutExplorer|AutExplorer]] ([[User talk:AutExplorer|talk]])

I also like this, for the moment. It reduces the barrier to entry because people see all the stuff that's currently available for editing in one central place and can then just click on something immediately when they think "Oh, I want to add my thoughts to that!" --[[User:Fochti|Fochti]] ([[User talk:Fochti|talk]]) 18:25, 25 August 2022 (UTC)

Good points. I retract what I said earlier --[[User:Fire Eider|Fire Eider]] ([[User talk:Fire Eider|talk]]) 19:38, 25 August 2022 (UTC)}}

Not every autistic person necessarily has many of the traits listed below, but these traits do tend to show up more often in autistic people than in non-autistic people.

=== Core autistic traits ===

* [[Autistic empathy]]
* [[Sensory sensitivity|Hyper-senses & hypo-senses]]
* [[Preference for certainty]]
* [[Routine]] / [[Ritual]]
* [[Special interest|Special interests]]
* [[Stimming]]

=== Autistic nonverbal communication ===

* [[Eye contact|Eye contact avoidance]]
* [[Flat affect]]
* [[Flat facing]]
* [[Being an "old soul"]]

=== Autistic verbal communication ===

* [[Accent mimicry]]
* [[Bluntness]]
* [[Selective mutism|Conditional Mutism]]
* [[Difficulty lying]]
* [[Monotone voice]]
* [[Reframing]]
* [[Verbal footnoting]]
* [[Nonspeaking]]
* [[Phone calls|Phone call avoidance]]
* [[Wordplay]]
* [[name? unconsciously getting word order wrong]]
* [[Auditory processing disorder|Auditory processing difficulties]]
* [[Infodumping|Preference for infodumping]]

=== Gender and sexuality ===

* [[Gender]]
* [[Autigender]]
* [[Demisexuality]]
* [[Autism and LGBTQ+]]
* [[Peritiosexual]]
* [[Neuroqueer]]
* [[Xenogender]]

=== Imperatives and neurological ===

* [[Resistance to bias]]
* [[Dissociation]]
* [[Irrational fears, neurological]]
* [[Divergent stress triggers]]
* [[Divergent touch needs]]
* [[Ethical fearlessness]]
* [[Experiential recreation]]
* [[Gullibility]]
* [[Inability to intuit the "point of diminishing returns"]]
* [[Intense world theory]]
* [[Median (plurality)]]
* [[Nonlinear contradiction response]]
* [[Pattern recognition]]
* [[Preference for certainty]]
* [[Prosopagnosia]]
* [[Plurality]]
* [[Susceptibility to trauma]]
* [[Sympathetic animism]]
* [[name? Willful Sensorium Override]]

=== Familial ===

* [[Autistic relatives]]
* [[Multigenerational disability]]

=== Memory ===

* [[Atypical autobigraphical and episodic memory]]
* [[Emotion memory imprinting]]
* [[Childhood amnesia]]

=== Pychological ===

* [[Imposter syndrome|Autistic imposter syndrome ]]
* [[Cat empathy]]
* [[Rumination]]
* [[Overthinking]]
* [[Preference for animation]]
* [[Preference for autistically coded characters]]
* [[Gravitate to other neurodivergents]]
* [[Social contracts]]

=== Physical ===

* [[Arthritis]]
* [[Autistic baby face]]
* [[Hypermobility]]
* [[Toe walking]]

=== Senses ===

* [[Aural sensitivity to electronics]]
* [[Hyper-empathy]]
* [[Hypo-empathy]]
* [[Temperature sensitivity]]

=== Traumagenic Autistic traits ===

* [[Over-apologizing]]
* [[High mortality rate]]
* [[Irrational fears, logical]] (Contradiction...?)
* [[Social anxiety]]
* [[Pathological demand avoidance]]

=== Additional Autistic traits ===

* [[Comorbid interference traits]]
* [[Overlapping Autistic traits]]

== Social Media ==

* [[Instagram]]
* [[TikTok]]
* [[Twitter]]
* [[YouTube]]

== Outmoded terminology ==

While many autists have moved away from these terms, some continue to use them to describe their experience. Please remember that people may have complex reasons for the words they choose, and that differences in vocabulary are okay. In short, while it's important to understand how these outdated terms play to most autists, it's also not helpful to police other people's word choices.

* [[Asperger syndrome]]
* [[Functioning labels|High- and low-functioning]]
* [[On the spectrum]]

== Sociology ==

* [[Ableism]]
* [[Gender]]
* [[Gossip]]
* [[Group dynamics]]
* [[Peer group]]
* [[Phatic expression]]
* [[Saving face]]
* [[Social power]]
* [[Social status]]

== Psychology ==

* [[Alexithymia]]
* [[Anxiety]]
* [[Defence mechanism|Defence mechanisms]]
* [[Empathy]]
* [[Imposter syndrome]]
* [[Theory of mind]]

== Neurology ==

* [[Overlapping neurotypes]]

== Allistic communication & miscommunication ==

* [[Body language]]
* [[Common sense]]
* [[Double empathy problem]]
* [[Eye contact]]
* [[Facial expression|Facial expressions]]
* [[Getting coffee]]
* [[Literal interpretation]]
* [[Multi-channel communication]]
* [[Responding to "How are you?"]]
* [[Social cue|Social cues]]
* [[Tone of voice]]

== Dating and relationships ==

* [[Autistic love languages]]
* [[Online dating]]
* [[Neurodivergent relationship|Neurodivergent relationships]]
* [[Neurodivergent sexuality]]

== Autistic culture ==

* [[Articles]]
* [[Autistic artists]]
* [[Autistic public figures]]
* [[Autistic representation in fiction]]
* [[Books by Autistic authors]]
* [[Jokes about Autism]]
* [[Podcasts by Autistic creators]]
* [[Symbols of Autism]]

== Comorbidities ==

* [[Bipolar disorder|BPD]]
{{Comment|Isn't BPD short for Borderline Personality Disorder, not Bipolar Disorder?}}
* [[Complex post-traumatic stress disorder|CPTSD]]
* [[Dyscalculia]]
* [[Dyslexia]]
* [[Ehlers-Danlos syndrome|EDS]]
* [[Hypermobility]]
* [[Hyperlexia]]
* [[ADHD|Kinetism (ADHD)]]
* [[Obsessive-compulsive disorder|OCD]]
* [[Plurality]]

== Accommodations ==

* [[Augmentative and alternative communication|AAC]]
* [[Autism passport]]
* [[Clear instructions]]
* [[Hidden disabilities sunflower]]
* [[Noise-cancelling headphones]]
* [[Support networks and organisations]]

== Culture-specific differences ==

* [[Ask and guess cultures]]
* [[High and low context cultures]]
* [[Peach and coconut cultures]]

== Diagnostic journey ==

* [[Formal diagnosis]]
* [[Overlapping neurotypes|Multiple diagnoses]]
* [[Questioning]]
* [[Research]]
* [[Screening tools]]
* [[Self-diagnosis]]

== Problems with autism research ==

* [[Autism Speaks]]
* [[Autism stereotypes]]
* [[Bias]]
* [[Deficit model]]
* [[Functioning labels]]
* [[Ethics of autism research]]
* [[History of autism]]
* [[Stigma]]

== How to help ==

{{Comment|I have no idea what the purpose of this section and the page below is supposed to be..?}}

* [[Capacity]]

== Mental health ==

* [[Applied_Behavior_Analysis|Applied behavior analysis]]
* [[Depression]]
* [[Difficulties with mental health services]]

== Information processing differences ==

* [[Aphasia]]
* [[Auditory processing disorder]]
* [[Dyslexia]]
* [[Dyspraxia]]
* [[Dyscalculia]]
* [[Dysgraphia]]
* [[Hyperlexia]]
* [[Misophonia]]
* [[Prosopagnosia]]
* [[Synesthesia]]

== Office & work dynamics ==

* [[Corporate buzzwords]]
* [[HR interviews]]
* [[Job interviews]] - ended up writing like a short essay in this one which boils down to the importance of respecting diversity of thought on this wiki. Maybe it would be better suited to copy into another page, but not sure which?
* [[Meetings]]
* [[Networking]]
* [[Team building / work socials]]
* [[Water cooler]]

== Articles and threads ==

* [["Am I Autistic?" Guide]]
* [[Autism without trauma]]
* [[Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism]]
* [[Signs you might be autistic]]
* [[Accidentally Open Secrets about Autism]]

== Senses ==

Many autistics have differences in their senses, such as maybe hypersensitive to sound but hyposensitive to smell. These articles should try to document examples of both types as well as potential ways to compensate.

* [[Auditory perception|Hearing]]
* [[Gastro-intestinal problems]]
* [[Interoception]]
* [[Proprioception]]
* [[Sensory overload]]
* [[Sensory sensitivity]]
* [[Synthesthesia|Synesthesia]]
* [[Olfactory perception|Smell]]
* [[Gustatory perception|Taste]]
* [[Tactile perception|Texture]]
* [[Vestibulary perception]]
* [[Visual perception|Vision]]

== Yet-to-be-sorted categories ==

You can put stuff that doesn't fit anywhere else (yet) here.

* [[Violence against Autistic people]]
* [[Idioms]]

== Misc ==

* [[special:AllPages|View all pages]]
* [[Special:Categories|View all categories]]

Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism

2022-08-25T01:01:18Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Lack of Autistic Stress */

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

You might be Autistic if you meet the '''''DSM-5''''' criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner.

==Category A: Intuitive Autistic Empathy==
You have Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

You intuitively communicate and interact using Autistic Empathy rather than Allistic Empathy, but you may have learned to mask, mimic, or emulate Allistic Empathy.

Three Requirments:
*1. You do not naturally reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms.
Example: you Infodump.
*2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication.
Example: people ask why you always look mad because you are not smiling all the time.
*3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent solely upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling.
Example: You don't want to hang out with people you don't like "just to socialize."

==Category B: The Four Identifying Autistic Traits==

Beyond Autistic Empathy there are four primary Autistic Trait.

Note again that masking, '''''ABA,''''', emulation, etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some or all of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences (see Category C.

At some point in your life you must have demonstrated 2 out of 4 of the following:

===1. Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior===

Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat actions, physical, vocal, or otherwise? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things in a systematic fassion that Allistics do not demonstrate?

* Note that it is very common to suppress this behavior to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.

* Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips or intense pacing.

* Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.

Vocal simming takes many forms:
* Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
* Random sounds
* Repeating what was stated by another
* Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.

Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.

The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.

===2. Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predictable Outcomes===
* Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
* Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
* Resistance to illogical changes

===3. Special Interests===
* Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
* Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"

===4. Hyper and/or Hypo Senses===
An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard.
Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.

Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.

This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.

==Category C: Confirm You Where Born Autistic==

This is a nuanced category and is a bit of a "cover your ass" scenario with two major points:

* People are born Autistic '''''BUT''''' Autistic traits might not show up until late in life '''''AND''''' can be masked
* Aquired Neurodivergencies can mimimic Autistic traits, and that would not be Autism.

===People are born Autistic===

You cannot aquire Autism. The Autism is present in early development but may go unnoticed until late in like due to:

* Masking
or
* Lack of Autistic Stress

====Masking====
Masking is when an Autistic person consiously or unconsiously suppresses Autistic traits.

====Lack of Autistic Stress====
The intensity of Autistic traits is linked to Autistic stress.

If an Autistic person is in a conducive and accomodating environment that is compatible with their Autisitc needs, then their problematic traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.

To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic without seriously suspecting it earlier in life.

===Aquired Neurotypes Can Mimic Autistic Traits===

The most relevant aspect of '''''Category C''''' is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' and other aquired Neurotypes.

For an official DX it is important for the diagnostician to make an effort to elliminate the possiblity that presented Autistic traits where not aquired from a non-Autistic origin.

==Category D: Medical Diagnosis Qualifier==

Category D is of no relevance to a Self Diagnosis.

Even if a person is Autistic, due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.

At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category '''''a,''''' '''''b,''''' and '''''c,''''' must convince a licensed practitioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.

If an Autistic person manages to convince a practi that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.

What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category '''''d''''' and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.

'''''Category D''''' is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as '''''Category D''''' remains part of the '''''DSM,''''' the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to '''''BE''''' Autistic.

'''''Many older individuals are identified by their diagnosticians as Autistic but are not given a DX, on the basis that the diagnotician decides that they "don't need it."'''''

'''''Category D''''' is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.

==Category E: No "Better" Explanation==

'''''Category E''''' is extremely similar to '''''Category C.'''''

The nuanced difference is that '''''Category C''''' is about aquired Neurotypes but '''''Category E''''' applies to other Neurotypes that arrise in early development.

'''''Category E''''' boils down to "make sure another neurotype does not make more sense for explaining the displayed behaviors.

==Summary==

To summarize and simplify, If you have:

* Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

And 2 or more of the following:

* Stimming
* Desire for Predictable Outcomes
* Special Interests
* Hyper/Hypo Senses

And

* There is not a reasonable explanation for it other than Autism

Then you are VERY LIKELY Autistic.

==Video Explanation==

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yva4RZW_s0 Yo Samdy Sam has an excellent video that goes over this as well]

== Special Note on Stimming ==

[https://t.co/D0scCl0XmX For those who read this and were gobsmacked with the revelation that their muscle pain could be due to suppressed stimming, here is a guide on deprogramming stim suppression.]

If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism

2022-08-25T01:01:02Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Masking */

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

You might be Autistic if you meet the '''''DSM-5''''' criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner.

==Category A: Intuitive Autistic Empathy==
You have Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

You intuitively communicate and interact using Autistic Empathy rather than Allistic Empathy, but you may have learned to mask, mimic, or emulate Allistic Empathy.

Three Requirments:
*1. You do not naturally reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms.
Example: you Infodump.
*2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication.
Example: people ask why you always look mad because you are not smiling all the time.
*3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent solely upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling.
Example: You don't want to hang out with people you don't like "just to socialize."

==Category B: The Four Identifying Autistic Traits==

Beyond Autistic Empathy there are four primary Autistic Trait.

Note again that masking, '''''ABA,''''', emulation, etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some or all of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences (see Category C.

At some point in your life you must have demonstrated 2 out of 4 of the following:

===1. Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior===

Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat actions, physical, vocal, or otherwise? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things in a systematic fassion that Allistics do not demonstrate?

* Note that it is very common to suppress this behavior to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.

* Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips or intense pacing.

* Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.

Vocal simming takes many forms:
* Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
* Random sounds
* Repeating what was stated by another
* Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.

Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.

The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.

===2. Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predictable Outcomes===
* Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
* Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
* Resistance to illogical changes

===3. Special Interests===
* Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
* Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"

===4. Hyper and/or Hypo Senses===
An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard.
Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.

Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.

This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.

==Category C: Confirm You Where Born Autistic==

This is a nuanced category and is a bit of a "cover your ass" scenario with two major points:

* People are born Autistic '''''BUT''''' Autistic traits might not show up until late in life '''''AND''''' can be masked
* Aquired Neurodivergencies can mimimic Autistic traits, and that would not be Autism.

===People are born Autistic===

You cannot aquire Autism. The Autism is present in early development but may go unnoticed until late in like due to:

* Masking
or
* Lack of Autistic Stress

====Masking====
Masking is when an Autistic person consiously or unconsiously suppresses Autistic traits.

===Lack of Autistic Stress===
The intensity of Autistic traits is linked to Autistic stress.

If an Autistic person is in a conducive and accomodating environment that is compatible with their Autisitc needs, then their problematic traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.

To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic without seriously suspecting it earlier in life.

===Aquired Neurotypes Can Mimic Autistic Traits===

The most relevant aspect of '''''Category C''''' is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' and other aquired Neurotypes.

For an official DX it is important for the diagnostician to make an effort to elliminate the possiblity that presented Autistic traits where not aquired from a non-Autistic origin.

==Category D: Medical Diagnosis Qualifier==

Category D is of no relevance to a Self Diagnosis.

Even if a person is Autistic, due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.

At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category '''''a,''''' '''''b,''''' and '''''c,''''' must convince a licensed practitioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.

If an Autistic person manages to convince a practi that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.

What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category '''''d''''' and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.

'''''Category D''''' is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as '''''Category D''''' remains part of the '''''DSM,''''' the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to '''''BE''''' Autistic.

'''''Many older individuals are identified by their diagnosticians as Autistic but are not given a DX, on the basis that the diagnotician decides that they "don't need it."'''''

'''''Category D''''' is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.

==Category E: No "Better" Explanation==

'''''Category E''''' is extremely similar to '''''Category C.'''''

The nuanced difference is that '''''Category C''''' is about aquired Neurotypes but '''''Category E''''' applies to other Neurotypes that arrise in early development.

'''''Category E''''' boils down to "make sure another neurotype does not make more sense for explaining the displayed behaviors.

==Summary==

To summarize and simplify, If you have:

* Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

And 2 or more of the following:

* Stimming
* Desire for Predictable Outcomes
* Special Interests
* Hyper/Hypo Senses

And

* There is not a reasonable explanation for it other than Autism

Then you are VERY LIKELY Autistic.

==Video Explanation==

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yva4RZW_s0 Yo Samdy Sam has an excellent video that goes over this as well]

== Special Note on Stimming ==

[https://t.co/D0scCl0XmX For those who read this and were gobsmacked with the revelation that their muscle pain could be due to suppressed stimming, here is a guide on deprogramming stim suppression.]

If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism

2022-08-25T01:00:27Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Category C: Confirm You Where Born Autistic */

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

You might be Autistic if you meet the '''''DSM-5''''' criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner.

==Category A: Intuitive Autistic Empathy==
You have Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

You intuitively communicate and interact using Autistic Empathy rather than Allistic Empathy, but you may have learned to mask, mimic, or emulate Allistic Empathy.

Three Requirments:
*1. You do not naturally reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms.
Example: you Infodump.
*2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication.
Example: people ask why you always look mad because you are not smiling all the time.
*3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent solely upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling.
Example: You don't want to hang out with people you don't like "just to socialize."

==Category B: The Four Identifying Autistic Traits==

Beyond Autistic Empathy there are four primary Autistic Trait.

Note again that masking, '''''ABA,''''', emulation, etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some or all of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences (see Category C.

At some point in your life you must have demonstrated 2 out of 4 of the following:

===1. Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior===

Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat actions, physical, vocal, or otherwise? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things in a systematic fassion that Allistics do not demonstrate?

* Note that it is very common to suppress this behavior to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.

* Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips or intense pacing.

* Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.

Vocal simming takes many forms:
* Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
* Random sounds
* Repeating what was stated by another
* Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.

Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.

The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.

===2. Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predictable Outcomes===
* Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
* Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
* Resistance to illogical changes

===3. Special Interests===
* Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
* Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"

===4. Hyper and/or Hypo Senses===
An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard.
Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.

Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.

This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.

==Category C: Confirm You Where Born Autistic==

This is a nuanced category and is a bit of a "cover your ass" scenario with two major points:

* People are born Autistic '''''BUT''''' Autistic traits might not show up until late in life '''''AND''''' can be masked
* Aquired Neurodivergencies can mimimic Autistic traits, and that would not be Autism.

===People are born Autistic===

You cannot aquire Autism. The Autism is present in early development but may go unnoticed until late in like due to:

* Masking
or
* Lack of Autistic Stress

===Masking===
Masking is when an Autistic person consiously or unconsiously suppresses Autistic traits.

===Lack of Autistic Stress===
The intensity of Autistic traits is linked to Autistic stress.

If an Autistic person is in a conducive and accomodating environment that is compatible with their Autisitc needs, then their problematic traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.

To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic without seriously suspecting it earlier in life.

===Aquired Neurotypes Can Mimic Autistic Traits===

The most relevant aspect of '''''Category C''''' is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' and other aquired Neurotypes.

For an official DX it is important for the diagnostician to make an effort to elliminate the possiblity that presented Autistic traits where not aquired from a non-Autistic origin.

==Category D: Medical Diagnosis Qualifier==

Category D is of no relevance to a Self Diagnosis.

Even if a person is Autistic, due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.

At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category '''''a,''''' '''''b,''''' and '''''c,''''' must convince a licensed practitioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.

If an Autistic person manages to convince a practi that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.

What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category '''''d''''' and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.

'''''Category D''''' is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as '''''Category D''''' remains part of the '''''DSM,''''' the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to '''''BE''''' Autistic.

'''''Many older individuals are identified by their diagnosticians as Autistic but are not given a DX, on the basis that the diagnotician decides that they "don't need it."'''''

'''''Category D''''' is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.

==Category E: No "Better" Explanation==

'''''Category E''''' is extremely similar to '''''Category C.'''''

The nuanced difference is that '''''Category C''''' is about aquired Neurotypes but '''''Category E''''' applies to other Neurotypes that arrise in early development.

'''''Category E''''' boils down to "make sure another neurotype does not make more sense for explaining the displayed behaviors.

==Summary==

To summarize and simplify, If you have:

* Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

And 2 or more of the following:

* Stimming
* Desire for Predictable Outcomes
* Special Interests
* Hyper/Hypo Senses

And

* There is not a reasonable explanation for it other than Autism

Then you are VERY LIKELY Autistic.

==Video Explanation==

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yva4RZW_s0 Yo Samdy Sam has an excellent video that goes over this as well]

== Special Note on Stimming ==

[https://t.co/D0scCl0XmX For those who read this and were gobsmacked with the revelation that their muscle pain could be due to suppressed stimming, here is a guide on deprogramming stim suppression.]

If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Main Page

2022-08-25T00:51:54Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Incomplete List of Known Autistic Traits */

Welcome to the '''ActuallyAutistic Wiki'''! This is a community-driven guide to all aspects of autism, allism, and helping build bridges between neurotypes. It emerged recently from the #ActuallyAutistic community on Twitter.

* '''Everyone is welcome to contribute to this wiki!'''
* You can '''edit any page''' without even having an account. Just hit the 'Edit' link on any page (including this one!). ''Important privacy note'': editing a page without having an account or without being logged in will show your IP address publicly in the changelog/history of a page.
* The number one rule of wiki editing is to be bold. '''Go ahead – make changes — even large rewrites of big topics'''. Other people can correct any mistakes you make, so have confidence, and give it a try!
** If you disagree with what someone else has put, please consider adding a [[Style guidelines#Comments|note of disagreement]] and what you think/would do after that section, especially if it could be something that varies by country or even situations or if you want to change it to/from an absolute (such as job interviews or eye gaze)
* None of the content here is sacred. Please just make changes! Some of the articles are just starter content or from a particular person's perspective. Earlier versions can always be restored if necessary. '''These are all collaborative documents'''.
* Here is a [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Starting_a_new_page short guide] on how to create a new wiki page from scratch! Please check first whether a similar page already exists to avoid duplicates.
* Here are some of our [[Style guidelines|style guidelines]] if you're unsure about formatting etc. But '''don't worry or overthink too much about "getting things right"''', these are not "hard rules" – and everything can be edited, formatted & moved later without issue anyway! :)
* If you have some ideas on how to improve this project, feel free to use the ''Talk:Topic'' discussions [[Main Page#Discussion|at the end of this page!]] You can also create your own!
* '''Please remember that links are CASE SENSITIVE'''. When linking to a missing page, whichever case you use will be created when someone follows the link and makes that new page. Linking to existing articles is case sensitive for every letter ''except'' the first one. Lowercasing or capitalizing a letter other than the first one will break the link / not link to the page you want. Please read [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Links this guide on links] if you want to use them!

== ActuallyAutistic terminology ==
* [[Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)]]
* [[Allism]]
* [[Autism]]
* [[Overlapping neurotypes|AuDHD]]
* [[Autistic burnout]]
* [[Autistic joy]]
* [[Echolalia]]
* [[Executive dysfunction]]
* [[Grok]]
* [[Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)]]
* [[Hyperfixation]]
* [[Hyperfocus]]
* [[Identity-first language]]
* [[Inertia]]
* [[Infodumping]]
* [[Justice sensitivity]]
* [[Late diagnosis]]
* [[Masking]]
* [[Meltdown]]
* [[Monotropism]]
* [[Neurodivergence]]
* [[Neurodiversity]]
* [[Neuropeer]]
* [[Neurotypical]]
* [[Parallel play]]
* [[PBS]]
* [[Person-first language]]
* [[Rejection sensitive dysphoria]]
* [[Ritual]]
* [[Routine]]
* [[Safe foods]]
* [[Savant]]
* [[Shutdown]]
* [[Special interest]]
* [[Spoon theory]]
* [[Stimming]]
* [[Miscellaneous terms]] - for similar/confusing terms and definitions that probably better in one place rather than multiple short articles

== Incomplete List of Known Autistic Traits ==
* [[Accent Mimicry]]
* [[Atypical Autobigraphical Episodic Memory]]
* [[Aural sensitivity to Electronics]]
* [[Autigender]]
* [[Autistic Empathy]]
* [[Imposter syndrome|Autistic Imposter Syndrome ]]
* [[Autistic Relatives]]
* [[Autistic Social Bluntness]]
* [[Baby Face]]
* [[Bias Resiliance]]
* [[Cat Empathy]]
* [[Chronic Apologizing (Traumagenic) ]]
* [[Comorbid Interference Traits]]
* [[Conditional Mutism (Selective Mutism)]]
* [[Demisexuality]]
* [[Difficulty in Chaining Lies]]
* [[Disproportionally LGBTQ+]]
* [[Dissociation]]
* [[Divergent Stress Triggers]]
* [[Divergent Touch Needs]]
* [[Ethical Fearlessness]]
* [[Eye contact|Eye Contact Avoidance]]
* [[Emotion Memory Imprinting]]
* [[Experiential Recreation]]
* [[Flat Affect]]
* [[Flat Facing]]
* [[Flat Tone]]
* [[Gravitate to other Neurodivergents]]
* [[Gullibility]]
* [[High Mortality Rate]]
* [[Hyper-Empathy]]
* [[Hypo-Empathy]]
* [[Inability to Intuit the "point of diminishing returns."]]
* [[Intense World]]
* [[Irrational Fears, Neurological]]
* [[Irrational Fears, Logical]]
* [[Median (Plurality)]]
* [[Neuroqueer]]
* [[Nonlinear Contradiction Response]]
* [[Nonverbal]]
* [["Old Soul"]]
* [[Overlapping Autistic Traits]]
* [[Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)]]
* [[Pattern Recognition]]
* [[Peritiosexual]]
* [[Phone Call Avoidance]]
* [[Preference for Autistically Coded Characters]]
* [[Preference for Certainty]]
* [[Preference for Infodumping]]
* [[Preference for Predictable Outcomes]]
* [[Prosopagnosia]]
* [[Plurality]]
* [[Reframing]]
* [[Social Anxiety]]
* [[Social Contracts]]
* [[Special interest|Special Interests]]
* [[Stimming]]
* [[Sympathetic Animism]]
* [[Temperature Sensitivity]]
* [[Toe Walking]]
* [[Traumagenic Autistic Traits]]
* [[Verbal Footnoting]]
* [[Xenogender]]
* [[name? Willful Sensorium Override]]
* [[name? Conditionally Hard of Hearing]]
* [[name? Inability to understand wordplay]]
* [[name? obsession with wordplay]]
* [[name? animation fixation]]
* [[name? Lack of childhood memories]]
* [[name? unconsciously getting word order wrong]]
* [[name? Overthinking]]

== Social Media ==

* [[Instagram]]
* [[TikTok]]
* [[Twitter]]
* [[YouTube]]

== Outmoded terminology ==

While many autists have moved away from these terms, some continue to use them to describe their experience. Please remember that people may have complex reasons for the words they choose, and that differences in vocabulary are okay. In short, while it's important to understand how these outdated terms play to most autists, it's also not helpful to police other people's word choices.

* [[Asperger syndrome]]
* [[Functioning labels|High- and low-functioning]]
* [[On the spectrum]]

== Sociology ==

* [[Gender]]
* [[Gossip]]
* [[Group dynamics]]
* [[Peer group]]
* [[Power]]
* [[Saving face]]
* [[Social status]]

== Psychology ==

* [[Alexithymia]]
* [[Anxiety]]
* [[Defence mechanism|Defence mechanisms]]
* [[Empathy]]
* [[Imposter syndrome]]
* [[Theory of mind]]

== Allistic communication & miscommunication ==

* [[Body language]]
* [[Common sense]]
* [[Double empathy problem]]
* [[Eye contact]]
* [[Facial expression|Facial expressions]]
* [[Getting coffee]]
* [[Literal interpretation]]
* [[Multi-channel communication]]
* [[Responding to "How are you?"]]
* [[Social cue|Social cues]]
* [[Tone of voice]]

== Dating & relationships ==

* [[Autistic love languages]]
* [[Dating apps / online dating]]
* [[Neurodivergent relationship]]
* [[Neurodivergent sexuality]]

== Autistic culture ==

* [[Articles]]
* [[Autistic celebrities]]
* [[Autistic representation in fiction]]
* [[Books by Autistic authors]]
* [[Jokes about Autism]]
* [[Podcasts by Autistic creators]]
* [[Symbols of Autism]]

== Comorbidities ==
* [[CPTSD]]
* [[Dyscalculia]]
* [[Dyslexia]]
* [[EDS / Hypermobility]]
* [[Hyperlexia]]
* [[ADHD|Kinetism (ADHD)]]
* [[Plurality]]

== Accommodations ==

* [[Augmentative and alternative communication|AAC]]
* [[Autism passport]]
* [[Clear instructions]]
* [[Hidden disabilities sunflower]]
* [[Noise-cancelling headphones]]
* [[Support networks and organisations]]

== Culture-specific differences ==

* [[Ask and guess cultures]]
* [[High and low context cultures]]
* [[Peach and coconut cultures]]

== Diagnostic journey ==

* [[Formal diagnosis]]
* [[Overlapping neurotypes|Multiple diagnoses]]
* [[Questioning]]
* [[Research]]
* [[Screening tools]]
* [[Self-diagnosis]]

== Problems with autism research ==

* [[Autism Speaks]]
* [[Autism stereotypes]]
* [[Bias]]
* [[Deficit model]]
* [[Functioning labels]]
* [[Ethics of autism research]]
* [[History of autism]]
* [[Stigma]]

== How to help ==

{{Comment|I have no idea what the purpose of this section and the page below is supposed to be..?}}

* [[Capacity]]

== Mental health ==

* [[Applied_Behavior_Analysis|Applied behavior analysis]]
* [[Depression]]
* [[Difficulties with mental health services]]

== Information processing differences ==

* [[Aphasia]]
* [[Auditory processing disorder]]
* [[Dyslexia]]
* [[Dyspraxia]]
* [[Dyscalculia]]
* [[Dysgraphia]]
* [[Hyperlexia]]
* [[Misophonia]]
* [[Prosopagnosia]]
* [[Synesthesia]]

== Office & work dynamics ==

* [[Corporate buzzwords]]
* [[HR interviews]]
* [[Job interviews]] - ended up writing like a short essay in this one which boils down to the importance of respecting diversity of thought on this wiki. Maybe it would be better suited to copy into another page, but not sure which?
* [[Meetings]]
* [[Networking]]
* [[Team building / work socials]]
* [[Water cooler]]

== Articles and Threads ==

* [["Am I Autistic?" Guide]]
* [[Autism Without Trauma? ]]
* [[Non-Derogatory DSM-5 Diagnosis Criteria for Autism]]

== Senses ==

Many autistics have differences in their senses, such as maybe hypersensitive to sound but hyposensitive to smell. These articles should try to document examples of both types as well as potential ways to compensate.

* [[Auditory perception|Hearing]]
* [[Gastro-intestinal problems]]
* [[Interoception]]
* [[Proprioception]]
* [[Sensory overload]]
* [[Sensory sensitivity]]
* [[Olfactory perception|Smell]]
* [[Gustatory perception|Taste]]
* [[Tactile perception|Texture]]
* [[Vestibulary perception]]
* [[Visual perception|Vision]]

== Yet-to-be-sorted categories ==

You can put stuff that doesn't fit anywhere else (yet) here.

* [[Victimization]]

== Meta ==

* [[Community guidelines]]
* [[Style guidelines]]

== Discussion ==

We can talk about the wiki itself in talk-pages[https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Talk_pages]. Feel free to create your own for topics.

* [[Feedback, questions and suggestions]]
* [[Talk:Meta]]
* [[Talk:Miscellaneous]]

== Misc ==

* [[special:AllPages|View all pages]]
* [[Special:Categories|View all categories]]

Chronic Apologizing (Traumagenic)

2022-08-25T00:49:38Z

El (Autistic Voices United): Created page with "I am sorry if this is inaccurate, and I recognize I have no place to say this but there is a slim possibility, in some cases that you might be Autistic if your statements apologize for even saying anything at all, if you know what I mean. I am sorry if I said too much. I am just trying to be helpful. Please don’t take offense. I am … I guess I shouldn’t have said anything at all. Forget it. I don’t know what I was saying. It was clearly a mistake. I am really rea..."

I am sorry if this is inaccurate, and I recognize I have no place to say this but there is a slim possibility, in some cases that you might be Autistic if your statements apologize for even saying anything at all, if you know what I mean. I am sorry if I said too much. I am just trying to be helpful. Please don’t take offense. I am … I guess I shouldn’t have said anything at all. Forget it. I don’t know what I was saying. It was clearly a mistake. I am really really sorry. Please forgive me.

All jokes aside.

Chronic Apologizing is a common Traumagenic Autistic Trait, one that manifests when an Autistic person is mistreated.

This speech pattern develops because the way the Autistic person interacted was repeatedly deemed unacceptable so they assume negative consequences when they talk.

These kinds of traits can easily manifest and snowball (alt build upon themselves rapidly) if an Autistic person is not accomodated by society and society does not have the time or patience to help the Autistic person to understand Allistic behaviors.

In this example, of, basically apoligizing for attempting to communicate, the Autistic person has likely been told that they broke various rules, social norms, etiquette, etc.. without sufficient explanation for what they did "wrong" from an Allistic viewpoint.

People are largelly unaware but this is one of the most powerful and traumatizing forms of abuse that a human can experience:

Random and unpredictable punishment

People around this Autistic person may have absolutely no intention of harming, punishing, abusing, or any negative intetion whatsoever.

From the perspective of the Autistic persion though, they keep trying to communicate and in ways they cannot predict they "do something bad"

Because the Autistic person in this situation cannot navigate the rules, all they can do is try their best to protect themselves from what they see as random rejections and unpredicatable rejections.

The following descriptions may be triggering but we want to put the perspective of this person into full context so that people can understand the harm that some Autistic people experience.

No form of abuse is acceptable.

Many if not most forms of abuse are predictable.

For example, if a person is abused by someone who drinks, the victim learn that they are safe when their abuser is not consuming alcohol.

When abuse has patterns a person can adapt to knowing when they have a higher chance of safety and a higher chance of threat. This allows them to learn situations where they can find some sense of peace and order.

Please note that most Autistic people '''''thrive''''' off of order and predicatable outcomes and are destoryed by not knowing what to anticipate or expect.

As we said, many if not most forms of abuse have some form of pattern to them that allows for the victim to have a sense of understanding and stability.

Some truely unfortunate Autistic people find themselves in environments where their Autistic empathy and collection of Autistic traits does not allow for them to establish an awareness of Allistic social rules and expectation.

To this person's perspective many, if not all of their attempts to communicate have an random change of incurring a punishment of some form. So their every desire to communicate comes with the knowledge and awareness that harm, of some from, may come to them.

Because anything they say or do could be wrong, the Autistic person's only percieved safety is to preface their attempts with apoligies in the hopes that the unpredictable punisment will be less harsh.

The truely sad fact is that most Autistic people have great difficulty communicating with Allistics and need profound focus to emulate Allistic styles of communciation and most Autistics are severely compromised when multi-tasking.

You can see, hopefully that this Autistic person is therefore in an extremley compromised state:

* attempting the supremely difficult take of emulate Allistic social dynamics to communicate

* multitasking an attempt to protect themselves from harm and punishment.

In other words, the Ausitic person will be doing the hardest things possible for them to do while severly mentally compromised and vunlerable, and they are in this state '''''because''''' their environment and/or Autistic drives are likely to punish them if they fail.

When it is likely that an Autistic person will experience this state regularly, out of intinct they will spend much of their time while outside of this state, devoloping coping mechanism and strategies to not fail the next time. which only serves to exacerbate the problem.

This is one example of how powerful, tenacious, insidious, self-propogating, and damaging Traumagenic Autistic Traits can be and why it is so important to identify when such cycles are occuring and why accomodating the Autistic is so critical.

Demisexuality

2022-08-25T00:45:39Z

El (Autistic Voices United):

You might be Autistic if dating is alien to you because how can you know if you "connect" with someone before you "know" them?

This is often a phenominon called Demisexuality. A sebset of asexuality where your sexual interest only manifests '''''after''''' an emotional conenction is made.

A way to navigate Demisexuality in dating is to understand that your first "outting" is not a date, it is a pseudo-intimate outting to see if "a first date is warrented"

You can be up front and clear on your boundaries prior to the outting that there will not be any expectations of intimacy until you decide how you feel.

This can take all the stress out of this situation and make these outting a lot of fun.

It can be extremely difficult for people to grasp the concept of "demi-sexual" because people in general have difficulty honestly discussing general sexual desire for other people.

It is the "default" for people to have sexual attraction to members of the population that are compatible with their gender identity, without personal knowledge of the person, this is how systems like Tinder are able to function.

demi-sexuals can become arroused by physical attractiveness but, in general, do not feel a sexual desire for a given individual until after a connection is formed.

The compication is this:

* A demi-sexual does not have sexual desire for a "stranger."
* A non-demi-sexual may have sexual desire for a "stranger" but might not act on that desire for any number of reasons.
* An outside observer may not observe a distinction between the two.

Because the observational effect is so similar, many Demi-sexuals go through life unaware of the nuances of their gender and fail to develope usefully and healthy relationship strategies for navigating modern dating and many non-demis are completely unaware of the gender.

btw, Demisexuality is a form of Asexuality and is part of the Q in LGBTQ as in Queer!

If you didn’t know your Queer! Congrats!

Demisexuality

2022-08-25T00:45:15Z

El (Autistic Voices United): Created page with "You might be Autistic if dating is alien to you because how can you know if you "connect" with someone before you "know" them? This is often a phenominon called Demisexuality. A sebset of asexuality where your sexual interest only manifests '''''after''''' an emotional conenction is made. A way to navigate Demisexuality in dating is to understand that your first "outting" is not a date, it is a pseudo-intimate outting to see if "a first date is warrented" You can be u..."

You might be Autistic if dating is alien to you because how can you know if you "connect" with someone before you "know" them?

This is often a phenominon called Demisexuality. A sebset of asexuality where your sexual interest only manifests '''''after''''' an emotional conenction is made.

A way to navigate Demisexuality in dating is to understand that your first "outting" is not a date, it is a pseudo-intimate outting to see if "a first date is warrented"

You can be up front and clear on your boundaries prior to the outting that there will not be any expectations of intimacy until you decide how you feel.

This can take all the stress out of this situation and make these outting a lot of fun.

It can be extremely difficult for people to grasp the concept of "demi-sexual" because people in general have difficulty honestly discussing general sexual desire for other people.

It is the "default" for people to have sexual attraction to members of the population that are compatible with their gender identity, without personal knowledge of the person, this is how systems like Tinder are able to function.

demi-sexuals can become arroused by physical attractiveness but, in general, do not feel a sexual desire for a given individual until after a connection is formed.

The compication is this:

* A demi-sexual does not have sexual desire for a "stranger."

* A non-demi-sexual may have sexual desire for a "stranger" but might not act on that desire for any number of reasons.

An outside observer may not observe a distinction between the two.

Because the observational effect is so similar, many Demi-sexuals go through life unaware of the nuances of their gender and fail to develope usefully and healthy relationship strategies for navigating modern dating and many non-demis are completely unaware of the gender.

btw, Demisexuality is a form of Asexuality and is part of the Q in LGBTQ as in Queer!

If you didn’t know your Queer! Congrats!

"Am I Autistic?" Guide

2022-08-25T00:38:42Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Multigenerational Normalization */

==Basic Concepts==

Watch this video of [[https://youtu.be/A1AUdaH-EPM Why Everything you Know About Autism is Wrong]] by Dr. Jac den Houting, an Autistic Autism Researcher.

This talks about the Autistic experience and intoduces Damian Milton's Double Empathy Problem.

This video will give you the basic information you need to start to [[ grok]] Autism

==Lived Experiences==

[[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1488554496691257350 Click here]] for a list of over 100 lesser known Autistic traits that Autistic people experience every day of their lives expressed as lived experiences rather than clinical experiences or diagostics.

Reviewing this list can help you identify that your personal *quirks* might actually be manifestations of Autism.

==Multigenerational Normalization==

The dominant factor of being Autistic is genetic.

One reason you may have reached your age without being diagnosed is that one or both of your parents may have "normalized" Autism because Autistic traits are normal for their family.

We polled Autistic people and the results indicated a 72% chance that at least one of their parents is definitely Autistic but only a 13% chance that their parents are aware of it.

==Diagnosis Criteria==

The DSM-5 is a diagnosis methodology used to assess if a person is Autistic.

You can read a [[https://actuallyautistic.wiki/wiki/Non-Derogatory_DSM-5_Diagnosis_Criteria_for_Autism non-deragatory and accessible version of it here]] or watch [[https://youtu.be/1yva4RZW_s0 @Samantha_Stein / Yo Samdy Sam video.]]

==Expansive Example==

The show Parks and Recs is filled with Autistically Coded Characters in day-to-day life. It is a show about Autistic people without being about Autism.

Watching the show though the lense of Autism can be astonishingly revealing about yourself.

[[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1457345058848530438?s=20&t=4cgj4mtvWAW4vZSWAeqHFA This is a link to a thread that explores how Autism is presented throughout Parks and Recs]]

==Autistic vs Allistic Face Langauge==

If you are Autistic you probably emote in a different way than most of the people around you.

[[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1532060884952293376 This is a link to thread that explores the difference between Autistic and Allistic face language]]

==Atypical Memory==

If you are Autistic you probably have an atypical episodic autobigraphical memory and other nuances to your memory that stand out from the norm.

[[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1523389124769873921 this is a link to a thread on the differences between Autistic and Allistic memeory]]

==Being drawn to ND and the Marginalized==

Autistic people naturally gravitate to other ND and marginalized people as well as media with such characters.

When they become aware they are Autistic, they often become consiously aware of this effect.

[[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1522710944316637187 This is a link to a thread on how Autistic people are drawn to and identify other Neurodivergent people]]

==How Environment Impacts Autistic Development==

Autistic people often learn how to unconsiously mask their Autistic behaviors and traits though social pressure.

Due to this, any Autistic person not diagnosed early in life can unintentionally subvert an Autism diagnosis all together.

[[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1533877588359364608?s=20&t=4cgj4mtvWAW4vZSWAeqHFA This is a link to a thread that explains how Autistic people will adapt to social norms if not issolated from it.]]

"Am I Autistic?" Guide

2022-08-25T00:34:22Z

El (Autistic Voices United):

"Am I Autistic?" Guide

2022-08-25T00:24:48Z

El (Autistic Voices United):

==Basic Concepts==

Watch this video of [[https://youtu.be/A1AUdaH-EPM Why Everything you Know About Autism is Wrong]] by Dr. Jac den Houting, an Autistic Autism Researcher.

This talks about the Autistic experience and intoduces Damian Milton's Double Empathy Problem.

This video will give you the basic information you need to start to [[ grok]] Autism

==Lived Experiences==

[[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1488554496691257350 Click here]] for a list of over 100 lesser known Autistic traits that Autistic people experience every day of their lives expressed as lived experiences rather than clinical experiences or diagostics.

Reviewing this list can help you identify that your personal *quirks* might actually be manifestations of Autism.

==Multigenerational Normalization==

The dominant factor of being Autistic is genetic.

One reason you may have reached your age without being diagnosed is that one or both of your parents may have "normalized" Autism because Autistic traits are normal for their family.

We polled Autistic people and the results indicated a 72% chance that at least one of their parents is definitely Autistic but only a 13% chance that their parents are aware of it.

==Diagnosis Criteria==

The DSM-5 is a diagnosis methodology used to assess if a person is Autistic.

You can read a [[https://actuallyautistic.wiki/wiki/Non-Derogatory_DSM-5_Diagnosis_Criteria_for_Autism non-deragatory and accessible version of it here]] or watch [[https://youtu.be/1yva4RZW_s0 @Samantha_Stein / Yo Samdy Sam video.]]

==Expansive Example==

The show Parks and Recs is filled with Autistically Coded Characters in day-to-day life. It is a show about Autistic people without being about Autism.

Watching the show though the lense of Autism can be astonishingly revealing about yourself.

[[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1457345058848530438?s=20&t=4cgj4mtvWAW4vZSWAeqHFA This is a link to a thread that explores how Autism is presented throughout Parks and Recs]]

==Autistic vs Allistic Face Langauge==

If you are Autistic you probably emote in a different way than most of the people around you.

[[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1532060884952293376 This is a link to thread that explores the difference between Autistic and Allistic face language]]

==Atypical Memory==

If you are Autistic you probably have an atypical episodic autobigraphical memory and other nuances to your memory that stand out from the norm.

[[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1523389124769873921 this is a link to a thread on the differences between Autistic and Allistic memeory]]

==Being drawn to ND and the Marginalized==

Autistic people naturally gravitate to other ND and marginalized people as well as media with such characters.

When they become aware they are Autistic, they often become consiously aware of this effect.
Quote Tweet

==How Environment Impacts Autistic Development==

"Am I Autistic?" Guide

2022-08-25T00:19:45Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Diagnosis Criteria */

"Am I Autistic?" Guide

2022-08-25T00:19:29Z

El (Autistic Voices United):

"Am I Autistic?" Guide

2022-08-25T00:09:11Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Lived Experiences */

"Am I Autistic?" Guide

2022-08-25T00:07:08Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Basic Concepts */

"Am I Autistic?" Guide

2022-08-25T00:05:23Z

El (Autistic Voices United): Created page with "==Basic Concepts== Watch this video of https://youtu.be/A1AUdaH-EPM Dr. Jacden Houting, an Autistic Autism Researcher talking about the Autistic experience and intoducing Damian Milton's Double Empathy Problem. This gives you the basic information to start to grok Autism. ==Lived Experiences== Here are over 100 lesser known Autistic traits that Autistic people experience every day of their lives. Reviewing this list can help you identify that your personal *q..."

==Basic Concepts==

Watch this video of [[https://youtu.be/A1AUdaH-EPM Dr. Jacden Houting, an Autistic Autism Researcher talking about the Autistic experience and intoducing Damian Milton's Double Empathy Problem.]]

This gives you the basic information to start to grok Autism.

==Lived Experiences==

Here are over 100 lesser known Autistic traits that Autistic people experience every day of their lives.

Reviewing this list can help you identify that your personal *quirks* might actually be manifestations of Autistism

==Atypical Memory==

If you are Autistic you /probably/ have an atypical episodic autobigraphical memory and other nuances to your memory that stand out from the norm.

==Being drawn to ND and the Marginalized==

Autistic people naturally gravitate to other ND and marginalized people as well as media with such characters.

When they become aware they are Autistic, they often become consiously aware of this effect.
Quote Tweet

==How Environment Impacts Autistic Development==

Main Page

2022-08-25T00:00:16Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Articles and Threads */

Welcome to the '''ActuallyAutistic Wiki'''! This is a community-driven guide to all aspects of autism, allism, and helping build bridges between neurotypes. It emerged recently from the #ActuallyAutistic community on Twitter.

* '''Everyone is welcome to contribute to this wiki!'''
* You can '''edit any page''' without even having an account. Just hit the 'Edit' link on any page (including this one!). ''Important privacy note'': editing a page without having an account or without being logged in will show your IP address publicly in the changelog/history of a page.
* The number one rule of wiki editing is to be bold. '''Go ahead – make changes — even large rewrites of big topics'''. Other people can correct any mistakes you make, so have confidence, and give it a try!
** If you disagree with what someone else has put, please consider adding a [[Style guidelines#Comments|note of disagreement]] and what you think/would do after that section, especially if it could be something that varies by country or even situations or if you want to change it to/from an absolute (such as job interviews or eye gaze)
* None of the content here is sacred. Please just make changes! Some of the articles are just starter content or from a particular person's perspective. Earlier versions can always be restored if necessary. '''These are all collaborative documents'''.
* Here is a [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Starting_a_new_page short guide] on how to create a new wiki page from scratch! Please check first whether a similar page already exists to avoid duplicates.
* Here are some of our [[Style guidelines|style guidelines]] if you're unsure about formatting etc. But '''don't worry or overthink too much about "getting things right"''', these are not "hard rules" – and everything can be edited, formatted & moved later without issue anyway! :)
* If you have some ideas on how to improve this project, feel free to use the ''Talk:Topic'' discussions [[Main Page#Discussion|at the end of this page!]] You can also create your own!
* '''Please remember that links are CASE SENSITIVE'''. When linking to a missing page, whichever case you use will be created when someone follows the link and makes that new page. Linking to existing articles is case sensitive for every letter ''except'' the first one. Lowercasing or capitalizing a letter other than the first one will break the link / not link to the page you want. Please read [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Links this guide on links] if you want to use them!

== ActuallyAutistic terminology ==
* [[Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)]]
* [[Allism]]
* [[Autism]]
* [[Overlapping neurotypes|AuDHD]]
* [[Autistic burnout]]
* [[Autistic joy]]
* [[Echolalia]]
* [[Executive dysfunction]]
* [[Grok]]
* [[Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)]]
* [[Hyperfixation]]
* [[Hyperfocus]]
* [[Identity-first language]]
* [[Inertia]]
* [[Infodumping]]
* [[Justice sensitivity]]
* [[Late diagnosis]]
* [[Masking]]
* [[Meltdown]]
* [[Monotropism]]
* [[Neurodivergence]]
* [[Neurodiversity]]
* [[Neuropeer]]
* [[Neurotypical]]
* [[Parallel play]]
* [[PBS]]
* [[Person-first language]]
* [[Rejection sensitive dysphoria]]
* [[Ritual]]
* [[Routine]]
* [[Safe foods]]
* [[Savant]]
* [[Shutdown]]
* [[Special interest]]
* [[Spoon theory]]
* [[Stimming]]
* [[Miscellaneous terms]] - for similar/confusing terms and definitions that probably better in one place rather than multiple short articles

== Incomplete List of Known Autistic Traits ==
* [[Accent Mimicry]]
* [[Atypical Autobigraphical Episodic Memory]]
* [[Aural sensitivity to Electronics]]
* [[Autigender]]
* [[Autistic Empathy]]
* [[Imposter syndrome|Autistic Imposter Syndrome ]]
* [[Autistic Relatives]]
* [[Autistic Social Bluntness]]
* [[Baby Face]]
* [[Bias Resiliance]]
* [[Cat Empathy]]
* [[Chronic Apologizing (Traumagenic) ]]
* [[Comorbid Interference Traits]]
* [[Conditional Mutism (Selective Mutism)]]
* [[Demisexuality]]
* [[Difficulty in Chaining Lies]]
* [[Disproportionally LGBTQ+]]
* [[Dissociation]]
* [[Divergent Stress Triggers]]
* [[Divergent Touch Needs]]
* [[Ethical Fearlessness]]
* [[Eye contact|Eye Contact Avoidance]]
* [[Emotion Memory Imprinting]]
* [[Experiential Recreation]]
* [[Flat Affect]]
* [[Flat Facing]]
* [[Flat Tone]]
* [[Gravitate to other Neurodivergents]]
* [[Gullibility]]
* [[High Mortality Rate]]
* [[Hyper-Empathy]]
* [[Hypo-Empathy]]
* [[Inability to Intuit the "point of diminishing returns."]]
* [[Intense World]]
* [[Irrational Fears, Neurological]]
* [[Irrational Fears, Logical]]
* [[Median (Plurality)]]
* [[Neuroqueer]]
* [[Nonlinear Contradiction Response]]
* [[Nonverbal]]
* [["Old Soul"]]
* [[Overlapping Autistic Traits]]
* [[Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)]]
* [[Pattern Recognition]]
* [[Peritiosexual]]
* [[Phone Call Avoidance]]
* [[Preference for Autistically Coded Characters]]
* [[Preference for Certainty]]
* [[Preference for Infodumping]]
* [[Preference for Predictable Outcomes]]
* [[Prosopagnosia]]
* [[Plurality]]
* [[Reframing]]
* [[Social Anxiety]]
* [[Social Contracts]]
* [[Special interest|Special Interests]]
* [[Stimming]]
* [[Sympathetic Animism]]
* [[Temperature Sensitivity]]
* [[Toe stepping]] (does this mean Toe Walking?)
* [[Traumagenic Autistic Traits]]
* [[Verbal Footnoting]]
* [[Xenogender]]
* [[name? Willful Sensorium Override]]
* [[name? Conditionally Hard of Hearing]]
* [[name? Inability to understand wordplay]]
* [[name? obsession with wordplay]]
* [[name? animation fixation]]
* [[name? Lack of childhood memories]]
* [[name? unconsciously getting word order wrong]]
* [[name? Overthinking]]

== Social Media ==

* [[Instagram]]
* [[TikTok]]
* [[Twitter]]
* [[YouTube]]

== Outmoded terminology ==

While many autists have moved away from these terms, some continue to use them to describe their experience. Please remember that people may have complex reasons for the words they choose, and that differences in vocabulary are okay. In short, while it's important to understand how these outdated terms play to most autists, it's also not helpful to police other people's word choices.

* [[Asperger syndrome]]
* [[Functioning labels|High- and low-functioning]]
* [[On the spectrum]]

== Sociology ==

* [[Gender]]
* [[Gossip]]
* [[Group dynamics]]
* [[Peer group]]
* [[Power]]
* [[Saving face]]
* [[Social status]]

== Psychology ==

* [[Alexithymia]]
* [[Anxiety]]
* [[Defence mechanism|Defence mechanisms]]
* [[Empathy]]
* [[Imposter syndrome]]
* [[Theory of mind]]

== Allistic communication & miscommunication ==

* [[Body language]]
* [[Common sense]]
* [[Double empathy problem]]
* [[Eye contact]]
* [[Facial expression|Facial expressions]]
* [[Getting coffee]]
* [[Literal interpretation]]
* [[Multi-channel communication]]
* [[Responding to "How are you?"]]
* [[Social cue|Social cues]]
* [[Tone of voice]]

== Dating & relationships ==

* [[Autistic love languages]]
* [[Dating apps / online dating]]
* [[Neurodivergent relationship]]
* [[Neurodivergent sexuality]]

== Autistic culture ==

* [[Articles]]
* [[Autistic celebrities]]
* [[Autistic representation in fiction]]
* [[Books by Autistic authors]]
* [[Jokes about Autism]]
* [[Podcasts by Autistic creators]]
* [[Symbols of Autism]]

== Comorbidities ==
* [[CPTSD]]
* [[Dyscalculia]]
* [[Dyslexia]]
* [[EDS / Hypermobility]]
* [[Hyperlexia]]
* [[ADHD|Kinetism (ADHD)]]
* [[Plurality]]

== Accommodations ==

* [[Augmentative and alternative communication|AAC]]
* [[Autism passport]]
* [[Clear instructions]]
* [[Hidden disabilities sunflower]]
* [[Noise-cancelling headphones]]
* [[Support networks and organisations]]

== Culture-specific differences ==

* [[Ask and guess cultures]]
* [[High and low context cultures]]
* [[Peach and coconut cultures]]

== Diagnostic journey ==

* [[Formal diagnosis]]
* [[Overlapping neurotypes|Multiple diagnoses]]
* [[Questioning]]
* [[Research]]
* [[Screening tools]]
* [[Self-diagnosis]]

== Problems with autism research ==

* [[Autism Speaks]]
* [[Autism stereotypes]]
* [[Bias]]
* [[Deficit model]]
* [[Functioning labels]]
* [[Ethics of autism research]]
* [[History of autism]]
* [[Stigma]]

== How to help ==

{{Comment|I have no idea what the purpose of this section and the page below is supposed to be..?}}

* [[Capacity]]

== Mental health ==

* [[Applied_Behavior_Analysis|Applied behavior analysis]]
* [[Depression]]
* [[Difficulties with mental health services]]

== Information processing differences ==

* [[Aphasia]]
* [[Auditory processing disorder]]
* [[Dyslexia]]
* [[Dyspraxia]]
* [[Dyscalculia]]
* [[Dysgraphia]]
* [[Hyperlexia]]
* [[Misophonia]]
* [[Prosopagnosia]]
* [[Synesthesia]]

== Office & work dynamics ==

* [[Corporate buzzwords]]
* [[HR interviews]]
* [[Job interviews]] - ended up writing like a short essay in this one which boils down to the importance of respecting diversity of thought on this wiki. Maybe it would be better suited to copy into another page, but not sure which?
* [[Meetings]]
* [[Networking]]
* [[Team building / work socials]]
* [[Water cooler]]

== Articles and Threads ==

* [["Am I Autistic?" Guide]]
* [[Autism Without Trauma? ]]
* [[Non-Derogatory DSM-5 Diagnosis Criteria for Autism]]

== Senses ==

Many autistics have differences in their senses, such as maybe hypersensitive to sound but hyposensitive to smell. These articles should try to document examples of both types as well as potential ways to compensate.

* [[Auditory perception|Hearing]]
* [[Gastro-intestinal problems]]
* [[Interoception]]
* [[Proprioception]]
* [[Sensory overload]]
* [[Sensory sensitivity]]
* [[Olfactory perception|Smell]]
* [[Gustatory perception|Taste]]
* [[Tactile perception|Texture]]
* [[Vestibulary perception]]
* [[Visual perception|Vision]]

== Yet-to-be-sorted categories ==

You can put stuff that doesn't fit anywhere else (yet) here.

* [[Victimization]]

== Meta ==

* [[Community guidelines]]
* [[Style guidelines]]

== Discussion ==

We can talk about the wiki itself in talk-pages[https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Talk_pages]. Feel free to create your own for topics.

* [[Feedback, questions and suggestions]]
* [[Talk:Meta]]
* [[Talk:Miscellaneous]]

== Misc ==

* [[special:AllPages|View all pages]]
* [[Special:Categories|View all categories]]

Main Page

2022-08-24T23:56:57Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* ActuallyAutistic terminology */

Welcome to the '''ActuallyAutistic Wiki'''! This is a community-driven guide to all aspects of autism, allism, and helping build bridges between neurotypes. It emerged recently from the #ActuallyAutistic community on Twitter.

* '''Everyone is welcome to contribute to this wiki!'''
* You can '''edit any page''' without even having an account. Just hit the 'Edit' link on any page (including this one!). ''Important privacy note'': editing a page without having an account or without being logged in will show your IP address publicly in the changelog/history of a page.
* The number one rule of wiki editing is to be bold. '''Go ahead – make changes — even large rewrites of big topics'''. Other people can correct any mistakes you make, so have confidence, and give it a try!
** If you disagree with what someone else has put, please consider adding a [[Style guidelines#Comments|note of disagreement]] and what you think/would do after that section, especially if it could be something that varies by country or even situations or if you want to change it to/from an absolute (such as job interviews or eye gaze)
* None of the content here is sacred. Please just make changes! Some of the articles are just starter content or from a particular person's perspective. Earlier versions can always be restored if necessary. '''These are all collaborative documents'''.
* Here is a [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Starting_a_new_page short guide] on how to create a new wiki page from scratch! Please check first whether a similar page already exists to avoid duplicates.
* Here are some of our [[Style guidelines|style guidelines]] if you're unsure about formatting etc. But '''don't worry or overthink too much about "getting things right"''', these are not "hard rules" – and everything can be edited, formatted & moved later without issue anyway! :)
* If you have some ideas on how to improve this project, feel free to use the ''Talk:Topic'' discussions [[Main Page#Discussion|at the end of this page!]] You can also create your own!
* '''Please remember that links are CASE SENSITIVE'''. When linking to a missing page, whichever case you use will be created when someone follows the link and makes that new page. Linking to existing articles is case sensitive for every letter ''except'' the first one. Lowercasing or capitalizing a letter other than the first one will break the link / not link to the page you want. Please read [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Links this guide on links] if you want to use them!

== ActuallyAutistic terminology ==
* [[Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)]]
* [[Allism]]
* [[Autism]]
* [[Overlapping neurotypes|AuDHD]]
* [[Autistic burnout]]
* [[Autistic joy]]
* [[Echolalia]]
* [[Executive dysfunction]]
* [[Grok]]
* [[Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)]]
* [[Hyperfixation]]
* [[Hyperfocus]]
* [[Identity-first language]]
* [[Inertia]]
* [[Infodumping]]
* [[Justice sensitivity]]
* [[Late diagnosis]]
* [[Masking]]
* [[Meltdown]]
* [[Monotropism]]
* [[Neurodivergence]]
* [[Neurodiversity]]
* [[Neuropeer]]
* [[Neurotypical]]
* [[Parallel play]]
* [[PBS]]
* [[Person-first language]]
* [[Rejection sensitive dysphoria]]
* [[Ritual]]
* [[Routine]]
* [[Safe foods]]
* [[Savant]]
* [[Shutdown]]
* [[Special interest]]
* [[Spoon theory]]
* [[Stimming]]
* [[Miscellaneous terms]] - for similar/confusing terms and definitions that probably better in one place rather than multiple short articles

== Incomplete List of Known Autistic Traits ==
* [[Accent Mimicry]]
* [[Atypical Autobigraphical Episodic Memory]]
* [[Aural sensitivity to Electronics]]
* [[Autigender]]
* [[Autistic Empathy]]
* [[Imposter syndrome|Autistic Imposter Syndrome ]]
* [[Autistic Relatives]]
* [[Autistic Social Bluntness]]
* [[Baby Face]]
* [[Bias Resiliance]]
* [[Cat Empathy]]
* [[Chronic Apologizing (Traumagenic) ]]
* [[Comorbid Interference Traits]]
* [[Conditional Mutism (Selective Mutism)]]
* [[Demisexuality]]
* [[Difficulty in Chaining Lies]]
* [[Disproportionally LGBTQ+]]
* [[Dissociation]]
* [[Divergent Stress Triggers]]
* [[Divergent Touch Needs]]
* [[Ethical Fearlessness]]
* [[Eye contact|Eye Contact Avoidance]]
* [[Emotion Memory Imprinting]]
* [[Experiential Recreation]]
* [[Flat Affect]]
* [[Flat Facing]]
* [[Flat Tone]]
* [[Gravitate to other Neurodivergents]]
* [[Gullibility]]
* [[High Mortality Rate]]
* [[Hyper-Empathy]]
* [[Hypo-Empathy]]
* [[Inability to Intuit the "point of diminishing returns."]]
* [[Intense World]]
* [[Irrational Fears, Neurological]]
* [[Irrational Fears, Logical]]
* [[Median (Plurality)]]
* [[Neuroqueer]]
* [[Nonlinear Contradiction Response]]
* [[Nonverbal]]
* [["Old Soul"]]
* [[Overlapping Autistic Traits]]
* [[Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)]]
* [[Pattern Recognition]]
* [[Peritiosexual]]
* [[Phone Call Avoidance]]
* [[Preference for Autistically Coded Characters]]
* [[Preference for Certainty]]
* [[Preference for Infodumping]]
* [[Preference for Predictable Outcomes]]
* [[Prosopagnosia]]
* [[Plurality]]
* [[Reframing]]
* [[Social Anxiety]]
* [[Social Contracts]]
* [[Special interest|Special Interests]]
* [[Stimming]]
* [[Sympathetic Animism]]
* [[Temperature Sensitivity]]
* [[Toe stepping]] (does this mean Toe Walking?)
* [[Traumagenic Autistic Traits]]
* [[Verbal Footnoting]]
* [[Xenogender]]
* [[name? Willful Sensorium Override]]
* [[name? Conditionally Hard of Hearing]]
* [[name? Inability to understand wordplay]]
* [[name? obsession with wordplay]]
* [[name? animation fixation]]
* [[name? Lack of childhood memories]]
* [[name? unconsciously getting word order wrong]]
* [[name? Overthinking]]

== Social Media ==

* [[Instagram]]
* [[TikTok]]
* [[Twitter]]
* [[YouTube]]

== Outmoded terminology ==

While many autists have moved away from these terms, some continue to use them to describe their experience. Please remember that people may have complex reasons for the words they choose, and that differences in vocabulary are okay. In short, while it's important to understand how these outdated terms play to most autists, it's also not helpful to police other people's word choices.

* [[Asperger syndrome]]
* [[Functioning labels|High- and low-functioning]]
* [[On the spectrum]]

== Sociology ==

* [[Gender]]
* [[Gossip]]
* [[Group dynamics]]
* [[Peer group]]
* [[Power]]
* [[Saving face]]
* [[Social status]]

== Psychology ==

* [[Alexithymia]]
* [[Anxiety]]
* [[Defence mechanism|Defence mechanisms]]
* [[Empathy]]
* [[Imposter syndrome]]
* [[Theory of mind]]

== Allistic communication & miscommunication ==

* [[Body language]]
* [[Common sense]]
* [[Double empathy problem]]
* [[Eye contact]]
* [[Facial expression|Facial expressions]]
* [[Getting coffee]]
* [[Literal interpretation]]
* [[Multi-channel communication]]
* [[Responding to "How are you?"]]
* [[Social cue|Social cues]]
* [[Tone of voice]]

== Dating & relationships ==

* [[Autistic love languages]]
* [[Dating apps / online dating]]
* [[Neurodivergent relationship]]
* [[Neurodivergent sexuality]]

== Autistic culture ==

* [[Articles]]
* [[Autistic celebrities]]
* [[Autistic representation in fiction]]
* [[Books by Autistic authors]]
* [[Jokes about Autism]]
* [[Podcasts by Autistic creators]]
* [[Symbols of Autism]]

== Comorbidities ==
* [[CPTSD]]
* [[Dyscalculia]]
* [[Dyslexia]]
* [[EDS / Hypermobility]]
* [[Hyperlexia]]
* [[ADHD|Kinetism (ADHD)]]
* [[Plurality]]

== Accommodations ==

* [[Augmentative and alternative communication|AAC]]
* [[Autism passport]]
* [[Clear instructions]]
* [[Hidden disabilities sunflower]]
* [[Noise-cancelling headphones]]
* [[Support networks and organisations]]

== Culture-specific differences ==

* [[Ask and guess cultures]]
* [[High and low context cultures]]
* [[Peach and coconut cultures]]

== Diagnostic journey ==

* [[Formal diagnosis]]
* [[Overlapping neurotypes|Multiple diagnoses]]
* [[Questioning]]
* [[Research]]
* [[Screening tools]]
* [[Self-diagnosis]]

== Problems with autism research ==

* [[Autism Speaks]]
* [[Autism stereotypes]]
* [[Bias]]
* [[Deficit model]]
* [[Functioning labels]]
* [[Ethics of autism research]]
* [[History of autism]]
* [[Stigma]]

== How to help ==

{{Comment|I have no idea what the purpose of this section and the page below is supposed to be..?}}

* [[Capacity]]

== Mental health ==

* [[Applied_Behavior_Analysis|Applied behavior analysis]]
* [[Depression]]
* [[Difficulties with mental health services]]

== Information processing differences ==

* [[Aphasia]]
* [[Auditory processing disorder]]
* [[Dyslexia]]
* [[Dyspraxia]]
* [[Dyscalculia]]
* [[Dysgraphia]]
* [[Hyperlexia]]
* [[Misophonia]]
* [[Prosopagnosia]]
* [[Synesthesia]]

== Office & work dynamics ==

* [[Corporate buzzwords]]
* [[HR interviews]]
* [[Job interviews]] - ended up writing like a short essay in this one which boils down to the importance of respecting diversity of thought on this wiki. Maybe it would be better suited to copy into another page, but not sure which?
* [[Meetings]]
* [[Networking]]
* [[Team building / work socials]]
* [[Water cooler]]

== Articles and Threads ==

* [[Autism Without Trauma? ]]
* [[Non-Derogatory DSM-5 Diagnosis Criteria for Autism]]

== Senses ==

Many autistics have differences in their senses, such as maybe hypersensitive to sound but hyposensitive to smell. These articles should try to document examples of both types as well as potential ways to compensate.

* [[Auditory perception|Hearing]]
* [[Gastro-intestinal problems]]
* [[Interoception]]
* [[Proprioception]]
* [[Sensory overload]]
* [[Sensory sensitivity]]
* [[Olfactory perception|Smell]]
* [[Gustatory perception|Taste]]
* [[Tactile perception|Texture]]
* [[Vestibulary perception]]
* [[Visual perception|Vision]]

== Yet-to-be-sorted categories ==

You can put stuff that doesn't fit anywhere else (yet) here.

* [[Victimization]]

== Meta ==

* [[Community guidelines]]
* [[Style guidelines]]

== Discussion ==

We can talk about the wiki itself in talk-pages[https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Talk_pages]. Feel free to create your own for topics.

* [[Feedback, questions and suggestions]]
* [[Talk:Meta]]
* [[Talk:Miscellaneous]]

== Misc ==

* [[special:AllPages|View all pages]]
* [[Special:Categories|View all categories]]

Peritiosexual

2022-08-24T23:53:23Z

El (Autistic Voices United): Created page with "Peritiosexual A person who finds skill or expertise sexually attractive or arousing. From the root word “Perite” meaning “skilled” or “expert”. Many Autistic people are meritocratic and embrace special interests so it is natural for many of them to be peritiosexual. Etymology: [https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/499278/is-there-a-word-that-means-attracted-to-talent-in-the-way-that-sapiosexual-mea Coined by "Concurrer"]"

Peritiosexual

A person who finds skill or expertise sexually attractive or arousing.

From the root word “Perite” meaning “skilled” or “expert”.

Many Autistic people are meritocratic and embrace special interests so it is natural for many of them to be peritiosexual.

Etymology: [https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/499278/is-there-a-word-that-means-attracted-to-talent-in-the-way-that-sapiosexual-mea Coined by "Concurrer"]

Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism

2022-08-24T23:39:27Z

El (Autistic Voices United):

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

You might be Autistic if you meet the '''''DSM-5''''' criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner.

==Category A: Intuitive Autistic Empathy==
You have Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

You intuitively communicate and interact using Autistic Empathy rather than Allistic Empathy, but you may have learned to mask, mimic, or emulate Allistic Empathy.

Three Requirments:
*1. You do not naturally reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms.
Example: you Infodump.
*2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication.
Example: people ask why you always look mad because you are not smiling all the time.
*3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent soley upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling.
Example: You don't want to hang out with people you don't like "just to socialize."

==Category B: The Four Identifying Autistic Traits==

Beyond Autistic Empathy there are four primary Autistic Trait.

Note again that masking, '''''ABA,''''', emulation, etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some or all of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences (see Category C.

At some point in your life you must have demonstrated 2 out of 4 of the following:

===1. Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior===

Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat actions, physical, vocal, or otherwise? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things in a systematic fassion that Allistics do not demonstrate?

* Note that it is very common to suppress this behavior to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.

* Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips or intense pacing.

* Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.

Vocal simming takes many forms:
* Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
* Random sounds
* Repeating what was stated by another
* Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.

Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.

The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.

===2. Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predicatable Outcomes===
* Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
* Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
* Resistance to illogical changes

===3. Special Interests===
* Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
* Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"

===4. Hyper and/or Hypo Senses===
An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard.
Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.

Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.

This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.

==Category C: Confirm You Where Born Autistic==

This is a nuanced category and is a bit of a "covery your ass" scenario with two major points:

* People are born Autistic '''''BUT''''' Autistic traits might not show up until late in life '''''AND''''' can be masked
* Aquired Neurodivergencies can mimimic Autistic traits, and that would not be Autism.

===People are born Autistic===

You cannot aquire Autism. It is present in early development but may .

The nuance here is that many Autistic traits are linked to Autistic stress.

If an Autistic person is in a conducive environment, then the traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.
To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic without seriously suspecting it earlier in life.

===Aquired Neurotypes Can Mimic Autistic Traits===

The most relevant aspect of '''''Category C''''' is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' and other aquired Neurotypes.

For an official DX it is important for the diagnostician to make an effort to elliminate the possiblity that presented Autistic traits where not aquired from a non-Autistic origin.

==Category D: Medical Diagnosis Qualifier==

Category D is of no relevance to a Self Diagnosis.

Even if a person is Autistic, due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.

At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category '''''a,''''' '''''b,''''' and '''''c,''''' must convince a licensed practicioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.

If an Autistic person manages to convince a practicioner that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.

What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category '''''d''''' and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.

'''''Category D''''' is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as '''''Category D''''' remains part of the '''''DSM,''''' the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to '''''BE''''' Autistic.

'''''Many older individuals are identified by their diagnosticians as Autistic but are not given a DX, on the basis that the diagnotician decides that they "don't need it."'''''

'''''Category D''''' is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.

==Category E: No "Better" Explanation==

'''''Category E''''' is extremley similar to '''''Category C.'''''

The nuanced difference is that '''''Category C''''' is about aquired Neurotypes but '''''Category E''''' applies to other Neurotypes that arrise in early development.

'''''Category E''''' boils down to "make sure another neurotype does not make more sense for explaining the displayed behaviors.

==Summary==

To summarize and simplify, If you have:

* Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

And 2 or more of the following:

* Stimming
* Desire for Predictable Outcomes
* Special Interests
* Hyper/Hypo Senses

And

* There is not a reasonable explanation for it other than Autism

Then you are VERY LIKELY Autistic.

==Video Explanation==

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yva4RZW_s0 Yo Samdy Sam has an excellent video that goes over this as well]

== Special Note on Stimming ==

[https://t.co/D0scCl0XmX For those who read this and where gobsmacked with the revelation that their muscle pain could be due to suppressed stimming, here is a guide on deprogramming stim suppression.]

If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism

2022-08-24T23:38:49Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Category E: No "Better" Explanation */

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

You might be Autistic if you meet the '''''DSM-5''''' criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner.

==Category A: Intuitive Autistic Empathy==
You have Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

You intuitively communicate and interact using Autistic Empathy rather than Allistic Empathy, but you may have learned to mask, mimic, or emulate Allistic Empathy.

Three Requirments:
*1. You do not naturally reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms.
Example: you Infodump.
*2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication.
Example: people ask why you always look mad because you are not smiling all the time.
*3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent soley upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling.
Example: You don't want to hang out with people you don't like "just to socialize."

==Category B: The Four Identifying Autistic Traits==

Beyond Autistic Empathy there are four primary Autistic Trait.

Note again that masking, '''''ABA,''''', emulation, etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some or all of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences (see Category C.

At some point in your life you must have demonstrated 2 out of 4 of the following:

===1. Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior===

Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat actions, physical, vocal, or otherwise? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things in a systematic fassion that Allistics do not demonstrate?

* Note that it is very common to suppress this behavior to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.

* Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips or intense pacing.

* Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.

Vocal simming takes many forms:
* Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
* Random sounds
* Repeating what was stated by another
* Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.

Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.

The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.

===2. Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predicatable Outcomes===
* Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
* Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
* Resistance to illogical changes

===3. Special Interests===
* Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
* Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"

===4. Hyper and/or Hypo Senses===
An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard.
Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.

Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.

This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.

==Category C: Confirm You Where Born Autistic==

This is a nuanced category and is a bit of a "covery your ass" scenario with two major points:

* People are born Autistic '''''BUT''''' Autistic traits might not show up until late in life '''''AND''''' can be masked
* Aquired Neurodivergencies can mimimic Autistic traits, and that would not be Autism.

===People are born Autistic===

You cannot aquire Autism. It is present in early development but may .

The nuance here is that many Autistic traits are linked to Autistic stress.

If an Autistic person is in a conducive environment, then the traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.
To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic without seriously suspecting it earlier in life.

===Aquired Neurotypes Can Mimic Autistic Traits===

The most relevant aspect of '''''Category C''''' is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' and other aquired Neurotypes.

For an official DX it is important for the diagnostician to make an effort to elliminate the possiblity that presented Autistic traits where not aquired from a non-Autistic origin.

==Category D: Medical Diagnosis Qualifier==

Category D is of no relevance to a Self Diagnosis.

Even if a person is Autistic, due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.

At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category '''''a,''''' '''''b,''''' and '''''c,''''' must convince a licensed practicioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.

If an Autistic person manages to convince a practicioner that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.

What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category '''''d''''' and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.

'''''Category D''''' is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as '''''Category D''''' remains part of the '''''DSM,''''' the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to '''''BE''''' Autistic.

'''''Many older individuals are identified by their diagnosticians as Autistic but are not given a DX, on the basis that the diagnotician decides that they "don't need it."'''''

'''''Category D''''' is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.

==Category E: No "Better" Explanation==

'''''Category E''''' is extremley similar to '''''Category C.'''''

The nuanced difference is that '''''Category C''''' is about aquired Neurotypes but '''''Category E''''' applies to other Neurotypes that arrise in early development.

'''''Category E''''' boils down to "make sure another neurotype does not make more sense for explaining the displayed behaviors.

==Summary==

To summarize and simplify, If you have:

* Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

And 2 or more of the following:

* Stimming
* Desire for Predictable Outcomes
* Special Interests
* Hyper/Hypo Senses

And

* There is not a reasonable explanation for it other than Autism

Then you are VERY LIKELY Autistic.

==Video Explanation==

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yva4RZW_s0 Yo Samdy Sam has an excellent video that goes over this as well]

== Special Note on Stimming ==

[https://t.co/D0scCl0XmX For those who read this and where gobsmacked with the revelation that their muscle pain could be due to suppressed stimming, here is a guide on deprogramming stim suppression.]

If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism

2022-08-24T23:36:53Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Category C: Born Autistic */

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

You might be Autistic if you meet the '''''DSM-5''''' criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner.

==Category A: Intuitive Autistic Empathy==
You have Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

You intuitively communicate and interact using Autistic Empathy rather than Allistic Empathy, but you may have learned to mask, mimic, or emulate Allistic Empathy.

Three Requirments:
*1. You do not naturally reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms.
Example: you Infodump.
*2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication.
Example: people ask why you always look mad because you are not smiling all the time.
*3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent soley upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling.
Example: You don't want to hang out with people you don't like "just to socialize."

==Category B: The Four Identifying Autistic Traits==

Beyond Autistic Empathy there are four primary Autistic Trait.

Note again that masking, '''''ABA,''''', emulation, etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some or all of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences (see Category C.

At some point in your life you must have demonstrated 2 out of 4 of the following:

===1. Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior===

Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat actions, physical, vocal, or otherwise? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things in a systematic fassion that Allistics do not demonstrate?

* Note that it is very common to suppress this behavior to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.

* Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips or intense pacing.

* Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.

Vocal simming takes many forms:
* Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
* Random sounds
* Repeating what was stated by another
* Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.

Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.

The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.

===2. Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predicatable Outcomes===
* Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
* Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
* Resistance to illogical changes

===3. Special Interests===
* Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
* Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"

===4. Hyper and/or Hypo Senses===
An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard.
Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.

Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.

This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.

==Category C: Confirm You Where Born Autistic==

This is a nuanced category and is a bit of a "covery your ass" scenario with two major points:

* People are born Autistic '''''BUT''''' Autistic traits might not show up until late in life '''''AND''''' can be masked
* Aquired Neurodivergencies can mimimic Autistic traits, and that would not be Autism.

===People are born Autistic===

You cannot aquire Autism. It is present in early development but may .

The nuance here is that many Autistic traits are linked to Autistic stress.

If an Autistic person is in a conducive environment, then the traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.
To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic without seriously suspecting it earlier in life.

===Aquired Neurotypes Can Mimic Autistic Traits===

The most relevant aspect of '''''Category C''''' is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' and other aquired Neurotypes.

For an official DX it is important for the diagnostician to make an effort to elliminate the possiblity that presented Autistic traits where not aquired from a non-Autistic origin.

==Category D: Medical Diagnosis Qualifier==

Category D is of no relevance to a Self Diagnosis.

Even if a person is Autistic, due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.

At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category '''''a,''''' '''''b,''''' and '''''c,''''' must convince a licensed practicioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.

If an Autistic person manages to convince a practicioner that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.

What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category '''''d''''' and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.

'''''Category D''''' is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as '''''Category D''''' remains part of the '''''DSM,''''' the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to '''''BE''''' Autistic.

'''''Many older individuals are identified by their diagnosticians as Autistic but are not given a DX, on the basis that the diagnotician decides that they "don't need it."'''''

'''''Category D''''' is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.

==Category E: No "Better" Explanation==

'''''Category E''''' is extremley similar to '''''Category C.'''''

The nuanced difference is that '''''Category C''''' is about aquired Neurotypes but '''''Category E''''' applies to other Neurotypes that arrise in early development.

==Summary==

To summarize and simplify, If you have:

* Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

And 2 or more of the following:

* Stimming
* Desire for Predictable Outcomes
* Special Interests
* Hyper/Hypo Senses

And

* There is not a reasonable explanation for it other than Autism

Then you are VERY LIKELY Autistic.

==Video Explanation==

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yva4RZW_s0 Yo Samdy Sam has an excellent video that goes over this as well]

== Special Note on Stimming ==

[https://t.co/D0scCl0XmX For those who read this and where gobsmacked with the revelation that their muscle pain could be due to suppressed stimming, here is a guide on deprogramming stim suppression.]

If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism

2022-08-24T23:35:13Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Aquired Neurodivergent Qualities Can Mimic Autism */

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

You might be Autistic if you meet the '''''DSM-5''''' criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner.

==Category A: Intuitive Autistic Empathy==
You have Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

You intuitively communicate and interact using Autistic Empathy rather than Allistic Empathy, but you may have learned to mask, mimic, or emulate Allistic Empathy.

Three Requirments:
*1. You do not naturally reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms.
Example: you Infodump.
*2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication.
Example: people ask why you always look mad because you are not smiling all the time.
*3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent soley upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling.
Example: You don't want to hang out with people you don't like "just to socialize."

==Category B: The Four Identifying Autistic Traits==

Beyond Autistic Empathy there are four primary Autistic Trait.

Note again that masking, '''''ABA,''''', emulation, etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some or all of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences (see Category C.

At some point in your life you must have demonstrated 2 out of 4 of the following:

===1. Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior===

Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat actions, physical, vocal, or otherwise? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things in a systematic fassion that Allistics do not demonstrate?

* Note that it is very common to suppress this behavior to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.

* Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips or intense pacing.

* Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.

Vocal simming takes many forms:
* Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
* Random sounds
* Repeating what was stated by another
* Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.

Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.

The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.

===2. Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predicatable Outcomes===
* Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
* Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
* Resistance to illogical changes

===3. Special Interests===
* Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
* Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"

===4. Hyper and/or Hypo Senses===
An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard.
Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.

Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.

This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.

==Category C: Born Autistic==

This is a nuanced category and is a bit of a "covery your ass" scenario with two major points:

* People are born Autistic '''''BUT''''' Autistic traits might not show up until late in life '''''AND''''' can be masked
* Aquired Neurodivergencies can mimimic Autistic traits, and that would not be Autism.

===People are born Autistic===

You cannot aquire Autism. It is present in early development but may .

The nuance here is that many Autistic traits are linked to Autistic stress.

If an Autistic person is in a conducive environment, then the traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.
To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic without seriously suspecting it earlier in life.

===Aquired Neurotypes Can Mimic Autistic Traits===

The most relevant aspect of '''''Category C''''' is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' and other aquired Neurotypes.

For an official DX it is important for the diagnostician to make an effort to elliminate the possiblity that presented Autistic traits where not aquired from a non-Autistic origin.

==Category D: Medical Diagnosis Qualifier==

Category D is of no relevance to a Self Diagnosis.

Even if a person is Autistic, due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.

At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category '''''a,''''' '''''b,''''' and '''''c,''''' must convince a licensed practicioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.

If an Autistic person manages to convince a practicioner that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.

What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category '''''d''''' and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.

'''''Category D''''' is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as '''''Category D''''' remains part of the '''''DSM,''''' the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to '''''BE''''' Autistic.

'''''Many older individuals are identified by their diagnosticians as Autistic but are not given a DX, on the basis that the diagnotician decides that they "don't need it."'''''

'''''Category D''''' is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.

==Category E: No "Better" Explanation==

'''''Category E''''' is extremley similar to '''''Category C.'''''

The nuanced difference is that '''''Category C''''' is about aquired Neurotypes but '''''Category E''''' applies to other Neurotypes that arrise in early development.

==Summary==

To summarize and simplify, If you have:

* Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

And 2 or more of the following:

* Stimming
* Desire for Predictable Outcomes
* Special Interests
* Hyper/Hypo Senses

And

* There is not a reasonable explanation for it other than Autism

Then you are VERY LIKELY Autistic.

==Video Explanation==

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yva4RZW_s0 Yo Samdy Sam has an excellent video that goes over this as well]

== Special Note on Stimming ==

[https://t.co/D0scCl0XmX For those who read this and where gobsmacked with the revelation that their muscle pain could be due to suppressed stimming, here is a guide on deprogramming stim suppression.]

If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism

2022-08-24T23:33:55Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Summary */

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

You might be Autistic if you meet the '''''DSM-5''''' criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner.

==Category A: Intuitive Autistic Empathy==
You have Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

You intuitively communicate and interact using Autistic Empathy rather than Allistic Empathy, but you may have learned to mask, mimic, or emulate Allistic Empathy.

Three Requirments:
*1. You do not naturally reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms.
Example: you Infodump.
*2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication.
Example: people ask why you always look mad because you are not smiling all the time.
*3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent soley upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling.
Example: You don't want to hang out with people you don't like "just to socialize."

==Category B: The Four Identifying Autistic Traits==

Beyond Autistic Empathy there are four primary Autistic Trait.

Note again that masking, '''''ABA,''''', emulation, etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some or all of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences (see Category C.

At some point in your life you must have demonstrated 2 out of 4 of the following:

===1. Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior===

Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat actions, physical, vocal, or otherwise? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things in a systematic fassion that Allistics do not demonstrate?

* Note that it is very common to suppress this behavior to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.

* Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips or intense pacing.

* Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.

Vocal simming takes many forms:
* Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
* Random sounds
* Repeating what was stated by another
* Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.

Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.

The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.

===2. Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predicatable Outcomes===
* Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
* Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
* Resistance to illogical changes

===3. Special Interests===
* Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
* Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"

===4. Hyper and/or Hypo Senses===
An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard.
Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.

Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.

This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.

==Category C: Born Autistic==

This is a nuanced category and is a bit of a "covery your ass" scenario with two major points:

* People are born Autistic '''''BUT''''' Autistic traits might not show up until late in life '''''AND''''' can be masked
* Aquired Neurodivergencies can mimimic Autistic traits, and that would not be Autism.

===People are born Autistic===

You cannot aquire Autism. It is present in early development but may .

The nuance here is that many Autistic traits are linked to Autistic stress.

If an Autistic person is in a conducive environment, then the traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.
To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic without seriously suspecting it earlier in life.

===Aquired Neurodivergent Qualities Can Mimic Autism===

The most relevant aspect of '''''Category C''''' is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' and other aquired Neurodivergences.

For an official DX it is important for the diagnostician to make an effort to elliminate the possiblity that presented Autistic traits where not aquired from a non-Autistic origin.

==Category D: Medical Diagnosis Qualifier==

Category D is of no relevance to a Self Diagnosis.

Even if a person is Autistic, due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.

At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category '''''a,''''' '''''b,''''' and '''''c,''''' must convince a licensed practicioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.

If an Autistic person manages to convince a practicioner that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.

What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category '''''d''''' and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.

'''''Category D''''' is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as '''''Category D''''' remains part of the '''''DSM,''''' the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to '''''BE''''' Autistic.

'''''Many older individuals are identified by their diagnosticians as Autistic but are not given a DX, on the basis that the diagnotician decides that they "don't need it."'''''

'''''Category D''''' is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.

==Category E: No "Better" Explanation==

'''''Category E''''' is extremley similar to '''''Category C.'''''

The nuanced difference is that '''''Category C''''' is about aquired Neurotypes but '''''Category E''''' applies to other Neurotypes that arrise in early development.

==Summary==

To summarize and simplify, If you have:

* Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

And 2 or more of the following:

* Stimming
* Desire for Predictable Outcomes
* Special Interests
* Hyper/Hypo Senses

And

* There is not a reasonable explanation for it other than Autism

Then you are VERY LIKELY Autistic.

==Video Explanation==

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yva4RZW_s0 Yo Samdy Sam has an excellent video that goes over this as well]

== Special Note on Stimming ==

[https://t.co/D0scCl0XmX For those who read this and where gobsmacked with the revelation that their muscle pain could be due to suppressed stimming, here is a guide on deprogramming stim suppression.]

If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism

2022-08-24T23:27:42Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Category E */

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

You might be Autistic if you meet the '''''DSM-5''''' criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner.

==Category A: Intuitive Autistic Empathy==
You have Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

You intuitively communicate and interact using Autistic Empathy rather than Allistic Empathy, but you may have learned to mask, mimic, or emulate Allistic Empathy.

Three Requirments:
*1. You do not naturally reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms.
Example: you Infodump.
*2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication.
Example: people ask why you always look mad because you are not smiling all the time.
*3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent soley upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling.
Example: You don't want to hang out with people you don't like "just to socialize."

==Category B: The Four Identifying Autistic Traits==

Beyond Autistic Empathy there are four primary Autistic Trait.

Note again that masking, '''''ABA,''''', emulation, etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some or all of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences (see Category C.

At some point in your life you must have demonstrated 2 out of 4 of the following:

===1. Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior===

Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat actions, physical, vocal, or otherwise? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things in a systematic fassion that Allistics do not demonstrate?

* Note that it is very common to suppress this behavior to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.

* Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips or intense pacing.

* Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.

Vocal simming takes many forms:
* Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
* Random sounds
* Repeating what was stated by another
* Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.

Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.

The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.

===2. Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predicatable Outcomes===
* Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
* Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
* Resistance to illogical changes

===3. Special Interests===
* Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
* Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"

===4. Hyper and/or Hypo Senses===
An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard.
Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.

Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.

This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.

==Category C: Born Autistic==

This is a nuanced category and is a bit of a "covery your ass" scenario with two major points:

* People are born Autistic '''''BUT''''' Autistic traits might not show up until late in life '''''AND''''' can be masked
* Aquired Neurodivergencies can mimimic Autistic traits, and that would not be Autism.

===People are born Autistic===

You cannot aquire Autism. It is present in early development but may .

The nuance here is that many Autistic traits are linked to Autistic stress.

If an Autistic person is in a conducive environment, then the traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.
To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic without seriously suspecting it earlier in life.

===Aquired Neurodivergent Qualities Can Mimic Autism===

The most relevant aspect of '''''Category C''''' is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' and other aquired Neurodivergences.

For an official DX it is important for the diagnostician to make an effort to elliminate the possiblity that presented Autistic traits where not aquired from a non-Autistic origin.

==Category D: Medical Diagnosis Qualifier==

Category D is of no relevance to a Self Diagnosis.

Even if a person is Autistic, due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.

At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category '''''a,''''' '''''b,''''' and '''''c,''''' must convince a licensed practicioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.

If an Autistic person manages to convince a practicioner that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.

What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category '''''d''''' and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.

'''''Category D''''' is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as '''''Category D''''' remains part of the '''''DSM,''''' the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to '''''BE''''' Autistic.

'''''Many older individuals are identified by their diagnosticians as Autistic but are not given a DX, on the basis that the diagnotician decides that they "don't need it."'''''

'''''Category D''''' is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.

==Category E: No "Better" Explanation==

'''''Category E''''' is extremley similar to '''''Category C.'''''

The nuanced difference is that '''''Category C''''' is about aquired Neurotypes but '''''Category E''''' applies to other Neurotypes that arrise in early development.

==Summary==

So what this all boils down to is this:

* If you meet all 3 requirements of Category '''''a
*''''' If you meet 2 of the 4 requirements of Category '''''b
*''''' If nothing but Autism can explain those 5-7 traits.

You very very likely have Autism.

<a href="https://t.co/VpuKT46GKt">If you want a most expansive, positive explanation of the '''''dms5,''''' this video is BRILLIANT

</a>

We meant *more expansive

<a href="https://t.co/RkUCOkGH2E">The Criteria for Autism boils down to:

* You have Autistic empathy instead of Allistic

& 2+ of the following:

* Stimming
* Desire for Predictable Outcomes
* Special Interests
* Hyper/Hypo Senses

[https://t.co/D0scCl0XmX For those who read this and where gobsmacked with the revelation that their muscle pain could be due to suppressed stimming, here is a guide on deprogramming stim suppression.]

If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism

2022-08-24T23:21:57Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Category D:Medical Diagnosis Qualifier */

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

You might be Autistic if you meet the '''''DSM-5''''' criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner.

==Category A: Intuitive Autistic Empathy==
You have Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

You intuitively communicate and interact using Autistic Empathy rather than Allistic Empathy, but you may have learned to mask, mimic, or emulate Allistic Empathy.

Three Requirments:
*1. You do not naturally reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms.
Example: you Infodump.
*2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication.
Example: people ask why you always look mad because you are not smiling all the time.
*3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent soley upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling.
Example: You don't want to hang out with people you don't like "just to socialize."

==Category B: The Four Identifying Autistic Traits==

Beyond Autistic Empathy there are four primary Autistic Trait.

Note again that masking, '''''ABA,''''', emulation, etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some or all of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences (see Category C.

At some point in your life you must have demonstrated 2 out of 4 of the following:

===1. Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior===

Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat actions, physical, vocal, or otherwise? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things in a systematic fassion that Allistics do not demonstrate?

* Note that it is very common to suppress this behavior to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.

* Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips or intense pacing.

* Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.

Vocal simming takes many forms:
* Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
* Random sounds
* Repeating what was stated by another
* Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.

Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.

The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.

===2. Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predicatable Outcomes===
* Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
* Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
* Resistance to illogical changes

===3. Special Interests===
* Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
* Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"

===4. Hyper and/or Hypo Senses===
An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard.
Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.

Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.

This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.

==Category C: Born Autistic==

This is a nuanced category and is a bit of a "covery your ass" scenario with two major points:

* People are born Autistic '''''BUT''''' Autistic traits might not show up until late in life '''''AND''''' can be masked
* Aquired Neurodivergencies can mimimic Autistic traits, and that would not be Autism.

===People are born Autistic===

You cannot aquire Autism. It is present in early development but may .

The nuance here is that many Autistic traits are linked to Autistic stress.

If an Autistic person is in a conducive environment, then the traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.
To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic without seriously suspecting it earlier in life.

===Aquired Neurodivergent Qualities Can Mimic Autism===

The most relevant aspect of '''''Category C''''' is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' and other aquired Neurodivergences.

For an official DX it is important for the diagnostician to make an effort to elliminate the possiblity that presented Autistic traits where not aquired from a non-Autistic origin.

==Category D: Medical Diagnosis Qualifier==

Category D is of no relevance to a Self Diagnosis.

Even if a person is Autistic, due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.

At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category '''''a,''''' '''''b,''''' and '''''c,''''' must convince a licensed practicioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.

If an Autistic person manages to convince a practicioner that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.

What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category '''''d''''' and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.

'''''Category D''''' is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as '''''Category D''''' remains part of the '''''DSM,''''' the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to '''''BE''''' Autistic.

'''''Many older individuals are identified by their diagnosticians as Autistic but are not given a DX, on the basis that the diagnotician decides that they "don't need it."'''''

'''''Category D''''' is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.

==Category E==
Check for a better explanation

Category '''''E''''' is extremley similar to Category '''''c.''''' The difference is that Category '''''c''''' is about a life event that developes Autism-like traints. Category '''''e''''' applies to other life long conditions that are more general.

I am going to add a personal caveat that I may be missing some of the nuace difference between Category '''''c''''' and '''''e,''''' but both are checking to make sure that other explanations are not more likely.

==Summary==

So what this all boils down to is this:

* If you meet all 3 requirements of Category '''''a
*''''' If you meet 2 of the 4 requirements of Category '''''b
*''''' If nothing but Autism can explain those 5-7 traits.

You very very likely have Autism.

<a href="https://t.co/VpuKT46GKt">If you want a most expansive, positive explanation of the '''''dms5,''''' this video is BRILLIANT

</a>

We meant *more expansive

<a href="https://t.co/RkUCOkGH2E">The Criteria for Autism boils down to:

* You have Autistic empathy instead of Allistic

& 2+ of the following:

* Stimming
* Desire for Predictable Outcomes
* Special Interests
* Hyper/Hypo Senses

[https://t.co/D0scCl0XmX For those who read this and where gobsmacked with the revelation that their muscle pain could be due to suppressed stimming, here is a guide on deprogramming stim suppression.]

If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism

2022-08-24T23:21:29Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Category D */

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

You might be Autistic if you meet the '''''DSM-5''''' criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner.

==Category A: Intuitive Autistic Empathy==
You have Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

You intuitively communicate and interact using Autistic Empathy rather than Allistic Empathy, but you may have learned to mask, mimic, or emulate Allistic Empathy.

Three Requirments:
*1. You do not naturally reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms.
Example: you Infodump.
*2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication.
Example: people ask why you always look mad because you are not smiling all the time.
*3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent soley upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling.
Example: You don't want to hang out with people you don't like "just to socialize."

==Category B: The Four Identifying Autistic Traits==

Beyond Autistic Empathy there are four primary Autistic Trait.

Note again that masking, '''''ABA,''''', emulation, etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some or all of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences (see Category C.

At some point in your life you must have demonstrated 2 out of 4 of the following:

===1. Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior===

Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat actions, physical, vocal, or otherwise? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things in a systematic fassion that Allistics do not demonstrate?

* Note that it is very common to suppress this behavior to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.

* Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips or intense pacing.

* Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.

Vocal simming takes many forms:
* Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
* Random sounds
* Repeating what was stated by another
* Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.

Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.

The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.

===2. Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predicatable Outcomes===
* Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
* Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
* Resistance to illogical changes

===3. Special Interests===
* Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
* Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"

===4. Hyper and/or Hypo Senses===
An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard.
Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.

Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.

This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.

==Category C: Born Autistic==

This is a nuanced category and is a bit of a "covery your ass" scenario with two major points:

* People are born Autistic '''''BUT''''' Autistic traits might not show up until late in life '''''AND''''' can be masked
* Aquired Neurodivergencies can mimimic Autistic traits, and that would not be Autism.

===People are born Autistic===

You cannot aquire Autism. It is present in early development but may .

The nuance here is that many Autistic traits are linked to Autistic stress.

If an Autistic person is in a conducive environment, then the traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.
To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic without seriously suspecting it earlier in life.

===Aquired Neurodivergent Qualities Can Mimic Autism===

The most relevant aspect of '''''Category C''''' is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' and other aquired Neurodivergences.

For an official DX it is important for the diagnostician to make an effort to elliminate the possiblity that presented Autistic traits where not aquired from a non-Autistic origin.

==Category D:Medical Diagnosis Qualifier==

Category D is of no relevance to a Self Diagnosis.

Even if a person is Autistic, due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.

At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category '''''a,''''' '''''b,''''' and '''''c,''''' must convince a licensed practicioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.

If an Autistic person manages to convince a practicioner that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.

What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category '''''d''''' and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.

'''''Category D''''' is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as '''''Category D''''' remains part of the '''''DSM,''''' the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to '''''BE''''' Autistic.

'''''Many older individuals are identified by their diagnosticians as Autistic but are not given a DX, on the basis that the diagnotician decides that they "don't need it."'''''

'''''Category D''''' is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.

==Category E==
Check for a better explanation

Category '''''E''''' is extremley similar to Category '''''c.''''' The difference is that Category '''''c''''' is about a life event that developes Autism-like traints. Category '''''e''''' applies to other life long conditions that are more general.

I am going to add a personal caveat that I may be missing some of the nuace difference between Category '''''c''''' and '''''e,''''' but both are checking to make sure that other explanations are not more likely.

==Summary==

So what this all boils down to is this:

* If you meet all 3 requirements of Category '''''a
*''''' If you meet 2 of the 4 requirements of Category '''''b
*''''' If nothing but Autism can explain those 5-7 traits.

You very very likely have Autism.

<a href="https://t.co/VpuKT46GKt">If you want a most expansive, positive explanation of the '''''dms5,''''' this video is BRILLIANT

</a>

We meant *more expansive

<a href="https://t.co/RkUCOkGH2E">The Criteria for Autism boils down to:

* You have Autistic empathy instead of Allistic

& 2+ of the following:

* Stimming
* Desire for Predictable Outcomes
* Special Interests
* Hyper/Hypo Senses

[https://t.co/D0scCl0XmX For those who read this and where gobsmacked with the revelation that their muscle pain could be due to suppressed stimming, here is a guide on deprogramming stim suppression.]

If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism

2022-08-24T23:16:05Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Category C: Born Autistic */

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

You might be Autistic if you meet the '''''DSM-5''''' criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner.

==Category A: Intuitive Autistic Empathy==
You have Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

You intuitively communicate and interact using Autistic Empathy rather than Allistic Empathy, but you may have learned to mask, mimic, or emulate Allistic Empathy.

Three Requirments:
*1. You do not naturally reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms.
Example: you Infodump.
*2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication.
Example: people ask why you always look mad because you are not smiling all the time.
*3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent soley upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling.
Example: You don't want to hang out with people you don't like "just to socialize."

==Category B: The Four Identifying Autistic Traits==

Beyond Autistic Empathy there are four primary Autistic Trait.

Note again that masking, '''''ABA,''''', emulation, etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some or all of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences (see Category C.

At some point in your life you must have demonstrated 2 out of 4 of the following:

===1. Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior===

Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat actions, physical, vocal, or otherwise? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things in a systematic fassion that Allistics do not demonstrate?

* Note that it is very common to suppress this behavior to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.

* Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips or intense pacing.

* Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.

Vocal simming takes many forms:
* Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
* Random sounds
* Repeating what was stated by another
* Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.

Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.

The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.

===2. Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predicatable Outcomes===
* Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
* Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
* Resistance to illogical changes

===3. Special Interests===
* Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
* Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"

===4. Hyper and/or Hypo Senses===
An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard.
Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.

Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.

This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.

==Category C: Born Autistic==

This is a nuanced category and is a bit of a "covery your ass" scenario with two major points:

* People are born Autistic '''''BUT''''' Autistic traits might not show up until late in life '''''AND''''' can be masked
* Aquired Neurodivergencies can mimimic Autistic traits, and that would not be Autism.

===People are born Autistic===

You cannot aquire Autism. It is present in early development but may .

The nuance here is that many Autistic traits are linked to Autistic stress.

If an Autistic person is in a conducive environment, then the traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.
To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic without seriously suspecting it earlier in life.

===Aquired Neurodivergent Qualities Can Mimic Autism===

The most relevant aspect of '''''Category C''''' is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' and other aquired Neurodivergences.

For an official DX it is important for the diagnostician to make an effort to elliminate the possiblity that presented Autistic traits where not aquired from a non-Autistic origin.

==Category D==
Medical Diagnosis Qualifier

A person is born Autistic, however due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.

At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category '''''a,''''' '''''b,''''' and '''''c,''''' must convince a licensed practicioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.

If an Autistic person manages to convince a practicioner that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.

What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category '''''d''''' and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.

Additionally it means that if a person is in need of accomodaitons during an assessment, that they are always eligible for accomodations for the Autism even if their circumstances change so that they no longer require accomodations.

Category '''''d''''' is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as Category '''''d''''' remains part of the '''''dsm,''''' the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to be Autistic.

It is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.

==Category E==
Check for a better explanation

Category '''''E''''' is extremley similar to Category '''''c.''''' The difference is that Category '''''c''''' is about a life event that developes Autism-like traints. Category '''''e''''' applies to other life long conditions that are more general.

I am going to add a personal caveat that I may be missing some of the nuace difference between Category '''''c''''' and '''''e,''''' but both are checking to make sure that other explanations are not more likely.

==Summary==

So what this all boils down to is this:

* If you meet all 3 requirements of Category '''''a
*''''' If you meet 2 of the 4 requirements of Category '''''b
*''''' If nothing but Autism can explain those 5-7 traits.

You very very likely have Autism.

<a href="https://t.co/VpuKT46GKt">If you want a most expansive, positive explanation of the '''''dms5,''''' this video is BRILLIANT

</a>

We meant *more expansive

<a href="https://t.co/RkUCOkGH2E">The Criteria for Autism boils down to:

* You have Autistic empathy instead of Allistic

& 2+ of the following:

* Stimming
* Desire for Predictable Outcomes
* Special Interests
* Hyper/Hypo Senses

[https://t.co/D0scCl0XmX For those who read this and where gobsmacked with the revelation that their muscle pain could be due to suppressed stimming, here is a guide on deprogramming stim suppression.]

If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism

2022-08-24T23:15:02Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Category C */

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

You might be Autistic if you meet the '''''DSM-5''''' criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner.

==Category A: Intuitive Autistic Empathy==
You have Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

You intuitively communicate and interact using Autistic Empathy rather than Allistic Empathy, but you may have learned to mask, mimic, or emulate Allistic Empathy.

Three Requirments:
*1. You do not naturally reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms.
Example: you Infodump.
*2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication.
Example: people ask why you always look mad because you are not smiling all the time.
*3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent soley upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling.
Example: You don't want to hang out with people you don't like "just to socialize."

==Category B: The Four Identifying Autistic Traits==

Beyond Autistic Empathy there are four primary Autistic Trait.

Note again that masking, '''''ABA,''''', emulation, etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some or all of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences (see Category C.

At some point in your life you must have demonstrated 2 out of 4 of the following:

===1. Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior===

Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat actions, physical, vocal, or otherwise? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things in a systematic fassion that Allistics do not demonstrate?

* Note that it is very common to suppress this behavior to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.

* Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips or intense pacing.

* Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.

Vocal simming takes many forms:
* Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
* Random sounds
* Repeating what was stated by another
* Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.

Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.

The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.

===2. Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predicatable Outcomes===
* Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
* Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
* Resistance to illogical changes

===3. Special Interests===
* Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
* Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"

===4. Hyper and/or Hypo Senses===
An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard.
Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.

Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.

This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.

==Category C: Born Autistic==

This is a nuanced category and is a bit of a "covery your ass" scenario with two major points:

* People are born Autistic '''''BUT''''' Autistic traits might not show up until late in life '''''AND''''' can be masked
* Aquired Neurodivergencies can mimimic Autistic traits, and that would not be Autism.

===People are born Autistic===

You cannot aquire Autism. It is present in early development but may .

The nuance here is that many Autistic traits are linked to Autistic stress.

If an Autistic person is in a conducive environment, then the traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.
To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic without seriously suspecting it earlier in life.

===Aquired Neurodivergent Qualities Can Mimic Autism===

The most relevant aspect of '''''Category C''''' is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' and other aquired Neurodivergences.

For an official DX it is important for the diagnostician to make an effort to elliminate the possiblity that they where aquired from a non-Autistic origin.

==Category D==
Medical Diagnosis Qualifier

A person is born Autistic, however due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.

At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category '''''a,''''' '''''b,''''' and '''''c,''''' must convince a licensed practicioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.

If an Autistic person manages to convince a practicioner that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.

What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category '''''d''''' and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.

Additionally it means that if a person is in need of accomodaitons during an assessment, that they are always eligible for accomodations for the Autism even if their circumstances change so that they no longer require accomodations.

Category '''''d''''' is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as Category '''''d''''' remains part of the '''''dsm,''''' the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to be Autistic.

It is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.

==Category E==
Check for a better explanation

Category '''''E''''' is extremley similar to Category '''''c.''''' The difference is that Category '''''c''''' is about a life event that developes Autism-like traints. Category '''''e''''' applies to other life long conditions that are more general.

I am going to add a personal caveat that I may be missing some of the nuace difference between Category '''''c''''' and '''''e,''''' but both are checking to make sure that other explanations are not more likely.

==Summary==

So what this all boils down to is this:

* If you meet all 3 requirements of Category '''''a
*''''' If you meet 2 of the 4 requirements of Category '''''b
*''''' If nothing but Autism can explain those 5-7 traits.

You very very likely have Autism.

<a href="https://t.co/VpuKT46GKt">If you want a most expansive, positive explanation of the '''''dms5,''''' this video is BRILLIANT

</a>

We meant *more expansive

<a href="https://t.co/RkUCOkGH2E">The Criteria for Autism boils down to:

* You have Autistic empathy instead of Allistic

& 2+ of the following:

* Stimming
* Desire for Predictable Outcomes
* Special Interests
* Hyper/Hypo Senses

[https://t.co/D0scCl0XmX For those who read this and where gobsmacked with the revelation that their muscle pain could be due to suppressed stimming, here is a guide on deprogramming stim suppression.]

If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism

2022-08-24T23:00:58Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* 4. Hyper and Hypo Senses */

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

You might be Autistic if you meet the '''''DSM-5''''' criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner.

==Category A: Intuitive Autistic Empathy==
You have Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

You intuitively communicate and interact using Autistic Empathy rather than Allistic Empathy, but you may have learned to mask, mimic, or emulate Allistic Empathy.

Three Requirments:
*1. You do not naturally reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms.
Example: you Infodump.
*2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication.
Example: people ask why you always look mad because you are not smiling all the time.
*3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent soley upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling.
Example: You don't want to hang out with people you don't like "just to socialize."

==Category B: The Four Identifying Autistic Traits==

Beyond Autistic Empathy there are four primary Autistic Trait.

Note again that masking, '''''ABA,''''', emulation, etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some or all of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences (see Category C.

At some point in your life you must have demonstrated 2 out of 4 of the following:

===1. Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior===

Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat actions, physical, vocal, or otherwise? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things in a systematic fassion that Allistics do not demonstrate?

* Note that it is very common to suppress this behavior to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.

* Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips or intense pacing.

* Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.

Vocal simming takes many forms:
* Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
* Random sounds
* Repeating what was stated by another
* Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.

Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.

The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.

===2. Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predicatable Outcomes===
* Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
* Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
* Resistance to illogical changes

===3. Special Interests===
* Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
* Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"

===4. Hyper and/or Hypo Senses===
An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard.
Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.

Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.

This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.

==Category C==
People are born Autistic.

You cannot aquire Autism. It is present in early development. The nuance here is that many Autistic traits are linked to Autistic stress.

If an Autistic person is in a conducive environment, then the traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.

The most relevant aspect of Category '''''c''''' is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' and other scenarios.

If a person is demonstrating Autistic-like traits, efforts should be explored to ellimiate the possiblity that they where aquired from a non-Autistic origin.

To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic. Aditionally, experiecing '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' or other phenominon does not exclude the possibility that a person is Autistic.

Category '''''c''''' is literally the acceptance that Autistic-like traints can have non-Autistic origins.

==Category D==
Medical Diagnosis Qualifier

A person is born Autistic, however due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.

At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category '''''a,''''' '''''b,''''' and '''''c,''''' must convince a licensed practicioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.

If an Autistic person manages to convince a practicioner that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.

What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category '''''d''''' and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.

Additionally it means that if a person is in need of accomodaitons during an assessment, that they are always eligible for accomodations for the Autism even if their circumstances change so that they no longer require accomodations.

Category '''''d''''' is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as Category '''''d''''' remains part of the '''''dsm,''''' the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to be Autistic.

It is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.

==Category E==
Check for a better explanation

Category '''''E''''' is extremley similar to Category '''''c.''''' The difference is that Category '''''c''''' is about a life event that developes Autism-like traints. Category '''''e''''' applies to other life long conditions that are more general.

I am going to add a personal caveat that I may be missing some of the nuace difference between Category '''''c''''' and '''''e,''''' but both are checking to make sure that other explanations are not more likely.

==Summary==

So what this all boils down to is this:

* If you meet all 3 requirements of Category '''''a
*''''' If you meet 2 of the 4 requirements of Category '''''b
*''''' If nothing but Autism can explain those 5-7 traits.

You very very likely have Autism.

<a href="https://t.co/VpuKT46GKt">If you want a most expansive, positive explanation of the '''''dms5,''''' this video is BRILLIANT

</a>

We meant *more expansive

<a href="https://t.co/RkUCOkGH2E">The Criteria for Autism boils down to:

* You have Autistic empathy instead of Allistic

& 2+ of the following:

* Stimming
* Desire for Predictable Outcomes
* Special Interests
* Hyper/Hypo Senses

[https://t.co/D0scCl0XmX For those who read this and where gobsmacked with the revelation that their muscle pain could be due to suppressed stimming, here is a guide on deprogramming stim suppression.]

If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism

2022-08-24T23:00:16Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Category B: The Four Identifying Autistic Traits */

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

You might be Autistic if you meet the '''''DSM-5''''' criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner.

==Category A: Intuitive Autistic Empathy==
You have Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

You intuitively communicate and interact using Autistic Empathy rather than Allistic Empathy, but you may have learned to mask, mimic, or emulate Allistic Empathy.

Three Requirments:
*1. You do not naturally reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms.
Example: you Infodump.
*2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication.
Example: people ask why you always look mad because you are not smiling all the time.
*3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent soley upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling.
Example: You don't want to hang out with people you don't like "just to socialize."

==Category B: The Four Identifying Autistic Traits==

Beyond Autistic Empathy there are four primary Autistic Trait.

Note again that masking, '''''ABA,''''', emulation, etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some or all of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences (see Category C.

At some point in your life you must have demonstrated 2 out of 4 of the following:

===1. Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior===

Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat actions, physical, vocal, or otherwise? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things in a systematic fassion that Allistics do not demonstrate?

* Note that it is very common to suppress this behavior to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.

* Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips or intense pacing.

* Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.

Vocal simming takes many forms:
* Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
* Random sounds
* Repeating what was stated by another
* Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.

Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.

The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.

===2. Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predicatable Outcomes===
* Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
* Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
* Resistance to illogical changes

===3. Special Interests===
* Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
* Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"

===4. Hyper and Hypo Senses===
An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard.
Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.

Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.

This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.

==Category C==
People are born Autistic.

You cannot aquire Autism. It is present in early development. The nuance here is that many Autistic traits are linked to Autistic stress.

If an Autistic person is in a conducive environment, then the traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.

The most relevant aspect of Category '''''c''''' is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' and other scenarios.

If a person is demonstrating Autistic-like traits, efforts should be explored to ellimiate the possiblity that they where aquired from a non-Autistic origin.

To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic. Aditionally, experiecing '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' or other phenominon does not exclude the possibility that a person is Autistic.

Category '''''c''''' is literally the acceptance that Autistic-like traints can have non-Autistic origins.

==Category D==
Medical Diagnosis Qualifier

A person is born Autistic, however due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.

At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category '''''a,''''' '''''b,''''' and '''''c,''''' must convince a licensed practicioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.

If an Autistic person manages to convince a practicioner that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.

What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category '''''d''''' and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.

Additionally it means that if a person is in need of accomodaitons during an assessment, that they are always eligible for accomodations for the Autism even if their circumstances change so that they no longer require accomodations.

Category '''''d''''' is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as Category '''''d''''' remains part of the '''''dsm,''''' the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to be Autistic.

It is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.

==Category E==
Check for a better explanation

Category '''''E''''' is extremley similar to Category '''''c.''''' The difference is that Category '''''c''''' is about a life event that developes Autism-like traints. Category '''''e''''' applies to other life long conditions that are more general.

I am going to add a personal caveat that I may be missing some of the nuace difference between Category '''''c''''' and '''''e,''''' but both are checking to make sure that other explanations are not more likely.

==Summary==

So what this all boils down to is this:

* If you meet all 3 requirements of Category '''''a
*''''' If you meet 2 of the 4 requirements of Category '''''b
*''''' If nothing but Autism can explain those 5-7 traits.

You very very likely have Autism.

<a href="https://t.co/VpuKT46GKt">If you want a most expansive, positive explanation of the '''''dms5,''''' this video is BRILLIANT

</a>

We meant *more expansive

<a href="https://t.co/RkUCOkGH2E">The Criteria for Autism boils down to:

* You have Autistic empathy instead of Allistic

& 2+ of the following:

* Stimming
* Desire for Predictable Outcomes
* Special Interests
* Hyper/Hypo Senses

[https://t.co/D0scCl0XmX For those who read this and where gobsmacked with the revelation that their muscle pain could be due to suppressed stimming, here is a guide on deprogramming stim suppression.]

If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism

2022-08-24T22:59:11Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Category B */

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

You might be Autistic if you meet the '''''DSM-5''''' criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner.

==Category A: Intuitive Autistic Empathy==
You have Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

You intuitively communicate and interact using Autistic Empathy rather than Allistic Empathy, but you may have learned to mask, mimic, or emulate Allistic Empathy.

Three Requirments:
*1. You do not naturally reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms.
Example: you Infodump.
*2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication.
Example: people ask why you always look mad because you are not smiling all the time.
*3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent soley upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling.
Example: You don't want to hang out with people you don't like "just to socialize."

==Category B: The Four Identifying Autistic Traits==

Beyond Autistic Empathy there are four primary Autistic Trait.

Note again that masking, '''''ABA,''''', emulation, etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some or all of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences (see Category C.

At some point in your life you must have demonstrated 2 out of 4 of the following:

===1)Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior.===

Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat actions, physical, vocal, or otherwise? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things in a systematic fassion that Allistics do not demonstrate?

* Note that it is very common to suppress this behavior to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.

* Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips or intense pacing.

* Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.

Vocal simming takes many forms:
* Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
* Random sounds
* Repeating what was stated by another
* Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.

Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.

The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.

2 Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predicatable Outcomes
* Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
* Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
* Resistance to illogical changes

3. Special Interests
* Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
* Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"

4. Hyper and Hypo Senses
An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard.
Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.

Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.

This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.

==Category C==
People are born Autistic.

You cannot aquire Autism. It is present in early development. The nuance here is that many Autistic traits are linked to Autistic stress.

If an Autistic person is in a conducive environment, then the traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.

The most relevant aspect of Category '''''c''''' is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' and other scenarios.

If a person is demonstrating Autistic-like traits, efforts should be explored to ellimiate the possiblity that they where aquired from a non-Autistic origin.

To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic. Aditionally, experiecing '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' or other phenominon does not exclude the possibility that a person is Autistic.

Category '''''c''''' is literally the acceptance that Autistic-like traints can have non-Autistic origins.

==Category D==
Medical Diagnosis Qualifier

A person is born Autistic, however due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.

At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category '''''a,''''' '''''b,''''' and '''''c,''''' must convince a licensed practicioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.

If an Autistic person manages to convince a practicioner that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.

What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category '''''d''''' and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.

Additionally it means that if a person is in need of accomodaitons during an assessment, that they are always eligible for accomodations for the Autism even if their circumstances change so that they no longer require accomodations.

Category '''''d''''' is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as Category '''''d''''' remains part of the '''''dsm,''''' the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to be Autistic.

It is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.

==Category E==
Check for a better explanation

Category '''''E''''' is extremley similar to Category '''''c.''''' The difference is that Category '''''c''''' is about a life event that developes Autism-like traints. Category '''''e''''' applies to other life long conditions that are more general.

I am going to add a personal caveat that I may be missing some of the nuace difference between Category '''''c''''' and '''''e,''''' but both are checking to make sure that other explanations are not more likely.

==Summary==

So what this all boils down to is this:

* If you meet all 3 requirements of Category '''''a
*''''' If you meet 2 of the 4 requirements of Category '''''b
*''''' If nothing but Autism can explain those 5-7 traits.

You very very likely have Autism.

<a href="https://t.co/VpuKT46GKt">If you want a most expansive, positive explanation of the '''''dms5,''''' this video is BRILLIANT

</a>

We meant *more expansive

<a href="https://t.co/RkUCOkGH2E">The Criteria for Autism boils down to:

* You have Autistic empathy instead of Allistic

& 2+ of the following:

* Stimming
* Desire for Predictable Outcomes
* Special Interests
* Hyper/Hypo Senses

[https://t.co/D0scCl0XmX For those who read this and where gobsmacked with the revelation that their muscle pain could be due to suppressed stimming, here is a guide on deprogramming stim suppression.]

If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism

2022-08-24T22:55:59Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Category A */

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

You might be Autistic if you meet the '''''DSM-5''''' criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner.

==Category A: Intuitive Autistic Empathy==
You have Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

You intuitively communicate and interact using Autistic Empathy rather than Allistic Empathy, but you may have learned to mask, mimic, or emulate Allistic Empathy.

Three Requirments:
*1. You do not naturally reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms.
Example: you Infodump.
*2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication.
Example: people ask why you always look mad because you are not smiling all the time.
*3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent soley upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling.
Example: You don't want to hang out with people you don't like "just to socialize."

==Category B==
Identifiying Autistic Traits

Note again that masking, '''''aba,''''', emulation, etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences.

2 out of 4 of the following are required.

1) Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior.

Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat actions, physical, vocal, or otherwise? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things in a systematic fassion that Allistics do not demonstrate?

Note that it is very common to suppress this behavior to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.

Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips or intense pacing.

Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.

Vocal simming takes many forms:
* Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
* Random sounds
* Repeating what was stated by another
* Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.

Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.

The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.

2 Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predicatable Outcomes
* Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
* Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
* Resistance to illogical changes

3. Special Interests
* Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
* Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"

4. Hyper and Hypo Senses
An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard.
Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.

Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.

This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.

==Category C==
People are born Autistic.

You cannot aquire Autism. It is present in early development. The nuance here is that many Autistic traits are linked to Autistic stress.

If an Autistic person is in a conducive environment, then the traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.

The most relevant aspect of Category '''''c''''' is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' and other scenarios.

If a person is demonstrating Autistic-like traits, efforts should be explored to ellimiate the possiblity that they where aquired from a non-Autistic origin.

To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic. Aditionally, experiecing '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' or other phenominon does not exclude the possibility that a person is Autistic.

Category '''''c''''' is literally the acceptance that Autistic-like traints can have non-Autistic origins.

==Category D==
Medical Diagnosis Qualifier

A person is born Autistic, however due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.

At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category '''''a,''''' '''''b,''''' and '''''c,''''' must convince a licensed practicioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.

If an Autistic person manages to convince a practicioner that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.

What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category '''''d''''' and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.

Additionally it means that if a person is in need of accomodaitons during an assessment, that they are always eligible for accomodations for the Autism even if their circumstances change so that they no longer require accomodations.

Category '''''d''''' is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as Category '''''d''''' remains part of the '''''dsm,''''' the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to be Autistic.

It is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.

==Category E==
Check for a better explanation

Category '''''E''''' is extremley similar to Category '''''c.''''' The difference is that Category '''''c''''' is about a life event that developes Autism-like traints. Category '''''e''''' applies to other life long conditions that are more general.

I am going to add a personal caveat that I may be missing some of the nuace difference between Category '''''c''''' and '''''e,''''' but both are checking to make sure that other explanations are not more likely.

==Summary==

So what this all boils down to is this:

* If you meet all 3 requirements of Category '''''a
*''''' If you meet 2 of the 4 requirements of Category '''''b
*''''' If nothing but Autism can explain those 5-7 traits.

You very very likely have Autism.

<a href="https://t.co/VpuKT46GKt">If you want a most expansive, positive explanation of the '''''dms5,''''' this video is BRILLIANT

</a>

We meant *more expansive

<a href="https://t.co/RkUCOkGH2E">The Criteria for Autism boils down to:

* You have Autistic empathy instead of Allistic

& 2+ of the following:

* Stimming
* Desire for Predictable Outcomes
* Special Interests
* Hyper/Hypo Senses

[https://t.co/D0scCl0XmX For those who read this and where gobsmacked with the revelation that their muscle pain could be due to suppressed stimming, here is a guide on deprogramming stim suppression.]

If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism

2022-08-24T22:54:55Z

El (Autistic Voices United): /* Category A */

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

You might be Autistic if you meet the '''''DSM-5''''' criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner.

==Category A==
You have Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

You intuitively communicate and interact using Autistic Empathy rather than Allistic Empathy, but you may have learned to mask, mimic, or emulate Allistic Empathy.

Three Requirments:
*1. You do not naturally reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms.
Example: you Infodump.
*2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication.
Example: people ask why you always look mad because you are not smiling all the time.
*3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent soley upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling.
Example: You don't want to hang out with people you don't like "just to socialize."

==Category B==
Identifiying Autistic Traits

Note again that masking, '''''aba,''''', emulation, etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences.

2 out of 4 of the following are required.

1) Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior.

Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat actions, physical, vocal, or otherwise? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things in a systematic fassion that Allistics do not demonstrate?

Note that it is very common to suppress this behavior to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.

Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips or intense pacing.

Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.

Vocal simming takes many forms:
* Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
* Random sounds
* Repeating what was stated by another
* Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.

Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.

The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.

2 Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predicatable Outcomes
* Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
* Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
* Resistance to illogical changes

3. Special Interests
* Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
* Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"

4. Hyper and Hypo Senses
An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard.
Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.

Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.

This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.

==Category C==
People are born Autistic.

You cannot aquire Autism. It is present in early development. The nuance here is that many Autistic traits are linked to Autistic stress.

If an Autistic person is in a conducive environment, then the traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.

The most relevant aspect of Category '''''c''''' is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' and other scenarios.

If a person is demonstrating Autistic-like traits, efforts should be explored to ellimiate the possiblity that they where aquired from a non-Autistic origin.

To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic. Aditionally, experiecing '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' or other phenominon does not exclude the possibility that a person is Autistic.

Category '''''c''''' is literally the acceptance that Autistic-like traints can have non-Autistic origins.

==Category D==
Medical Diagnosis Qualifier

A person is born Autistic, however due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.

At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category '''''a,''''' '''''b,''''' and '''''c,''''' must convince a licensed practicioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.

If an Autistic person manages to convince a practicioner that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.

What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category '''''d''''' and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.

Additionally it means that if a person is in need of accomodaitons during an assessment, that they are always eligible for accomodations for the Autism even if their circumstances change so that they no longer require accomodations.

Category '''''d''''' is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as Category '''''d''''' remains part of the '''''dsm,''''' the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to be Autistic.

It is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.

==Category E==
Check for a better explanation

Category '''''E''''' is extremley similar to Category '''''c.''''' The difference is that Category '''''c''''' is about a life event that developes Autism-like traints. Category '''''e''''' applies to other life long conditions that are more general.

I am going to add a personal caveat that I may be missing some of the nuace difference between Category '''''c''''' and '''''e,''''' but both are checking to make sure that other explanations are not more likely.

==Summary==

So what this all boils down to is this:

* If you meet all 3 requirements of Category '''''a
*''''' If you meet 2 of the 4 requirements of Category '''''b
*''''' If nothing but Autism can explain those 5-7 traits.

You very very likely have Autism.

<a href="https://t.co/VpuKT46GKt">If you want a most expansive, positive explanation of the '''''dms5,''''' this video is BRILLIANT

</a>

We meant *more expansive

<a href="https://t.co/RkUCOkGH2E">The Criteria for Autism boils down to:

* You have Autistic empathy instead of Allistic

& 2+ of the following:

* Stimming
* Desire for Predictable Outcomes
* Special Interests
* Hyper/Hypo Senses

[https://t.co/D0scCl0XmX For those who read this and where gobsmacked with the revelation that their muscle pain could be due to suppressed stimming, here is a guide on deprogramming stim suppression.]

If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism

2022-08-24T22:47:28Z

El (Autistic Voices United):

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

You might be Autistic if you meet the '''''DSM-5''''' criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner.

==Category A==
You have Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

You intuitively communicate and interact using Autistic Empathy rather than Allistic Empathy, but you may have learned to mask, mimic, or emulate Allistic Empathy.

Three Requirments:
*1. You do not naturally reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms. Example: you Infodump.
*2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication. Example: people ask why you always look mad because you are not smiling all the time.
*3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent soley upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling. Example: You don't want to hang out with people you don't like "just to socialize."

==Category B==
Identifiying Autistic Traits

Note again that masking, '''''aba,''''', emulation, etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences.

2 out of 4 of the following are required.

1) Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior.

Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat actions, physical, vocal, or otherwise? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things in a systematic fassion that Allistics do not demonstrate?

Note that it is very common to suppress this behavior to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.

Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips or intense pacing.

Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.

Vocal simming takes many forms:
* Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
* Random sounds
* Repeating what was stated by another
* Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.

Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.

The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.

2 Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predicatable Outcomes
* Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
* Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
* Resistance to illogical changes

3. Special Interests
* Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
* Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"

4. Hyper and Hypo Senses
An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard.
Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.

Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.

This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.

==Category C==
People are born Autistic.

You cannot aquire Autism. It is present in early development. The nuance here is that many Autistic traits are linked to Autistic stress.

If an Autistic person is in a conducive environment, then the traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.

The most relevant aspect of Category '''''c''''' is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' and other scenarios.

If a person is demonstrating Autistic-like traits, efforts should be explored to ellimiate the possiblity that they where aquired from a non-Autistic origin.

To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic. Aditionally, experiecing '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' or other phenominon does not exclude the possibility that a person is Autistic.

Category '''''c''''' is literally the acceptance that Autistic-like traints can have non-Autistic origins.

==Category D==
Medical Diagnosis Qualifier

A person is born Autistic, however due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.

At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category '''''a,''''' '''''b,''''' and '''''c,''''' must convince a licensed practicioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.

If an Autistic person manages to convince a practicioner that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.

What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category '''''d''''' and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.

Additionally it means that if a person is in need of accomodaitons during an assessment, that they are always eligible for accomodations for the Autism even if their circumstances change so that they no longer require accomodations.

Category '''''d''''' is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as Category '''''d''''' remains part of the '''''dsm,''''' the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to be Autistic.

It is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.

==Category E==
Check for a better explanation

Category '''''E''''' is extremley similar to Category '''''c.''''' The difference is that Category '''''c''''' is about a life event that developes Autism-like traints. Category '''''e''''' applies to other life long conditions that are more general.

I am going to add a personal caveat that I may be missing some of the nuace difference between Category '''''c''''' and '''''e,''''' but both are checking to make sure that other explanations are not more likely.

==Summary==

So what this all boils down to is this:

* If you meet all 3 requirements of Category '''''a
*''''' If you meet 2 of the 4 requirements of Category '''''b
*''''' If nothing but Autism can explain those 5-7 traits.

You very very likely have Autism.

<a href="https://t.co/VpuKT46GKt">If you want a most expansive, positive explanation of the '''''dms5,''''' this video is BRILLIANT

</a>

We meant *more expansive

<a href="https://t.co/RkUCOkGH2E">The Criteria for Autism boils down to:

* You have Autistic empathy instead of Allistic

& 2+ of the following:

* Stimming
* Desire for Predictable Outcomes
* Special Interests
* Hyper/Hypo Senses

[https://t.co/D0scCl0XmX For those who read this and where gobsmacked with the revelation that their muscle pain could be due to suppressed stimming, here is a guide on deprogramming stim suppression.]

If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism

2022-08-24T22:46:45Z

El (Autistic Voices United):

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

You might be Autistic if you meet the '''''DSM-5''''' criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner.

==Category A==
You have Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

You intuitively communicate and interact using Autistic Empathy rather than Allistic Empathy, but you may have learned to mask, mimic, or emulate Allistic Empathy.

Three Requirments:
1. You do not naturally reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms. Example: you Infodump.
2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication. Example: people ask why you always look mad because you are not smiling all the time.
3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent soley upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling. Example: You don't want to hang out with people you don't like "just to socialize."

==Category B==
Identifiying Autistic Traits

Note again that masking, '''''aba,''''', emulation, etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences.

2 out of 4 of the following are required.

1) Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior.

Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat actions, physical, vocal, or otherwise? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things in a systematic fassion that Allistics do not demonstrate?

Note that it is very common to suppress this behavior to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.

Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips or intense pacing.

Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.

Vocal simming takes many forms:
* Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
* Random sounds
* Repeating what was stated by another
* Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.

Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.

The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.

2 Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predicatable Outcomes
* Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
* Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
* Resistance to illogical changes

3. Special Interests
* Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
* Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"

4. Hyper and Hypo Senses
An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard.
Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.

Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.

This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.

==Category C==
People are born Autistic.

You cannot aquire Autism. It is present in early development. The nuance here is that many Autistic traits are linked to Autistic stress.

If an Autistic person is in a conducive environment, then the traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.

The most relevant aspect of Category '''''c''''' is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' and other scenarios.

If a person is demonstrating Autistic-like traits, efforts should be explored to ellimiate the possiblity that they where aquired from a non-Autistic origin.

To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic. Aditionally, experiecing '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' or other phenominon does not exclude the possibility that a person is Autistic.

Category '''''c''''' is literally the acceptance that Autistic-like traints can have non-Autistic origins.

==Category D==
Medical Diagnosis Qualifier

A person is born Autistic, however due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.

At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category '''''a,''''' '''''b,''''' and '''''c,''''' must convince a licensed practicioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.

If an Autistic person manages to convince a practicioner that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.

What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category '''''d''''' and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.

Additionally it means that if a person is in need of accomodaitons during an assessment, that they are always eligible for accomodations for the Autism even if their circumstances change so that they no longer require accomodations.

Category '''''d''''' is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as Category '''''d''''' remains part of the '''''dsm,''''' the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to be Autistic.

It is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.

==Category E==
Check for a better explanation

Category '''''E''''' is extremley similar to Category '''''c.''''' The difference is that Category '''''c''''' is about a life event that developes Autism-like traints. Category '''''e''''' applies to other life long conditions that are more general.

I am going to add a personal caveat that I may be missing some of the nuace difference between Category '''''c''''' and '''''e,''''' but both are checking to make sure that other explanations are not more likely.

==Summary==

So what this all boils down to is this:

* If you meet all 3 requirements of Category '''''a
*''''' If you meet 2 of the 4 requirements of Category '''''b
*''''' If nothing but Autism can explain those 5-7 traits.

You very very likely have Autism.

<a href="https://t.co/VpuKT46GKt">If you want a most expansive, positive explanation of the '''''dms5,''''' this video is BRILLIANT

</a>

We meant *more expansive

<a href="https://t.co/RkUCOkGH2E">The Criteria for Autism boils down to:

* You have Autistic empathy instead of Allistic

& 2+ of the following:

* Stimming
* Desire for Predictable Outcomes
* Special Interests
* Hyper/Hypo Senses

[https://t.co/D0scCl0XmX For those who read this and where gobsmacked with the revelation that their muscle pain could be due to suppressed stimming, here is a guide on deprogramming stim suppression.]

If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism

2022-08-24T22:43:54Z

El (Autistic Voices United):

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

You might be Autistic if you meet the '''''dsm5''''' criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner

=='''''Category A'''''==
Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

You intutively communicate and interact using Autistic Empathy rather than Allistic Empathy, but you may have learned to mask, mimic, or emulate Allistic Empathy.

Three Requirments:
1. You do not naturally reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms. Example: you Infodump.
2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication. Example: people ask why you always look mad because you are not smiling all the time.
3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent soley upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling. Example: You don't want to hang out with people you don't like "just to socialize."

=='''''Category B'''''==
Identifiying Autistic Traits

Note again that masking, '''''aba,''''', emulation, etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences.

2 out of 4 of the following are required.

1) Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior.

Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat actions, physical, vocal, or otherwise? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things in a systematic fassion that Allistics do not demonstrate?

Note that it is very common to suppress this behavior to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.

Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips or intense pacing.

Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.

Vocal simming takes many forms:
* Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
* Random sounds
* Repeating what was stated by another
* Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.

Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.

The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.

2 Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predicatable Outcomes
* Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
* Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
* Resistance to illogical changes

3. Special Interests
* Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
* Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"

4. Hyper and Hypo Senses
An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard.
Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.

Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.

This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.

=='''''Category C'''''==
People are born Autistic.

You cannot aquire Autism. It is present in early development. The nuance here is that many Autistic traits are linked to Autistic stress.

If an Autistic person is in a conducive environment, then the traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.

The most relevant aspect of Category '''''c''''' is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' and other scenarios.

If a person is demonstrating Autistic-like traits, efforts should be explored to ellimiate the possiblity that they where aquired from a non-Autistic origin.

To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic. Aditionally, experiecing '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' or other phenominon does not exclude the possibility that a person is Autistic.

Category '''''c''''' is literally the acceptance that Autistic-like traints can have non-Autistic origins.

=='''''Category D'''''==
Medical Diagnosis Qualifier

A person is born Autistic, however due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.

At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category '''''a,''''' '''''b,''''' and '''''c,''''' must convince a licensed practicioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.

If an Autistic person manages to convince a practicioner that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.

What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category '''''d''''' and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.

Additionally it means that if a person is in need of accomodaitons during an assessment, that they are always eligible for accomodations for the Autism even if their circumstances change so that they no longer require accomodations.

Category '''''d''''' is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as Category '''''d''''' remains part of the '''''dsm,''''' the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to be Autistic.

It is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.

=='''''Category E'''''==
Check for a better explanation

Category '''''E''''' is extremley similar to Category '''''c.''''' The difference is that Category '''''c''''' is about a life event that developes Autism-like traints. Category '''''e''''' applies to other life long conditions that are more general.

I am going to add a personal caveat that I may be missing some of the nuace difference between Category '''''c''''' and '''''e,''''' but both are checking to make sure that other explanations are not more likely.

==Summary==

So what this all boils down to is this:

* If you meet all 3 requirements of Category '''''a
*''''' If you meet 2 of the 4 requirements of Category '''''b
*''''' If nothing but Autism can explain those 5-7 traits.

You very very likely have Autism.

<a href="https://t.co/VpuKT46GKt">If you want a most expansive, positive explanation of the '''''dms5,''''' this video is BRILLIANT

</a>

We meant *more expansive

<a href="https://t.co/RkUCOkGH2E">The Criteria for Autism boils down to:

* You have Autistic empathy instead of Allistic

& 2+ of the following:

* Stimming
* Desire for Predictable Outcomes
* Special Interests
* Hyper/Hypo Senses

[https://t.co/D0scCl0XmX For those who read this and where gobsmacked with the revelation that their muscle pain could be due to suppressed stimming, here is a guide on deprogramming stim suppression.]

If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism

2022-08-24T22:42:57Z

El (Autistic Voices United):

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

You might be Autistic if you meet the '''''dsm5''''' criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner

=='''''Category A'''''==
Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

You intutively communicate and interact using Autistic Empathy rather than Allistic Empathy, but you may have learned to mask, mimic, or emulate Allistic Empathy.

Three Requirments:
1. You do not naturally reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms. Example: you Infodump.
2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication. Example: people ask why you always look mad because you are not smiling all the time.
3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent soley upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling. Example: You don't want to hang out with people you don't like "just to socialize."

=='''''Category B'''''==
Identifiying Autistic Traits

Note again that masking, '''''aba,''''', emulation, etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences.

2 out of 4 of the following are required.

1) Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior.

Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat actions, physical, vocal, or otherwise? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things in a systematic fassion that Allistics do not demonstrate?

Note that it is very common to suppress this behavior to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.

Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips or intense pacing.

Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.

Vocal simming takes many forms:
* Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
* Random sounds
* Repeating what was stated by another
* Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.

Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.

The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.

2 Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predicatable Outcomes
* Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
* Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
* Resistance to illogical changes

3. Special Interests
* Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
* Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"

4. Hyper and Hypo Senses
An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard.
Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.

Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.

This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.

=='''''Category C'''''==
People are born Autistic.

You cannot aquire Autism. It is present in early development. The nuance here is that many Autistic traits are linked to Autistic stress.

If an Autistic person is in a conducive environment, then the traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.

The most relevant aspect of Category '''''c''''' is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' and other scenarios.

If a person is demonstrating Autistic-like traits, efforts should be explored to ellimiate the possiblity that they where aquired from a non-Autistic origin.

To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic. Aditionally, experiecing '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' or other phenominon does not exclude the possibility that a person is Autistic.

Category '''''c''''' is literally the acceptance that Autistic-like traints can have non-Autistic origins.

=='''''Category D'''''==
Medical Diagnosis Qualifier

A person is born Autistic, however due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.

At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category '''''a,''''' '''''b,''''' and '''''c,''''' must convince a licensed practicioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.

If an Autistic person manages to convince a practicioner that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.

What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category '''''d''''' and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.

Additionally it means that if a person is in need of accomodaitons during an assessment, that they are always eligible for accomodations for the Autism even if their circumstances change so that they no longer require accomodations.

Category '''''d''''' is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as Category '''''d''''' remains part of the '''''dsm,''''' the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to be Autistic.

It is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.

=='''''Category E'''''==
Check for a better explanation

Category '''''E''''' is extremley similar to Category '''''c.''''' The difference is that Category '''''c''''' is about a life event that developes Autism-like traints. Category '''''e''''' applies to other life long conditions that are more general.

I am going to add a personal caveat that I may be missing some of the nuace difference between Category '''''c''''' and '''''e,''''' but both are checking to make sure that other explanations are not more likely.

So what this all boils down to is this:

* If you meet all 3 requirements of Category '''''a
*''''' If you meet 2 of the 4 requirements of Category '''''b
*''''' If nothing but Autism can explain those 5-7 traits.

You very very likely have Autism.

<a href="https://t.co/VpuKT46GKt">If you want a most expansive, positive explanation of the '''''dms5,''''' this video is BRILLIANT

</a>

We meant *more expansive

<a href="https://t.co/RkUCOkGH2E">The Criteria for Autism boils down to:

* You have Autistic empathy instead of Allistic

& 2+ of the following:

* Stimming
* Desire for Predictable Outcomes
* Special Interests
* Hyper/Hypo Senses

[https://t.co/D0scCl0XmX For those who read this and where gobsmacked with the revelation that their muscle pain could be due to suppressed stimming, here is a guide on deprogramming stim suppression.]

If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism

2022-08-24T22:39:59Z

El (Autistic Voices United):

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

You might be Autistic if you meet the '''''dsm5''''' criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner

'''''Category A'''''
Intuitive Autistic Empathy instead of Intuitive Allistic Empathy

You intutively communicate and interact using Autistic Empathy rather than Allistic Empathy, but you may have learned to mask, mimic, or emulate Allistic Empathy.

Three Requirments:
1. You do not naturally reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms. Example: you Infodump.
2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication. Example: people ask why you always look mad because you are not smiling all the time.
3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent soley upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling. Example: You don't want to hang out with people you don't like "just to socialize."

'''''Category B'''''
Identifiying Autistic Traits

Note again that masking, '''''aba,''''', emulation, etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences.

2 out of 4 of the following are required.

1) Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior.

Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat actions, physical, vocal, or otherwise? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things in a systematic fassion that Allistics do not demonstrate?

Note that it is very common to suppress this behavior to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.

Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips or intense pacing.

Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.

Vocal simming takes many forms:
* Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
* Random sounds
* Repeating what was stated by another
* Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.

Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.

The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.

2 Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predicatable Outcomes
* Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
* Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
* Resistance to illogical changes

3. Special Interests
* Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
* Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"

4. Hyper and Hypo Senses
An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard.
Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.

Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.

This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.

'''''Category C'''''
People are born Autistic.

You cannot aquire Autism. It is present in early development. The nuance here is that many Autistic traits are linked to Autistic stress.

If an Autistic person is in a conducive environment, then the traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.

The most relevant aspect of Category '''''c''''' is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' and other scenarios.

If a person is demonstrating Autistic-like traits, efforts should be explored to ellimiate the possiblity that they where aquired from a non-Autistic origin.

To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic. Aditionally, experiecing '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' or other phenominon does not exclude the possibility that a person is Autistic.

Category '''''c''''' is literally the acceptance that Autistic-like traints can have non-Autistic origins.

'''''Category D'''''
Medical Diagnosis Qualifier

A person is born Autistic, however due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.

At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category '''''a,''''' '''''b,''''' and '''''c,''''' must convince a licensed practicioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.

If an Autistic person manages to convince a practicioner that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.

What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category '''''d''''' and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.

Additionally it means that if a person is in need of accomodaitons during an assessment, that they are always eligible for accomodations for the Autism even if their circumstances change so that they no longer require accomodations.

Category '''''d''''' is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as Category '''''d''''' remains part of the '''''dsm,''''' the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to be Autistic.

It is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.

'''''Category E'''''
Check for a better explanation

Category '''''E''''' is extremley similar to Category '''''c.''''' The difference is that Category '''''c''''' is about a life event that developes Autism-like traints. Category '''''e''''' applies to other life long conditions that are more general.

I am going to add a personal caveat that I may be missing some of the nuace difference between Category '''''c''''' and '''''e,''''' but both are checking to make sure that other explanations are not more likely.

So what this all boils down to is this:

* If you meet all 3 requirements of Category '''''a
*''''' If you meet 2 of the 4 requirements of Category '''''b
*''''' If nothing but Autism can explain those 5-7 traits.

You very very likely have Autism.

<a href="https://t.co/VpuKT46GKt">If you want a most expansive, positive explanation of the '''''dms5,''''' this video is BRILLIANT

</a>

We meant *more expansive

<a href="https://t.co/RkUCOkGH2E">The Criteria for Autism boils down to:

* You have Autistic empathy instead of Allistic

& 2+ of the following:

* Stimming
* Desire for Predictable Outcomes
* Special Interests
* Hyper/Hypo Senses

[https://t.co/D0scCl0XmX For those who read this and where gobsmacked with the revelation that their muscle pain could be due to suppressed stimming, here is a guide on deprogramming stim suppression.]

If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

Non-derogatory DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for Autism

2022-08-24T22:22:07Z

El (Autistic Voices United):

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]

You might be Autistic if you meet the '''''dsm5''''' criteria for Autism, presented here in a non-deficient manner

Category A
* You do not naturally communicate or interact following Allistic standards but may have learned to do so.

Three Requirments:
1. You do reciprocate social-emotional Allistic norms.
2. You do not demonstrate natural proficiency or acceptance of non-verbal Allistic communication.
3. You do not demonstrate that relationships dependent soley upon Allistic empathy are fullfilling

Category '''''b,'''''

Focused patterns of behavior, interests, and activities.

Note that masking, '''''aba,''''' etc may have eliminated outward manifestations of some of these traits so when assessing consider your entire life experiences.

2 out of 4 of the following are required.

1) Stimming or Self-Stimulatory Behavior.

Basically, does it feel "good" to repeat physical actions or statements? Do you have a natural impulse to move your body or state things that Allistics do not demonstrate?

Note that it is very common to suppress this to fit into Allistic norms and one may need to practice with stimming to re-access their ability to stim.

Note that Stimming might only manifest during moments of extreme stress such as rocking your hips while sitting in a chair.

Note that feeling overwhelming muscle pain over your entire body may be a sign of years of suppressed stimming.

Vocal simming takes many forms:
* Making animal noises (meowing, etc...)
* Random sounds
* Repeating what was stated by another
* Repeating phrases Even more random sounds.

Stimming is rooted in an Autistic person's need to relieve Autistic stress.

The desire to stim rises with Autistic stress and Autistic stress is relieved by stimming.

2 Demonstrating a Strong Preference for Predicatable Outcomes
* Strong desire for expectations to be set and met
* Able to excel in static environment that Allistic people could not handle.
* Resistance to illogical changes

3. Special Interests
* Deriving joy and or personal fullfillment from exceptional exploration of a topic of interest.
* Note that this may take many unexpected forms. Example, one might develop an interest in learning a broad spectrum of interests i.e. "collecting hobbies"

4. Hyper and Hypo Senses
An Autistic person may have any of their senses in whole or in part be more or less sensitive than the Allistic standard.
Note that as this is related to perception it may go unnoticed until a thorough assessment is made.

Note that the Hyper/Hypo Sensory aspect of Autism is the definitive proof that Autism is a Neorlogical condition. Many people misunderstand Autism to be Behavioral or Psychological but it is based on a different wiring of the brain.

This Hyper/Hypo Sensitivity to the enviroment can take on a vast spectrum of phenominon and can be extremely broad or specific.

Category '''''c'''''
People are born Autistic.

You cannot aquire Autism. It is present in early development. The nuance here is that many Autistic traits are linked to Autistic stress.

If an Autistic person is in a conducive environment, then the traits may not raise to observable levels until Autistic stress exceeds the limited capacity of the person to manage them without accomodations and supports.

The most relevant aspect of Category '''''c''''' is that Autism-like traits may be aquired though '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' and other scenarios.

If a person is demonstrating Autistic-like traits, efforts should be explored to ellimiate the possiblity that they where aquired from a non-Autistic origin.

To be extremely clear, people can become aware that they are Autistic at any stage of life. People in their 70's learn that they are Autistic. Aditionally, experiecing '''''ptsd,''''' '''''tbi,''''' or other phenominon does not exclude the possibility that a person is Autistic.

Category '''''c''''' is literally the acceptance that Autistic-like traints can have non-Autistic origins.

Category '''''d''''' Medical Diagnosis Qualifier
A person is born Autistic, however due to the limits upon which society is willing to accomodate the disabled, a society based functional limited is mandated on those who may be medically diagnosed as Autistic.

At the time of assessment an Autistic person, even if meeting all qualifications of Category '''''a,''''' '''''b,''''' and '''''c,''''' must convince a licensed practicioner that, at the time of the assessment, the net effect of their Autisic traits and their current level of ability requires support.

If an Autistic person manages to convince a practicioner that they need accomodations during any assessement, then that Autistic person is protected for life, at that level of assessed need, independent of changing circumstances.

What this means is that an Autistic person who is recieving all necessary accomodations going into assessment may fail Category '''''d''''' and not be eligible for a diagnosis of Autism.

Additionally it means that if a person is in need of accomodaitons during an assessment, that they are always eligible for accomodations for the Autism even if their circumstances change so that they no longer require accomodations.

Category '''''d''''' is, by definition a social construct applied to limit the number of people who can be diagnosed as Autistic and as long as Category '''''d''''' remains part of the '''''dsm,''''' the diagnosis of Autism will not 100% match the number of people assessed to be Autistic.

It is inherently flawed in that an Autistic person's support needs are linked to their environment and other dynamic factors that can change at any time.

Category '''''e''''' Check for a better explanation

Category '''''e''''' is extremley similar to Category '''''c.''''' The difference is that Category '''''c''''' is about a life event that developes Autism-like traints. Category '''''e''''' applies to other life long conditions that are more general.

I am going to add a personal caveat that I may be missing some of the nuace difference between Category '''''c''''' and '''''e,''''' but both are checking to make sure that other explanations are not more likely.

So what this all boils down to is this:

* If you meet all 3 requirements of Category '''''a
*''''' If you meet 2 of the 4 requirements of Category '''''b
*''''' If nothing but Autism can explain those 5-7 traits.

You very very likely have Autism.

<a href="https://t.co/VpuKT46GKt">If you want a most expansive, positive explanation of the '''''dms5,''''' this video is BRILLIANT

</a>

We meant *more expansive

<a href="https://t.co/RkUCOkGH2E">The Criteria for Autism boils down to:

* You have Autistic empathy instead of Allistic

& 2+ of the following:

* Stimming
* Desire for Predictable Outcomes
* Special Interests
* Hyper/Hypo Senses

This can help explore varoius ways these manifest:
</a>

[https://t.co/D0scCl0XmX For those who read this and where gobsmacked with the revelation that their muscle pain could be due to suppressed stimming, here is a guide on deprogramming stim suppression.]

If you are suppressing stimming, it should become obvious pretty quickly.

[https://twitter.com/autismsupsoc/status/1530273173236760576 Here it the link to this @Twitter thread🧵 ]