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The Autistic Woman
Welcome to meet my autistic brain I'm your host the autistic woman I discovered autism late in life and in this podcast I share my experiences and challenges. So you can learn what it's like to be autistic in I want to thank those who support the show because without it. The podcast will not be possible. With the $10 donation. You're paying less than nine cents per episode check the links in the show notes today to contribute.
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The Autistic Woman
This is this is part 2 of the series overlooked autistic traits none of this is intended to diagnose Autism some of these traits apply to neurotypical people as well. If you recognise only 1 or 2 of these it doesn't mean you're autistic If many are true for you but others are not. It doesn't mean you're not autistic. For example. If. You're not a visual thinker you might still be autistic if other traits fit in this episode I'm sharing my experience and what I've heard from autistics that resonates with me.
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The Autistic Woman
Let's jump right in, you are Playful. You take delight in little things that others think are no big Deal. You're interested in Psychology you love Nature. You may also love the city at the same time you often have an interesting fact. You can add to any Conversation. You're easily influenced by people you like or care about.
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The Autistic Woman
You stockpile you consider that a store may run out of or stop carrying something you like you, you consider that a storm may run out of. Or stop carrying something you like so you buy several or many like buying 10 cartons of yogurt just in case, you might like to travel because you don't seem so much like an alien in other countries. After all people there expect you to be different when a friend suggests doing something you might immediately think no. But if you go, you'll find yourself having a great time and wondering why. You resisted it so much the next time though, you'll hesitate to say yes, regardless you think about an interaction repeatedly particularly if you see it as negative.
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The Autistic Woman
After an interaction you question what you said and come up with other ways you could have handled it this can go on for weeks or months over a single conversation even a short one.
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The Autistic Woman
You think to yourself almost daily thoughts like why did I do that or why did I say that.
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The Autistic Woman
Um, you sometimes ignore warnings thinking they're exaggerated. You don't read instructions unless you have to.
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The Autistic Woman
You value autonomy. Highly.
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The Autistic Woman
You might think that when something breaks you have to replace it never imagining that it can just be fixed.
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The Autistic Woman
As a child you might have lined up your toy cars or other Toys. You're highly Sensitive. You're intelligent on the inside you feel much younger than your age. You're Creative. You don't hesitate to correct someone. You're strongly influenced by color you pace particularly when you're on the phone.
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The Autistic Woman
You're an outside the box Thinker you hate brushing your teeth. You ponder the meaning of life as if it's something that can be determined. Your voice may be Monotone. You see people as people rather than as their job Race religion, etc. You believe everything has a reason and you want to know what it is. You've been told. How can someone so smart act so dumb at times you overshare personal information as a child you connected. As a child you easily connected with adults. Um, your friends in School. Um.
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The Autistic Woman
Your friends in school were often much younger or much older than you you might date Partners who are much younger.
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The Autistic Woman
You like to watch the garbage truck ambulances trains fire trucks and other heavy equipment. You have a cat or dog or a pet of some kind you have a natural way with Animals. You might have poor handwriting that looks Childlike. You may have poor posture. You may have times when you can't get words Out. You can't speak. Particularly if you are overwhelmed by emotion.
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The Autistic Woman
You can feel burned out for extended periods of time you feel like something is wrong with you. You feel like you should have energy. But for some reason you don't your coping strategies don't seem to Help. You twirl your hair tap on the table chew on a pen or other repetitive things that you can't stop more than momentarily.
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The Autistic Woman
You have music playing continuously in your brain you wake up to Music. You're often singing or homing you might have a happy song when you hear in your mind whenever you're feeling your best. You may have been in high school Band. You're a devoted fan of Star Trek or Star Wars or both you go to Star Trek Conventions you go to comic-con you might work in or have an interest in Science. Technology engineering and math you put off going to the doctor or dentist because making the appointment and then going is stressful sometimes doctors make you feel like you're a Hypochondria act because. They don't understand that you notice the slightest changes in your body you express yourself through art music acting writing and other creative arts.
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The Autistic Woman
You read self-help books.
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The Autistic Woman
You've read so many that you wonder why it seems to have helped so little.
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The Autistic Woman
You're determined to find the right self-help advice that will finally work long term you mask you see neurotypicals and try to adjust how you behave in what you say to sound like them. You might believe this is what you're supposed to do that. This is how people learn to be Social. You have it. You have a sense that there's a real you that you rarely show others. You can't tolerate being uncomfortable.
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The Autistic Woman
You have an issue with short-term memory. You might forget what you had for lunch. You won't remember what a movie is about. You. Forget people's names. Even if you've seen them repeatedly. You have an auditory processing disorder. It seems like people often talk way too fast too fast for you to understand what they're saying you might use closed caption when watching Tv or movies your ability to hear is fine. Your understanding of what was said is challenging at times you feel deeply the people around you may not think of you as a feeler yet you may be overwhelmed by the feelings. You don't show.
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The Autistic Woman
You are empathetic sometimes too much so you make a list of questions to ask at your doctor's appointment and then are afraid to refer to it once the doctor's in the room. You might overreact or underreact to an emergency. For example, if someone else help you'll either freeze or you'll run to do something to help you have difficulty with directions. If someone says something is north or south you might not get what they're talking about you might use Gps all the time you might drive by the place you were going even if you've been there before.
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The Autistic Woman
You use you use landmarks such as a tree or a particular house on the corner to navigate more so than using Street signs you shut down when your brain becomes overloaded. Shutdowns look different in each person yours might be due to sensory overload stress or other things.
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The Autistic Woman
You have trouble with sleep. It's hard for you to fall asleep and you wake repeatedly through the night you've had this problem most of your life medications don't help much You're not fond of exercise. You don't mind physical activities but find it hard to get motivated about doing exercises sometimes taking a walk is hard to do.
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The Autistic Woman
You believe everyone is fair is good or wants to be is kind and wouldn't intentionally hurt another when you learn by experience that it isn't so you may feel shocked and hurt. The next time you get to know someone you will think they are fair, good etc. You have a sense of justice and think everyone does or should see things that way. You believe people should be responsible for their actions. You're persistent you believe giving up is not an option if you reach a point where you're forced to you feel devastated. As it seems like a failure of your values.
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The Autistic Woman
You have patience when it's needed. You struggle with executive Function. You find it hard to stop organize start or plan you struggle with time Management. You're forgetful about some things yet can always remember others you have issues with. Working Memory. You want to do something but can't somehow you need context while neurotypicals tend to make assumptions about context.
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The Autistic Woman
You need it and it must be detailed. You have imposter syndrome.
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The Autistic Woman
You are uncomfortable with hugs you might adapt to them but they still feel odd somehow you use routines to get through your day you might eat the same foods the same meals. You might do things in order like make coffee before your breakfast and only after feeding the cat you are face blind when you're watching a movie several characters might look alike someone you know can pass by you without you recognizing them. You might remember people by hair color or their clothing rather than their face if they change their hair. You might not feel sure of who they are. You might not feel sure of who they are. You might not feel sure of who they are you talk on and on about your favourite subject and don't notice if the other person is uninterested. You think everyone else wants to know the interesting facts you know about something why wouldn't they.
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The Autistic Woman
You catastrophize you can imagine the worst possible scenario and upset yourself you often picture all the ways. Things can go wrong and you stress over it. You can go overboard with anticipation. The possibility of a job interview or romance can send you projecting into a wonderful future. It makes you feel great just thinking about it and it's hard to stop. Thinking about it.
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The Autistic Woman
Written communication may be hard people tell you that what you wrote is mean or too direct you struggle with saying too little because you get straight to the point with few words on the other hand. You may be the opposite finding writing comes easily to you.
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The Autistic Woman
You don't understand body language you might learn about it but can't enunciate what it is. You might be able to pick up on details about a person unconsciously while being unable to put your instincts into words.
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The Autistic Woman
You feel like you have a sixth sense so to speak because there are times when you can understand a person almost instantly. You don't know how to flirt. You don't know how to flirt the idea of it makes you uncomfortable. You're naive. You're practical. You study the etymology and definition of words. If you think someone used a word incorrectly. You immediately look it up. When writing a paper or article you research first and outline afterwards.
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The Autistic Woman
You have lots of browser tabs open on your.
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The Autistic Woman
Ah.
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The Autistic Woman
You held lots of browser tabs open on your computer or phone.
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The Autistic Woman
You're continuously thinking. You can't stop. It. You're not good at setting boundaries. In fact, you might not even understand what they are. You've been told you're too serious. You don't make eye contact or you stare there may be some people you can make eye Cat Tech. There may be some people you can make eye contact with and others usually strangers who you can't look at no matter what. You often interrupt a conversation because you're not sure when it's your turn to speak.
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The Autistic Woman
You're clumsy you trip you drop things you have trouble putting a key into a lock you slam cabinet doors without realizing it stairs are Challenging. You strive to be perfect. You believe there's a right way to do things and you want to do it. You search for Answers. You believe you're close to finding an answer and once you do everything will be Solved. You don't consider that life is full of questions that continue to appear.
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The Autistic Woman
You think less of yourself than you should you overlook your accomplishments and often have a what have I done lately way of looking at life. At times you struggle with believing in yourself. Even though you have an innate sense that you are capable on a scale from 1 to 10 things are either a one or a 10 you may have had trouble in school and was puzzled by this because you're smart enough to have done. Well even as a child you spoke like an adult you didn't try to. But were able to camouflage immaturity with intelligence. You might even have been called. Precocious. You use pedantic speech and sound like an academic or as if you're trying to sound highly intelligent.
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The Autistic Woman
With some of these a person can learn to adjust you might learn to do small talk. You'll learn other ways to adapt to things but the challenges will still be there Again. You may be the opposite of what's listed here. If You're autistic a large number of these will sound familiar.
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The Autistic Woman
Some autistics are excellent Writers some are even published authors.
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The Autistic Woman
Some autistics are bad at math. Some are great with history. It said that in each thing is contained its opposite and that seems to be true for Autistics. You may hate loud noises but love loud music you might avoid Foods. You don't like while getting Immens. You might avoid food. You don't like while getting immense pleasure from foods you enjoy.
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The Autistic Woman
You'll recognize some of these in your neurotypical family members are friends I'm certain there are other traits or characteristics or things autistic people do. That aren't seen in neurotypicals to the same Extent. Don't hesitate to email me with any you've noticed after listening to these episodes. Do you recognize yourself.
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The Autistic Woman
Reach out to me by email at info at the autisticwoman.com I enjoy hearing from you tell your family and friends about the podcast. So others can learn what it's like to be autistic. I'm appreciative of the support you've given me on Ko-fi paypal and Patreon it makes a difference in whether I can continue to provide content for the podcast. Thank you. If you haven't contributed yet remember that you can pay less than nine cents per episode by donating only ten dollars I hope you enjoyed this episode. Keep coming back. This has been me my autistic brain I'm the autistic woman slava ukrain.
