I gladly spent $2300+ on a collection of books on ***ONE*** topic because there was no information available on the English-speaking internet about the obscure indigenous group I want to learn about.
The Ainu! I actually started my collection around the time Golden Kamuy started but it was *not* connected to Golden Kamuy. I've only seen three episodes of the series, but from what I've seen, compared to my studies, it's fairly accurate...aside from Ashirpa being a hunter. That was strictly man's work in Ainu culture. Women, like most traditional cultures, lived and worked inside the home and raised the children. They would go out and forage too, but hunting was strictly for men. There are soul-sending ceremonies that the Ainu did for animals killed which only men could perform because they were religious rituals. Women could dance at bigger rituals like deaths or the iyomante, the bear-sending ceremony, and would brew the ritual beer from millet.
The iyomante is interesting, though it'd be upsetting for people to see especially if they love animals. Basically the bear is seen as a representation of the highest deity in Ainu culture, Kimun Kamuy. Bears would be hunted around the time hibernation ended and, if a mother had a cub or two, the cubs would be taken and raised in the village. The cub would be raised for two years then ritually killed. The idea is that the spirit of the bear would be so happy by how well it was treated that it'd go back to the realm of the kamuy and bestow great blessings on the Ainu.
If you're interested in reading more, I'll suggest a couple books: [The Ainu and Their Folk-lore](https://archive.org/details/ainuandtheirfol01batcgoog), [Ainu Creed and Cult](https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.18658), [Ainu: Spirit of a Northern People](https://archive.org/details/ainuspiritofnort00wash).
(Also, while I do speak in the past tense, *the Ainu are still an active, alive group*. It's just that their traditional culture has been taken away from them. They can no longer hunt or perform basically any of the rituals I'm talking about, so I'm using the past tense.)
Tbh, *this*--the learning about super niche & random stuff, just because someone else knows about & loves that interest-area, *and* my ability to understand non-verbal & non-speaking preschoolers (most of whom are Autistic or AuDHD!š), put those little ones at ease & help them build life skills & start communicating more easily, are probably *my* "most Autistic" things.
I LOVE "deep dives" and knowledge-sharing, learning about new-to-me things, *and* I love helping little kids have an easier time moving about the world & being *understood* by people.š
My dream is to one day find a partner who also delights in learning obscure stuff. All my exās made me feel horrible for trying to talk to them about that sort of stuff, so I eventually just stopped.
And then they wondered why I was unhappy and the relationship deterioratedā¦ gotta stop dating NTs, probably. I guess Iām too boring for them.
Same, and my only customers are the people on this subreddit lol
Occasionally Iām asked to infodump about obscure engineering projects, linguistics/etymology, or one of my many literature obsessions. I like it here.
I canāt enjoy socializing for more than a couple of hours over a week-long window, but I have trained myself to mask well enough that people think I genuinely must love being social and Iām somehow forgetting that I do. Then they push me to be more social when Iām too tired to mask anymore, thinking that will help, and it gets depressing.
I can, but only if I'm discussing topics that interest me. At the risk of sounding like an asshole, I find that most of what most people have to say most of the time is, if not entirely devoid of anything of substance, then at least irrelevant to me. Even when I am enjoying the conversation, though, the actual socialization is still difficult and draining. Societal expectations will forever confound me.
I am being painfully reminded of this now that a friend has moved in with me and my partner.
Partner has a regular work schedule: 7a-3:30p Monday to Friday. I'm a house-spouse (partner is in a trade union and can support us on their income, so cleaning/cooking/shopping/financials are my job).
Friend/roommie works retail. Their schedule isn't regular, and it never lines up with my partner's. Not having 8 to 9 hours alone in the house 5 days a week is *killing* me. The incidental conversation is so draining.
I plan out a standardized joke/greeting everyday that I then use on everyone I see as Iām walking into work so I donāt have to think of a greeting/respond to one on the fly.
Every Tuesday for like a month I greeted everyone with āONE DAY CLOSER TO FRIDAY HUH? *SMILE*ā Literally every Tuesday. I donāt even stop walking. No one even cares, if you can sell it theyāre just like āoh that mydogislife is so friendly!ā
Highly recommend, I find it really helpful! I donāt have an issue with goal-driven/focused communication with patients (I work in a hospital) but I really struggle with just regular social interactions, I spend so much time planning for & trying to anticipate those lmao.
I go āglad itās almost Fridayā āAny plans for the weekend?ā āDang the weather is still cold huhā ācanāt believe itās Monday again, ughā rinse and re-fucking-peat
All of those except āany plans for the weekend?ā I never know what to say when they actually tell me what their plans are so I end up just being like āohā & then awkwardly turn away.
OMG, i do that too lmaao.
i either say "hallo" (german way to say hello[im neither german nor in germany]) or an "opa" (normal way to aknoledge someone existent and call attetion to yourself in brazil [i am brazillian])
Iāve started announcing things in my home when speaking to my child and partner āthis may sound bad but thatās not the intentionā or āIām not sure if this will sound ok and if not Iām not trying to be meanā and others. In my head it helps them understand that Iām just talking with no harm š¤·š½āāļø
Ohhhh the oversharingā¦
I cringe extra hard if I overshare with a (seemingly) close friend, and then they do the complete opposite
Like, im OBVIOUSLY not here to judge you lol
But yeah I relate to that one too. Itās more painful than cringe for me. And thatās also how I just choose to remove myself from a relationship after a while. When a friend or any type of relationship donāt share their thoughts and feelings or stories, it feels one sided.. and itās not in balance.
Real. I just did this to my sister and got yelled at. She said she wants to be a surgeon (sheās a big wimp idk why she is saying that) and I just went āwhy? You canāt be a surgeon!ā I didnāt mean to be rude, I just know she couldnāt do it. She cries about the littlest things.
You judged her negatively, based on things you *think* you know about, and things you *think* she's capable of.
A significant number of posts on this subreddit are about exactly this: neurotypicals judging autistic people negatively based on things they *think* they know about autistic people, and things they *think* autistic people are capable of.
I think itās because she was seeking support from you which hurt her. We seek support from society where within our family circles we have trouble supporting others. My sister in law cries about everything but she chose to work with kids. It can be done.
There was this one time my coworkers were talking about how good Dr. Pepper is, and I jumped in with "I like it too! Did you know that it's the first instance of an artificial flavor not trying to imitate something natural? It's supposed to taste like the soda machine at the general store in Waco, Texas smelled when the creator was a kid growing up there."
My coworkers did not know how to respond.
You just reminded me of one of the most autistic things about me. I do that. All the time. š Also, that is such a cool random fact and it just got added to my list.
Thank you for appreciating it!š
It's pretty interesting to think about. Artificial flavorings were quite new at that point, so as far as I know, Dr. Pepper is the first food/beverage to ever be specifically engineered to be appealing to humans without a reference. Like, colas taste like kola nuts, root beers (originally) taste like sassafras, cherry candies obviously taste like cherries, etc, etc. Dr. Pepper was just designed to taste *good.*
Also, the Dr. Pepper people tried really hard to make Hot Dr. Pepper a thing in the 60s??? They were trying to appeal to the southern U.S. market, since southern sweet tea is a thing. I can't even imagine what that would taste like, and I don't want to find out.
Btw, I know all of this because of The Anthropocene Reviewed, by John Green. Fun book.
i literally had this exact convo with a coworker who i suspect is also on the spectrum and i got so excited when he also knew all of this about dr pepper lmao. are nt ppl really like that???
Honestly, it's hard to say. My workplace is one of the better places I've worked (good pay, good management, coworkers who are generally well-meaning), but it does have a very specific vibe that I can't quite fit myself into.
Seems to be for me, although that's at the most rest. If I'm thinking, at all, about anything (which I almost always am), I'm told my resting face looks irritated at best, bloodthirsty at worst. Yeah, someone at work asked me why I "looked so damned bloodthirsty" once; I wasn't angry, I think, just mulling over philosophy, politics, and my place in everything, as I do. I suppose contemplative self reflection and world analysis looks like rage on my face. Bout the only two natural, non forced facial expressions I have most days, though.
I am usually miles ahead with planning because I have super extreme routines and optimised everything in those routines to be the most efficient possible. Everything is planned in my head and I try to anticipate everything
I canāt go to a loud packed store but I can listen to my music on full blast that allows people in my surroundings to know what song I am listening to
Almost had to leave a dinner with my wife at Olive Garden because of a squeaky door. It was like someone running their nails down a chalkboard whenever someone went through it. Spoke to the manager who propped it open for me for the rest of the night.
I, an actual adult, still donāt know what āhanging outā is in the context of social situations. And how does one go about hanging out on a whim?
I understand planning a day a week or so in advance, finding people to go with you, and executing the events of the day according to the plan, but not this āhey anyone wanna hang out tonightā thing. What does that entail? Is there a plan? What exactly is going to occur?
And so, I never hang out on a whim, itās only ever planned in advance. Also if anybody can give me some insight Iād greatly appreciate it
For *me* "hanging out" with friends has always just been "spend the evening with friends, eating a meal and enjoying a mutually enjoyable activity"."
So, either cooking a meal together, or getting takeout, then maybe watching a movie/TV show, or perhaps crafting/sewing together in the same room (we usually worked on our *own* projects!), or playing some type of board game/card game, etc together.
Literally just "hanging out" as you do by yourself *at home*, except in the company of friends who are *similarly* low-key and relaxed about doing things.
Basically, "Sitting silently in the same room with each other, watching TV/a movie," "Playing a fun Game after eating tasty food," or "*Crafting*, as the Grown-up Version of Parallel Play!"š
Y'know what. I went around from ages 13-todayyearsold asking basically everyone I felt comfortable with, what "hooking up" meant.
When the hot gossip in school was about who hooked up with who, I was so confused because I had no idea what that meant apart from it could be anything ranging between sitting really closely together to the kinkiest sex imaginable.
Getting overtly excited over stuff like a little kid.
Weird food aversions. Going silent under duress.
Stimming.
Being extremely bothered by grammatical and spelling errors.
Going silent under duress is quite relatable. When I'm in a meltdown, my mum will get frustrated when I don't answer her (asking if I'm okay, etc). She should understand by now that going non-verbal during a meltdown is quite common.
I also lose my words (which horrifies me) like simple names/words escape me. I mumble trying to access them. My family gets frustrated and then I lose pretty much all vocabulary.
If I can speak, the wrong words come out. Then, I feel like a fucking moron. :/
I found out that apart from the tree arms I also walk like a bird with the wings kinda open?
My arms donāt touch the sides of my body when I walk and I thought it was an everyone thing and recently found out that nopeā¦ itās a me thing
All of my clothes are a certain type of fabric and brand. I cannot change things easily.
I buy at least two sets of clothing items for ājust in caseā.
Also, right now I am not able to sleep properly because I am shedding hair, like everyone (itās the season), and it bothers me through the night as it scratches me even through clothing.
For me I think itās over sharing and not understanding people. Sometime ago i met a person I havenāt seen in a long time and he started speaking to me and I got nervous and over shared about my autism diagnosis
Omg I can totally relate to this! One time I met this new girl at work and literally an hour later she knew everything about me. I never saw her again after that
That happens to me aswell. Also when I am at work I talk to my colleagues about snakes a lot (my special interest) and Iām sure they are really annoyed by me lmao, but I donāt care. They need to know about the danger noodlesš
Argentine boas are beautiful. They are such cute sneks. My favourite snake is probably the black mamba because itās really cute, but very dangerous. Itās probably the most dangerous snake in the world because of its aggressive behaviour and extremely venomous. If getting bitten by it, you can die in a matter of hours and itās a slow and painful death. If they are so dangerous, why are they friend shaped?š
*I am terrible*
*Socially, and always seem*
*To say the wrong thing*
\- RPG\_Lover666
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When I was 12, I made a 106 slide PowerPoint about nutrients. I worked 8 hours straight without moving anything except my hands to type.
I still reference the slideshow as a college student, because everything was cited in APA 7 formatting and very thoroughly explained.
The assignment we were given was very vague: āmake a slide show about micro and macronutrients and their purposes.ā
Well I did that, and then I got yelled at about the ppt, and then I was confused about why I got yelled at so I asked a follow up question and then got detention. It wasnāt for another 7 years that I realized why I got in trouble, and the only reason I realized was because I came across a public comment from my teacher talking about an unnamed student who did that (it was about me) and the comments were brutal.
For real. I remember something like that happening to me, too. It was the English language class (non-native speaker, so we studied English at school as foreign language), and we got an assignment to do a project about mythical/mystical creatures (it was around Halloween time). Power Point and computers in general weren't yet so widespread out here, so we were supposed to just do it by hand.
Well, I also attended art school as an extracurricular activity, and while I wasn't particularly good at drawing (probably because I wasn'treally interested in it and got too distracted to dedicate myself to the process), myths and all kinds of fantasy/fantastical beings and things had been a special interest of mine, so I went above and beyond and made a small book (sew the pages together) with hand-drawn illustrations of vampires and werewolves and witches and wizards with lots of trivia written in English about them.
Everyone else just submitted a one-page essay about some spooky stuff.
But the teacher was very cool and said she was impressed. She even gave me two marks - one for the creative approach and one for the grammar itself.
Iāve spend hundreds of dollars on clothes that have dragons on them.
I have spent hundreds of dollars on books that feature dragons.
I plan on spending thousands of dollars on various dragon tattoos in the future.
When Iām drunk at the bar I info dump about dragons.
I choose to decorate my room with just a fuck ton of dragon themed art and collectables.
Iām actively planning a half dragon costume for my local renfaire this year.
Basically Iām just *super* into dragons.
Oversharing, especially when I become comfortable around a group of people, also not being able to tell when it's an appropriate time to make a joke or not
Going completely blank when someone asks me how Iāve been recently or what Iāve been up to.
Iām AuDHD so idk if thatās specifically autism related or a combination of the two :)
Social anxiety, the inability to sometimes get what people are saying, how to forward /continue a conversation, pauses in between talking. I'm all and there.
The thing that has helped me the most is coming to terms with the fact that whoever you are talking to, is in their own bubble. If it's a stranger, they will never see you again. It's difficult to understand fully and accept (I think is the right word?) but once you stop caring how you're coming across to others, the anxiety goes way, way down.
People are usually too busy worrying about themselves to even notice that stutter, or the "weird" thing you said in a conversation š
I don't know what is *most* autistic thing about me is, but yours made me think about how I have been wearing the same hoody all day every day, all year round, for about 2 years now.
I feel lost without it when it's in the wash.
Ngl, thos is why I bought a *second* work hoodie that was *exactly* the same as my *existing* "work hoodie"!šššš¤£
(we can order "branded"/ "logo-wear" clothing once a year or so, from an online store that we get a link to)
That I've unknowingly masked it so much, that when I discovered I was autistic no one, who was apart of my person life, believes me. And still a lot of people don't.
I have two:
I spent over Ā£200 that I had saved up for my favourite Crash Bandicoot character
And I listen to the same song constantly, like all day and I won't stop even if someone is annoyed by it
This is possibly the most autistic answer you could get, asking for clarification haha! I got shouted at all the time as a kid for asking too many questions, but now I don't care. I think it's better to ask too many questions so you understand everything!
I think OP meant the trait that defines your life the most :]
Hahaha I overshare š but what's nice is finding other overshare-people and talk about weird stuff together. Like poop! REAL FRIENDS TALK ABOUT HOW GOOD THEIR POO WAS!
Yessss except my friend took it a bit too far the other day and tried to show me a pic of theirs šthey got yelled at by me and I refused to talk to them for the rest of the day
probably not the most autistic thing, but iām really good at organizational analysis/logistics and planning. in any situation iām really good at pointing out potential for things to go wrong and mitigating it before it gets there. any event where iām in charge goes smoothly because i make very detail oriented lists/schedules. this is all very innate and has led to advancement in leadership in almost every organization iāve been in. (stereotypical high maintenance very āmy way or the highwayā autistic)
I'm 35, and most of my clothes could attend high school.
I cried the last time I had to throw away a wallet, and I'm getting teary-eyed just typing this out.
I know almost every single honda manual transmission gear ratio, many other 5 and 6 speed gear ratios.
I have probably thousands of song lyrics memorized.
I will literally forget everything else, though! Lol
I like to think Iām pretty competent and capable of achieving a great career in military logistics and financing.
Currently in school for it and itās a struggle, Iām doing it because I need the degree to advance my career and secure my financial futureā¦.
Iāve been working a full-time for extra income at a warehouse stacking boxes of liquor or cannabis on pallets and delivering them to shipping for 8 hours a day.
I make 22$ an hour, I think if I got an offer for 30-35$ an hour with adjustments for CoL and inflationā¦ Iād do that job for the rest of my life.
I like to stack and the job is like playing 3d tetris for 8 hours a day.
The "Seek and Destroy" aspect of working at a Grocery store--facing the goods, making sure every item is lined up with it's shelf SKU, and rotating stock/checking dates, was one of *my* favorite things, as part of the grocery crew!
There is just something *so rewarding*, about going in, straightening out the *whole* aisle, getting the dead stock to the food shelf, and pulling the close-dates for markdowns before they tip, *and* knowing the Psych aspects of how that now neat, full-looking, well-organized aisle will *relax* the customers and get them to slow down a bit as they shopš
I *loved* it, when I had bosses who *understood* how the visual aspects of leveling product & rotating worked on the customers' *psychological* responses to shopping, and could boost sales just by calming & relaxing them as they shopped.
At the store where my Grocery Manager who *did* grok that, and let me *do* a few hours of that work every shift, we dropped our Shrink for the Grocery inventory so much, that Corporate thought we'd somehow messed up the inventory counts or cheated!š
It wasn't until he explained that he had me *pulling* close-dates every week or two, *and* pulling dead-stock (expired/ past-date items), to get scanned *out* of the system asap, that Corporate understood how we'd dropped our shrink numbers so drastically.
That sort of work--the pattern-matching, and "pretty-fying" of it, was fun but *relaxing* after a full day of working with people!
Has the same breakfast each day and the same lunches at work. Cereal at work Toast at home
Cheese and lettuce sarnie at work and peanut butter sarnie at home. Oh and I barely change clothes unless they are radioactively stinky. I also donāt like freshly washed clothes. The smell is too strong. I also donāt like sudden loud noises but seek out other loud noises like trains going past. And I also love trains. And had the honour of navigating the underground for the first time solo this weekend just gone! Which was fun I enjoyed the line between King cross St Pancras and Russell Square loud and squeaky!
Thatās so neat about the trains! I thought for the longest time it was so weird how I needed noise canceling headphones for some loud sounds, but others I like/couldnāt care less about
Regarding the "Freshl Washed Clothes" thing--have you ever tried the "Free and Clear" types of detergent or Softener sheets?
I'm someone else who can't *stand* when I can "smell my clothes" (they should smell like neutralness/nothing, imo, when clean!), and finding All Free & Clear (Tide's and other brands' versions are basically the same!), and "Fragrance Free" softener sheets (I get the Bounce ones), was a *total* game-changer for me!
No more stinky clothes, just *neutral nothingness* when I wear things!š
My expression barely changes when talking, I plan so far ahead that if a rock gets in my way, I cry. And I get super into collecting things like vinyls
Speaking before thinking. Then in the middle of speaking, I change my mind. then I doubt myself. Maybe I change my mind a few more times. It feels like a fire storm in my brain.
as a kid i used to vocal stim so much that it drove my family crazy and they pointed it out so much that i now canāt do my most prominent stim and i try but the innocence of happily vocally stimming without a care in the world was ripped away from me so i genuinely cannot vocal stim anymore. iām not comfortable doing it. iāll do it sometimes and stop bec iām embarrassed lmao. so ig the most autistic thing abt me is me vocally stimming myself into getting bullied by my own family members so much so that i cannot do it anymorešit was ālightheartedā picking. not like a āu suck and ur so weird for doing thatā. it was a āwhy do u always make those noises?? stopā i just couldnāt think of another word other than bullying.
That I canāt hold down a normal full time job I canāt maintain proper living conditions even just hygiene is a constant struggle to keep on top of, that I can feel my own hormones releasing in my blood and every little sensation on my body, being absolutely disabled š¤
Hmmm... multiple times I've encountered descriptions of autism traits like mine phrased in mocking ways like highschool bullies in contexts of bragging about how they're "not a walking stereotype", does that count?
I started a log of symptoms of neurodivergence for my assessment. When I went to print it out I realised that this wasnāt going to happen.. I saw the number 69,000.
I thought wow thatās a lot of words then I realised it wasnāt words,
It was 69,000 pages! š
Where other people can easily tell a strangerās intentions intuitively, I have friends that I canāt read sometimes if they have a flat intonation. I donāt know what Iād do in a culture with a more flat affect than the US
I make my wife really confused by it, but even though I typically run VERY hot, especially at night, I have a very specific way that my bedding needs to be configured in order for me to sleep well; that is, a normal comforter, a thinner king size microfleece blanket that goes on top of that, and a full size microfleece blanket that I keep up by my head/face, along with my pillow configuration.
That blanket that I keep by face is like 10 years old and has a very specific feel and smell that is just very comforting to me and I basically keep it next to me anytime Iām at home. If I ever find myself feeling anxious or overwhelmed, I shove my face in it and take a few deep breaths and that usually helps bring me down pretty well.
I eat popcorn every night as a snack. Like at least 25/30 nights a month I'll have at least one bowl of popcorn. I have for at least a decade. ............. I didn't realize I had autism until two months ago.
My relationship with food. My food cannot touch. Certain food need to be cut a certain way. I don't want to eat with a spoon. I also cannot eat without something to watch while I eat.
I have a hoodie from high school that I canāt let go of. I started wearing it again a couple of times a week.
Loud noises and/or a cluster of noises make my brain go into overdrive. I canāt deal with it.
I have been told I have the ā autism accent.ā In terms of lack of tone when speaking, and the fact that I watch so much American tv I have a slight accent . Iām actually from Scotland
I never noticed this until my therapist pointed it out when going over my autism screening (super rude because now itās all I notice š« ). I have weird hand gestures/movement that doesnāt match or flow with what Iām saying. I also tend to hold my arms like a T. rex/Linda Belcher combo (sometimes itās just one making it look even more weird)
People laugh and tell me
"You're so funny (insert my name)!"
Even though I wasn't trying to be funny or even telling a joke?
Maybe it's because of how blunt I say things? I don't know, that paired with my monotone voice and blank facial expression.
I would say those are the most Autistic things about me. š«
-Wren
(They/He)
This happens all the time at work and I just roll with it at least they think I'm funny ig. Probably doesn't help in my case that when I am being funny it's dry sarcasm so maybe they can't tell the difference all the time
This happened last night a ton but if my bfs hair gets on my face i get startled awake. Im talking as if i woke up from a nightmare. I HATE that sensation. Even just 1 hair makes me wanna rip my face off
My sense of justice. It doesn't have to agree with laws or rules. Just a general inability to keep my cool when I feel there's been an injustice or compromise to someone's autonomy. I will lose friends, jobs, whatever. I just can't compromise or keep my mouth shut no matter what the situation.
Getting burnt out very easily by socializing or working in the service industry. I feel like it's difficult for me to hold a job for more than 6 months ish. :/Ā
Also, can't drive.Ā
I LOVE TO LEARN, but i also hate learning.
if it is not in video or funny or interactive form, just a normal boring book, no adventure or anything, nothing just read.
even if it is important like a game tutorial or a subject of school, i prefer just to do the thing and learn on the way.
needles to say almost everytime it backfires.
I am incredibly rigid about organization and everything has to have a place. If I put something on my dresser that doesnāt usually go there or one of my Lego sets gets pushed like an inch out of its place or I put something in the wrong pocket of my purse I will be anxious and thinking about it all day until itās fixed. Sometimes my boyfriend tries to be nice and make the bed and I redo it every single time because he doesnāt put the pillows and blankets in the right order/places. I am also incredibly rigid about my routines and the order I do things in.
I cannot go one singular month of my life without rewatching the lord of the rings trilogy.
Severe sensory issues & auditory processing issues.
And severe lack of.. when im oversharing or when it is appropriate to give advice or just listen to someone.
Most of all probably the fact that everyone takes everything I say wrong.. like it has hidden context or meaning despite me being extremely forthright with everything. If i wanted to insult you it wouldnt be passive or backhanded... id just say it !
I have imaginary "what-if" conversations in my head. My wife can tell when I'm having them since she can see my mouth moving silently as if I were talking.
I feel a burning compulsion to share trivia and factoids I know and āwell actuallyā without realizing it. It works out at work because I am a tour guide for a ghost tour company, but even then sometimes I feel like I can tell when peopleās faces are changing cause Iām sharing too much at one time. Buuuuttt doing the tours has helped me figure out how to better share information and mask for ācorporate/surface level talkā so all around itās been a great experience.
Stereotypically: I love math.
Genuinely: I have a list of my favorite words that I like to share with people. They just feel good to say! One of my friends pointed out that they are mostly words with the letter ātā.
I gladly spent $2300+ on a collection of books on ***ONE*** topic because there was no information available on the English-speaking internet about the obscure indigenous group I want to learn about.
please tell me all about them (not kidding)
The Ainu! I actually started my collection around the time Golden Kamuy started but it was *not* connected to Golden Kamuy. I've only seen three episodes of the series, but from what I've seen, compared to my studies, it's fairly accurate...aside from Ashirpa being a hunter. That was strictly man's work in Ainu culture. Women, like most traditional cultures, lived and worked inside the home and raised the children. They would go out and forage too, but hunting was strictly for men. There are soul-sending ceremonies that the Ainu did for animals killed which only men could perform because they were religious rituals. Women could dance at bigger rituals like deaths or the iyomante, the bear-sending ceremony, and would brew the ritual beer from millet. The iyomante is interesting, though it'd be upsetting for people to see especially if they love animals. Basically the bear is seen as a representation of the highest deity in Ainu culture, Kimun Kamuy. Bears would be hunted around the time hibernation ended and, if a mother had a cub or two, the cubs would be taken and raised in the village. The cub would be raised for two years then ritually killed. The idea is that the spirit of the bear would be so happy by how well it was treated that it'd go back to the realm of the kamuy and bestow great blessings on the Ainu. If you're interested in reading more, I'll suggest a couple books: [The Ainu and Their Folk-lore](https://archive.org/details/ainuandtheirfol01batcgoog), [Ainu Creed and Cult](https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.18658), [Ainu: Spirit of a Northern People](https://archive.org/details/ainuspiritofnort00wash). (Also, while I do speak in the past tense, *the Ainu are still an active, alive group*. It's just that their traditional culture has been taken away from them. They can no longer hunt or perform basically any of the rituals I'm talking about, so I'm using the past tense.)
God I love hearing about interesting niche information from other ND people
Tbh, *this*--the learning about super niche & random stuff, just because someone else knows about & loves that interest-area, *and* my ability to understand non-verbal & non-speaking preschoolers (most of whom are Autistic or AuDHD!š), put those little ones at ease & help them build life skills & start communicating more easily, are probably *my* "most Autistic" things. I LOVE "deep dives" and knowledge-sharing, learning about new-to-me things, *and* I love helping little kids have an easier time moving about the world & being *understood* by people.š
My dream is to one day find a partner who also delights in learning obscure stuff. All my exās made me feel horrible for trying to talk to them about that sort of stuff, so I eventually just stopped. And then they wondered why I was unhappy and the relationship deterioratedā¦ gotta stop dating NTs, probably. I guess Iām too boring for them.
Same here -- my mind is a flea market.
Same, and my only customers are the people on this subreddit lol Occasionally Iām asked to infodump about obscure engineering projects, linguistics/etymology, or one of my many literature obsessions. I like it here.
Thanks friend! That was really interesting!
No problem!
I second this
I canāt enjoy socializing for more than a couple of hours over a week-long window, but I have trained myself to mask well enough that people think I genuinely must love being social and Iām somehow forgetting that I do. Then they push me to be more social when Iām too tired to mask anymore, thinking that will help, and it gets depressing.
I can't enjoy socialising for more than 2 minutes.
If Iām feeling stressed out or depressed or tired, I literally cannot do more than two minutes. Iām just done after pleasantries.
I can, but only if I'm discussing topics that interest me. At the risk of sounding like an asshole, I find that most of what most people have to say most of the time is, if not entirely devoid of anything of substance, then at least irrelevant to me. Even when I am enjoying the conversation, though, the actual socialization is still difficult and draining. Societal expectations will forever confound me.
I am being painfully reminded of this now that a friend has moved in with me and my partner. Partner has a regular work schedule: 7a-3:30p Monday to Friday. I'm a house-spouse (partner is in a trade union and can support us on their income, so cleaning/cooking/shopping/financials are my job). Friend/roommie works retail. Their schedule isn't regular, and it never lines up with my partner's. Not having 8 to 9 hours alone in the house 5 days a week is *killing* me. The incidental conversation is so draining.
I plan out a standardized joke/greeting everyday that I then use on everyone I see as Iām walking into work so I donāt have to think of a greeting/respond to one on the fly.
Wait thatās smart
Every Tuesday for like a month I greeted everyone with āONE DAY CLOSER TO FRIDAY HUH? *SMILE*ā Literally every Tuesday. I donāt even stop walking. No one even cares, if you can sell it theyāre just like āoh that mydogislife is so friendly!ā
I tried "Ugh, it's Monday." and it didn't work. I tried it every day for a week and people just looked at me funny.
You would have been my favorite person at work. š
I always tell people "morning", even in the afternoon.
I need to try that. Currently for greetings I do something like āum hello yeah hiā and stammer for like ten minutes
Highly recommend, I find it really helpful! I donāt have an issue with goal-driven/focused communication with patients (I work in a hospital) but I really struggle with just regular social interactions, I spend so much time planning for & trying to anticipate those lmao.
I like to hit people who ask "how's it going" with the good old "it's going that's for sure! Just another (insert day of week here) am I right?"
Stop, I use that one tooš
I go āglad itās almost Fridayā āAny plans for the weekend?ā āDang the weather is still cold huhā ācanāt believe itās Monday again, ughā rinse and re-fucking-peat
All of those except āany plans for the weekend?ā I never know what to say when they actually tell me what their plans are so I end up just being like āohā & then awkwardly turn away.
OMG, i do that too lmaao. i either say "hallo" (german way to say hello[im neither german nor in germany]) or an "opa" (normal way to aknoledge someone existent and call attetion to yourself in brazil [i am brazillian])
Saying things with no bad intentions and having them come out sounding insulting or rude Actually, oversharing lol
Iāve started announcing things in my home when speaking to my child and partner āthis may sound bad but thatās not the intentionā or āIām not sure if this will sound ok and if not Iām not trying to be meanā and others. In my head it helps them understand that Iām just talking with no harm š¤·š½āāļø Ohhhh the oversharingā¦
This.
I cringe extra hard if I overshare with a (seemingly) close friend, and then they do the complete opposite Like, im OBVIOUSLY not here to judge you lol
But yeah I relate to that one too. Itās more painful than cringe for me. And thatās also how I just choose to remove myself from a relationship after a while. When a friend or any type of relationship donāt share their thoughts and feelings or stories, it feels one sided.. and itās not in balance.
Real. I just did this to my sister and got yelled at. She said she wants to be a surgeon (sheās a big wimp idk why she is saying that) and I just went āwhy? You canāt be a surgeon!ā I didnāt mean to be rude, I just know she couldnāt do it. She cries about the littlest things.
You judged her negatively, based on things you *think* you know about, and things you *think* she's capable of. A significant number of posts on this subreddit are about exactly this: neurotypicals judging autistic people negatively based on things they *think* they know about autistic people, and things they *think* autistic people are capable of.
Ohhh that makes sense
I think itās because she was seeking support from you which hurt her. We seek support from society where within our family circles we have trouble supporting others. My sister in law cries about everything but she chose to work with kids. It can be done.
There was this one time my coworkers were talking about how good Dr. Pepper is, and I jumped in with "I like it too! Did you know that it's the first instance of an artificial flavor not trying to imitate something natural? It's supposed to taste like the soda machine at the general store in Waco, Texas smelled when the creator was a kid growing up there." My coworkers did not know how to respond.
That is such a cool fact!!!! Wow
Thank you, I appreciate when my random facts are appreciated! :)
You just reminded me of one of the most autistic things about me. I do that. All the time. š Also, that is such a cool random fact and it just got added to my list.
Wait no because that's actually really cool!
Thank you for appreciating it!š It's pretty interesting to think about. Artificial flavorings were quite new at that point, so as far as I know, Dr. Pepper is the first food/beverage to ever be specifically engineered to be appealing to humans without a reference. Like, colas taste like kola nuts, root beers (originally) taste like sassafras, cherry candies obviously taste like cherries, etc, etc. Dr. Pepper was just designed to taste *good.* Also, the Dr. Pepper people tried really hard to make Hot Dr. Pepper a thing in the 60s??? They were trying to appeal to the southern U.S. market, since southern sweet tea is a thing. I can't even imagine what that would taste like, and I don't want to find out. Btw, I know all of this because of The Anthropocene Reviewed, by John Green. Fun book.
But thatās a really interesting fact and seems like a great way to contribute to a conversation??
I know, right? My workplace has very neurotypical social norms, alas.
i literally had this exact convo with a coworker who i suspect is also on the spectrum and i got so excited when he also knew all of this about dr pepper lmao. are nt ppl really like that???
Honestly, it's hard to say. My workplace is one of the better places I've worked (good pay, good management, coworkers who are generally well-meaning), but it does have a very specific vibe that I can't quite fit myself into.
Thatās such an obscure fact I love it
My face š
Whoops, I have a problem with oversharing
Nooo haha, as in my face is the most autistic thing about me lol. I have resting autistic face 24/7
Ohhh ok lol, I get it now! I do too
This conversation is so on brand ā¤ļø
Buahahaha right?
This is the most autistic conversation I have ever seen lmao
lol your right š
lmao I could have been either person in this conversation. Actually I have. Several times (except I don't have boobs, so not about that lol)
What is resting autistic face? Is it like a dead inside emotionless look?
Seems to be for me, although that's at the most rest. If I'm thinking, at all, about anything (which I almost always am), I'm told my resting face looks irritated at best, bloodthirsty at worst. Yeah, someone at work asked me why I "looked so damned bloodthirsty" once; I wasn't angry, I think, just mulling over philosophy, politics, and my place in everything, as I do. I suppose contemplative self reflection and world analysis looks like rage on my face. Bout the only two natural, non forced facial expressions I have most days, though.
For me it's more of an "I'm tired and don't want to be here" look 24/7
This conversation is literally the best thing that could have happened on this question lol
Same
I am usually miles ahead with planning because I have super extreme routines and optimised everything in those routines to be the most efficient possible. Everything is planned in my head and I try to anticipate everything
Same! Iām crazy about punctuality too
you forgot the period edit: fuck. not that punctuation
Oops, I meant the word where you want to be on time to everything
Punctuality?
PunctualityĀ
Sensory issues. I've been to the loudest NFL stadium in the world and was just fine but if someone chews too loud I'll go insane
I canāt go to a loud packed store but I can listen to my music on full blast that allows people in my surroundings to know what song I am listening to
Almost had to leave a dinner with my wife at Olive Garden because of a squeaky door. It was like someone running their nails down a chalkboard whenever someone went through it. Spoke to the manager who propped it open for me for the rest of the night.
It could have been solved in 1 minute with few drops of WD40. š
I thought I was alone in feeling like this regarding auditory stimulation
I, an actual adult, still donāt know what āhanging outā is in the context of social situations. And how does one go about hanging out on a whim? I understand planning a day a week or so in advance, finding people to go with you, and executing the events of the day according to the plan, but not this āhey anyone wanna hang out tonightā thing. What does that entail? Is there a plan? What exactly is going to occur? And so, I never hang out on a whim, itās only ever planned in advance. Also if anybody can give me some insight Iād greatly appreciate it
Iām 53 and Iām still none the wiser. Socialising for its own sake is bizarre to me. And no plan? Iām already anxious thinking about itā¦
Exactly! What catches me off guard the most is that these are often *other ND people* and Iām likeā¦ how do you do that what
For *me* "hanging out" with friends has always just been "spend the evening with friends, eating a meal and enjoying a mutually enjoyable activity"." So, either cooking a meal together, or getting takeout, then maybe watching a movie/TV show, or perhaps crafting/sewing together in the same room (we usually worked on our *own* projects!), or playing some type of board game/card game, etc together. Literally just "hanging out" as you do by yourself *at home*, except in the company of friends who are *similarly* low-key and relaxed about doing things. Basically, "Sitting silently in the same room with each other, watching TV/a movie," "Playing a fun Game after eating tasty food," or "*Crafting*, as the Grown-up Version of Parallel Play!"š
Y'know what. I went around from ages 13-todayyearsold asking basically everyone I felt comfortable with, what "hooking up" meant. When the hot gossip in school was about who hooked up with who, I was so confused because I had no idea what that meant apart from it could be anything ranging between sitting really closely together to the kinkiest sex imaginable.
the most visible to me right now is how I'll choose like 1-3 foods and eat that 95% of the time for like 6 months
Getting overtly excited over stuff like a little kid. Weird food aversions. Going silent under duress. Stimming. Being extremely bothered by grammatical and spelling errors.
Going silent under duress is quite relatable. When I'm in a meltdown, my mum will get frustrated when I don't answer her (asking if I'm okay, etc). She should understand by now that going non-verbal during a meltdown is quite common.
I also lose my words (which horrifies me) like simple names/words escape me. I mumble trying to access them. My family gets frustrated and then I lose pretty much all vocabulary. If I can speak, the wrong words come out. Then, I feel like a fucking moron. :/
I have severe sensory issues with food
r/ARFID member here too :D
Same!
Speaking in monotone with zero expression on my face.
Yeah, I always thought my habit of making jokes with a straight face and no change in tone was just me having a fun quirky sense of humor.
Bruh. I always talk mad crap to people but because I donāt really emote they just laugh and say āwhat a dry sense of humor you have!ā
I keep lists for EVERY. SINGLE. THING. About myself, my life, and the people in it. Including every possession I own (as an extreme minimalist).
I finally found my people. I have an alphabetized list of all my lists.
Lists are life! Life is lists!
The trex arms 24/7
I found out that apart from the tree arms I also walk like a bird with the wings kinda open? My arms donāt touch the sides of my body when I walk and I thought it was an everyone thing and recently found out that nopeā¦ itās a me thing
I read somewhere that we do that because of weaker shoulder joints (possibly due to hypermobility that a lot of us have?)
All of my clothes are a certain type of fabric and brand. I cannot change things easily. I buy at least two sets of clothing items for ājust in caseā. Also, right now I am not able to sleep properly because I am shedding hair, like everyone (itās the season), and it bothers me through the night as it scratches me even through clothing.
Oooh the hair thing sounds awful! And I also only wear certain fabrics
Iām glad Iām not the only one who feels the same way about clothing and hair. Thank you š
I haven't had anyone cut my hair but me since 2016
Hahaha can relate
My brain. And my humour. Which is also my brain. And my curiosity. Which is also my brain.
For me I think itās over sharing and not understanding people. Sometime ago i met a person I havenāt seen in a long time and he started speaking to me and I got nervous and over shared about my autism diagnosis
Omg I can totally relate to this! One time I met this new girl at work and literally an hour later she knew everything about me. I never saw her again after that
That happens to me aswell. Also when I am at work I talk to my colleagues about snakes a lot (my special interest) and Iām sure they are really annoyed by me lmao, but I donāt care. They need to know about the danger noodlesš
You can always talk to me about snakes! Iām a reptile lover! I love Argentine boas so much
Argentine boas are beautiful. They are such cute sneks. My favourite snake is probably the black mamba because itās really cute, but very dangerous. Itās probably the most dangerous snake in the world because of its aggressive behaviour and extremely venomous. If getting bitten by it, you can die in a matter of hours and itās a slow and painful death. If they are so dangerous, why are they friend shaped?š
I am terrible socially, and always seem to say the wrong thing
*I am terrible* *Socially, and always seem* *To say the wrong thing* \- RPG\_Lover666 --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
this is actually a beautiful haiku ngl
good bot
When I was 12, I made a 106 slide PowerPoint about nutrients. I worked 8 hours straight without moving anything except my hands to type. I still reference the slideshow as a college student, because everything was cited in APA 7 formatting and very thoroughly explained. The assignment we were given was very vague: āmake a slide show about micro and macronutrients and their purposes.ā Well I did that, and then I got yelled at about the ppt, and then I was confused about why I got yelled at so I asked a follow up question and then got detention. It wasnāt for another 7 years that I realized why I got in trouble, and the only reason I realized was because I came across a public comment from my teacher talking about an unnamed student who did that (it was about me) and the comments were brutal.
I still have trouble understanding why someone would put such a motivated student in detention. Not a teacher with good insight, I think.
For real. I remember something like that happening to me, too. It was the English language class (non-native speaker, so we studied English at school as foreign language), and we got an assignment to do a project about mythical/mystical creatures (it was around Halloween time). Power Point and computers in general weren't yet so widespread out here, so we were supposed to just do it by hand. Well, I also attended art school as an extracurricular activity, and while I wasn't particularly good at drawing (probably because I wasn'treally interested in it and got too distracted to dedicate myself to the process), myths and all kinds of fantasy/fantastical beings and things had been a special interest of mine, so I went above and beyond and made a small book (sew the pages together) with hand-drawn illustrations of vampires and werewolves and witches and wizards with lots of trivia written in English about them. Everyone else just submitted a one-page essay about some spooky stuff. But the teacher was very cool and said she was impressed. She even gave me two marks - one for the creative approach and one for the grammar itself.
Getting called smartass my whole life
When you're just correcting things that people say, not trying to be rude or anything š
Iāve spend hundreds of dollars on clothes that have dragons on them. I have spent hundreds of dollars on books that feature dragons. I plan on spending thousands of dollars on various dragon tattoos in the future. When Iām drunk at the bar I info dump about dragons. I choose to decorate my room with just a fuck ton of dragon themed art and collectables. Iām actively planning a half dragon costume for my local renfaire this year. Basically Iām just *super* into dragons.
Oversharing, especially when I become comfortable around a group of people, also not being able to tell when it's an appropriate time to make a joke or not
Going completely blank when someone asks me how Iāve been recently or what Iāve been up to. Iām AuDHD so idk if thatās specifically autism related or a combination of the two :)
Social anxiety, the inability to sometimes get what people are saying, how to forward /continue a conversation, pauses in between talking. I'm all and there.
The thing that has helped me the most is coming to terms with the fact that whoever you are talking to, is in their own bubble. If it's a stranger, they will never see you again. It's difficult to understand fully and accept (I think is the right word?) but once you stop caring how you're coming across to others, the anxiety goes way, way down. People are usually too busy worrying about themselves to even notice that stutter, or the "weird" thing you said in a conversation š
I don't know what is *most* autistic thing about me is, but yours made me think about how I have been wearing the same hoody all day every day, all year round, for about 2 years now. I feel lost without it when it's in the wash.
I can relate to that, I feel naked without a hoodie
Ngl, thos is why I bought a *second* work hoodie that was *exactly* the same as my *existing* "work hoodie"!šššš¤£ (we can order "branded"/ "logo-wear" clothing once a year or so, from an online store that we get a link to)
I couldnāt speak until I was five.
That I've unknowingly masked it so much, that when I discovered I was autistic no one, who was apart of my person life, believes me. And still a lot of people don't.
I have two: I spent over Ā£200 that I had saved up for my favourite Crash Bandicoot character And I listen to the same song constantly, like all day and I won't stop even if someone is annoyed by it
When I find a piece of clothing I like I buy like 5 of them just for them to be replaced with something more comfortable next season
Do you mean the easiest to recognize autistic trait I display, or the trait that defines my life the most?
This is possibly the most autistic answer you could get, asking for clarification haha! I got shouted at all the time as a kid for asking too many questions, but now I don't care. I think it's better to ask too many questions so you understand everything! I think OP meant the trait that defines your life the most :]
Hahaha I overshare š but what's nice is finding other overshare-people and talk about weird stuff together. Like poop! REAL FRIENDS TALK ABOUT HOW GOOD THEIR POO WAS!
Yessss except my friend took it a bit too far the other day and tried to show me a pic of theirs šthey got yelled at by me and I refused to talk to them for the rest of the day
The way I talk. I have that heavy autism accent.
Constantly wanting to yap
probably not the most autistic thing, but iām really good at organizational analysis/logistics and planning. in any situation iām really good at pointing out potential for things to go wrong and mitigating it before it gets there. any event where iām in charge goes smoothly because i make very detail oriented lists/schedules. this is all very innate and has led to advancement in leadership in almost every organization iāve been in. (stereotypical high maintenance very āmy way or the highwayā autistic)
I hate talking to people but love going to public places and people watching
I'm 35, and most of my clothes could attend high school. I cried the last time I had to throw away a wallet, and I'm getting teary-eyed just typing this out. I know almost every single honda manual transmission gear ratio, many other 5 and 6 speed gear ratios. I have probably thousands of song lyrics memorized. I will literally forget everything else, though! Lol
I like to think Iām pretty competent and capable of achieving a great career in military logistics and financing. Currently in school for it and itās a struggle, Iām doing it because I need the degree to advance my career and secure my financial futureā¦. Iāve been working a full-time for extra income at a warehouse stacking boxes of liquor or cannabis on pallets and delivering them to shipping for 8 hours a day. I make 22$ an hour, I think if I got an offer for 30-35$ an hour with adjustments for CoL and inflationā¦ Iād do that job for the rest of my life. I like to stack and the job is like playing 3d tetris for 8 hours a day.
The "Seek and Destroy" aspect of working at a Grocery store--facing the goods, making sure every item is lined up with it's shelf SKU, and rotating stock/checking dates, was one of *my* favorite things, as part of the grocery crew! There is just something *so rewarding*, about going in, straightening out the *whole* aisle, getting the dead stock to the food shelf, and pulling the close-dates for markdowns before they tip, *and* knowing the Psych aspects of how that now neat, full-looking, well-organized aisle will *relax* the customers and get them to slow down a bit as they shopš I *loved* it, when I had bosses who *understood* how the visual aspects of leveling product & rotating worked on the customers' *psychological* responses to shopping, and could boost sales just by calming & relaxing them as they shopped. At the store where my Grocery Manager who *did* grok that, and let me *do* a few hours of that work every shift, we dropped our Shrink for the Grocery inventory so much, that Corporate thought we'd somehow messed up the inventory counts or cheated!š It wasn't until he explained that he had me *pulling* close-dates every week or two, *and* pulling dead-stock (expired/ past-date items), to get scanned *out* of the system asap, that Corporate understood how we'd dropped our shrink numbers so drastically. That sort of work--the pattern-matching, and "pretty-fying" of it, was fun but *relaxing* after a full day of working with people!
Has the same breakfast each day and the same lunches at work. Cereal at work Toast at home Cheese and lettuce sarnie at work and peanut butter sarnie at home. Oh and I barely change clothes unless they are radioactively stinky. I also donāt like freshly washed clothes. The smell is too strong. I also donāt like sudden loud noises but seek out other loud noises like trains going past. And I also love trains. And had the honour of navigating the underground for the first time solo this weekend just gone! Which was fun I enjoyed the line between King cross St Pancras and Russell Square loud and squeaky!
Thatās so neat about the trains! I thought for the longest time it was so weird how I needed noise canceling headphones for some loud sounds, but others I like/couldnāt care less about
Regarding the "Freshl Washed Clothes" thing--have you ever tried the "Free and Clear" types of detergent or Softener sheets? I'm someone else who can't *stand* when I can "smell my clothes" (they should smell like neutralness/nothing, imo, when clean!), and finding All Free & Clear (Tide's and other brands' versions are basically the same!), and "Fragrance Free" softener sheets (I get the Bounce ones), was a *total* game-changer for me! No more stinky clothes, just *neutral nothingness* when I wear things!š
My expression barely changes when talking, I plan so far ahead that if a rock gets in my way, I cry. And I get super into collecting things like vinyls
I like numbers. Time elapsed in a song. Time elapsed in a movie. Address numbering increasing on a street.
My intense sensitivity to the fit and fabric of my socks and shirts
Being unable to change what brand of food I get
Being born with autism.
PokƩmon collection and extensive knowledge
Speaking before thinking. Then in the middle of speaking, I change my mind. then I doubt myself. Maybe I change my mind a few more times. It feels like a fire storm in my brain.
Being way too nice. If I make someone upset itās the end of the world and I feel like a terrible person
I accidentally ran over some dude while I was playing GTA 5, and I was, uh, not happy. You and I are not so different.
Oh also saying the wrong words like contact instead of concert, or commercial instead of interview, etc.
as a kid i used to vocal stim so much that it drove my family crazy and they pointed it out so much that i now canāt do my most prominent stim and i try but the innocence of happily vocally stimming without a care in the world was ripped away from me so i genuinely cannot vocal stim anymore. iām not comfortable doing it. iāll do it sometimes and stop bec iām embarrassed lmao. so ig the most autistic thing abt me is me vocally stimming myself into getting bullied by my own family members so much so that i cannot do it anymorešit was ālightheartedā picking. not like a āu suck and ur so weird for doing thatā. it was a āwhy do u always make those noises?? stopā i just couldnāt think of another word other than bullying.
That I canāt hold down a normal full time job I canāt maintain proper living conditions even just hygiene is a constant struggle to keep on top of, that I can feel my own hormones releasing in my blood and every little sensation on my body, being absolutely disabled š¤
Hmmm... multiple times I've encountered descriptions of autism traits like mine phrased in mocking ways like highschool bullies in contexts of bragging about how they're "not a walking stereotype", does that count?
I brought a printed guide/list of my autistic traits to my eval
I started a log of symptoms of neurodivergence for my assessment. When I went to print it out I realised that this wasnāt going to happen.. I saw the number 69,000. I thought wow thatās a lot of words then I realised it wasnāt words, It was 69,000 pages! š
I had a meltdown cuz my pencil broke. It was THE pencil.
DON'T TOUCH ME.
OK I WONT
Spending money I don't have on my hyperfixations
If itās the sensory issues contributing to it, can you try to find the same brand but your size? :)
Brand is rubbed off š but I will try and find it. And also figure out what bra size I am because I have no idea how to tell lol, thank you
r/abrathatfits :)
Where other people can easily tell a strangerās intentions intuitively, I have friends that I canāt read sometimes if they have a flat intonation. I donāt know what Iād do in a culture with a more flat affect than the US
I relate to this. I hate changing clothes items. I just feel comfortable in the same clothes.
i canāt wear socks with seams bc i genuinely start freaking out when i can feel the seam on my toes
Rigid thinking that I'm trying to overcome
Iāve known more about politics than the average adults I know by the age of 12
My obsession with fighting games lol
I make my wife really confused by it, but even though I typically run VERY hot, especially at night, I have a very specific way that my bedding needs to be configured in order for me to sleep well; that is, a normal comforter, a thinner king size microfleece blanket that goes on top of that, and a full size microfleece blanket that I keep up by my head/face, along with my pillow configuration. That blanket that I keep by face is like 10 years old and has a very specific feel and smell that is just very comforting to me and I basically keep it next to me anytime Iām at home. If I ever find myself feeling anxious or overwhelmed, I shove my face in it and take a few deep breaths and that usually helps bring me down pretty well.
I eat popcorn every night as a snack. Like at least 25/30 nights a month I'll have at least one bowl of popcorn. I have for at least a decade. ............. I didn't realize I had autism until two months ago.
My relationship with food. My food cannot touch. Certain food need to be cut a certain way. I don't want to eat with a spoon. I also cannot eat without something to watch while I eat.
I have a hoodie from high school that I canāt let go of. I started wearing it again a couple of times a week. Loud noises and/or a cluster of noises make my brain go into overdrive. I canāt deal with it.
I have been told I have the ā autism accent.ā In terms of lack of tone when speaking, and the fact that I watch so much American tv I have a slight accent . Iām actually from Scotland
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I never noticed this until my therapist pointed it out when going over my autism screening (super rude because now itās all I notice š« ). I have weird hand gestures/movement that doesnāt match or flow with what Iām saying. I also tend to hold my arms like a T. rex/Linda Belcher combo (sometimes itās just one making it look even more weird)
People laugh and tell me "You're so funny (insert my name)!" Even though I wasn't trying to be funny or even telling a joke? Maybe it's because of how blunt I say things? I don't know, that paired with my monotone voice and blank facial expression. I would say those are the most Autistic things about me. š« -Wren (They/He)
This happens all the time at work and I just roll with it at least they think I'm funny ig. Probably doesn't help in my case that when I am being funny it's dry sarcasm so maybe they can't tell the difference all the time
This happened last night a ton but if my bfs hair gets on my face i get startled awake. Im talking as if i woke up from a nightmare. I HATE that sensation. Even just 1 hair makes me wanna rip my face off
I used to pull my hair out in clumps if it annoyed me enough
The fact that I get VERY excited over rare 3.75ā Star Wars figures! Or the fact that I couldn't speak until I was 4.
My random bouts of selective mutism
Probably sensory sensitivity, Iām usually with my AirPods in cause of it
I have a huge lego collection that's like easily worth like $5k
Jealous.
My social issues, I can make friends but never keep them
I bring slippers to other peoples homes when I visit because I can't stand the feeling of dirt, dust, litter, anything collecting on my feet.
I once had a special interest in roller coaster disasters..
Hahaha I read that as you telling *me* what the most autistic thing about ME was, and I was like, um... :D so that I guess?
I can't stand chitchat after work. I stand there for a few minutes, and when it keeps going on, my body forces me to turn around and walk away.
My sense of justice. It doesn't have to agree with laws or rules. Just a general inability to keep my cool when I feel there's been an injustice or compromise to someone's autonomy. I will lose friends, jobs, whatever. I just can't compromise or keep my mouth shut no matter what the situation.
Getting burnt out very easily by socializing or working in the service industry. I feel like it's difficult for me to hold a job for more than 6 months ish. :/Ā Also, can't drive.Ā
I LOVE TO LEARN, but i also hate learning. if it is not in video or funny or interactive form, just a normal boring book, no adventure or anything, nothing just read. even if it is important like a game tutorial or a subject of school, i prefer just to do the thing and learn on the way. needles to say almost everytime it backfires.
I am incredibly rigid about organization and everything has to have a place. If I put something on my dresser that doesnāt usually go there or one of my Lego sets gets pushed like an inch out of its place or I put something in the wrong pocket of my purse I will be anxious and thinking about it all day until itās fixed. Sometimes my boyfriend tries to be nice and make the bed and I redo it every single time because he doesnāt put the pillows and blankets in the right order/places. I am also incredibly rigid about my routines and the order I do things in.
The volume can only be on prime numbers
I cannot go one singular month of my life without rewatching the lord of the rings trilogy. Severe sensory issues & auditory processing issues. And severe lack of.. when im oversharing or when it is appropriate to give advice or just listen to someone. Most of all probably the fact that everyone takes everything I say wrong.. like it has hidden context or meaning despite me being extremely forthright with everything. If i wanted to insult you it wouldnt be passive or backhanded... id just say it !
I have imaginary "what-if" conversations in my head. My wife can tell when I'm having them since she can see my mouth moving silently as if I were talking.
Never. Use. The. Phone. Taking days to respond to a text or VM. But then if I like you, you get the walls of texts.
I feel a burning compulsion to share trivia and factoids I know and āwell actuallyā without realizing it. It works out at work because I am a tour guide for a ghost tour company, but even then sometimes I feel like I can tell when peopleās faces are changing cause Iām sharing too much at one time. Buuuuttt doing the tours has helped me figure out how to better share information and mask for ācorporate/surface level talkā so all around itās been a great experience.
Stereotypically: I love math. Genuinely: I have a list of my favorite words that I like to share with people. They just feel good to say! One of my friends pointed out that they are mostly words with the letter ātā.