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5 Things Autistic Adults Think Are “Normal” But Actually Aren’t

Auticate with Chris & Debby

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Have you gone through life thinking the way you do things is "normal"...only to learn that no, not everyone does that? That's really common, especially for late diagnosed, high-masking autistics. Here are 5 examples - see which ones you have experienced.

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🎙️ What would you add to this list? Which of these resonated with you? Drop your thoughts in the comments ⤵️ to help us all learn what autism can look like in real life for autistic adults and help more people better understand the autistic experience, beyond the diagnostic criteria.

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🎥 WATCH MORE:
1. Why Autistic ADHDers Might Struggle Socially: Why High-Masking Autistics with ADHD Might...
2. ADHD vs. Autism: Autism vs ADHD: 5 Key Differences Explained
3. Autism in Women: How To Spot Autism in High-Masking Women a...
4. 5 Signs It's Both: 5 Signs You’re A High-Masking Autistic Wit...
5. Overlooked Signs: 5 Overlooked Signs of Autism
6. 10 Clues: 10 Clues You Might Be a High-Masking Autistic
7. 30 Signs You're Masking Autism: 30 Signs You're Masking Autism
8. How to Unmask: Unmasking Autism as a High-Masking Autistic

📚 LEARN MORE
1. Autistic Survival Guide to Therapy (Steph Jones): https://amzn.to/3v3Axyr
2. AuDHD: When autism and ADHD co-occur: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/arti...
3. Understanding AuDHD: https://www.additudemag.com/adult-aut...
4. ADHD and autism (Autistica): https://www.autistica.org.uk/what-is-...

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⏰ TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
0:52 Preplanning
2:12 Social Recovery
3:34 Things in the "Background"
5:15 Overwhelm from "Small" Tasks
6:45 Frequent - and misunderstood - difference
8:21 So what IS normal?

#autistic #autism #masking #mentalhealth #autismawareness #ASD #actuallyautistic #unmasking #autismsupport #adhdandautism #livingwithautism #neurodivergent #AuDHD #autismdiagnosis #audhder #autisticlife #latediagnosedautistic #mentalhealthjourney #mentalhealthawareness #understandingautism #autismadvocate #autismadvocacy #autismacceptance #neurodiversity #autistictraits #autismtips #autismsigns #signsofautism #adhdautistic

20 Comments

@Auticate Creator 1 year ago Pinned

✨ What would you add to this list? Share your thoughts and experiences ⤵ and stay tuned because we have more on the way on this topic!

➡ Learn about your sensory profile: https://chrisanddebby.mykajabi.com/pl/2148672019
🎥 from "Why Autistic Sensory Experiences Aren't What You Think" - https://youtu.be/yyziesUYVbs

@chriskei76 1 year ago

I need to recover from social situations that didn‘t even happen

@Raumpilot 1 year ago

"Translating my thoughts into acceptable words" is the biggest struggle of my life

@survivaloptions4999 6 months ago

When I was in kindergarten a teacher was doing some kind of assessment. She asked me what rhymed with "rabbit". I said "babbit". I replayed that conversation forever. "Why didn't I say 'habit"? 'Babbit" isn't even a word!" Then a couple of decades ago I found out what a "babbitt" is, and was tremendously relieved that it really was a word. Then I realized that the teacher was probably not a metallurgy expert and probably went to her grave thinking I was an idiot. The fact that she was just trying to determine if I understood what "rhyme" meant was irrelevant. I am convinced that bad assessment followed me, invisibly, for my entire life and somehow everyone knew and it ruined my chances of success and happiness.

I'm 56.

@ann-mariemeyers9978 1 year ago

After a conversation, I spend a couple of hours thinking,, "I shouldn't have said that. I shouldn't have said THAT."

@Pseudowolf 1 year ago

Man the part about hearing "background sounds" is so true for me. I've had people get upset with me for eavesdropping on their conversation and I was like "how could I NOT hear you talking?"

@Hellbilly76 2 months ago

The almost constant replaying of old conversations and rehearsing of possible future conversations that might not ever take place hits pretty hard....
I was sure everyone did that. Aside from the constant sound track and a separate inner monolog; that is the bulk of what is taking up processing time In my brain...
This just kinda confirms some of the things...

@TheTrumanZoo 1 year ago

Being overwhelmd by choices shuts me down completely doing nothing in the end.

@JaysTVRN 1 year ago

I’ve never heard someone verbalize getting stuck on the transitions associated with showering before this point. Hate entering, hate initial water contact, hate having to turn water off, hate the air getting cold as the water is off, and hate the cold air hitting my skin as I exit the shower. I don’t let it stop me now as I’ve learned to just eat the psychic damage.

@yesiamanerd2040 7 months ago

As a 59 year old Autistic, my loss of hearing has really made life better.

@DerTomatenbandit 1 year ago

Most of the time during a conversation, I’m thinking about how often I should make eye contact and how long it should last, instead of actually understanding what’s being said.

@foccalabindella2 1 year ago

And then hours pass , stress gets louder , until , the window where you could call the doctor for the appointment is over , you feel relieved and everything is cool again .. but then you realize : oh shoot.. im procrastinating again ... aaaAAAAAHHHHHH!!

@jellomiki 8 months ago

I was raised by my mother and sisters who are all also autistic. Then mom met her neurotypical love, and man was that a weird experience, the man can meet up people all day long and still have energy to cook and do shit in the evening!

@natanoj16 1 year ago

I remember a young student I was talking to often and I started to notice a lot of patterns in her eyemovement and body language. One day when we started talking I told her something like "You really dont have to think about eye contact with me if you dont want to" and after a few moments she just stopped that + her body language visibly changed (to me). It made me so happy that she felt safe enough to actually listen to me.

@llDarkPheonixll 1 year ago

The social fatigue is so real.

@Mirbow 11 days ago

So true! Sometimes I dread going to restaurants because I literally can’t hear what’s being said at my table — although I can hear conversations at every other table! It all becomes a big flat hairball of noise that I can’t tease apart.

@aliceinclockworks 11 months ago

Fazes of autistic shower grieve:
1) I don't want to take shower! I'm comfy in my onesie! Water is wet! /_\
2) I'm wet and in the shower, it's hot and...fine?
3) ...I don't want to get out, I'm warm here, and it smells good!
4) I'm out of the shower. I'm wet! I'm cold! >.< ...and...clean?
5) I like clean. Now I need rest.

(proceeds to cocoon into burrito of blankets)

@telelubbie8047 1 year ago

Being honest and direct with people.

I often encounter people who "want to spare my feelings" by not talking or mentioning things or simply not be honest about it.
But in that process, i feel deceived and lied to. So the "thing" that they want to prevent, they actually doing it to me even worse.

@onimoyosore-t5m 10 days ago

If normal daily responsibilities sometimes feel unbelievably overwhelming, Anwen Reid’s anxiety quiz may help you understand why. It’s quick, free and surprisingly detailed.