Adults On The Autism Spectrum

Teresa ,dearie got my mayo hospital campus wrong she is in the Jackson Florida campus of mayo .I have always forget there are other mayo hospital; campus I have always linked mayo with the north .please she also is going home in the morning g back to northern Florida and awaiting results no point hanging in a bed for results .thank you for your kind ness acre and consideration and if you can contact the volunteer service in the north and apologies from me I would be very grateful

@sirgalahad You're living up to your screen name, and being such a gem of a friend to care about this mother and don't! I hope they are able to get some useful answers to their concerns.
Ginger

Oooh, that was supposed to read mother and son. Danged auto correct.

My dear@sirgalahad, you are the epitome of your screen name. You honor me with your friendship and inspire me to keep on keeping on. TTYL
Mamacita

This site does not encourage the use of functioning levels. We are a neurodiverse group of people who have certain sensitivities, such as over the top hearing, sense of smell, "picky" tastes in foods, skin that recoils at the slightest touch of a clothing tag. We are extremely empathetic people, we cry, we bleed, just like Neurotypical people. We tend to think outside of the box. If you are searching for an answer, and you need help, we will do our very best to help you. I personally refer to myself as Autistic. However. when I am talking to people on the street, I feel it makes them more comfortable if I refer to myself and others as having sensory issues. Just a thought. How about you?
Mamacita

@mamacita That is a very insightful post. Thank you. I do not feel I have to label myself, nor explain myself to others. For way too many years I put up with situations that made me feel extremely uncomfortable, but never said anything. These days I try to honor myself and extricate or minimize exposure to discomfort, and don't apologize for it. If others don't like it, that's their problem. It seems like truly empathetic people aren't going to badger you for information. And, I find myself being more attuned to/recognizing other Aspies.
Ginger

@mamacita and @gingerw

That is an interesting perspective, you have both learned how to be comfortable with yourselves.

Yez, yez, and yes, @gingerw. I cringe inside whenever someone says, "Oh, he's a little bit Autistic." What they don't understand is, it's not a disease or condition, or a state of being "damaged goods."

It is a differently wired brain, just like there are PC's and Macs. If an adult or a child suffers severe pain and anguish, it is because we have not figured out which sensitivities are giving them trouble and aporopriate solutions for accommodating their specific needs. To further complicate matters, those who have learned to successfully "mask" throughout their lives are fortunate in that they learned early on to mimc Neurotypical behavior. This takes an enormous amount of energy to do.

I watched tv and read voraciously to try to fit in. But as it has been said so many times before, "Why try to fit in when you were born to stand out?"

My entire family is super "sensitive." Some of us have outed ourselves as being on the Spectrum, when some of our Grands, nieces, and nephews were diagnosed.

As they say, the truth really does make you free. Whether you comment, initiate a conversation, or just scroll through this site, please know that you are so welcome here. This is a no judgement zone. This is a safe place. Grab a cup of coffee tomorrow morning and let's talk!

@mamacita My father always told me I was "different", but never said how. I did not have any support system from my family growing up, but recall a friend of my mother who took me under her wing, and supported me. That made my mother furious. And one teacher in high school who "saw" the real me, and tried to help as he could.

Yes, to all who would sit on the sideline, nod your head in agreement, or read comments with tears in your eyes as you recognize yourself or a loved one, know that this is a safe place to express yourself. Here's to our commonality, in all the various forms!
Ginger

Hello my cyber friends on the Spectrum. I think I'm probably a neurotypical but just not typical. Kind of hard for me to explain also. I like being with friends but I really don't like big crowds. If I had to describe myself, I would say I am an extrovert living inside of an introverts body, if that is possible. Anyway, I subscribe to Netflix and just noticed a show called Atypical which is about a teen on the autism spectrum. There are 2 seasons available so it's been around awhile. I'm just wondering if anyone has seen it and if it's a good representation of being on the autism spectrum.

Just following your posts has been quite an education for me and I thank each of you for raising the awareness and contributing to this dialogue.

John