AutisticAli

It's the simple things ... 😅🤣🙈

It's sometimes the simple things that can be so entertaining 😅 #haircut #autism #neurodivergent #itsthesimplethings #autismandhaircuts #simpleentertainment #simpleamusements #overthetopreactions #overthetop #lovemyhair #hairtrim #enjoyhaircuts #againststereotypes #shorthair #excited #random #randomexcitement

Just going live to say thanks to everyone who tuned in to support me and One blog at a time . We had technical issues, so we ended up doing our live over on Instagram tonight, but I wanted to come back on here for a few minutes to say thank you to you all 👍. I'm going to try another solo Facebook Live another time (possibly with the husband), so keep a look out!

When the husband COVID: the struggle to relax

When the husband has COVID: the struggle to relax I've not been as active in uploading this past week, but why? All my energy has been concentrated on dodging the enemy: COVID. So, how have I been feeling? ❌ Constantly on edge about the location of COVID germs within my house. ❌ Distrusting - germs could be anywhere in the house - I don't trust anything. ❌ Frightened of getting unwell and frightened of the husband getting very ill. ❌ Anxious - non stop worrying about the situation. ❌ Unable to relax - Feel like my home has been infected and nothing is safe. ❌ Exhausted - worrying and being on constant high alert is draining (worrying for my husband's health and wellbeing and also for protecting myself too!) ❌ Obsessive - refusal to touch anything and also getting into bad obsessive habits with my hand washing and cleaning. I've been a bit over the top. ❌ Fed up. Needed to take daily COVID tests because of my job, and I cannot stand the sensory side! ❌ Guilty at my worries - I'm not the one that's unwell or testing positive, so I shouldn't be complaining. ❌ Constant daily worry I'll show symptoms, or test positive. How have I improved my mental well-being during this time to help me cope? ✅ Maintained contact with my husband virtually through regular video calls (yes, despite being in the same house!). ✅ Clean regularly. ✅ Focus on what I can control- eg my own personal hygiene (not touching my face and regular hand washing). ✅ Making banter and light hearted banter. ✅ Testing myself daily before leaving the house. ✅ Keeping distance from my husband. ✅ Wearing a face covering even though I cannot stand them! ✅ The husband has offered to constantly wear a face covering around the house (except when sleeping). ✅ Avoided sharing anything and sleeping in seperate parts of the house. ✅ Ventilating the house. ✅ Using streaming services to watch films together instead of sitting in the same room. Although it's been a t

When COVID strikes...

When COVID arrives in your house & you are frightened of catching it... What do you do...? Sanitise! 😅🙈. #humour #autistichumour #sanitise #covidprevention #germs #phobiaofgerms #autism #thinkdifferently #thinkoutsidethebox #staysafe #lifeonthespectrum #ifyoudontlaughyoullcry #neurodiverse #neurodivergent #autisticandproud #covidhouse #husbandhascovid #frightenedofcovid #perspectiveiseverything #perspective #ChallengeYourPerspective #challengeyourmindset #positivemindset #fingerscrossed #wevegotthis #isolation #isolate #besensible #doyourbit

Autism & unexpected free time

Autism & unexpected free time So, how do I find it? ✅ Exciting & adventurous! ❌ Boring and frustrating. ✅ Over stimulated with attempts to be productive (but often doesn't work). ❌ Need time to process the new situation. ✅ Encourages me to rest or keep busy (situational). ❌ Overwhelming/Overloading. ✅ When I acquire free time, if it doesn't cross over between "professional" and "personal" time I can adapt really easy, as my boundaries feel clear. Eg if there is a work cancellation but I am able to replace it with more work ..the adapting is easy as I'm still in a work mindset and my brain doesn't have to flick between the two aspects of my life (work & personal). ❌ But if I was meant to be working and I suddenly have free time that becomes "personal" time, I can feel lost with myself. This very much depends on if my husband is available to do something with me. If he isn't available I feel more frustrated. Coming up with a plan B is harder for me when I'm left to my own devices. I try not to prempt or plan for these times too much, because that would make me feel more rigid and less adaptable to change overall. It is important for me to maintain flexibility, even if i feel thrown. Overall I try my best to maintain a positive attitude, be patient and kind to myself while I come up with a backup plan. #autisticbrain #autism #autistic #neurodivergent #neurodiverse #mentalhealthisimportant #lifeonthespectrum #adaptingtochange #perspectiveiseverything #perspective #autismandfreetime #beflexible #wevegotthis #candoattitude #autosmcando #actuallyautistic #bepatientwithyourself #beyourself #itsokaytobeyou

Autism & Driving:

Autism & Driving: How do I find it? ✅ Very enjoyable. ✅ Mood regulating. ✅ Keeps me focused. ✅ Love the independence! ✅ My car is a safe space for me. ✅ I enjoy the fact I don't need to give occupants in my car any eye contact! ✅ It is a more controllable environment than public transport (the internal aspects of the vehicle, eg I can control the occupants and the internal controls). ✅ I love the control - I am able to control the vehicle. ✅ I get into the mindset of "expecting the unexpected" which means I am better mentally equipped to handle other road users unpredictability. ✅ It is a rare activity where I feel completely calm and don't let any worries overwhelm me. This is because I'm focused on driving and keeping safe. Many of these skills of focusing on things can be transferred to other aspects of my life, but much easier said than done! When I am driving I feel completely at one with the car and feel very calm (even when the traffic conditions aren't calm 😅). Of course, driving isn't for everyone, but usually I find having an activity that positively impacts my mental well-being really contributes to my overall mood. I often feel more relaxed at my destination after a period of driving. **Disclaimer: I asked the husband to film me, to ensure I was following driving rules and to also make sure I was not distracted** #autismanddriving #autism #autistic #lifeonthespectrum #neurodivergent #moodregulatingactivity #beyourself #avoideyecontact #waystobesociable #waystobeme #embracedifferences #differentperspective #thinkdifferently

Autism & unfamiliar situations: focusing on the familiar

Autism & unfamiliar situations: focusing on the familiar I often embrace new things (mood dependent though). So, how do I do it? ✅ Take time to plan ahead, is there anything I can prepare ahead of time to help me? ✅ Focus on something that is familiar, eg my clothes or the people that I am with. ✅ Take time to acknowledge any feelings of discomfort. ✅ Allocate time to process things at my own pace after the situation. For me, this might be time in my car (when it's not so warm!). ✅ I try to take breaks if they're needed. ✅ I don't force myself to completely mask, if I feel being quiet will help me process the situation then I will be quiet. Too often there's pressure to conform and be chatty alot. ✅ Do these new things with familiar people. ✅ Mix with like minded people. Although these are all positives, there are times when I find it hard to tolerate new things. During these times I try to: ✅ Accept it's okay to say no - or turn down something (but that is sooo hard!). ✅ Slow down. Getting to this point took alot of time, patience and practice and allowing myself times to drop the mask and be me. If I didn't allocate times to drop the mask I would have a huge mental crash at the end of the day. #autism #autistic #neurodivergent #autismandunfamiliarity #focusonthefamiliar #wevegotthis #lifeonthespectrum #copingwithnewness #embracenewthings #timetodropthemask #needasafespace #mentalhealthmatters #proudtobedifferent #peoudtobeautistic #bepatientwithyourself #takestime

Autism & Injections: Dealing with a needle phobia Earlier this year I was diagnosed with a B12 deficiency. The treatment for my specific needs/low B12 levels...? ⭐6 Jabs across 2 weeks 😱. ⭐Then 1 jab every 3 months for the rest of my life! For someone with a huge needle phobia, this was really not great news at all. However, now I have an autism diagnosis I am better positioned to understand myself and put strategies in place. So, what do I do that helps me? ✅ Talk about my worries, acknowledgment minimises the risk of meltdown, even if it sounds repetitive. ✅ Take my husband with me. I would struggle to go alone. ✅ Write a list to show the nurse/doctor of my needs. ✅ Verbally articulate preferences when I arrive. Ask them to always explain what they're doing. ✅ Ask if we can expose myself to the needle in stages whereby I always feel in control. ✅ Ask for processing time when I enter the room. ✅ Ask to remove my face covering to avoid over stimulation. ✅ Play music (it soothes me loads). ✅ Take a fidget toy. ✅ Wear purple clothing (I am obsessed with purple and it calms me down!). ✅ Ask for window blinds to be opened to help me feel like the room is light and airy. ✅ Ask permission to film & document my progress. ✅ Have a reward afterwards - usually cake and tea or a trip to a coffee shop. ✅ Have some down time in my own space for a short while afterwards. ✅ Permission to be moppy- I enjoy cuddling a blanket on the sofa while watching TV. I take away pressures to conform. ✅ Edit the film with my inner thoughts and share with my husband so he can better understand me. Video: Here you can see my first 4 jabs and the huge progress I made, how much braver I got each time. I have edited this so you can understand my inner thoughts. #autism #autistic #neurodivergent #b12deficiency #autismandb12deficiency #injectionphobia #autismandinjectionphobia #autismandphobias #wevegotthis #lifeonthespectrum #scaredofneedles #auti

Voiceless & Trapped

Voiceless & Trapped (Written & read by me). A poem that captures my experiences of masking & autism. #autism #autistic #autisticpoem #masking #lifeonthespectrum #autisticcommunity #bekind #wevegotthis #mentalhealthmatters #innervoice #neurodivergentandproud #neurodivergent #autisticandproud #autisticandinspired #autisticconversation #autisticcontentcreators #becreative #capturethemoment #poetry #powerofpoetry #poem #beyourself #maskoffmonday #dropthemask #autisticmasking #voiceless

Autism & The Gym: A Tiring Experience

Autism & The Gym: A Tiring Experience It was my first time back in the gym (being trained by a friend) since before COVID. How did I find it? ✅ Motivating & Inspiring. ❌ Lots of newness (the gym, friend training me, new approaches etc). ✅ Fun. ❌ Anxious about DOMs (muscle aches the day after!). ✅ Enjoyed working towards goals. ❌ Struggle with sensations of muscles pulling. ✅ Time with a friend! For me, the gym is a very energy consuming experience, whereby I am often exhausted afterwards. However, I focus on my personal motivations for doing the gym and this keeps me going. This makes the elements I don't like, worth it! I very much have a constant fear of injury using equipment, so it is good to have guidance to ensure I am doing things correctly. #conquergoals #autistic #autism #autismandthegym #fitnessgoals #pttraining #workout #neurodivergentandproud #neurodivergent #lifeonthespectrum #lifegoals #beinspired #positivemindset #gymmotivation #autismandmotivation #autismandthegym #candoattitude #challengeyourmindset #ivegotthis #wevegotthis

Autism & Transitions: End of a Holiday How do I find it? ✅ Looking forward to going home. ❌ Feel uneasy about my new routine changing (even though it was only ever temporary). ✅ Good memories. ❌ Sadness that the good moments are over now. ✅ A chance to reflect, it makes me smile. ❌ Need to return back to "reality" and deal with things again - eg post, bills, chores & other "grown up" stuff. This feels pressuring after escaping from it (and breaking the routine from dealing with these things too!). When I leave a holiday, I feel a mix of contrasting emotions, eg: excited vs sad - because I'm excited to be going home, but sad it is over. This conflicting information/emotions usually means I need more down time and can be a bit quiet while I readjust to being back home. How I deal with it is very mood dependent - sometimes I benefit from keeping myself busy the next day, and others I just need to switch off from everything. Each scenario is unique, so I have to respond to each come down individually too. #holidaycomedown #autismandtransition #autismandholiday #autistic #autism #lifeonthespectrum #autisticholiday #neurodivergent #transition #endofaholiday #hometime #autismcando #wevegotthis

Autism & unfamiliar shops

Autism & unfamiliar shops How do I find this? ❌ Alot of information to process. ✅ An adventure! ❌ Tiring. ✅ Stimulating. ❌ Overwhelming (in the wrong mood). ✅ Interesting (when it's quiet). ❌ Full of germs. When I'm not tired I love exploring new places. When I have the energy I can cope with a new shop (mostly) because in my head I connect familiar things and use this as my base line to navigate myself around a new shop. However, when I'm tired this newness drains the rest of my energy. So in those situations I prefer to stick to familiar places when I'm tired (if it's possible). Here I was on holiday, so I was limited on choice of where to go (any shop was going to be unfamiliar). Whilst I could of sent my husband in the shop - I like to try and lend a hand when I can manage, and here I only needed to buy one item (although I ended up with 3!). Given a balance of processing time and speed, so I'm not hanging about... (but not exposing myself for too long either) I am able to cope with these situations better over time as a result of short exposures over the years (on my terms). #autismcando #candoattitude #autism #autistic #autismandshops #preventingoverload #autismandmentalhealth #autismandunfamiliarity #allaboutbalance #lifeonthespectrum #dropthemask #autisticinsights #wevegothis

Autism & Achievements

Autism & Achievements: When I do well, how do I react? It can vary amongst the following: ✅ Over the top happy/excited. ❌ Barely any reaction atall, and to anyone who doesn't really know me I can externally seem "not bothered", but internally I often feel very happy. ✅ Stim (often more privately). ❌ Focus on other things to cope with the attention. Not always a fan of the attention (it's mood dependent). ✅ Constantly talk about my achievement to anyone who will listen, but this can appear quite repetitive to some. ❌ Sadness, worry and anxiety... especially if the achievement involves a change, transition or ending. As you can see my reactions can be 50/50! Or no external reaction at all! This doesn't mean I'm not proud of myself, it perhaps just means I need processing time. In this video I was initially excited at the final submission of my MA dissertation after lots of hard work & hyperfocus. After the initial over the top responses, which were caught on camera... I became unresponsive to everyone's excitement at my achievement of finishing. Why? Because I enjoyed working on my dissertation so much that I was struggling to accept I would no longer be a student. Everyone else was focusing on what I had achieved, but I was thinking about the ending and transition. This thought process tires me out easily. #autistic #autism #autisticstudent #autisticgraduate #autismcandothis #wevegotthis #autisticachievements #autismadvocate #proudtobeautistic #DropTheMask #honestautism

Autism: A day in the life of sensory discomforts.

Autism: A day in the life of sensory discomforts. Some days I can tolerate a build up of sensory issues, and other times I find it overloading. Regardless of how well I cope, it still tires me out the next day, as I use alot of energy processing, tolerating and 'seeming' to cope. My internal thought processes are often very different to what I'm showing externally, as I mask most of the time. Ways I cope with my sensory discomforts: ✅ Humorise them (on my terms). ✅ Find an alternative & pleasant sense to focus on that I enjoy (eg sounds of the sea rather than the sand). ✅ Understand why I'm doing something (eg applying suncream will prevent me getting burnt). ✅ Focus on positives (eg I'm getting a nice day out). ✅ Acknowledge my struggles (dismissing them will only negatively impact me at a later point). ✅ Plan some down time in a safe space. An environment where I can be me. ✅ Identify solutions to ease discomfort (eg sunglasses for brightness). #autistic #autism #autismandsensory #autismandsensoryissues #sensoryissues #hatesand #autosmandsand #autismandsunscream #autismandbrightness #autismandsensorydiscomfort #wevegotthis #autismandpositivevibes

Autism & New Experiences

Autism & New Experiences How do I find it? ✅ Exciting ❌ Very tiring ✅ Stimulating ❌ Need social recovery time ✅ Interesting Here I experienced lots of new situatuons in a very short space of time, completely in new places. I attended a 4DX cinema experience (permission was given to film a small section), an unfamiliar Pizza Hut and also was exploring an unfamiliar town. Whilst I appear to cope amazingly throughout the experience, my internal thoughts are trying to make sense of the new information in front of me. Afterwards (both initially and the next day) I often feel exhausted, so prefer to surround myself with a more familiar environment, routine or just simply give myself permission to "appear" a bit more lazy. Overall I wouldn't change my experiences, as I love exploring and I love new experiences - but self care around these experiences is key to me coping well and enjoying myself. #newexperiences #autismandnew #proudtobeautisitic #stimulating #AutismCoping #lovenewsituatuons #autismcando #wevegotthis #DropTheMask #autismandbeingtired #autismhangover #autismbanter #autismandmarriage #letsbeme #socialrecoverytime

Autistic Stimming & special interest.

Autistic Stimming & special interest. What stimming can express for me; ✅ Excitement & Happiness ✅ Positivity ✅ A "stand out" experience Alternative stims for me can also express: ❌ Anxiety ❌ Nerves ❌ Worry Here I captured myself stimming after watching two of my favourite autism content creators; The Aspie World and Purple Ella on a joint Instagram live. Autism is one of my special interests and I couldn't be happier, especially when I was invited to join the live at the end! 😁. Glad I've made the decision to join the content creator community in getting my experiences out there, it is certainly proving to be very exciting 👏. #autismcontentcreator #autisticstimming #lovestimming #lovewhoyouare #bepositiveaboitautism #awesomautism #specialinterest #positiveaboutautism #candoautism #stimmy #feelingstimmy #maskoffmonday #dropthemask

Unexpected situations & impulsivity: The inner voice.

Unexpected situations & impulsivity: The inner voice. Unexpected situations (like going into a shop unprepared) can cause me to impulsively buy something as a reward. However, I have learnt healthier coping strategies. This isn't to say treats/rewards are a bad idea - but I like to monitor the quantity. I also work with people with disabilities for my job and can easily adapt and walk into a shop without any fuss. Why? Because I'm so distracted and positively hyperfocused on ensuring the person I am supporting is okay. Often, my great attention to detail helps ensure the person I am helping is coping to the best of their ability and minimises distress. These experiences have taught me to use the following approaches to help make shopping easier for both myself and others; 1. Have a "Now, then next" plan. 2. Have a reward for afterwards. It doesn't have to cost money or be unhealthy, it could be something simple like playing a game, or watching a favourite film. 3. Aim to go shopping during quieter times (where possible). 4. Focus on positives (however small). 5. Prepare what is needed prior to going in, try and stay to task. 6. Don't be afraid to slow down when required, or take a break -is there a quieter place to stand? 7. Use truth statements with a "can do" attitude. This is a simple statement that focuses on positives - eg "I've got this". 8. Make sure the next task is calmer (where possible). Down time is important afterwards in a safe space. 9. Long list - if it's feeling too tedious would it be better to return another time? Prioritise the important things remaining on the list for now. Accept it's okay not to complete the list now. 10. Be creative with formulating own accomodations. For example, while undertaking shopping it is also possible to; listen to music, wear ear plugs/defenders, have a video playing on the phone, take a fidget toy, wear a particular item of clothing...etc. Creativity has enabled me to make what was once an overwhelming exp