#dead alien asks

- Could it be an autistic thing to have a desire to own things that are functional? Like when I was a kid, I only wanted to play with toys that had doors that could open, wheels that could turn, or things that were supposed to move and do things. Now that I'm a college student studying art, I only want to make functional pieces and doing anything abstract is unenjoyable and really hard for me. Or is that just a preference?

It could be either to be honest, but I’d say it’s probably a preference that is influenced by your autism.

- so today i was told that i may be on the spectrum and i’m breaking down inside. I dont relate to any of the symptoms and it’s making feel so down. I’ll be scheduled for a full assessment/ diagnosis soon but idk how to deal with this. I want to cry so bad i can’t deal with this i’m panicking and I’m just looking for someone to tell me that i’m not. It has to be wrong. I don’t want this -anon250

Being autistic is not a bad thing. You may have an uncommon presentation of it because it can manifest in a lot of different ways, but if you’re that skeptical about it then I would recommend asking your psych team for their reasoning. But again, being autistic is not a bad thing and there’s nothing wrong with it.

- is it an autism thing to not understand directions and be unable to give other people directions? whether it's like how to do something or how to get somewhere. -misterstims

Yeah I’d say it’s related. Part of that would be executive dysfunction and it could also relate to difficulties with accurately processing and communicating information.

- iiat that my elbows don’t stay straight like most people’s? I think it may be because as a child for many years I had “raptor” arms which has now made it physically impossible for my arms to be straight without forcibly locking them (which kinda hurts). I also just prefer to my arms to be bent, like when I’m sitting at a desk I like to fold my arm up weirdly to support my head. Idk it’s just something I’ve noticed which adds to the fact that i already look very weird and “autistic” ~☠️👽

Yeah a lot of autistic people have ‘weird’ posture or hold ourselves at odd angles because having ‘proper’ posture is uncomfortable.

- IIAAT to not understand hidden meanings in songs or poems? I can't tell if it's an autism thing or just a me thing. -Oddish Evan

- To the anon who asked about mishearing simple phrases, I used to think “ready as I’ll ever be” was “ready as a lever bee” I didnt know what a ‘lever bee’ was but I just went with it and I thought this for many years until I figured out that that wasn’t the phrase at all lmao ~☠️👽

- Would wearing a tshirt and workout joggers/ adidas pants everyday be considered sameclothes?

I believe the same style of outfit every day like that would be sameclothes, yes. Assuming it’s from sensory preference rather than convenience

- i feel like i dont present autistic enough, like no one can tell and no one would believe me if i said i was, because i laugh too much and dont have the stereotypical speech patterns, but i know all of this is just internalized ableism and that things like that dont affect me being autistic its just invalidating sometimes esp being around other ppl on the spectrum bc i feel nothing like them and idk if that makes me fake or not

No-one noticed I was autistic for 21 years. There’s not a lot of information out there, and just because you don’t fit a stereotype (that a lot of autistics don’t fit) doesn’t mean you aren’t autistic

- 🐺❤️ here! the ask must have never went through, it's wolf heart, not wolf lover ! 

Fixed it in our list :)  

- Pssst, I can't get your FAQ link to work. Maybe check it and see if it's alright or something? All it does is bring me straight back to the blog, but what do I know, I just assume it's a link to an FAQ post. Anywho, thought I'd bring up the issue.

Seems to be working for me

- Do autistic people commonly have a hard time with imaginary or fantasy play? Or is it the opposite that they prefer it ?

Difficulty in imaginary play with others is one of the diagnostic criteria, but imaginary play on one’s own is common (and some autistics are fine with shared imaginary play). This tends to get easier as one gets older

-When you can't tell if your best friend is pissed at you all the time because she LikeLikes you or bc she just doesn't like you and everyone tells you shes shitty asf but I FEEL like it may be something? But I can literally never interpret intentions??? Shes gotten pissed at me over three different girls that Ive liked over the years and gets jelly? She really helps me in public a lot and is amazing? But she hates me now. Help?

- Is it an autism feel when you just GOTTA move. Like u can't stay still and u just have to wiggle and jerk around. Also is it an autism thing to just twitch? Usually when I have to move I'll twitch my arms and legs ~☠️👽

It may be but I think it is also an ADHD and anxiety symptom.

- I said about the memory before but is it related to have awful memory? I don't remember many things from my childhood or stuff, I do remember some things but not much. I just have an awful time remembering stuff. ⭐️🌈🐼

Autism can be related to having a bad memory, as it’s part of a long list of things that are affected by executive dysfunction. It could also be trauma related, if you have had such things happen.

-  I'm sorry this isn't a feel, but I'm doing some research as I'm hoping to get a diagnosis, and I was wondering if anyone on this blog might be able to recommend books by autistic authors that talk about having autism or anything similar, preferably for someone between 15 and 18 years old? Thank you!

http://autisticadvocacy.org/resources/books/

https://musingsofanaspie.com/aspergers-and-autism-resources/

http://www.autistichoya.com/p/blog-page_19.html?m=1 (go to the section about “i think i might be autistic“

-  Not a feel but more of a question. I wanna learn sign language really badly but I can't go to a class or something like that because new people. Are there ways to learn and practice without having to leave my house? Also, any people who use earplugs to filter background noise? I hope there are some people on this page who have experience with these things! -🌟🐑

http://www.signlanguage101.com/ seems to be a good resource for getting started on learning ASL. I suggest Youtube, too.

Yes there are such people. I need to use them at nights because of noise... Even the smallest noise can annoy me or make me wake up during the night.

-  How do you bring up to ur mom thrlat u think u might be autistic without fully saying it bc its awkward :/ <also can i be 🍌🌽>

You could just list what symptoms you have and tell her how she can help you. Yes to the emojis.

- Iiaat to be really bad at making arguments? For example, if someone asks my opinion on something controversial like global warming I will have a really hard time explaining what I feel and why I feel like that. But it's not just controversial stuff, it's basically every opinion I have.