Autism extra crispy

So when people think of ASD or SPD, they think of the usual suspects: Light sensitivity, auditory sensitivity, touch aversion, etc. These are fairly common among those with ASD and SPD and I have some of those myself, however, there are some less common sensory issues that you don’t hear about as often. I’m going to write a bit about mine because when I was looking for information about it - I found very little. I hope some day this will help somebody out there who does a google search on why they feel the things they feel.

One lesser known sensory situation is vestibular hyposensitivity (Hypo, not Hyper). People who have this usually like spinning around, moving their body around a lot, and can often spin and spin without ever getting dizzy, as if they’re immune to it. People with this usually love movement and seek it out whenever possible. I am the opposite of this. I have vestibular hypersensitivity and… it’s a royal pain in the arse.

You know that weird sensation you get when you’re on an elevator and it just starts moving? Now imagine that sensation but amplified by 500x and then you get what I feel. Any sort of up/down motion absolutely messes with my head in very unpleasant ways. Elevators, escalators, theme park rides, airplanes, bumps in the road while driving, etc. I can even trigger it just by bouncing up and down on my feet or, hell, even just walking can cause it sometimes. I’ll just be walking along and suddenly get this immense feeling like the world beneath me is gone and I’m about to start falling for a fraction of a second. Or it’ll feel like a rug was just yanked out from under my feet or that I was thrown across a room, all because I had too much vertical movement in my walking. 

Once it’s been triggered really badly, my sense of up and down goes all wonky. I basically stumble and limp around until I can find somewhere to sit, where I’ll curl into a ball until gravity seems normal again. It can often feel like gravity is pulling me in another direction that isn’t straight down. Usually it’s kind of an upward top-left direction but it can vary a bit. I am pretty useless until this sensation passes.

Scripting is real. Scripting is important to autistics. 

Yes, personally i speak mostly freely. but i still have a databank of go-to words, phrases, and appropriate reactions that I conciously check.

So yeah. You can’t tell. But I’m still petrified. I’m still reviewing every mistake for next time? I’m still revising and editing scripts in my head all the time just so I can pass???

it doesn’t come naturally. it will never come naturally. i will always be terrified. i know that. 

Please read this!

+

It’s been over a decade since I travelled to another country. I managed it a few times as a teenager since I was visiting local boyfriends/romantic interests. Back then I was a bit more Devil-may-care. Now, I struggle with non-verbal episodes, heightened sensitivity, and a degree of agoraphobia. But I’ve decided not to let it stop me.

In a week’s time, my partner and I will be flying to Rotterdam together. I lived there for a year in 2017 - 18 and I want to go to a music festival I attended. Also, we plan to go to the zoo and visit the metaphysical shops.

I’m older now and less well-equipped. Years of being undiagnosed have taken their toll and my partner has only just been diagnosed himself. We’re also going to be staying at a hotel and won’t have the assistance of my Dutch ex as we don’t talk.

My partner has never been out of the country. Last year we spent a few days in a wee cabin in the highlands of our native country and it went well. I’m sure this will all be fine and my best friend/carer has been helping us prepare.

But I thought I’d ask you all whether you had tips for travelling, either alone or with other people.

Pretty sure we’ve covered the basics, etc. This is more to ease my partner’s mind. Still, I’d love to hear anything you’d suggest, as I think it is a useful subject for everybody who might be able to manage travel. Being autistic shouldn’t immediately mean we (any of us) can’t travel if we want to do so.

Some of my own tips:

Phone or email ahead to airports, train stations, hotels, etc. and let the staff know you may need special assistance.

Pack a special travel stim pack (remember to check if anything is unfit to be carried on as hand luggage).

If concerned about panicky sensations during travel, speak to your doctor. If your doctor doesn’t prescribe something like diazepam then you should still be able to purchase valerian tablets from a pharmacy. Make sure to talk to the pharmacist first about any possible interactions with your usual medications.

If you personally can’t make phone calls or speak to people, ask a friend or relative or carer to do so on your behalf.

Check up on the general manners and customs of wherever you are visiting.

Some tips:

- Plan routes ahead (do NOT rely on google maps alone in case the connection is bad, in the best case you know where to go with only a screenshot.)

- when you use busses/trains take a later connection over a very close one - if you think “but I can make this if I run” don’t. A tiny delay can throw you off schedule entirely. It’s unnecessarily stressful, and waiting for a bus is easier than having to schedule a new travel on the spot

- Anything you need for travel, have it sorted and in a spot where you will find it without having to go through 2647437 items (that does not mean easily accessible, you don’t want any pickpockets coming near your stuff)

- maybe check out the most common street signs in the country if you’re unsure you’ll find your way

- if you’re worried about leaving your stuff in the counry if you leave, make a list of your belongings and keep them sorted in a system that works for you