I’ve been having thoughts as to why many autistic people don’t like/or cannot do phone calls.

Although the social side is certainly part of it, I think executive functioning plays a role here too 🧵 Phone calls often rely on our short term memory and auditory processing. Both of which can be more difficult if we are autistic (or are neurodivergent in other ways).

A common belief I hear that’s it’s “essential” for autistic students to “socialise” in our schools, otherwise they will never develop the “social skills” they need in the real world.

As an autistic adult, I fundamentally disagree with this view.🧵 In school I learnt that the safest option was to withdraw and avoid people.

Not how to develop a genuine reciprocal relationships with others.

I have questions about this study, many questions.

https://twitter.com/erikaheidewald/status/1415077300521996290

Firstly I don’t understand why there was a need to research in the first place?

An environmental campaigner happens to be autistic.

Autism researchers

“WE MUST DETERMINE IF THERE’S AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN AUTISM AND ENVIRONMENTALISM.”

Things that I thought were social anxiety but turned out to be autism

Thread 🧵

#ActuallyAutistic I‘d plan out social situations in advance, so I didn't mess them up. /1

Things that will automatically make me have a shutdown as an autistic person. A thread 1) Shouting and loud noises in general. Also, busy crowds can cause a shutdown.

When I received my ADHD diagnosis, I was surprised to be diagnosed with combined ADHD as I thought I was only inattentive.

As I did more research into ADHD, I found out that hyperactivity can present subtly.

Here are seven ways I experience ‘quiet’ hyperactive ADHD 1. I am always fiddling! – I constantly need to fiddle with objects from blue tac to bits of paper. If I don’t fidget, I cannot concentrate. I don’t know why; it’s just the way my nervous system works.

I had my COVID vaccine yesterday, so I thought I’d do a thread doing this as an autistic person, so other autistic people will know what to expect. I got an email from my employer to book my vaccine because I am a key worker.

This thread!

I started masking from about age 3/4. At first, I noticed I was treated with more respect and acceptance when I pretended to be like the other kids.

https://twitter.com/commaficionado/status/1353423039921352705

Short term this was successful for me, and I was in control as a young child. However, it didn't stay like this.

Things that are frustrating to here as an autistic person

A thread The classic

”You don't look autistic.”

Cool, I wouldn't have guessed you were neurotypical from your appearance, but here we are

Signs of my ADHD that I did not realise were my ADHD

A thread, from a women diagnosed at 25. Impulse purchases... yeah I’ve wasted a lot of money.

Hmmm @Twitter I think you're algorithm needs fixing. 🥴🥴

I also feel like the twitter equivalent to the ABA adds I get on FB 🙄 You can't see in the video that it was a promotes post too...

Too often, autistic girls go through school undiagnosed or unrecognised as being autistic. As a late-diagnosed autistic woman, I thought I would share a thread on my experiences of going through the education system. (Pls share with those who work in education/anyone interested) I was seen as the 'quiet kid'. Every school report/parents evening, the main issue would be "She doesn't ask for questions/doesn't ask for help". 2 reasons were high levels of anxiety and not knowing when/how to ask questions in a classroom environment when needed. (1)