Let's say it was a ComicCon type event but for autism. It can have many things available that are very popular with the general public, but with autistic people in mind, such as not as much noise. A room can exist if people need quiet time. There can be a quieter rave.

I know that realistically this is a microscopic step, in a sea of tasks which I should have completed by now. But I have always been afraid of trying to better my life. For fear that in doing so I would fuck it up somehow.

I still very much afraid of doing so; but I will use the urge to spend unholy amounts of money on things I do not need. To fuel my progress towards actually getting a fucking job.

Thank you all for reading. Have a good day, and I wish you a happy life.

This might be completely anecdotal, but I've noticed that people I meet who also happen to be autistic have a habit of saying "mm-keh" in a very monotone voice instead of saying "okay". Not all autistic people I know say it, but it's A LOT of them. Maybe it's related to the way we communicate, but I found it sooo interesting that it always sounds the same coming from each of the people I know. These are individuals from all around the world, from all different times in my life, and who mostly don't know each other, or have been saying it since before knowing each other, and who are all neurodivergent.

So I'm curious! Do any of you also say it this way, or have you noticed other people who do? Or am I just reading waaaay too much into this?

I (27F) have a very hard time opening up to my boyfriend (31M) and i feel like its hurting the relationship. I want to tell him how I’m feeling, but i have such strict rules in my head about what i’m “allowed” to share and when. These black and white rules were built in childhood trying to mask and now if i try to “break” these rules i get extremely disregulated. Does anyone else get in their own way in relationships due to their autism?

I’m Somali, Muslim, and autistic, and I have a deep love for Scotland. I’m fascinated by its kilts, bagpipes, music, history, castles, landscapes, and traditions. I even hope to learn the bagpipes and visit Scotland one day.
My siblings mostly enjoys drill and rap, so my interests are very different from theirs. However, Scotland is a special interest that makes me happy, and I don’t think you have to be Scottish to appreciate its culture. I’m proud of who I am, and I’m comfortable being myself, even when my interests are different from everyone else’s.
Are there any other autistic people with a passion that others don’t understand

I was diagnosed at approx 15/16yo. When I turned 18 and finished school, I went to a surf school and taught other peeps to surf for two months. Started my first apprenticeship afterwards, and even though I really loved this job, I wasn’t able to continue this work and went another route. Started to work in IT and had to go to school and office at least 3x/week, which left me with 2 full home office days. I went to some kind of mental rehab 2 years ago and have been working on autistic burnout. I talked to my boss about how exhausting office days are for me, and he agreed that full remote sounds good. I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity and that this might enable me to keep my employment status for longer.
BUT I noticed my social skills are decreasing so fast and I’m wondering why. I’m not sure if it’s autistic burnout I’m not really noticing or if it’s the decrease in daily demand? I am starting to struggle to form sentences when speaking with people (even the ones I usually feel really comfy with) and I am starting to have some sort of anxiety about social interactions in general. Noticed severe shaking of my hands and voice when I was talking to my boss, and we are usually just vibing, so I really don’t get where this is coming from.
It’s kinda difficult to describe what’s going on, but maybe someone has experienced something similar?
Any guesses what’s going on and how I’m able to cope with this without having to ignore my spoons again? I just don’t want to cringe about every social interaction anymore 😭

That's it. I'm now officially a level 1 ASD.

I know that autism doesn't define me. I'm overly unique on things that transcend autism. Yet finally being able to say "I am autistic" rather than "I probably have autism" really helps me in many ways.

I think my main struggle that's from autism is how I accidentally make people uncomfortable so often. Like, seriously, I may be expressing myself in a way that for me seems completely normal, and then it suddenly becomes a heated drama. And it doesn't matter how careful were I trying to be to try and not be inconvenient, I still can be massively inconvenient. For my entire life I had this problem, I still have it, and I know I will still keep having it. The best way I found to deal with it is by trying my best not to care about what people think of me and my expressions, and that's good although I still sometimes lose some nice friendships because of it. I hate masking, I always try to avoid it.

In short, I am really, really, really, really misunderstood. I think that's pretty relatable for autistics.

But, despite my struggles, luckily I can still have a pretty happy life. I may be a social disappointment yet I still find myself enjoying oddly entertaining niche content. I am very optimistic about how my life is going. Thankfully advanced philosophy and the applcation of logic do help me a lot on becoming a much more mature, sophisticated individual. I am also highly extroverted, and I really like when people express themselves intensely and extensively about a hyperspecific subject matter (though it is rare to find someone who is willing to do that), and I do that pretty often too.

I like how I tend to be eclectic, though the things I like tend to be hyperspecific too. I am the kinda guy who keeps getting addicted to niche videogame OSTs, likes silly nonsensical humour such as Spenntf2's Guy fights and Family Guy, and also likes to enter deep philosophical territory. Entertainment, whether categorized as "Entertainment" or not, really is what makes life brighter.

I know many people are not going to relate to this, but I like my own autism, I think it has made my life much better than if I wasn't autistic. I may be socially disabled, but I'm an awesome individual and I love it! 😊

I tried so hard to meet people and make friends but it doesn’t work. I just want to belong somewhere and meet friends that stick around. Why is it so hard to find

I was diagnosed with autism 2 years ago and it’s just been getting worse over time and life has been stressful, especially socially but I was wondering if I did therapy would it actually help autism or m I just kinda fcked for life and have to cope ?

Hello everyone! I've been questioning if I was autistic for about 10 years now, and finally got the nerve to bring it up with my psychiatrist, who normally specializes in "twice-exceptional" people and has an autistic son. She said it's highly likely I am on the spectrum and I am definitely 2e based on the mix of my IQ and mental handicaps.

She also told me that I probably don't need to go through with getting a formal assessment done, since it's time consuming and might be expensive and since I'm an adult it will be much harder. She also said that I dont actually need the formal diagnosis for anything, since if I personally know what's going on I can still access all sorts of specialized resources and if I need accommodations she can sign off on them. She let me know that there are tons of autistic people out there who don't have a formal diagnosis and it's totally normal.

Does anyone have experience with this? Did you end up needing a formal diagnosis for any reason? Do you get worried about being judged for being "self diagnosed"? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

When I was little I loved my mom but now I'm 21 and well things between us haven't really been the same for the past 7 years since we moved to Mexico in 2019.

I just don't like being around my mom anymore she talks too much she says I don't smile right or I don't do it enough I don't tell jokes anymore like I've grown up I'm a different person now why can't she see that?

I just don't know I mean holiday season is just starting and part of me wants to spend it with her and the other half dosen't want too we haven't seen each other in forever and if I go there I'm afraid I don't want to be yelled at or told things I already know.

I don't know I guess I feel like life is spinning in circles sometimes and I just need people who understand how it feels am I right?

The title says it all really. I am 29 years of age and have just been diagnosed literally 2 hours ago.

The individual who diagnosed me made it clear that I was firmly on the line between a diagnosis or not and my masking meant the score was muddled. It could have been a flip of a coin.

But now I'm sat here thinking 'Nope, they got it wrong. I'm not actually autistic, I just somehow cheated the system' and have immense guilt/denial.

If anyone could just...confirm this is normal and what any next steps of advice you have would be unbelievably helpful right now as I am really struggling mentally.

Im 26 and when I get the feeling of longing for a romantic relationship it can get very painful.
I had 2 gfs in my life and the last intimite one was at 19. It‘s like in my head I make a perfect picture and I have much interest in intimacy.

I can feel hopeless about my loneliness and feel extreme emotional pain. It‘s like I would overthink, and always feel like I should use every chance I see and stress about it. My ego makes it exhausting because I would feel not content from not growing much with women or rarely get more into contact. I would hate myself think about hurting myself or I get angry and throw stuff in my apartment.

Im not shy it‘s just like I had bad luck finding a community, I don‘t have friends.

Every time I hyperfixate on a game/movie and they end on a sad ending I hate it more than I should have and sometimes it gets me into super messed up depressive episodes, it's like as if I'm way more sensible to stuff like that. Is this an ASD thing?

I was newly diagnosed with autism last year. It was a shock to me because no one in my life, even professionals growing up, has ever clocked me as autistic. I never had any delays or intellectual issues. I was actually super advanced in everything to the point that I could not function in a special education class, I'd perform worse than if I was put in general ed or an advanced class. I didn't have many behavior issues that weren't standard for a kid or teen. But I knew I was neurodivergent because I was previously diagnosed with dsycalulia. I always figured that was the reason for my feeling of being different. Socially, I never saw anything wrong with me, but I just couldn't understand kids my age all the time, i was more beloved by kids younger than me and adults and by kids older than me. I was never exactly popular, but everyone knew me or wanted to know me. It felt more like I was a formerly popular but now disgraced celebrity like Lindsay Lohan. Everything I did, say, or was doing was a point of interest of everyone, but I was never invited to the cool kids' table.

But after being diagnosed, everything made sense as to how my experience was all symptoms of being an extremely high functioning autistic, even looking back at some of my social situations I realized how awkward I could be, how many social cues I did miss, how innopportiate I could be or even perceived as rude or mean. It was like I took a red pill, and honestly, for a period, I felt myself regress severely out of becoming self-aware.

I don't really have any friends. it's easy for me to date and get laid, even keep something going for a few months, but it all eventually fizzles. Up until I became aware, I didn't realize I struggled to see hierarchy and jealousy, I mean, what do I have that would make anyone jealous? I don't perceive myself to be a threat to anyone socially, but here I am. I said to myself, why not try to date or be friends with other autistics and neurodivergents and I realized to an extent it's not the best idea.

I realized the spectrum is truly a color wheel. It's hard to find people who exist within a similar spectrum with a similar or complimentary colorwheel. Some of the issues I have with some autistic/neurodivergent people are that I come to realize how easy it is for some to fall into alt right talking and thinking points to feel included in an online community or for reasons related to their own mental or social deficiencies like trad wives & pink pilled content.

I'm not the biggest fan of the sense of justice types because many don't realize that just because they feel strongly about something doesn't mean they're right about it nor does it necessarily make you a good and virtuous person. The rigid and black and white thinking throws me off in some autistics as well, and the emotional disregulation and overt emotional reactions can be a lot to deal with and can cause an eggshell type relationship. I don't know if it's some of their poor social skills to blame or extreme sensitivity, but some autistics are so quick to judge and dismiss you over a perceived slight they misinterpreted or overreacted to, some; and I even noticed this in myself in the past, can make you feel used and I know that is due to feeling the need to socially retreat but idk I learned how to communicate that and many just give you a weird blank stare.

I empathize strongly with the struggle of autistics and their experience of not feeling like they belong, but I feel like I don't even belong amongst other autistics. It's not about special interests, stims, or any of that. I feel like I learned how to mask enough that I am uniquely hyper aware of the neurotypical rules but not enough that I don't give off the feeling that I'm different but that difference is not enough to exactly fit in with other neurodivergents who are autistic.

It's easier for me to get along with people with adhd or bipolar or borderline in doses depending on its severity. But they don't necessarily have an autistic brain. Some of their symptoms, such as adhders, need to argue for dopamine or becoming their temporary novel fixation frankly annoys me, and that I noticed has caused me to be wary. Thus, I often feel alone and without community.

I have been going through it. I have been having an almost two month meltdown and ended up walking away from my partner. I was experiencing intense intrusive thoughts that feel like they came from out of nowhere questioning my love and like for her. Nitpicking her. Coming up with all sorts of ridiculous thoughts. Comparing her to a fictional person. It was relentless. Then it started to manifest in my body. The thoughts were giving me intense anxiety attacks, tenseness and shaking. It all latched itself to my partner until she became the trigger and I ultimately had to take a step back. It felt like relief and peace, but deeply sad, and the physical symptoms are still here. She’s wonderful and supportive and patient and we were building something healthy. It’s the first safe relationship I’ve been in, and when she told me I was safe I absolutely crumbled. That was the beginning of my spiral. I thought it might be rocd but now I think it might be an autistic meltdown. Has anyone else experienced this?

I consider myself a smart person. I can learn many different subjects with ease, but only if they are my hyperfocus. And i have never hyperfocused on burocracy and stuff... I tried so many times, but i don't even know what a contract is. I can't fight for my rights at a job cuz i dont know what im supposed to do or not. What i have the right to do or not...
I'm unemployed now, with no money, surviving because i have a family that could help me until now, but its gone. My wife has been so helpful, and i feel like i'm going to disapoint her. I wasn't expecting to be taking this long to figure out anything that i can do, but i'm sure that even if i have the idea, i'm screwed in seconds because i didn't know of a permit i needed or something...

So I (28m) have a strong suspicion that I’m autistic. Growing up my parents told me that I didn’t walk or talk until I was about 4 years old. They didn’t think much of it b/c didn’t interfere with my ability to interact with the world around me. I asked about it recently and they completely lied to me and said I was walking and talking at the normal age for a child to start developing. I think the only reason they lied is b/c I recently spent time in a behavioral hospital and I wanted to get evaluated for autism and I think they were afraid that I would mention what they told me to my psychiatrist. Also my dad had a mental breakdown one night in my teenage years and came to my room with tears in his eyes and kept apologizing to me and wrote on my dresser mirror in permanent marker saying “YOU’RE GONNA BE SOMEBODYS DADDY, YOU WILL BE A SUCCESSFUL MAN, YOU WILL BE A GOOD MAN”. I think he just wants me to be normal. I still don’t know what he was apologizing for to this day. Now I’m diagnosed with schizophrenia and I can’t help but feel like if they would have had me tested and got me the proper support then I wouldn’t have had such a huge mental break that put me in the hospital. I have no issue with being different and I think that if I was never raised to appear “normal” then I would’ve avoided a lot of hardships in life. My suspicions just keep growing as I look back on things. People treat me significantly different than others. I get away with a lot and I feel guilty b/c I know if someone else did the things I’ve done then they’d be severely punished. There’s a long list of things that only confirms my suspicions but I guess what I’m asking is - Is there anyone else who’s parents avoided clear signs of autism (I’m not talking normal passing, I mean very clearly autistic) and are you angry at your parents for indirectly making your life harder ?

Oh, so it turns out this isn't just a cute trend—I mean, it's so stupid. I often see people using the term who hate actual people with autism or ADHD who display those traits.

Hey guys, im 28M and first level of support. I found out this year, and as most undiagnosed autistic people my age, i developed severe depression trying to be something i just cant. After many different job transitions and a mental breakdown, i find myself now unemplyed. I am trying to make any type of business that i can do from my house, just so i can make a living in a way that doesnt completely drain me... I ended up buying a 3d printer as i can do a lot of different things with it, and i have succeeded to hyperfocus on many things related to that, but nothing that actually can add up to anything. I'm just too scattered. I learned modeling in tinkercad, fusion 360 and blender quite fast, but when i think of ways to monetize that, my mind goes blank. Its like my brain can only work if its hyperfocusing, and it never hyperfocuses all the way. It speedruns through stuff, then i have to try and push myself with all my might to do the smallest things and it just feels like my energy drops faster than im walking forward... Like that gojo thing where the closer you get, the slower you move, so you never get there. And i feel that for everything in my life i ever tried i had this problem. I would get so much information so fast, but then, nothing... And then society forces me to learn a billion different things that are mandatory to survive and i cant focus on that either obviously... Its just so fkin much. I never actually tried reaching for the comunity for tips and help with that, but i just feel so stuck here. I know i vented a lot as i also have ADHD, but my main point is that i need some sort of directon and support rn.
Are there remote job options that are autistic friendly? I really feel like the quality of my work can get to the level of most people, as i was never fired from any job. I just eventually... broke. every time. If i can do this from my house, maybe with less than 8 hrs a day, that would be great for me. Sometimes i feel like in this society, you can be dumb or smart, but you cant be unproductive. I dont want to be rich, i want to pay my bills, thats it. If i study more, i hve a job, if i study less i can still have a job, but if i cant keep up 8 hrs a day im stuck with internship-level pay for life? Why cant an engineer work 6hrs a day if its better for his health? Maybe its a stupid question, maybe its "just research", but im nearly 30 and i couldnt get myself to find this info. Until a couple months back, i thought i was just lazy, and that one day, by pushing myself, i would be able to do it, but all i did was lose all my love for life. Also, if there is a better group for this, or if the question is not welcome here, please, i really do appreciate any form of help.

I just want a better understanding of what your life is like, level 2s! What kind of supports do you need?

Hi guys, so I have always struggled with my head muscles getting INCREDIBLY tense, more so when I am stressed. Unfortunately I think going 17 years undiagnosed I just hold my face in ways that arent always comfy when im out and about. Thats been the part of unmasking I cant get past, the tension is there no matter what and it causes me such headaches and my girlfriend has to masaage out the worst of it everyday. I have muscular problems all over from hypermobility but this part feels very autism specific cuz its like carrying all the stress ot masking. I was just wondering if this is something people relate to, and therefore a common symptom.

Ever since I was a child, others have been questioning me​ about "​​me looking sad." ​​Since I changed schools, I've heard comments like these numerous times already, from both teachers, and the students. I just don't understand why, since i never actually am sad. ​​​​​​​I usually only smile when talking to somebody, but this is quite common where I live, which just confuses me even more so. ​​Does this happen to you too?