#e screams

*note- i apologize for the lack of color/organization, colors strain my eyes too much. i am also using small words n statements bc i’m currently v overstimulated so i’m sorry if sum words aren’t clear. /gen

follow autistic/neurodivergent accs on insta (or any other social media but the ones that i’ve found most helpful have been on insta), they post lots of tips and helpful info as well as validation and encouragement. sum of these can be found under #happeycore :)

apps like jelly dream (watch jellyfish, customize the lighting, and change the types of jellyfish), heat pad (changes color as you tap on the screen with your body heat), fidget toy pack (has lots and lots of different fidget toys that r virtual), etc. help me a lot bc they either help me get energy out or give me smthn calming to do while i calm down

listening to 8d/slowed/pitched down music, rain, nature sounds, etc. helps me as it gives my brain a calm thing to focus on. i usually listen to the neighborhood, arctic monkeys, hozier, the 1975, etc. slowed down.

noise canceling headphones r a lifesaver. the ones i have for a gun range, they’re hollow n create a vacuum around ur ears, and i highly recommend them. if not, earplugs, earbuds, or even just a pillow over ur head, can help a lot.

fidget toys. this seems obvious but they can rly help. if u can’t get some, trying getting the like $2 kids toys at like the checkout lines or smthn. just smthn small and cheap so you can say ur gonna give it to a kid if u need to. like i got a rubber dino to squeeze, and a shark with those squishy beads in it from a dollar store.

try engaging with ur special interest. sometimes it’s hard to even have the energy to keep ur eyes open but, if u have the energy, smthn as simple as holding an item that’s related to a special interest/hyperfixation can help a lot. like for me, i hold some of my favorite rocks, watch the jellyfish or ocean things, or count my stickers.

try changing ur clothes or surroundings. sometimes those can be part of the problem without u realizing. i always try to change into my comfy pajamas if i can. i recommend getting the workout clothes from like target or walmart (or the pajamas that don’t look a lot like pajamas), or getting a seam ripper to thoroughly get the tags off, for really soft clothes.

try to use an alternative form of communication. writing, signing, typing, texting, using a text to speech voice, etc. even if u have the energy to talk, sometimes it’s best to save the energy u have. it can b hard to feel comfortable doing that so i’d suggest not trying to do smthn that’ll just work u up more but if u feel comfy, it can help a lot.

if you want to get soap, toothpaste, face wash, lotion, etc. but the smell is overwhelming then i’d recommend getting whatever says “doctor recommended/approved”. i know lots of things say that but i mean try to look for the most medical, made-for-people-with-health-conditions, type of stuff. brands that your doctor would recommend to you.

those typically have a less strong scents or an option for unscented, and they’re typically pretty good for skin! they can also help if you’re feeling overwhelmed with all the choices (especially with skincare or makeup) so you know which brands might work best! also don’t be afraid to use kids or babies brands. they’re made for super sensitive skin/teeth so will most likely not be overwhelming :))

the age-old question: What Makes Us Human, that’s been pondered throughout the centuries. many people have many different thoughts about what makes us human; love, kindness, pain, and so on. but there’s one question that no one ever asks. why do we have to define humanity? biology already defines what’s human so why do we have to share a common trait or experience? why isn’t the simple fact that we are living, breathing people enough?

i like to think about it like this; what makes a bear a bear? well the answer is simple, bears have specific biological traits that they all share like habits, size, shape, etc. if someone told you “what makes bears bears is their sense of compassion” you’d look at them like they were crazy. so why is it so different for humans?

there are animals that live their entire lives, whether that be a year or 100, alone. some animals spend their entire lives around others. but if someone told you that the animals that spent their lives alone were less of their species because they “didn’t love”? you’d think that’s ridiculous, what makes an animal part of their species is simple facts.

now just apply that to humans. it’s ridiculous to think that people who have different experiences aren’t human, in fact it’s just plain wrong. what makes us human is simple biology, what people mean when they say that is “what makes me respect people as human” which is entirely different. the fact that you need traits or experiences instead of just basic facts to respect or value people says more about you than them.

going back to the animals for a second, think about watching a nature documentary. think about what you feel when you watch it. you might feel bad for the prey when the focus is on them and you feel bad for the predator when the focus is on them, right? (or at least understand the hard struggle even if you can’t relate to it) now if you saw an entire group of a species reject a couple of them because they acted differently? you’d probably feel bad for them, or understand that that isn’t fair. so when you apply that same logic to humans, the whole concept of “what makes us human?” is total nonsense.

when you look through the lense of logic and compassion (which can coexist despite popular misconceptions) you can see the whole debate about defining humanity for what it really is, an excuse to exclude people. there are 7 billion people and counting on earth. defining all of them by anything other than the simple fact that they meet the biological criteria for being human will always leave people out. it’s time for us to start analyzing these ‘philosophical’ debates to see whether they’re actually a debate or a thinly veiled attempt to control who ‘deserves’ compassion and who doesn’t. once we start doing that, we can look at greater dilemmas and problems that are actually productive to debate.