#hrsn

id: a 5x5 bingo game labelled “higher support needs autism”, there are some orange details by the caption, as well as an orange arrow with text “@ autisticvelo” pointing towards the ‘t’ tumblr icon at the bottom. the squares are described from left to right, starting on the top row: ‘constant infantilisation’, ‘used to / does elope’, is / was in special education’, need(ed) 1:1 help in school’, restrictive & intense interests’. 2nd row: ‘on disability benefits’, ‘needs help with some or most / all iADLs’, ‘nonverbal / semiverbal (or long-term struggle with speech’, ‘developmental delays / abnormalities’, ‘has / needs a caregiver’. 3rd row: ‘violent meltdowns’, ‘needs help with some or most / all bADLs’, ‘free space (golden infinity sign)’, ‘comorbid physical disability’, ‘gets verbal shutdowns’. 4th row: ‘struggles with hygiene’, ‘assumed to be LSN’, ‘can’t live alone / requires great support’, ‘poor motor skills, ‘comorbid mental illness’. bottom row: ‘sensory seeking / avoidant’, ‘has ID / mild ID / BID’, uses AAC of some kind’, ‘poor saliva control / drools’, ‘won’t ever be independent’. end id

🧡 INFO:

• first point: if anything here is hard to read, let me know and i will simplify it for you, i do not mind.

• if you are able to, please copy the image description i’ve provided above into your post if you repost the bingo game to make it more accessible to visually impaired folks / screen reader users etc. !!

• this is made to include people who are somewhere between L-MSN and HSN, i’m hoping i’ve gotten some things right that many experience, but also remember that these might not be exclusive to HrSN autistic people but in combination with each other they are very common for HrSN autistics.

• if you have feedback on if i got something wrong, i’d like to know so i can learn more and do better next time!

• if a box kind of fits you, it’s okay to count it i think, example: if you are not nonverbal or semiverbal but struggle long term with speech, it’s okay to cross that one. i did add some notes in some boxes.

• i wasn’t completely sure on what terms to use for ID + mild ID and borderline ID, if anything is wrong, please tell me! i’m still trying to learn more so i can be inclusive.

• last point, if you struggle with image descriptions it is okay to tag me and i will write one for you! i am often able to write them even if words are hard and i don’t mind.

🧡 MINE:

for me tantrums are different from meltdowns cause they happen when i dont get something i want. i have this really strong need for routine and i get frustrated super easy and sometimes i just cant handle being told no. i really like things to be fair and if theres no good reason why i cant have something i want i get really angry

my tantrums look like arguing and hitting things and crying and screaming and it might seem like im freaking out over something small like not getting chick-fil-a or a toy i want but its actually a really big deal for me. ill try to negotiate and argue to get what i want and if that doesnt work ill get even more upset. i totally refuse to move on until i either get what i want or the person im arguing with leaves completely and then i might do SIB or self harm

these tantrums are really emotionally intense and they drain me completely. i get headaches from crying and screaming and afterwards i feel super guilty and exhausted. i dont like having tantrums but they happen

Hey! I’ll answer as best I can and my partner/caretaker ( @officials-of-hell ) plans on reblogging with more information if needed :)

So first and foremost, support needs take into account all disabilities (both mental and physical). My autism alone is quite disabling, however the part that makes me so high support needs ultimately is the combination of that, my PTSD, DID, POTS, unknown GI issues, etc

Me personally, I cannot do much of anything without assistance and being monitored

The way I’ve found is the best way to determine MSN vs HSN (though I’ll also note that people can border between labels, which is shown by using LSN-MSN and MSN-HSN) is the intensity of what care you need. So what you mentioned of the iADLs and bADLs is pretty accurate

Someone who is LSN likely only really needs help with some iADLs (such as driving, making your bed, doing taxes, etc), while someone who’s MSN may need help with a few of both iADLs and bADLs (bathing, eating, getting dressed, etc), and someone who’s HSN will generally need help across the whole board

Using taxes and bathing/showering as my examples, I am incapable of processing taxes and need intense assistance in doing them or they won’t get done/won’t get done correctly. And when it comes to bathing/showering, my partner has to be in the shower with me, and often has to assist me in physically cleaning myself as getting wet is terrible sensory, and I have terrible anxiety about having my face being wet due to an accident in the ocean from my childhood (got caught in a current and pulled under). I need significant help to do anything except rot in bed (I will not get out of bed if I’m left to my own)

As for nuance? Really the biggest thing to it is determining what things you need the most help with in iADLs and bADLs and seeing if you need help specifically with a few of them, or if you need help across the board for both

Seems like you were already on the right track to figuring things out, and I 100% get where you’re at. Partner had to basically shove it in my face that I’m HSN before I actually even accepted it 😭 I was firmly convinced I wasn’t (I was a liar lol)

Alebrije Sculptures, Fox and Snake

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