Page 2 Has Been Updated! Still Can’t Express How Excited I Am For This Comic!

Autism Self-Diagnosis Masterpost

Questioning if you might be autistic? Have you always known you were different and are trying to figure out why? Is professional diagnosis not an option for you (cost/stigma/bias/etc)? Then here is a list of resources to help you figure out if you are autistic.

This post is broken up into categories of resources based on subject matter. Some links may contain ableism and medicalized language but if they do they also have useful information which is why they were posted. 

Self-diagnosis is a long process of reading and researching and self-reflection. A decision should not be made overnight. However, it is completely valid to self-diagnose as autistic (see the second to last section for more on this). If you are self-diagnosing, read as much as you can written by autistic people. Read their blogs and their tumblrs. Read about the autistic experience. Talk to autistic people if you are able to. 

If you have questions, feel free to submit them to @askaboutautism, a blog run by autistics to answer questions about autism. 

About Autism

What is Autism?, in Plain Language

What is Autism?

What is Autism?

The Dictionary of Autism

Myths About Autism

Ask an Autistic (video series)

General Autism Criteria

DSM-V criteria

ICD-10 Criteria

ASD Checklist

DSM Criteria for Autism Explained

Positively Autistic: A List of (Positive) Autistic Traits

ASAN’s About Autism (With Characteristics)

Inclusive Autistic Traits

Simplified ASD Diagnostic Criteria

Revised Alternative Autism Criteria (criteria written by an autistic person)

Childhood Traits (this is from the CDC and is very medicalized)

I Think I Might Be Autistic

Autism Screening Quizzes

Musing of an Aspie’s Adult Diagnosis Series

Stimming

What is Stimming?

Stimming 101, or: How I learned to stop Worrying and Love the Stim

Types of Stimming

A List of Stims

The High Cost of Self-Censoring (or Why Stimming Is a Good Thing)

Sensory Processing Differences

What is Sensory Processing Disorder? (video)

Adolescent and Adult SPD Checklist

SPD Resource Center

Understanding Sensory Processing Issues

Masterpost: Sensory Differences

Sensory Sensitivities and Atypical Sensory Processing series

How to Reduce Sensory Overload

Processing a Sensory Overload

Shutdowns and Meltdowns

What Does a Meltdown Feel Like?

“Shutdown”- What it is and What it Isn’t

Where I go When I Shutdown

Anatomy of a Meltdown

Shutdown: A Specific Type of Meltdown

Special Interests

What’s so Special About a Special Interest?

Special Interests

How Do I Know For Sure What My Special Interests Are?

What are Special Interests? (video)

Examples of Special Interests

Autism and Special Interests

Executive Dysfunction

Executive Dysfunction

Executive Dysfunction vs. Procrastination

Executive Function Series

The “Joys” of Executive Dysfunction

3 Symptoms of Executive Dysfunction

Executive Dysfunction

Alexithymia

What is Alexithymia? (video)

Alexithymia Question

Emotional Dysfunction: Alexithymia and ASD

Alexithymia Questionaire

On Self-Diagnosis

My Stance on Self-Diagnosis

ASD Paper Diagnosis vs. Self-Diagnosis: Pros and Cons

Yes, Self-Diagnosis Can Be Valid

Autism Self-Diagnosis Is Not Special Snowflake Syndrome

The Myth of “Official”: Autism and Self-Diagnosis Skeptics

Blogs By Autistics

(This is certainly not a comprehensive list of autistic bloggers. If you have any suggestions of blogs that should be added, feel free to message me)

Autistic Hoya

Autistic Women’s Network

The Caffeinated Autistic

A Heart Made Fullmetal

Musings of an Aspie

Neurowonderful

Non-Speaking Autistic Speaking 

Ollibean

A Quiet Week In The House

Radical Neurodivergence Speaking

StrangerDarkerBetter

Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism

The Third Glance

Unstrange Mind

We Are Like Your Child

Yes, That Too 

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I AM ABSOLUTELY LOSING IT OVER THE FUCKING SONG IN THE BACKGROUDN HOLY FUCK

More like 16.6 percent of your life was spent literally living out your dreams.

Humans spend 33.3% of their lives asleep. They spend 50% of that dreaming. That means that 16.6% percent of your life experiences never happened.

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have you ever watched your peers win the scholarships you've also applied to (and get rejected in) and feel just... really worthless? especially if you put in a lot of effort. Sometimes it's discouraging to think there's always someone out there that's much smarter than you. You don't have to reply, I just felt like venting haha.

Good evening, anonymous! Thanks for the ask!

I’ve been in similar situations many times, and it’s Not A Great Feeling.  Although you asked about scholarship applications, I hope you don’t mind if I talk about application rejections more generally.

First off, some of my more recent rejection experiences include…

During my first wave of graduate school applications, I was rejected unanimously. It was extremely discouraging. (Contrast this with my second wave of graduate school applications a year later, wherein I was unanimously accepted and received several amazing financial offers.)

Because my subfield is financially-limited, there’s a lot of people applying for a very finite pool of money. Of course, my research group needs funding if it’s going to keep doing science, meaning rejection is an expected part of the process.

I’ve been rejected many times over by certain research-relevant summer schools that my colleagues have attended.

And so, with these experiences in mind, I’d like to provide some…

~Advice For When Your Application Gets Rejected~

Rejection in general can be extremely painful, disappointing, and discouraging. Then add the pressure of that rejection impacting your future? Cue heartbreak.

Here are several facts that help me maintain my spirits through repeated rejections. For instance, when it comes to the persons who evaluate applications, I keep in mind that…

They survey a TON of people. As a result, they end up with a larger number of qualified applicants than they have available spots. Being rejected doesn’t mean you weren’t qualified. I know plenty of hyper-qualified individuals who get rejected simply because of the luck of the draw.

They observe only a FRACTION of you. Applications are necessarily finite, so reviewers don’t get to evaluate the whole of you. Rejection of your application is not a rejection of you. You are so so SO much more than an application.

Furthermore,

An application rejected by certain reviewers might be accepted by others, and vice-versa. Consequently, if you get a rejection and someone else gets an acceptance that does NOT mean they’re better than you. An application can’t enable judgments of that complexity.

You are growing and changing every day: the pieces of you that go into an application can be improved upon or reworked for future applications. Rejection can inform you what areas you might try to focus on in the future. 

Finally, my most IMPORTANT piece of advice is to keep in mind that…

~even the strongest applicant will receive rejections~

There’s an element of luck whenever you apply for anything. That’s the nature of these systems and it’s not your fault.

Remember:

Success isn’t a matter of always succeeding, but persevering until you do.

Best wishes, my anonymous friend.

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ok but have you ever seen a parked blimp?

why is this so goddamn funny

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DEMON DOGS

a couple spooky lil inktober dogs, drawn on post-it notes with ballpoint

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hey, i was wondering if you had any book recommendations for someone who loved trc? it doesn't have to be similar but any of your faves 💜

hi!! i tried to think of books similar to trc but tbh i can’t come up with anything that’s exactly like it buuut i managed to think of some faves with a similar vibe, either mystery like or a little magical (does this even make sense..) (in the end they probably have nothing in common with trc and it’s just me that somehow sees them with a similar vibe)

the night circus 10/10 on the magic side + such a great story & characters!! (and the cover alone already makes it worth it)on the jellicoe road 10/10 on the tears, a wonderful book, great squads, feels magical even if there’s no actual magica darker shade of magic (first book of the shades of magic trilogy) a+++ magic & a wonderful world buildingi’ll give you the sun super magical writing + art is magic so you got that… great tears but also so sweetwe were liars a book that totally destroys u and you won’t stop thinking about it, it’s a tragic mysteryaristotle and dante discover the secrets of the universe the magic is in how good and poetic this book isthe secret series which i haven’t read in years but i miss it so much it was mystery af and fun and i just remember loving it as a kid and the characters had a cool squad thing going on toodaughter of smoke and bone i have only just bought this one so i haven’t actually read it but i’ve heard many good things about it & i feel like it would belong in this category

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Soulmate AU Story Ideas

Because I am complete trash for Soulmate AUs, I decided to try and make a post about them. Hope you guys like it! ♥

✖ Soulmate AUs involving measurement

[ Time // Countdown ]

Where for whatever reason, your clock is stuck/frozen/it’s not counting down anymore but it hasn’t reached 00:00:00:00 yet and you’re freaking out because this hasn’t happened to anyone before.

Reverse one where the clock starts at 00:00:00:00 from the moment you’re born and stops counting the moment you meet your soulmate, so it’s like a reminder that “It took me 19 years, 11 months, 20 hours, and 13 seconds to meet you, you fuck, and you do it by spilling coffee on me, thanks, now my laptop’s broken—what, you’re buying me a new one? Okay.”

Your soulmate clock is actually a countdown of how long your soulmate has left to live and holy shit you have to find your soulmate soon because your clock says you have three months left (for angst maybe).

Alternate version of above where your clock is a countdown of how long you and your soulmate have left to find each other or else you both will die because the universe is sadistic af—and if you find your soulmate you get to live longer.

Another alternate version of above where you and your soulmate’s clocks have each other’s life spans on it but you can give your time to your soulmate if you want to so they can live longer. Again, because the universe is sadistic af.

The soulmate clock is actually something breakable and you accidentally break yours or vice versa.

Alternate version of above where someone purposely breaks their soulmate clock so they can be with someone they fell in love with that isn’t their soulmate/they are strongly opposed to the whole soulmate idea and want to defy the system.

Your clock is counting down too fast (as opposed to everyone else’s) and you have no idea what’s going on anymore.

It’s been a busy week and after finally having some time to yourself, you just happened to look at your soulmate clock and see that it’s already at 00:00:00:00 and you don’t know when that happened because you don’t religiously check your clock either.

Your soulmate clock is actually telling you what time it is where your soulmate is currently at (could include AM/PM/time zones or not, for example 3:46:31 MDT).

I already wrote something similar to this but a countdown au where your soulmate has died and you two still happen to meet each other (one is a ghost, one is alive) and the other finds peace after the meeting.

[ Distance ]

Where you actually have a compass instead of a clock, and it leads you to where your soulmate should be.

✖ Soulmate AUs involving colors

[ Eyes ]

Reverse colors AU where you can see in color but once you meet/marry your soulmate your world turns black and white, this is how people can tell that married couples really love each other because they’re willing to give up a world of colors for their soulmate. If your soulmate dies you get to see color again.

Between you and your soulmate, only one of you can see other colors and the other sees black and white. Like you can see all the other colors except black/white/grays, and the other one can only see in black/white/grays. If you two meet, you’ll get to see all the colors.

You can see colors but realize that recently, with each passing day, your world of colors is becoming a little duller and you’re panicking because you don’t know what’s going on, or what it means, or if your soulmate is okay.

You can see colors and your world turns black and white but it doesn’t necessarily have to mean your soulmate is dead. There can be other factors that will result in a black and white world like losing eyesight, but you don’t know that.

You will be able to see the world in full color once you meet your soulmate but until then, you can only see the world in the eye color of your soulmate. However, you can alter the color your soulmate can see, for example, by wearing contact lenses. Like if you wear blue contact lenses, your soulmate sees the world in blue, purple makes them see the world in purple and etc. And you realize each day/week you get to see the world in a different color because your soulmate is being all cute and would want you to see every color there is and they probably have a huge collection of contact lenses by the time you both meet.

Everyone is born color blind and their sights are fixed once they meet their soulmate, or your soulmate is blind and you have the choice to give them your sight, but it’s irreversible and if they die, they take your sight with them.

[ Hair ]

If you dye your hair, your soulmate’s hair color changes as well and you swear the moment you see your soulmate you will choke them because you just woke up with your hair colored like a rainbow and it’s your first job interview at a prestigious company what the fuck. Oh, and your best friend just took a picture to post online and wait—what, how many likes is that?

Like the above AU but you only get highlights for the dyed color of your soulmate’s hair. If your hair color returns to normal, it means your soulmate has returned to their natural hair color too.

Related to the first two AUs—you decide to get revenge on your soulmate by dying your hair the most absurd color combination you can think of and the exchange goes back and forth until you meet each other. It can be that if you meet, you two can dye your hair without affecting the other anymore.

If your soulmate dyes their hair your fingernails turn into that color (like nail polish?) and you’re hoping your soulmate isn’t bald by the time you meet because it’s the fifth time the past two months that your nails have changed colors.

If your soulmate dyes their hair, your eyes turn into that color and you wish your soulmate wouldn’t change it again because you really like this shade in your eyes.

✖ Soulmate AUs involving any kind of body mark

[ Tattoos ]

You and your soulmate have identical tattoos on your wrist about the date when you’ll meet each other. Place and time can be included (as opposed to the countdown AUs).

Like the countdown AU, an alternate version where it’s your soulmate’s date of death that’s tattooed on your skin.

Where a tattoo isn’t set from the moment you’re born and whatever tattoos your soulmate gets, you get it too and it’s all cool because you kind of like the designs, except you also feel the pain of getting a tattoo and that sucks because you’re kind of in the middle of an exam right now and it’s getting harder to concentrate on your work.

You remove your tattoo because you hate the idea of someone dictating who you can be with for the rest of your life and the person who’s removing it happens to be your soulmate and they’re torn between letting you know and just not bringing it up because you kind of went there because you didn’t want a soulmate and vice versa.

Your tattoo is only half complete and it completes itself the moment you find your soulmate, like if you had half a heart, you’d get a full heart on your skin.

You’re not sure if the other half of your tattoo should end with this person’s words, or that one’s—wait, I think it might end with the phrase of that other person too. It’s just a very open-ended sentence…

You don’t have a name tattoo on your wrist, meaning you probably don’t have a soulmate but you didn’t want your friends to tease you about it so you had a tattoo made on your wrist about some name you picked at random because your friend said she wanted to see it soon. And then somehow there’s a person claiming to be your soulmate and they’re kind of cute and sweet so you don’t know what to do.

Because the universe is sadistic af, it only gave you the first letter of your soulmate’s name.

Your tattoo is like a mood ring, it changes its color depending on what your soulmate is feeling at the moment and you’re not sure exactly what rainbow means.

[ Scars ]

The only way for your scars to disappear is when your soulmate kisses them goodbye.

[ Others ]

Whatever mark you get on your skin your soulmate gets it too so one day, you just kind of just get a sharpie and start writing on your skin. You definitely didn’t expect to get a reply, but you did. Now it’s five in the morning and you’re just about covered in ink and this will be a pain to wash off later.

Imagine the above point but like, your soulmate maybe falls off a bike and you write on your arm what happened, and your soulmate replies to reassure you everything’s okay. Yes, you always carry a non-permanent marker to write on your skin at all times.

You accidentally fell down the stairs and broke a leg, oh, and fate must love you because it seems your soulmate also broke the other leg (or something else) and whatever happens to the other, you feel it too (no actual injury but you feel the same amount of pain) so now you’re in the hospital and you happen to meet your soulmate in the waiting area.

Wait, imagine the above point but way into the future and you’re about to give birth and your soulmate must be cursing you and rolling on the floor by the operating table or the waiting area screaming murder and punching walls while crying. Also periods, yes periods. Okay, I’ll shut up now.

You can choose to take the pain of your soulmate away. Like if they’re sick or even if they just have a paper cut, you can choose to transfer the pain/sickness to yourself instead and they’ll heal. You can only do it once you meet them though, since what happens to them doesn’t happen to you, unless you transfer it to yourself.

Like above but what if the pain becomes two times or more worse. Imagine someone afraid of pain, and the other soulmate shouldering everything or maybe you can half the pain your soulmate feels if you can’t handle taking everything on your own.

Alternate version of above two points where you can also transfer your pain to your soulmate. Imagine the payback you can do.

✖ Soulmate AUs involving reincarnation

There wasn’t a soulmate system in place before, now it’s about a thousand and more years later, and—wait, aren’t you the person that killed me in that back alley?

Where you’re reborn with the memories of your soulmate and you can only get your past memories if you meet each other again in this lifetime.

You somehow find a diary/journal of your old self and read through the contents of how you met your soulmate centuries ago.

Your soulmate was an artist of centuries ago, and currently, you’re an art student at university (or not but you’re taking an arts class). Then one day for a field trip, you go to a far-away museum and you just find yourself staring at what was your reflection, wearing different clothes to fit the timeline but it was definitely a split-image of you, on one of the framed displays.

Alternate version of the above where your soulmate still was an artist of centuries ago but you were there too, and you both were able to meet again in this lifetime. You don’t remember anything but you’d be at the museum, looking at the picture that looks like you with curiosity until your soulmate (who remembers everything) comes by and asks you what you think of the painting.

You’re sent to an insane asylum because everyone is convinced you’ve lost your hold on reality since you’re the only one that remembers everything from your past life. Also, that new doctor is your soulmate.

Your soulmate from the past life is not your soulmate in this life.

You become a writer and your series of novels become extremely popular, but what they don’t know is that you’re retelling your previous life where certain circumstances made it so you and your soulmate did not end up together but your soulmate promises to be with you the next lifetime. At a book signing you open the book cover of a fan’s copy to see something written on the front page: “I’m sorry I took so long.”

You don’t remember anything from your previous life but your soulmate does—your first meeting under the tree with the broken swing in summer, the way you smiled when you met each other again at the start of the school year, your eyes that were filled with such mirth and depth and beauty, even the way your hands fit together like missing piece of a puzzle—everything, even the gasps for air, the coarse little pleas, the way you stared with a look of betrayal until your bright eyes became nothing but a dull sheet of color at the hands encasing your neck in a vice grip.

You keep going to this place, and you always notice another person here too. Neither of you know that this is the place where the both of you had died/first met in the past life.

✖ Soulmate AUs involving dreams

Kind of a reincarnation AU where you’re losing the distinction between reality and dreams because when you’re asleep, you actually relive your past life, and you’re not sure if you’d much rather stay in the past or in the present anymore.

If you’re on separate time zones, when you sleep, you see the world in the eyes of your soulmate at present time. You see the world through your soulmate’s eyes, what they’re eating, who they’re talking to, the contents of the essay paper they’re trying to finish, but if they look into a mirror/reflective surface/picture, the image is blurred so you don’t really have a clue what they look like.

You see your soulmate in the eyes of their friend instead.

Imagine that soulmates just have this ability to dream together/meet each other in your dreams regardless of whether or not you two meet in real life. Your dreams could then be like a real-life video game, for example, you two could be in a zombie-apocalypse type of dream and you both would try your best to help each other out. If one gets bitten/dies you wake up and your soulmate is there to tell you everything is alright or tease you how you couldn’t shoot fast enough and then you’d both go back to sleep and maybe start round two.

Just like the above point, imagine how you and your soulmate could pretty much be with each other even after you’d both gone to your separate homes/shared bed.

Your soulmate is dead and the only way you two can see each other again is in your dreams and everyday your soulmate tries to make sure you know they love you and will always be there for you the moment you close your eyes and retire for the night.

✖ Other Soulmate AUs

You and your soulmate can communicate with thoughts and your soulmate happens to be a math major and you really need help with this test right now.

On some days, whatever your soulmate thinks of is something you can hear in your mind and your soulmate is currently reading really hardcore smut fics and you’re trying so hard not to mess up this class presentation which shoulders half your mark for the semester.

You get to share the same talents as your soulmate and you probably hit the jackpot because it’s the first time you’ve ever touched this instrument but you’re quite the professional at it, what? Shredding? I don’t know what that is but—oh… hey okay, I just did it I think.

The Red String of Fate exists, and only some people have the ability to see the strings, and these people can actually cut strings and knot other people’s strings in to alter the soulmate laws. Your best friend’s wedding is tomorrow and they know you can see the string. They ask you to help them defy the laws of the universe and help them be with the person they love even though they know that’s not their soulmate. You know they love each other so much so you help them, even though the person your best friend’s marrying/your best friend is your soulmate.

How about like the colors AU except it can be your voice or your hearing instead that comes and goes when your soulmate dies. Imagine how your soulmate’s voice is the first and the last thing you’ll ever hear.

So I decided to just make a post of all the ideas I’ve thought of so far for each theme! I tried to think of things I haven’t read before but I’m pretty sure with tons of people out there, some of these are sure to exist already. I was also planning to write more but maybe next time, my heart hurts already from typing these ;////;)’

I hope you guys like it though and please feel free to add on to this or make these into stories please I’ll love you forever and tag me please I’d love to read them.

++ justfandomwritings is queen of Soulmate AUs, and I’d like to dedicate this to her because she’s amazing and so much more ♥ ^^

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