Yo! So Iāve unfortunately fallen behind by nearly a week for Auctober because Iāve been travelling abroad this past weekā¦whoopsie-daisy! So hereās a little catch-up post!
Day 13: Vivid Imaginations
This one is very true for me! For some reason thereās a big stereotype that Autistic people are incredibly unimaginative. But once again: Weāre a spectrum! Some of us may not have the most vivid imagination or may not be the ācreative type,ā and thatās okay! But I do find that quite a lot of us tend to be very imaginative, artsy, creative etc. My imagination is so vivid that I can practically see an object Iāve imagined in grear detail and can visualize it as if itās in 3D space. Sadlyā¦this doesnāt make me any better at drawing š Regardless of my skill level though, Iāve always had a passion for the arts. I love to draw, paint, write stories, write poetry, and I used to dabble in playing the piano as well! One of my coping mechanisms Iāve had since childhood has been to retreat into the fictional worlds Iād created in my mind. I do this to this day in my late twenties.
Day 14: Hyperfixations
So, I often see the word āhyperfixationā used interchangeably with āspecial interest.ā (The latter is often shortened to āspin,ā which I love!) My understanding is that hyperfixations are more common in ADHD and refer to intense, almost obsessive interests that last a shorter amount of time than a spin. A spin, on the other hand, is more common in Autism and is essentially the same as a hyperfixation but generally lasts longerāanywhere from years to oneās whole life. That was my understanding of the terms, but I of course could be very wrong! I do have both Autism and ADHD however, so I do experience both hyperfixations and spins. My spin that Iāve had my ENTIRE life was The Legend of Zelda. Itās my all-time favourite videogame series and it means so, so much to me. I always related to the main protagonist Link, whom Iāve headcanoned as being Autistic for years! A spin I had for years was Japan, and I taught myself a lot of Japanese from childhood until I graduated high school. Itās not so much a special interest anymore, though Iām still making an effort to learn the language, culture, and I would still very much like to visit Japan some day! šÆšµ A few years back, I had a hyperfixation on plague doctors of all things! I still think theyāre interesting, but it was definitely a little more of a fleeting interest. Of course, that doesnāt mean it couldnāt resurfaceāhyperfixations often do resurface for me hehe! One of my current most prominent spins right now is Puritan New England. Recently on my trip abroad, I visited Boston and Salem Massachusetts and I was SO hyped!! I need to clarify that my interest in the Puritans is NOT at all due to any support for colonialismāI am staunchly anti-colonialism. I just have a morbid fascination with fanatical religious groups and their history. I usually compare it to people who have an interest in true crimeājust because theyāre interested in the subject, doesnāt mean they support serial killers or anything like that. Hope that makes sense!
Day 15: Pebbling
Awww, pebbling! One of my favourite things about the Autistic community and the neurodivergent community in general! For those who donāt know, the term āpebblingā comes from something penguins do when selecting a mate: they will find a rock they think is pretty and give it to the mate theyāre interested in as a gift! Autistic people often do this too (though not necessarily in a romantic context; I mean, probably in that context too, but often we do this with friends!) Autistic people might see somehing they think is really cool, neat, or interesting, and give it to someone they like to share in the fascination. This is our little bonding ritual and it shows that we really like you, so feel honoured! I donāt do much pebbling myself, or at least maybe not as frequently as some Autists. But on the occasion I do, itās usually a craft item Iāve made for that person! For example, when I made a new friend last year at uni who was also Autistic and has a spin with skeletons and spooky things. So, I made them a skull magnet out of fuse beads! (They loved it!) I recall back in high school as well, there was a time I was making like a bajillion origami butterflies for an art project I was doing at the time. I made a few extra, so I just gave everyone in my friend group an origami butterfly! š¦
Day 16: Autistic Pride
I have always found it odd when people treat my Autism diagnosis as if itās a tragedy. Yes, I wonāt deny that it has caused me much hardship and sometimes I do think itād be easier to be neurotypical. But if I wasnāt Autistic, I wouldnāt be me. I wouldnāt be infinitely curious with an insatiable appetite for knowledge. I wouldnāt be creative in my particular way. I wouldnāt have my unique sense of humour that everyone in my life seems to enjoy. I donāt think I would have the compassion for others and love of the world that my peers know me for. I just wouldnāt be the same person. I love being a divergent thinker and having a perspective on the world that is entirely my own. I may have difficulties and need a lot of help with certain things, but Iāve accepted it and I accept myself. I love being Autistic, and I have no interest in a ācure.ā
Day 17: Repetition
I am known for being very repetitiveāprobably to an annoying degree. Sometimes itās embarrassing too š For example, Iāll find a joke far funnier for far longer than most people. By the time everyone is over the funny joke, Iāll still be unable to contain my laughter. I canāt help it, Iām sorry!! I also tend to repeat quotes from my favourite shows, movies, games etc. over and over again. Often with little to no context as well LMAO
Day 18: Self Regulating
Self regulating for me usually means stimming, fidgeting, or, if trying to prevent a meltdown, shutting the blinds/curtains, hiding under a blanket, putting headphones on etc. Sometimes the world is just too much for anyoneābut when youāre on the spectrum, itās like that more often. Itās hard for me to convey just how intense my sensory issues are to non-Autistic people. The best way for me to explain it isā¦imagine if your eardrums were *outside* of your ears. Or if, like a camera, the exposure (amount of light let in) was turned up to the max in your eyes. Or you know that one itchy sweater you hate? Imagine if almost every kind of fabric you tried on bothered you like that. Itās like all your senses are justā¦turned up to the absolute maximum. This is why we stim. Why we wear sunglasses sometimes even indoors. Why we wear headphones or earplugs. The world is loud, bright, and constantly coming at you. Let us self regulate. Doing so will make you a great friend to an Autistic person ā¤ļø
Thatās all for now, I hope to have a drawing or other form of art for the next prompt! Until then, Iām drained from writing all that and from travelling. I got a plane back to Canada to take soon. Bye bye!
