I don't know who needs to see this but if you get sensory overload easily and often and it gets in the way of your daily functioning... you might have sensory processing disorder... which is a brain wiring difference. And research suggests that sensory over sensitivity can be the result of the brain rerouting sensory inputs to the area of the brain that processes pain.

So, half of an autism diagnosis has to do with social communication differences. If you're not sure what that means and want to know more, this thread is for you. 😊 So, I'll start with how the DSM breaks these differences down. It lists 3 examples.

1. Lack of social-emotional reciprocity in conversation

2. Nonverbal communication challenges (mainly eye contact and body language differences)

More for ADHD awareness month...

Untreated ADHD can actually lead to an early death (up to 13 years early, according to the research). The seriousness of this is real. But please also understand that the risks of ADHD are specifically related to UNTREATED ADHD. This post is not suggesting that ADHD itself can shorten a person's lifespan. It's calling attention to the fact that without treatment, a person can live a significantly shorter life.

3 reasons I used to drink as a neurodivergent person and the #1 reason I chose to stop drinking (for good)...

1. To quiet my mind. As an autistic person, my brain feels like it's constantly "on." Alcohol would slow it down, and give me a break from my own thoughts. (There's research that explains this, which I've shared before... but the brain feeling like it's always on is a common autistic experience)

2. To dull my senses (I have extremely intense sensory sensitivities)

3. To feel more comfortable and less anxious at social events

For ADHD Awareness Month, I want to take a minute to explain ADHD and how it's diagnosed because I think a lot of people don't understand what ADHD is and how it can look... First of all, something a lot of people don't know is that there are three types of ADHD...

1. Inattentive Type
2. Hyperactive/Impulsive Type
3. Combined Type

"I was trying to pursue an autism diagnosis, but the practitioner told me I can't be autistic because I’m able to give eye contact."

I hear this a lot, and it frustrates me because not only is it untrue… if a practitioner is saying this, it's a major red flag... 1/10 First, I want to clarify what the wording about eye contact in the DSM is "Abnormalities in eye contact." It doesn’t say that autistic people CAN'T give eye contact... just that we do it differently than “normal” people. 2/10

Not that well, actually 😬😅 Also... did you know that there's a good chance this is related to generalized anxiety disorder?

Some "fun facts" about GAD...

Definition: Chronic, excessive, uncontrollable anxiety that impairs daily functioning and is accompanied by 3 or more of the following...

10 signs you might be autistic...

1. You've always felt a bit "different" and have struggled to form friendships

2. You have a hard time understanding and expressing your emotions (there is actually a name for this... it's called "alexithymia") 3. Eye contact makes you uncomfortable... and when you force yourself to do it, you have a hard time concentrating on what the other person is saying

4. Social interactions are often challenging and/or draining for you

For those looking for somewhat simplified breakdowns of sensory processing disorder, autism, ADHD, and generalized anxiety disorder, I created resources that should give you some insight... I'll share them here, but you can find them all on my website (for free) as PDF downloads.

nicolefilipponeauthor.com/free-resources

The neurodivergent experience of constantly being blamed for things that aren't your fault but not having the words to explain why... And the adult neurodivergent urge to give the words to ND kiddos so they can defend and advocate for themselves when wrongfully blamed for things that aren't their fault.

(Me becoming a children's book author. 😊)

I wish more people knew about sensory anxiety (a thread) Anxiety exists in many forms.

Not all anxiety is the result of sensory overload, but this particular brand of it is (which is why people call it sensory anxiety.)

If you get extreme anxiety from physical touch and have a hard time explaining it to others, I have an explanation that might help.

Research has found that sensory sensitive brains re-route physical sensory inputs to the area of the brain that processes pain. (Link below) Before I get into the details, I want to mention that the study was conducted on autistic children because a significant feature of autism is extreme sensitivity to sensory inputs...

Friendly tip if someone confides in you that they're autistic...

Do not assume that what you know about autism applies to this person.

Every single autistic person has a unique set of challenges, and just because you know that many autistic people struggle socially... Or you've met an autistic person who has a hard time reading people's facial expressions and understading non verbal communication... doesn't mean that this particular autistic person struggles with the same things or in the same ways.

I think autistic people are mistakenly seen as self absorbed for a few reasons, and I want to talk about it for a minute...

I'll start with a stat from a research study... autistic brains generate, on average, 42% more information at rest than nonautistic brains. In other words, our brains are in motion and actively "on" a LOT more than nonautistic brains.

Here's the thing...

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.

When your kid gets diagnosed with ADHD and their lack of organization is explained to you in a way that makes you realize you've struggled with organization your whole life and never realized it. 🤯

-Has 483,649 "unread" emails -Stacks of important papers on various surfaces

-Missed appointments

-Missed bill payments (not due to lack of funds)

-Missed birthdays

If you're like me and struggle with overwhelming anxiety and the basic ability to keep it together to the point of not having energy to pick up a goldfish cracker that's been on the floor for days let alone actually clean/organize your living space... I have a life hack for you.. First of all, if you're struggling with your mental health and feel like you're drowning 100% of the time... you need to focus on that first. You'll never have mental or emotional space to focus on improving your environment if you can barely breathe 100% of the time.

Why I think autistic people are often accused of being manipulative (in 5 steps)

1. Autistic person and another person have a misunderstanding

2. Other person (OP) accuses autistic person of something based on their perception of the situation 3. Autistic person feels they need to defend and explain themselves, so they do their best to get OP to see their side.

10 signs that you might be autistic...

1. You've always felt a bit "different" and have struggled to form friendships

2. You have a hard time understanding and expressing your emotions (there is actually a name for this... it's called "alexithymia") 3. Eye contact makes you uncomfortable... and when you force yourself to do it, you have a hard time concentrating on what the other person is saying

4. Social interactions are often challenging and/or draining for you

Are you autistic and also really good at puzzles and games like Tetris... or really good at organizing small spaces to fit more than what seems like is physically possible?

I have an explanation for this... So, according to research, autistic people have enhanced visuospacial skills... which is the ability to identify visual and spacial relationships between objects...

I think autistic people are often mistaken for being argumentative and needing to be right, when in reality, it's more about needing the information to be CORRECT... because we get overwhelming anxiety when we're convinced that it isn't. Proof that it's not about being right, at least not for me...

When I encounter evidence that challenges what I previously thought was true... and realize I was spreading incorrect information... I'm immediately overcome with a desperate and intense need to correct it.