ADHD And Autism Spectrum Is Funny In A Way That Isn't Funny. Like Hello, Welcome To Society, Your Brain

The word garbage sounds like it should mean clothing

living with the type of autism that Neurotypical and even some neurodivergent folks can't romanticize/bastardize is hard, especially when I let others know I'm autistic but they just assume it means I'm quirky and silly and not struggle with basic functions most people already know how to deal with or doing things considered "off-putting"

You don't need to do anything to be a witch. Being a witch goes beyond the superficial images on social media. It's a profound journey of self-discovery, a daily fight to become who you aspire to be. It's about forging connections with yourself and the Earth, cherishing the blessings it offers and the abundance of resources it gives you.. Witchcraft is finding your community and caring for it while prioritizing self-care. No one has the right to define your journey; it's a deeply personal exploration filled with passion and purpose. That's your journey for you to decide.

Mulling over something right now.

My journey into understanding neurodivergence and my own AuDHD-ness has changed how I doctor, and sometimes I can see this when looking at things like auto text scripts I set up previously.

For example, when it comes to picky eaters, I used to do a lot of education about how to get kids to eat, discussing strategies like gamifying intake of fruits and vegetables, enforcing #-bite rules, and having cutoff times for meals. I also put a lot more weight on having a balanced, whole-food meal. The only thing I discussed that was focused on any underlying reason was involving kids in meal prep, though I didn't necessarily have a reason as to why. And, to be fair, these strategies work for picky, NT toddlers.

Contrast that to today, where I'm asking questions about texture sensitivities and taste preferences. I'm acknowledging that processed foods are more predictable than fresh. I'm discussing meal prep involvement as a means of sensory food play. I'm discussing about how stressful #-bite requirements can be and I'm encouraging having safe foods available and permissable - not as a means of giving in, but to make trying a new food less stressful. I'm also acknowledging that some food is better than no food, as long as we get the basics/macros in as we can always supplement micros with multivitamins.

These are things that weren't taught when I was in medical school or residency. I attended in 2015, just after the DSM changes and the focus then was, and largely still is, eating a "well-rounded", normativized, white, upper-middle class diet. Anything other than that was treated as subpar and is bad medicine, let alone parenting.

You know the other thing? When I started asking, do you know how many of my picky eaters DIDN'T have some kind of sensory basis to their eating patterns? Do you know just how many undiagnosed, unseen neurodivergent kids are out there, masking along, not making waves, with equally ND parents who don't know otherwise?

The number of times I see at least one parent squirm when I start asking the kids, especially older kids, autism symptom questions and autism distinct anxiety questions... Why, if I had a nickel for every time, I would definitely have more than two. It's not a coincidence.

ive found that when i say “save me [x character] save me” im usually saying it about a character that has gone through something similar to what im currently going through (ie saying Save me arthur morgan when i’m coughing horribly) and it dawned on me recently that it’s essentially the same as praying to saints for intercession

autism disphoria, where you're having such good fun at an event but when you see picture of yourself you were just :| the whole damn fucking time (as illustrated below)

beetlejuice (1988) dir. tim burton

Jack O’Lantern Facts!

Jack O’Lanterns are an Irish tradition and were originally carved from turnips.

They were meant to ward off malevolent spirits, and keep them away from the home.

The name jack-o’-lantern was originally another name for will-o’-the-wisp, the atmospheric ghost lights that appear over bogs, swamps, and marshes. 

The lights are a natural chemical reaction, and figure largely in English folklore.

They’re tied to the Irish legend of STINGY JACK, a deceitful drunkard who tricked the Devil out of claiming his soul. After his death, both heaven and hell refused him entry. The devil gave him an ember of hellfire, which Jack carries in a turnip lantern as his soul wanders for all eternity. Travelers must beware of encountering his spirit–and the telltale glow of the hellfire–at night.

Irish immigrants carried the tradition to the U.S., where pumpkins, already a symbol of the harvest season, were used instead. (And were also easier to carve.) 

(the turnips were freakier tbh)

One single leaf turns orange

Me: