♡Aurelia Mae♡

Not worry that will have AAC take away. Or will be refuse treatment because use AAC. Or will be leave without any way of ask for help for who know how long.

I’ve had some unexpected medical expenses come up, and I’m trying to cover the bills. I don’t feel comfortable sharing the details or discussing my medical information publicly.

If you’re able to help, any support would mean a lot. Donations or commissioning me are both incredibly appreciated. If you’re not in a position to donate or commission me, sharing this with others and reblogging would also help tremendously.

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condiments & scrapbooking folder redos

disability/disabled || mobility aid(s) || brace

cane || rollator || wheelchair

how many months of government support does it take to afford something like a power wheelchair if you're someone who needs one to get out of bed? how much expense is incurred while saving up for that, making sure you still get food, cleaning, other appointments while you're saving up? is it enough to pay rent? is it enough to still have nice meals, streaming subscriptions, a new video game? is it enough to help family or friends cover emergencies? are there resources available to help with dating, girl's nights, family events if you can't do it all yourself? how in demand are those services, how far in advance do they have to be reserved, how much do they cost?

I've had a few posts about disability get relatively well-shared at this point, and there's always an element of surprise in it - like, what do you mean there's subscriptions, what do you mean it's that expensive, isn't there something else? - and while I understand why, it would really mean a lot if people who don't know about this stuff took the initiative to find out just how bad some of this shit is on their own time

And then look up the cost of a newer gen ipad.

And then also look up the cost of robust AAC software and add that to the cost of either device!!

It isn't a one-time purchase either btw.

The devices have planned obsolescence (which is why you want to go for the newer gens).

And some apps only support a subscription.

And the ones that don't, if you get a new device, you often need to repurchase the app.

I rely on this to ask for help in emergencies btw.

Similar to how there is not one size fits all situations with mobility aids, I do not think there is one form of AAC that will fit every situation for most people.

I use two AAC apps on two separate devices to communicate, depending on My needs that day. I also do not use purely high tech, I also use low tech and no tech AAC, again depending on needs.

Lots of people think if you give someone an AAC tablet it can used be always. But that is simply not true! You cannot use a tablet in water, for example.

theyre mix and match, so you start with a set of basic phrases and then can choose sets pertaining to different medical cobditions.

im considering psychiatric conditions too and would love to know what sets you guys would like to see.

Quick note before this one: I'm writing this bc i have autism in my family, i know a few autistic people personally, and i genuinely did a lot of research to get this right, not bc i consider myself any kind of expert on lived experience. Autism is a spectrum in the actual literal sense, meaning there isn't one autistic experience, there are many, and the most important thing i can tell you is to ask real autistic people, read their own accounts, and treat this as an ongoing learning process, not a checklist you finish once.

IT'S NOT A PERSONALITY TRAIT, sprinkled on top, and it's not one uniform presentation. Autism affects communication, sensory processing, and social interaction differently in every single person, some autistic people are highly verbal, some are non-speaking, some mask so well that people flat-out don't believe they're autistic at all. Ask yourself what your specific character's profile actually looks like before you write it, and be specific rather than generic.

⤷ Masking is a survival skill with a real cost. Many autistic people, especially those diagnosed later in life or socialized hard to "pass," learn to force eye contact, suppress stimming, script conversations in advance just to get through a normal day. It works, but it's genuinely draining, and a character who seems totally fine in public may need to decompress hard the second they're safe, sometimes called an autistic shutdown or meltdown once the mask can finally come off.

⤷ Stimming isn't a symptom to suppress, it's regulation. Hand-flapping, rocking, repeating phrases, fidgeting with an object, these aren't random quirks, they help an autistic person manage sensory input or emotion in real time. Writing a character who's "cured" of stimming as a sign of growth genuinely misunderstands what stimming is even for, it's not a bad habit, it's a coping tool.

⤷ Special interests are a source of joy, not just an obstacle. An intense, deep focus on a specific topic isn't a quirky trait to be mildly tolerated by everyone else, it's often a genuine source of comfort and identity. Don't write it as something the character needs to "grow out of" to become relatable, that framing quietly implies their joy is a problem to be solved.

⤷ Literal interpretation IS NOT stupidity. An autistic character taking a figure of speech literally, or needing direct rather than implied communication, reflects a different processing style, not a lack of intelligence. Sarcasm and idioms can genuinely be missed, or need explicit signaling, and that should never be played as a joke at the character's expense.

⤷ Meltdowns and shutdowns aren't tantrums. A meltdown is an involuntary response to overwhelm, sensory, emotional, or cognitive, not a manipulative outburst, and a shutdown can look like someone going quiet, still, or unresponsive rather than loud at all. Writing either as a controllable choice the character is making on purpose misrepresents what's actually happening in their body.

AND few more things i think matter, that don't get said as often:

⤷ Sensory sensitivity isn't about having "better" senses, it's about a different relationship to input. Fluorescent lighting, certain fabrics, background noise in a restaurant, these can be genuinely distressing, not just mildly annoying, bc the usual sensory filtering most people's brains do automatically doesn't work the same way.

⤷ Skip the diagnostic labels like "high-functioning" or "low-functioning." These terms are largely rejected by the autistic community for flattening a person's actual strengths and support needs into one blunt, misleading label. Describe what your specific character can and can't do instead of reaching for a label that doesn't actually explain anything.

⤷ Autism doesn't mean a lack of empathy or emotion. Autistic people love, grieve, laugh, and form deep relationships, just sometimes expressed differently than neurotypical people expect. Writing an autistic character as cold or emotionless is a harmful, outdated stereotype.

comparison of big machine & small machine (both AAC devices)

I believe some of those who follow me remember big machine in our old days. She was my main AAC device when I started using AAC, but she is extremely big & hard to carry around. That made me get small machine!

small machine is our personal & dedicated AAC device, which is lighter & smaller, as well as easier for me to carry around. I've decorated it with stickers & signs 😄

That means supporting autistic people who talk in a "very childish" way. (I do this a lot irl)

Autistic people who do "TV talking" (this means talking like a character from your favorite media,basically talking in quotes and copying their speech patterns,as far as I know)

Autistic people who use echolia.

Autistic people who are very awkward/quirky when they communicate.

Autistic people who are overly technical,or have very sophisticated and articulate speech.

Autistic people who mumble.

Autistic people who talk really fast.

Autistic people who can't control their tone of voice/inflection.

Autistic people who talk in a monotone voice.

Autistic people who use different kind of sounds,or body language to communicate.

Autistic people who talk slowly and draw out their syllables.

Autistic people who use a lot of sentance fillers.

Autistic people who refer to themselves in the third person

Autistic people who use Aac devices,communication cards,etc etc.

I don't think I've mentioned this here but I go mute decently often. It's a mixture of my body shutting down (mentally) and genuine disinterest in speaking. There's a reason I so strongly relate to the line "If you only listen with your ears, I can't get in." in The Mute by Radical Face. But I hardly, if ever, see mute characters aside from the "severely autistic non-verbal" sort of stereotype.

Side note: I prefer the term "mute" over "non-verbal", because "non-verbal", to me, makes it sound like I'm missing or have lost something. "Verbal" is the ideal and "non-verbal" is the odd one out, the anomaly, something "wrong".

But you don't have to have a mute character be autistic for them to be mute, and a disabled character doesn't have to explain the finer details of their disability (although it is advised that you, as the author, should know what is going on with your character). While mutism does primarily come from mental limitations, there are ways it can come from injuries. Damage to the trachea, esophagus, and mouth can cause speech differences or complete mutism. Brain damage can also affect speech; strokes, tumors, excessive drug use, et cetra.

Another note: Mutism and autism do not always go together. While it is true that plenty of autistic and otherwise neurodiverse folks may experience mutism, whether due to social anxiety or mental overwhelm or overstimulation, they do not always go hand in hand.

When looking up "mutism", you will find a lot of "how to fix it". Okay fine, "treat" it. As though it's something to overcome. And maybe for some people it is, that's okay. But overall there's this ableism against mutism that I feel goes unnoticed. If a kid doesn't start speaking at a certain age, they're considered slow or behind. To call someone non-verbal implies a certain level of mental state. This also ties into the ableism around deafness, because if deafness was more tolerated - that is, if sign language was more accepted and actually taught as a second language - mute people (and those who aren't deaf or mute!) would be learning sign language, and therefore be able to communicate more effectively. I took a singular ASL class in college because that was all that was accessible to me. I know enough to introduce myself and explain that I'm partly mute, but most of the time I use my notes app and body language. And most people are cool with that! Sign language is also admittedly difficult for me because my brain thinks in words. It thinks in poetry and lyrics, not movement. But I'm just one person with just one experience. I'm sure there's plenty others with more experience and knowledge than me.

it still speak over & saviorism. n in some cases even gaslighting, n not using that word lightly.

have had verbal speaking people (plural!! many occasions!) so desperately think they doing me favor when they tell me “no actually you not struggling with communication 🥺you great with it” when am saying hey being nonverbal naturally mean am struggle w communication, n have many other language cognitive struggles that make communication even harder.

some they keep insist even when tell them no, assume am say it because am just… unconfident n low self esteem n falling for deficit language n also assume have never heard of well, autism advocacy for past decade (bc context of convo be abt autism).

n have had some actually argue with me about… my own experience? n when naturally as person who struggle with communication (that they conveniently deny, while said struggle actively helping them), cannot argue back as easy as they (person w communication privilege) do, try get other people help explain, they then call me… deploying other people n dogpiling them.