#unmasking autism

[drowninkystar]

idk who needs to hear this but many high masking autistics don't want to be told they're good at masking or "no one can tell ur autistic" as a compliment bc it reinforces the need to mask in order to be accepted socially (of course there are exceptions to this and not all autistics will agree)

growing up i was told so many times "u do a great job at appearing 'normal'" and let me tell u that made me feel incredibly insecure of unmasking in public (i have also been told "ur autism is showing" as a way for someone to tell me that i should 'put the mask back on', which is also very hurtful)

to this day im scared that ppl will not like me if im more "visibly autistic" so i oftentimes mask more than i'd like (which leads to difficulty forming real connections as well as burn out and anxiety)

(it's also ableist to say that not seeming autistic is a good thing bc that implies that autism is an insult or something to be ashamed of)

#masking can be useful but it also takes a toll #but everyone's experience will be different #actually autistic #autistic experiences #autistic #autistic adult #autism awareness #autism #autistic things #neurodivergent #neurodiversity #masking #autistic masking #autism masking #high masking #unmasking autism #autistic unmasking #ableism

[neurodivergenttales]

I think people overlook the inability to regulate body temperature as a sign of impending burnout

When things are really deteriorating I find that I can never be a happy medium between hot and cold - I'm either freezing and feel the need to wrap myself in layers upon layers or I'm so uncomfortably hot that I'm sweating

It's like my body is trying to tell me that I am dysregulated to the point of needing to stop everything before burnout properly hits

#neurodivergent #neurodiverse stuff #actually autistic #late diagnosed autistic #actually autism #autism #autistic adult #autistic things #unmasking autism #unmasking #burnout

[gutsygremlin]

Being a night owl is really isolating sometimes but being able to relax and unmask because the moon would never judge you is so very comforting

#actually autistic #autism #autistic adult #audhd #night owl #unmasking autism #adhd

[angelboybreakdowns]

MY FAMILY HAS BEEN CALLING ME A WEIRD HOARDER FOR YEARS I FEEL SO FUCKING VINDICATED

#actually autistic #autism #autistic #neurodivergent #actually neurodivergent #autism/adhd #actuallyautistic #neurodivergence #autihd #unmasking autism

[sunlightfeeling]

I read the Introduction to Unmasking Autism by Dr. Devon Price tonight

i finally feel heard:

#actually autistic #autism #autistic #neurodivergent #actually neurodivergent #neurodiversity #neurodivergence #unmasking autism #the tism #tism posting #neurospicy #masking #autistic masking #autism masking

[zebulontheplanet]

Unmasking isn’t always deliberate. Unmasking and being not able to mask can happen for multiple reasons. From burnout, to regression, to autism catatonia. There are multiple reasons why someone wouldn’t have control over their masking ability.

Unmasking isn’t always something someone wants and sometimes it happens beyond their control. Sometimes it happens unwillingly.

Unmasking Isn’t always deliberate, and that needs to be talked about more.

#zebrambles #autism #actually autism #actually autistic #unmasking #unmasking autism #autistic #masked autistic #masked autism

[ugly-draculaura]

autism/tbh + adhd creature stimboard! - safe /srs !! - request for anon

#stimboard #autism #nerodivergent #sensory #calming #safe space #unmasking autism #sensory board #stim #request #adhd creature #adhd #autism creature #tbh creature #confetti

[rewcana]

List of Traits that are Common Amongst Autistic People

i compiled a list of traits, symptoms, behaviors, etc (largely sourced from the book "Unmasking Autism" by Devon Price) that occur in autistic ppl at high rates. it's crazy how many of these i identify with. i think having them all in one place may be helpful to some people.

List:

-Substance abuse & addiction

-Eating disorders

-Rejection sensitivity

-Digestive issues

-Sleeping disorders

-Depression

-Anxiety

-Social anxiety

-Eczema

-Dyslexia

-Dissociation

-People pleasing

-Personality disorders

-Audio processing problems

-Joint issues

-Issues with coordination

-Stimming

-Executive dysfunction

-OCD

-ADHD

-Gender dysphoria

-Difficulty with emotional regulation

-Frequent crying or never crying

-Hyperfixations

-Sensory issues

-Sensory overload

-Extreme burnout

-Safe foods

-Safe / comfort items

-Self harming behaviors

-Difficulty regulating noise level

-Being non binary / gender nonconforming

-Difficulty understanding people's intentions / feelings when communicating

-Melt downs / break downs

-Shut downs (akin to dissociation)

-Nonverbal (completely/ partially)

-Diluted sense of identity

-Paranoia

-Catering and changing personality/ behavior to match a social setting (form of masking)

-Studying and analyzing social behavior to mimic it / understand how people are feeling

-Hypervigilance

-Insecure attachments

-Fear of vulnerability

-Prone to abusive relationships

-Special interests

-Rigid schedules

-Difficulty dealing with change in plans

-Sensory seeking / sensory avoidant behaviors

Following are quoted directly from "Unmasking Autism" by Devon Price

-Intense studying of a new favorite topic

-Needing to know exactly what to expect before entering an unfamiliar situation

-Not noticing sounds or social signals when focusing on an engrossing task

-Sticking to a very rigid schedule, and rejecting deviations to that schedule

-Taking a long time to think before responding to a complex question

-Spending hours or days alone sleeping and recharging after a socially demanding event or stressful project

-Needing “all the information” before coming to a decision

-Not knowing how they feel, or needing a few days to figure out how they feel about something

-Needing a rule or instruction to “make sense” before they can follow it

-Not putting energy toward expectations that seem unfair or arbitrary, such as wearing makeup or elaborate grooming

#autism #actually autistic #autistic adult #autistic #autistic things #unmasking autism #actually neurodivergent #neurodiverse #neurodiversity #neurodiverse stuff #devon price #unmasking autism by devon price #on the spectrum #asd #autism spectrum disorder

[chronicsymptomsyndrome]

We really can’t be normal about autistic people huh

“can exacerbate autism features” “more severe repetitive behaviors” “tougher time making friends” you mean unmasking?? Yeah masking is fucking exhausting and all-consuming, of course its harder without sleep?? Sleepy allistics also loose ability to give 110%? Sleepy allistics also would do worse on tests of intelligence? What the fuck

Also in case it went unnoticed, the source is called spectrum news dot org so please remember not to mistake name or branding for credibility <3

#thank you for coming to my ted talk #allistics #autistic rant #autistic stuff #audhd #adhd autistic #actually autistic #mental health education #neurodivergence #neurodiversity #autistic things #autistic experiences #unmasking #autistic masking #masking #unmasking autism #autistic adult #autistic children #autistic child #late diagnosed autistic #self diagnosed autism #self diagnosed autistic #autistic stimming #autistic communication #autistic community #autistic representation #autism representation #neurodivergent representation #autism spectrum #autism spectrum disorder

[centralkvetchmonolith]

This page from Unmasking Autism by Dr. Devon Price is a great example of why I can't stand Price's writing. Validating autistic existence (and complaining about how autistic behavior gets pathologized) is eminently possible without lying/swinging hard into the opposite absolutes.

Not only does he say "completely harmless" about behaviors that have readily identified harms, he labels common autistic behaviors (which should absolutely be understood, & contextualized as part of human experience) as "healthy", which at its most innocuous is saying that these behaviors are present in otherwise unremarkable autistic people but which I interpret to mean he believes these are *necessarily euadaptive* behaviors. The absolutism of "complete[ness]" and necessity has no place in serious writing about psychology.

Anyway that's the point I wanted to make, but here are some specifics about how these normal and understandable behaviors (many of which I exhibit) aren't harmless:

1) Not noticing surroundings can be super dangerous! Not noticing that people are trying to talk to you is mildly inconvenient (which is a harm)!

2) *Needing* to know what to expect implies that being thrust into an unfamiliar situation w/o information causes distress irrespective of the actual contents of the situation. That's a harm (despite merely being an extreme version of a universal part of human experience)!

3) The more rigid a structure is, the more catastrophically and frequently it breaks. Rejecting deviations often means rejecting necessary activities like eating, or like leaving a dangerous situation.

4) Taking a long time to fully respond to a question is fine. Giving no sign that you're considering — or have even heard — the question is distressing to yr conversational partner. I highly recommend going "hmm" or cocking yr head to the side when you think about things, if this is true of you.

5) Taking information into consideration is a healthy behavior. It is physically impossible to know literally all information about a decision. Depending on your definition of "all", this behavior may lead to spinning your mental wheels while never making an actual decision, which mad sucks to experience and to cooperate with.

6) Alexithymia (i.e. not knowing how you feel) also sucks to experience! Just because you can't name or even identify the existence of a feeling doesn't mean you don't have it! Like the other behaviors I've mentioned, alexithymia has no inherent moral weight.

Anyway! I love being autistic, and wouldn't choose otherwise even if I could, but some parts of it are maladaptive even when the only other people you interact with are also autistic, and I wish Dr Price would acknowledge that.

#autism #devon price #unmasking autism #actuallyautistic #please sir i am begging you for a crumb of nuance

[paradoxesofgalaxies]

Sensitivity, despite being a sign of attentiveness and discernment, is frowned upon when you're good at detecting things people would rather you not see

- from Chapter 5: Rethinking Autism in Unmasking Autism by Devon Price, PhD

#this quote resonated with me enough to back and transcribe it after listening to the audiobook #unmasking autism #book quotes

[hexalt]

— Unmasking Autism, Devon Price

click here for access to these worksheets

#unmasking autism #autism #psychology #books #devon price #*

[neurodivergenttales]

The ‘you’re mature for your age’ to sleeping with a bed full of plushies in your mid twenties pipeline is real

#mental health #neurodivergent #neurodiverse stuff #mental illness #journaling #actually autistic #late diagnosed autistic #asd #autistic life #autistic adult #actually autism #autism #unmasking autism

[sirenium]

I need to get over the fact that there's no way around being visibly autistic. I need to get over my aversion towards stimming in public. I need to start wearing ear defenders. I need to start using methods of communication that don't require my voice more.

I need to break this suffocating mask, because I am still being flagged; I am still being seen as weird, despite trying my very best to blend in. I am harming myself, and it's all for nothing.

#autism #actually autistic #actually autism #audhd #asd #autism spectrum disorder #masking #unmasking #unmasking autism #ear defenders #disability #disability aids #stimming #actually neurodivergent #neurodivergence #neurodivergent

[telumendils]

To call the stealthy, more socially camouflaged form of Autism a "female" version of the disorder is to indicate that masking is a phenomenon of gender, or even of assigned sex at birth, rather than a much broader phenomenon of social exclusion. Women don't have "milder" Autism because of their biology; people who are marginalized have their Autism ignored because of their peripheral status in society.

Unmasking Autism. Devon Price, PhD (Pg. 8) 

#unmasking autism #devon price #autism #autistic #neurodivergent #neurodiversity

[sunlightfeeling]

my mom read the intro to “Unmasking Autism” and just…immediately understood and ordered a copy for herself

when she told my dad…her reason was so that she could read and help to understand and support me…

and it finally made me see it…

the love and support for me……actually me

for the first time…I know that this me is loved…

its taken me 27 years to finally feel loved

and i just need to put it plainly…

For myself…

For all of us…

We are deserving of unconditional love…

of support…

of being understood for not just our external symptoms…

but our internal ones as well…

of living unmasked without fear of judgment…

and…most especially…

of letting go of our self-judgment

All of us are deserving

…The ones that have never been able to mask

…The ones that mask because they cannot safely unmask

…The ones that mask and don’t know how to unmask

…The ones that unconsciously mask, whether knowing how to unmask or not

I genuinely support every single one of you

I see you

and I hear you

I am one of you

#going to be annoying (affectionate) and tag all the things~ #autism #actually autistic #neurodiversity #neurodivergent #actually neurodiverse #actually neurodivergent #unmasking autism #autistic masking #masking #tism posting #the tism #neurospicy #my mom is genuinely my best friend… #i feel so so lucky to have her