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Lauren Melissa Profile picture
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3 May, 5 tweets, 1 min read
I started having less meltdowns AFTER my autism diagnosis. Can you guess why?
Once I discovered my ASD diagnosis, I stopped believing that meltdowns were a personal trait. Meltdowns are actually a sign that I've been pushed too far.
I used to set ridiculously high expectations for myself to be perfect, so the greater NT society wouldn't see my differences and label me "broken." Then, I'd make mistakes, or get overloaded, and I'd meltdown 2-3 times per week.
But I'm not broken; I'm autistic. Those meltdowns that so many use as proof of autistic brokenness are caused by neurotypically-biased & unsupportive environments, NOT autism!
Check out this post by @thautisticlife for more on ASD and the root causes of meltdowns: instagram.com/p/COa6-Mgsbyx/…

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More from @autienelle

Lauren Melissa Profile picture
6 Mar
Undiagnosed autistics often wind up with social anxiety due to social confusion and severe bullying. Then, when the social anxiety becomes unbearable, we seek help. Except, we get diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder instead of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
From that moment on, especially if the autistic is AFAB, we are told that we are anxious and not autistic. But the truth: We are autistics that have developed anxiety.
Autistics with Social Anxiety Disorder can't be treated for one condition over the other. And stigmatizing those with SAD as people who do not understand themselves and their experiences is contributing to this ableist issue.
Read 4 tweets
Lauren Melissa Profile picture
18 Feb
PSA: Menstruation can be a sensory nightmare for autistics who menstruate.
Autism and menstruation is rarely discussed, perhaps because of the male bias in ASD diagnostic access, or perhaps because menstruation is a topic still so often silenced.
Many menstruating autistics experience sharp shifts in mood and sensory sensitivity during & around menstruation.
Read 4 tweets
Lauren Melissa Profile picture
16 Feb
Who else needs to use extra vacation days to recover from taking a vacation?
Vacations are essentially fun, planned routine change. For autistics, any kind of routine change can leave us exhausted, irritable, and anxious.
As a child, I would have an autism meltdown at the start of summer vacation because I couldn't handle the abrupt routine change of school to no s school. This happened even though I wanted the vacation.
Read 4 tweets
Lauren Melissa Profile picture
1 Dec 20
Let's talk about how young autisic girls go undiagnosed because their special interests are considered too "normal." Spoiler: That's sexism.
I lined up, organized, and collected massive numbers of Barbie dolls. I "played" this way for hours on end. I played with Barbies until the 6th grade, and I was even teased at school for it.
Substitute Barbies with horses, boy bands, makeup, fairies, and books. These are "girls' interests." When young girls become hyperfocused and passionate about these interests, the general public simply rolls their eyes and says, "Girls get obsessed over silly things."
Read 6 tweets
Lauren Melissa Profile picture
12 Jul 20
Let's discuss so-called procrastination. Just because autistics want to start a task and can't, allistics start shoving the word procrastination down our throats. Let's be clear: Procrastination is a neurotypical term that damages neurodivergents.
Procrastination is the avoidance of doing a task, or putting off doing something. Avoiding/putting off are choices. NTs typically procrastinate due to a fear of failure. So, is intentional inaction at the root of the autistic battle to start our work? The short answer is: No.
Most autistics struggle with executive functioning (EF). EF is a broad term that describes a set of skills that revolves around cognitive function, lime organization, inhibition, working memory, and task initiation. Task initiation is the cognitive ability to start an activity.
Read 5 tweets

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