I don't know who needs to see this, but stomach issues are EXTREMELY common in autistic people.

Some studies have found that up to 91% of autistic people have stomach issues (like constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain). And while not all studies reported as high a prevalence as 91%, research HAS consistently shown significantly higher rates of stomach related issues in autistic individuals as compared to nonautistic individuals.

Yesterday I made a post saying that if you strongly suspect you're autistic, chances are extremely high that you are... and I was asked for evidence to support this. So, here it is... A research study was conducted on self diagnosed autistic adults and compared them to formally diagnosed autistic adults.

The study found that every manifestation of autism that showed up for the formally diagnosed group... ALSO showed up for the self diagnosed group.

If you've heard the term "autistic meltdown" but aren't quite sure what it means or what it actually looks like, this post is for you...

I think most people hear the word "meltdown" and envision a person kicking, screaming, and thrashing around... usually a child. But adults can, and do, have meltdowns too... they just look different.

Before I get into how adult autistic meltdowns can look... especially when we've gotten really good at internalizing them so we don't look "crazy"... I want to talk about when and why they happen.

5 signs you might be autistic: Girls and women edition (part 1)

1. You're a people pleaser. You try to avoid conflict by saying yes to everything... even if it means disregarding your own needs. This strains you both socially AND emotionally. 2. You've become an expert at mirroring others by studying those around you who seem to be especially well liked. So you're able to blend into most social environments extremely well, but only because you're using mirroring and scripting to get by.

5 reasons autism is so frequently missed in women and girls

1. Social skills: Many autistic girls learn from a young age, usually after being bullied & harrassed for their differences, that they need to mask to fit in. So they learn to mirror & mimic others as a coping strategy. 2. Sensory sensitivities: Autistic girls and women often learn to "suffer in silence" and be in extreme, sometimes excruciating, discomfort without saying a word about it because they've been told countless times that they're "overreacting."

Why girls and women are so often overlooked as being autistic and frequently misdiagnosed with other conditions...

This is still a HUGE problem, even with all the progress made in recent years. So for autism awareness month, I'm going to talk about why this happens... First, the staggering statistic.

As of 2022 boys are diagnosed autistic 3-4 TIMES as much as girls according to the CDC.

Why?

Here's how the DSM explains it...

Neurodivergent Storytime...

This one's an example of how Neurodivergent people in Corporate get punished and mistreated for not understanding unwritten and unspoken rules. So, this goes back to a time when I was working for a large company. I had been working there for about 5-7 years when what I'm about to share happened.

Why so many autistic adults are unemployed / underemployed and what we can do to fix it...

For autism awareness month I want to take a few minutes to talk about autism in the workplace.

I'll start with the statistics... Though they vary widely, the research estimates show that between 38% and 85% of autistic people in the US are unemployed or underemployed... as compared to 4.5% of the general population.

Even if you're looking at the lowest number, that's still an astonishing difference.

10 signs you might be autistic... workplace edition

1. You cry easily when confronted, even about something small, and have a hard time holding in your emotions

2. You ask a lot of questions when being shown how to do something or when trying to understand expectations... 3. You have a hard time modulating your voice, so people around you often hear your personal conversations

4. You are either too hot or too cold, and there is nothing in between...

A recent study found that "mild" stress is enough to trigger PTSD in autistic individuals. Think about that. MILD stress triggering PTSD in autistic individuals. And not enough people are talking about it. This is a SIGNIFICANT finding, if you ask me.

So let's talk about it... The journal article stated that "A single mild stress can form a traumatic memory" for autistic people.

What I want to talk about is what "mild stress" means because I think this is actually one of the most misunderstood aspects of autism.

If you're autistic and get extreme and overwhelming anxiety from physical touch, but have a hard time explaining this to others, I have an explanation that might help... Research has found that autistic brains don't filter touch information the same way as nonautistic brains... and can trigger the parts of the brain related to PAIN, fear, and survival.

Preparing for an autism evaluation (as a high masking autistic person) is a bit like preparing for a job interview. You can be the most qualified candidate, but if you don't present your "case" well enough, you won't get the job. For an autism evaluation, you can BE autistic, but if you don't present your "case" well enough (and on the spot), you won't get diagnosed.

Just like you shouldn't try to wing a job interview, don't try to wing an autism evaluation. ESPECIALLY if you ARE actually autistic.

To those pushing for a "cure" for autism, I'd like to explain a few things to you if you're open to listening... which I hope you are.

Autism is a brain wiring difference. It comes in many forms. \1 Some are people like me, who don't "look" autistic at all. And some are people who need full time support and can't live on their own. And there are people on the "spectrum" (hence the term) everywhere in between. \2

Autism and sleep apnea... the correlation no one's talking about (except for me, apparently 😅)

My mind was completely blown when I discovered autistic people are more likely to have sleep apnea. I'll get into why in just a sec, but first, for those who don't know what it is... Obstructive sleep apnea is when an obstruction blocks the airway during sleep, which causes the brain and lungs to not get enough oxygen. This can have serious health impllications over time if left untreated.

How to pursue an autism evaluation as an adult... in 4 steps.

Step 1:

Read up on how autism is diagnosed.

In the US, practitioners use the DSM as a guide when diagnosing autism. In many other countries, they use something called the ICD. You can find both online for free. Just make sure you're looking for the most current version (DSM 5-TR and ICD 11).

If you're not sure you're autistic and you're trying to understand whether or not you would be diagnosed, this is a really important place to start.

8 reasons I've been called annoying that are all related to my autistic brain wiring...

1. I can be extremely literal and feel the need to correct misinformation... which usually seems minor to others, but never to me 2. I can "overcomplicate" things that others think are simple even though, to me, they aren't simple at all

3. I can be sensitive to jokes and a "buzzkill" when people around me think something is funny and I don't... especially when the "joke" is at someone else's expense

Real talk... my autism impedes my life in ways I can't ignore. It makes life super hard for me. But there are several nifty things it does to my brain that I don't often spend time celebrating. So...

Autism: the positives. At least through my eyes... 1. I can't look past the wrongs I see happening around me. I will call them out if I see them. I will stand up for those who are experiencing mistreatment whenever I can and use my voice to amplify theirs to the best of my ability.

If I describe a common autistic sign or trait and your first reaction is...

"That's not exclusive to autism," or

"Just because a person does that, doesn't mean they're autistic"...

I'd like to explain something to you... No SINGLE sign or trait of autism is exclusive to autism.

Autism is a combination of numerous signs and traits that must exist together and meet a certain threshold in order to be considered autism.

Did you know there's a type of anxiety specific to autism that isn't explained by any of the existing anxiety disorders outlined in the DSM?

Researchers are referring to this type of anxiety as "Distinct anxiety" because it's distinct to autism and tied to autistic traits... I'm sure many of you are wondering what this means, so I'll share a few examples.

- Anxiety tied to unexpected plan changes, changes in routine, or changes to the environment...

It's Autism Awareness Month, so let's bust a pretty common myth about autism.

"Everyone's a little autistic."

No hate if you've ever said this. But if you have, I hope you'll stick around for this. 🙂 If you think about autism as linear, where on one end of the line you have "not autistic at all" and on the other end you have "very autistic," it makes sense that someone who seems to have SOME signs of autism would be "a little" autistic.

But that's not how autism works.

It's Autism Awareness Month, so time to set some things straight about autism...

What people think autism is:

- What it looks like in movies

What autism actually is: - Sensory sensitivities including extreme sensory anxiety when overstimulated

- Social and communication differences

- Social interactions are often challenging and draining