Ive been in this group a while and thought it would be nice to see other peoples food interests but then the mods removed it! Ive seen lots of people very unhappy with this rule also and it doesnt make sense why sharing info about our autistic likes and dislikes is unallowed.

I was just posting about my multigrain shapes cereal! Ive loved it since i was a child and this cereal is something plain but tasty at the same time.

Hello, I’ve been having sudden stress and unease when I sleep for the better part of a year, and very recently I began sleeping with a pacifier, which has greatly reduced this and made it easier to fall asleep. I’ve also overall felt calmer when using it if nobody else is around (too nervous to use it around other people), but I feel really weird about this.

It really does help me, but I feel like I’m doing something wrong and that I shouldn’t need to do this because I’m not a child. I’m also worried for what might happen if the other people who live here find it, is this bad?

I was diagnosed by my psychiatrist however I have not yet gone through neuropsychologist evaluation process. I'm considering to, though. Is it ok to call myself autistic when it matters for the context ? I would not tell it to anyone who I don't know in real life because it's misunderstood, same as another condition I have, so I use terms that are easier to understand as relatable to a lot more people, like "introverted" (although not all autistic are introverted, I am, so it's easier to explain). I think I still have some struggle with imposter syndrome.

My only intimate experience with autism is my own child, so naturally I don’t know the depth and breadth of people’s unique or individual stims. I ask this simply out of curiosity.

I know all of my child’s (15 AFAB) stims. They come when he is nervous, overwhelmed, uncomfortable, upset, caught off guard. Mainly big negative emotions trigger them. Mostly his stims consist of fist clenching and finger splaying. He never stims randomly or on purpose. They are always triggered by an outside stimulus and always when anxious in some way. EDIT: I forgot he also leg bounces, sometimes with stressful triggers, most of the time just randomly and he isn’t even aware of it.

I’ve seen plenty of those “stim with me” videos on TikTok. Whether they are real or fake, I truly have no idea. I have my opinions about some, but I am not knowledgeable enough to confidently make a conclusion. Whatever you think of these videos, I totally respect. This is your journey, not mine. You are your own expert.

Many of these videos feature dancing or hand flapping or oral stimulation, like chewing necklaces. The majority seem to come from a place of joy and delight. I can’t connect with this, because my child’s stims are never joyful. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are many joyful stims to release some energy or feel a particular sensory experience. I just have never seen it. Lots of these people wear child-like or elaborate flashy clothing and makeup. I look at some of the outfits and know that my child would rather crawl in a hole than wear those sensory-overload colors, fabrics, makeup, etc. But again - could be just my limited experience.

These videos of stims also seem to be completely on command. No trigger for the stim is usually noted. No explanation of why this stim is happening.

So my question - I don’t want to rely on viral videos to educate me as I learn more about Autism. So I’m asking… a bunch of internet strangers? I guess that feels more valid. Are the kinds of stims so frequently shown on social media common? Do they even exist in a broad capacity? I have trouble imagining they are legit, but I am only led by my child’s example and experience. I don’t want to assume his is the end all be all, as I know it isn’t.

Thanks for your opinions and enlightenment! Just a mom who’s left on her own with no resources to best understand her neurodivergent kid. He was diagnosed late (at 11) and all the area assistance programs won’t accept children over 5.

I’m 27F, currently a new parent and in grad school. Previously diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety. Recently i’ve been described as “aloof” by a classmate. This stood with me, because it was the first time i’ve heard it- normally i get “shy” or just “nice”. i mulled over it for awhile, and i consulted with some friends and to my surprise they agreed and further explained that i’m “in my own world”. This led me to take three different online quizzes, which all scored to suggest there’s a high chance i’m on the spectrum. I then started to connect some dots and realize my sensitivity to sound smells and other things could be explained by this. But what I want to ask this community is- In what ways did a late diagnosis help you? Is it worth seeking out? I’m doing pretty okay in life, so i don’t know if i should even bother- but if there’s good things to knowing for sure i just want to hear some stories

Hi people, 👋🏻

I got a question for you about your diagnosis.

I was diagnosed at the age of 17 yo of agoraphobia and social anxiety with panic attacks.

I have seen specialists for my anxiety and when we talked about my struggle they fell in the category of social anxiety and neurodivergent.

People would describe as very strange with zero social skills and many people who encountered me assumed I have autism. I truly understand why.

I, myself, think I am, but because I got an agoraphobia diagnosis. Specialists told me every symptoms or actions I do are link to my agoraphobia even though they admit I fit in the neurodivergent spectrum.

Does any of were misdiagnosed or were told by specialists to not do the autism test and ended up being autistic ?

I’ve just been diagnosed at age 34F, I was told that women are harder to diagnose, we mask things very well.

I just wanted some advise or tips of what you did as your next steps? I don’t know to feel, feels like they put a label on my forehead.

I work in finance - asset management and am quite high functioning.

Did you buy self help books?

Did you ask for adjustments at work?

I’m abit over analytical I just don’t want to start trying to problem solve like a rubik’s cube but to try accept and understand it.

I (28 M) am no stranger to the autistic community. I have worked as a parapro, my younger brother is autistic, and I have it to a degree. I have a friend that I met through my younger brother who is moderate to mild autistic, so he can walk and talk but he can’t live on his own. I gave my friend my number a few years ago and he called me fairly frequently. We spoke nicely to each other, however starting last year, when his parents told him they were going to move, he became angry with me while on the phone. He hit me once while we were together during the move and flipped me off when he demanded something in a restaurant that I brought him to and I said no. He has the habit of calling me when he is bored (which is when he is home) and he tends to get angry at me, even threatening me (which goes nowhere). He has the numbers of some friends and my mother, and when I block him because he is angry I am told to unblock him because he’s bored and lonely, which I do out of obligation. He doesn’t do this to anyone else but me. Am I doing anything wrong here, or should I just grit my teeth and bear it? As a side note, he does calm down if I don’t answer his calls and he says he is a changed man, but that doesn’t long.

That's something very specific i noticed among NT people is that whenever someone is in a vurnerable situation they say "poor him!" but they use it in such a sarcastic two faced tone that it is hard to believe that it is supposed to be empathetic , it is very ignorant , because first of all you're using the word "poor" as a sarcastic way to mock someone while falsly showing empathy , second you're mocking poor people or dehumanising them making their name seem like a joke

I see this time and time again, the amount of ppl who are aware of my diagnosis (I share freely in certain situations to provide context) yet react punitively towards me when I don’t adhere to certain social norms I’m literally not even aware of, is kinda gross and sick tbh

I could get “I’m AUTISTIC ffs” tattooed on my damn forehead and they will still purse their lips at me, cross their arms, demand to know why I asked a stupid/nonsensical question, why I’m “causing trouble,” if I’m the r word, if I enjoy being weird/cringey for the sake of karma farming or attention-seeking, etc etc.

Newsflash: Nobody gets to decide which of my “quirky” autistic traits they find endearing and which of my autistic traits they find to be a willing/problematic behavioral problem. It’s literally ableist for other ppl to decide that no, that isn’t an autism thing, I’m just weird and “like that.” NOBODY gets to pick and choose which autism traits I have, least of all me.

When confronted with their ableist mindset, the downvoting predictably begins. “How dare you confront an ableist mentality, don’t you know that’s uncalled for, just take the criticism on the chin and move on, why are you acting so cringey, I deserve to have my feelings coddled bc I’m the victim even tho I said some blatantly ableist shit!!”

Ppl seem to assume the ability to articulate your thoughts means autism is not a disability. FALSE. Being verbal doesn’t take away from the fact that autism is a disability, no matter how it presents or to what degree it can hinder daily functioning. If it weren’t a disability, I would have a lot more awareness of how I’m being perceived, I could mask better to fit into certain spaces so that there isn’t a “bully me” bullseye target on my back, and I might actually be able to feel safe in social situations for once

I have quite a few mental health diagnoses, somehow it’s always only autism that ppl will pick and choose which symptoms I’m actually allowed to have and which are just “bad behavior.” If you ask anyone directly, no they’re not ableist and are even offended at the question, yet if I looked thru their post history I’d find some perspectives that can’t be described any other way tbh

DAE struggle with being treated this way, pls comment below and commiserate in my pain lol. Existing in this world can feel so painful. I feel like we’ve come so far as a society destigmatizing autism yet not far enough

I had meltdowns most mornings of my old job, lots due to misplaced items and knowing I will be reprimanded for being late from looking for said item. It’s my first day of a cooking internship thing, and I just woke up to the earring I wear all the time missing. I cannot find it. I see this as a sign from the universe that it’s not meant to be, I shouldn’t go, I cannot convince myself it doesn’t mean this. I just want to scream and cry and give up and not go.

Reddit is probably a horrible spot for advice but I'm NOT asking AI! I "told" (long story) my mom I think I have autism before and long story short she tried to convince me into thinking I don't. I'm a minor and I don't really have any other adults to talk about this with.. im NOT talking to teachers about this. I just need good conversation starters aside from "Hey mom I think I'm autistic!" You know that might not be a bad starter.. ok ok please give me some sort of advice!

Im talking to a guy and he‘s autisitic. He never asks me personal questions and I’m just getting super confused. Normally this would make me think he doesn’t like me but idk if it’s different. He is also blunt sometimes. How would I know if an autistic guy doesn’t like me?

So I recently learned that remembering small details ("facts") about a person can be considered "stalker-behavior" 😞

I thought I was being considerate by showing interest, and had to look it up on Google (see attached image).

Life has too many "unwritten rules," and I just want to crawl into a hole and be by myself forever.

Edit: I forgot to mention that I was asking them for what I thought were impersonal facts about themselves. Yes, I am apparently that socially inept.

I often see the question “What were some symptoms that made you wonder why an evaluation was never considered?” The ONE thing that truly blows my mind, is the “zoomies”.

I have autism and ADHD, and this is my most “aggressive” stim. Typically presents as running back and forth, jumping, and crashing into walls/items (for me). Often triggered by intense excitement while thinking of special interests/maladaptive daydreaming or listening to the same song repeatedly; or by extreme anxiety and overwhelm, which I later realized was a form of regulation.

This worsened as I got older, but to be fair, I masked the more intense versions of this stim, doing it only when people weren’t home and blaming any damage on other things. However, it was still seen in small uncontrollable bursts and I’d get comments here and there but no one seemed truly concerned despite it worsening in my late teens, where it’d seem highly “abnormal” for my age.

It blows my mind that I was undiagnosed until 24, despite this symptom. Anyone else experience this?

https://youtube.com/shorts/B3DizpnwWeI?is=YbeyQFyOhFLWmfbS

Like... Its like she googled autism traits and put a colorful Shirt on and was like oh lol Yeah autism haha thats me haha

You know what I mean!? Like just the first one when you really lived through that you would never show it like that like its haha funny I'm so overstimulated hahaha

I'm german so my english is Not the yellow from the egg (hehe) but idk am I the only one who sees it that way? My whole life I've been told I'm wrong and too extreme with my feelings but this Video got me so angry I'm Posting this instead of cuddling with my dog who really wants cuddling right now and I will Do it right now after I wrote this cause she (my dog) deserves it and I love her but...

This vidoe is bullshit... Or Not...? I know its a spectrum and you May can make yokes about it but... This got me feeling like no only no!!

Okay my dog needs cuddles right now and I do too

I like to consider myself a pretty decent cook. I have no real issues with eating what is presented to me and can enjoy disparate varieties of food. That being said, ever since I was about 13 or 14, all I've wanted to eat was a cheeseburger. It's truly the best food and can rarely be messed up. That being said, fast food is horrific for you and im already a touch overweight. Buying ground beef for home cooking is impossible because it's 3 million dollars a pound and also horse.

What can I do to simultaneously boost my burger-intake while not growing laterally and draining my wallet? Turkey doesn't taste the same, store bought is expensive, frozen patties hold the same issues as fast food and store bought combined, and I do not have the willpower to just make it a sometimes food. How do I manage this incredibly frustrating aspect of my diagnosis?

It would mean the world if you signed this. This is a petition to encourage airlines to add sensory-friendly suites to their aircraft for autistic individuals who have sensory issues with various aspects of the plane experience.

https://c.org/SLgptXThpD

Hi all. My 18yo son was diagnosed at 14. He's high functioning and seems very happy most the time. He is set to graduate high school in June. His grades are outstanding. He takes a low dose of Sertraline for anxiety and all was fine until last week. Monday he texted me asking to be picked up from school, he was too tired to make it thru the day. Ok, I did that and he came home and slept for 3 hrs. But he stayed home Tuesday and every day last week. Was sleeping on and off all day, every day. Swore he wanted to go to school, but he just CANNOT. His teachers are very understanding and sending work home online, but he cannot even look at it. Says he just can't focus on it and he's done with school. I'm wondering if his ADHD is keeping him from focusing or if he is in burnout. I know it's a lot with graduating, applying to colleges and he was due to get his driver's license the other day. He slept most the weekend, except when we went and did his special interest. This morning, he got up, showered, dressed, then crawled back in bed and says he just can't go and that he is so tired. I'm trying to find ways to support him and I'm feeling so sad to see him struggle like this. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can help him? He needs to graduate but his mental health is more important. I'm feeling pretty helpless here.

19M here. I got my first ever girlfriend in september of 2025. We were together only a few months. She left me in January. I was a mess when she left me. I cried for weeks straight. The thing with me is I have a stutter and I was isolated from everyone throughout high school. So the minute I fell in love with someone I became so attached it caused her to leave. I really struggled to comprehend how you can say you love someone, and then just never want to see them again. Especially because I never said anything mean to her. After she left I read some breakup advice. Everyone was saying "Just move on bro" but I couldn't. It felt so comforting to just focus on the past and think of her rather than find someone new. My brain is just so tied to routines and comfort that I couldn't even imagine falling in love with someone else. I have so much anxiety meeting new people due to my stutter and attachment issues that It's easier for me to just think about my ex, as I don't have anything to worry about. I thought this would last for a few months, but it's been going on for 9 months now with no sign of ending. I legit think of her multiple times per day. At this point it's so unhealthy and I know it. What is some good advice relating to an autistic individual other than "Just move on bro"?

I hate driving. Hate it. I’m 37f and have gotten in accidents my whole life. My mom got in accidents in December for, like, three straight years to the point where it became a family in-joke. I was in the car for several accidents. I’ve gotten in so many accidents as an adult. I got in one today. There’s no moment where I feel so autistic as when I’m trying to talk to a cop after getting in an accident. Most of the time, including this time, I get cited but the cop tells me I should actually go fight the citation in court because they made the determination that I was at fault after one 90 second conversation where I’m shaking and trying not to have a meltdown while also trying to communicate clearly and concisely. Pattern recognition is also a gigantic b-hole, because I notice that I’m cited in conflicting ways over time. I’m the one who gets rear-ended, I get cited. I’m the one who rear ends the person who cut me off, I get cited. While I’m not saying I shouldn’t have been cited all of these times, I am saying that - for being the one who gets hit more often than not - I feel like I get cited more frequently than is statistically likely. I also have no idea if, when, and how to disclose I’m autistic. I don’t. Never have. It feels like it’d put more of a target on my back. But at the same time, I don’t process or communicate like a NT and I think that should be taken into account, especially as it seems to determine my being “at fault” more often than not. But yeah. Now my car is at a shop. I’m sore (declined EMS, probably shouldn’t have). I drive for work and don’t know when I’ll have my car back, so I’m not sure when I’ll be able to work again. I’ve got a court date - tf do I do about that?! I want to sue the driver who hit me today, as I watched the cop literally do mental gymnastics to justify citing me after I had the ability to speak to him for longer than that brief, shaky, I’d just been hit by a semi interaction, but I genuinely don’t know how to do any court thing and don’t want to put myself through things repeatedly.

I hate cars. I hate driving. I hate that this dumbass society has normalized this bs and I hate that it’s something I even have to think about.

You are invited to participate in a doctoral research study examining workplace experiences among professionals working in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

You may be eligible to participate if you:

• Are at least 18 years old
• Currently hold an active RBT, BCaBA, or BCBA credential
• Currently provide ABA services to children diagnosed with ASD
• Have been employed in an ABA service setting for at least six months

Participation will involve completing an anonymous online survey about workplace experiences, including supervisory support, caseload size, work-life balance, burnout, and job satisfaction. The survey will take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete.

Participation is completely voluntary. You may choose not to participate or stop completing the survey at any time. Your responses will be anonymous, and no identifying information will be collected.

If you meet the eligibility requirements and would like to participate, please use the following link to access the survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6FGGGNZ

Thank you for considering participation in this research study.

Bailey N. Figinsky
Doctoral Candidate
School of Behavioral Sciences
California Southern University
Email: [bailey.fields@my.calsouthern.edu](mailto:bailey.fields@my.calsouthern.edu)

Whenever i sweat it feels like being pricked by thousands of needles over and over. Its not a pins and needles feeling, more like being stabbed by much larger needles to the point where i think im being stung by wasps. This has made doing stuff outside unbearable because sweating is nothing but pain for me. Can anyone relate?

17M, i recently graduated high school and it was absolute hell for me. I have been getting relentlessly bullied. I don’t even know why it started. What i do know is that for years i have been shoved, stuff got thrown at me and i got called names and rumors got spread about me. One thing in those rumors and name-calling that kept returning was “autism”.

My high school wasn’t the only place where i have been seen as or directly called autistic. in my elementary school, i was also bullied and teachers have been treating me differently than other kids. My parents even were told by teachers that i was different than other kids. I had to eventually switch elementary schools. In that new school i was also bullied.

fast forward to high school, my mom wanted me to go to a summer camp because she said that way i can get “positive peer contact”. So i was sent there, at first it was pretty cool. But after a few days kids there started to bully me there too and one of the popular girls there even came up to me and asked “are you autistic?”. That moment still is stuck on my mind because those words hit me like a rock.

I eventually got therapy because of the trauma from the bullying. Even there, my therapist had to ask me if it was “okay if she checked for developmental disorders”. I said no because i did not want to prove the bullies right about what they have been calling me for years.

Now i look back and i notice stuff about me that concerns me. I love drawing (mostly my fursona) but it has gotten to a point that i have been staying up late nights only because i wanted to draw. I also realized that i still have had a bad habit of biting my nails. And there’s more stuff.

I am starting to consider maybe at least trying to get an autism diagnosis while i’m still in therapy because maybe it would make stuff clear and get me the help i need. I just am worried in doing so, i would prove everyone who treated me like shit right.

I guess this is now why i am asking for advice.

Hi everyone.

I’m a 26-year-old autistic guy, and I’m writing this here because I feel like this is one of the few places where people might actually understand the specific kind of isolation I’m dealing with.

I want to start by saying that I know I am privileged in many ways. I have a family that absolutely adores me. They support me, they care for me, and I love them deeply. I never take their love for granted. But lately, I’ve realized a hard truth: family love is beautiful and foundational, but it simply cannot replace the warmth, intimacy, and partnership of romantic love. There is a specific void in my heart that family simply can't fill.

Whenever I try to express this longing for a romantic partner, people are always so quick to throw the same tired cliché at me: "You need to love yourself first," or "You need to learn how to be alone and enjoy your own company."

Let me stop that right there. I do love myself. I am incredibly independent. I don’t sit in my room waiting for life to happen to me. I take myself out on walks. I go to concerts alone and immerse myself in the music. I go to the cinema by myself to watch the movies I’m interested in. I have learned how to navigate this world solo, and I do enjoy my own company.

But there comes a point where doing absolutely everything by yourself stops feeling like an empowering act of independence, and just starts feeling incredibly lonely. The solitude begins to weigh a ton. Loving yourself doesn't magically erase the biological and emotional human need for connection.

Being autistic in a neurotypical world is exhausting. The masking, the misunderstandings, the sensory overload... it takes a toll. When I am having a crisis, a meltdown, or just experiencing severe burnout, my mind immediately wanders to how comforting it would be to have a girlfriend. I think about how incredibly healing it would be to just have her wrap her arms around me, giving me a deep, grounding hug that makes the overwhelming noise of the outside world finally go quiet.

I don't want a relationship for superficial reasons. I crave the profound, quiet moments. I want to go on peaceful walks with her where we don't even have to talk if we don't want to. I want us to write handwritten letters to each other, pouring our deepest thoughts, feelings, and special interests onto paper. I want to share new experiences, see new places, and navigate this chaotic life side by side with someone who sees me for exactly who I am and chooses me anyway.

I’m posting this because I just needed a safe space to get this off my chest. Please, I am asking gently: I do not need any criticism, harsh judgments, or unsolicited "tough love" advice right now. I know who I am and I know my worth. I just wanted to be vulnerable for a moment and admit that the loneliness hurts, and that I long for a safe harbor in the form of a partner.

Thank you for reading.