Edit: y'all make me feel ok, make me feel kinda not broken. Thank you <3

Especially liked this bit:

The behavioral evidence of caring: When researchers moved beyond flawed questionnaires to test actual empathic behavior, the results contradicted the deficit narrative. For example, some studies measured generosity toward loved ones and strangers—a behavioral test of empathy. Autistic adults gave to their loved ones as generously as allistic (non-autistic) adults, and were significantly more generous with strangers. This finding was replicated across the United Kingdom, Japan, and Germany.

Instead of empathy deficit, autistic people demonstrate a broader moral concern, extending fairness beyond their tribes. Where researchers had assumed impairment, they found autistic people applying moral principles more consistently—even to strangers, even when costly. In a world increasingly damaged by in-group bias, this isn't a deficit; it's a collective-level fail-safe feature.

This is it. I could not even count the amount of times I've been accused of being cold or unempathic when I have pointed out that my privileged friends are going to be ok when they get a slightly bigger electric bill one month, but people in Palestine aren't.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including those who otherwise require less support, face severe difficulties in everyday social interactions. Research in this area has primarily focused on identifying the cognitive and neurological differences that contribute to these social impairments, but social interaction by definition involves more than one person and social difficulties may arise not just from people with ASD themselves, but also from the perceptions, judgments, and social decisions made by those around them. Here, across three studies, we find that first impressions of individuals with ASD made from thin slices of real-world social behavior by typically-developing observers are not only far less favorable across a range of trait judgments compared to controls, but also are associated with reduced intentions to pursue social interaction. These patterns are remarkably robust, occur within seconds, do not change with increased exposure, and persist across both child and adult age groups. However, these biases disappear when impressions are based on conversational content lacking audio-visual cues, suggesting that style, not substance, drives negative impressions of ASD. Collectively, these findings advocate for a broader perspective of social difficulties in ASD that considers both the individual’s impairments and the biases of potential social partners.

Finally, after almost two years of waiting, my insurance cleared me to do a neuropsychological assessment. After ten sessions speaking with a specialist, she diagnosed me as 2e, gifted and ADHD. Yay.

I was pretty certain that I had ADHD, but I also thought I might be on the autism spectrum. This is a very important result for me, because in case I ever need to find a new psychiatrist I won't have to go through that old loop of being treated like a drug addict because I want ADHD medication. Lisdexamphetamine works extremely well for me, and it would be a shame if I had to stop taking it.

I have to admit I was surprised at her assessment that I'm not autistic. I scored pretty high on the RAADS-R and I notice several aspects of autism in my behavior. It would explain many things. However, she thinks I am... gifted.

Let me tell you folks, I need some help with that. I hadn't thought about this before, and I'm really sorry to say this, because I feel like I'm really close to being ableist here, but... I hate being gifted. The reason why I say that is that I had never really considered what it looks like to even discuss giftedness.

I've been online for a couple of years, lurking in spaces that discussed neurodiversity, this site included, and I found these spaces to be full of incredibly cool people. Open-minded, welcoming, warm people who want to share their experience being neurodivergent. People who discuss ADHD and autism not as something to be ashamed of, but as a unique part of their own identity.

But then when I look for communities dedicated to gifted people, I might as well be trying to browse a MENSA forum. Everywhere I looked it was always a gaggle of people humblebragging about their IQ and how it's so difficult to be so much deeper than everyone around you. The "highest IQ" people were out there saying the dumbest shit I had ever seen.

That's when I realized that I don't even know how to talk about this. Neurotypical people are largely open to discussing autism and ADHD. Nowadays, with increasing awareness of the implications of neurodivergence, I find that people have become increasingly open-minded and willing to learn about how to accommodate the needs that neurodivergent people might have.

However, how am I supposed to tell people that I'm gifted without sounding like an asshole? According to this assessment, I have a very high IQ, but that's not something I feel comfortable discussing with most people. I will talk openly about my ADHD, but it really sucks that this other aspect of my brain that I'm so eager to discuss and learn more about has to be kept under wraps, because otherwise people will think I'm an arrogant prick.

I hope you folks understand. How do you even deal with a giftedness assessment? What's your experience talking about it with people who are less informed about neurodivergence, and do not understand the negative side of giftedness? It honestly feels like the loneliest part of my brain.

Also, one last thing. My personality assessment had a category of traits related to openness, as in the Big Five personality model. Within this category, there's a trait identified as liberalism, and I'm in the 80th percentile for that. I believe this means I've been officially diagnosed as the least liberal person on this website.

It is 2026. Watches have been widespread technology for over a hundred years. (Almost) everyone now carries a computer in their pocket. A sonic reminder of the time is obsolete and intrusive.

I have learned to handle the hourly chiming by counting along with the chimes. Knowing how many more chimes are left makes me able to get through it. But there is an inexplicable set of chimes in the early afternoon that do not correspond with the hour, and this set of chimes goes on and on for over fifty chimes! I try not to be around a clock tower when it happens, but recently I was unlucky with the timing of my errand trip and I ended up being right next to a clock tower while this horrible set of chimes was going on. I did not have my ear protection because I was on a bicycle, so I had to get some distance and then put my hands over my ears and stim until the chimes ended, which led to a crowd of people staring at me because I was in a crowded place.

I do not know why this strange set of long chimes happens, but I suspect it has something to do with Christian tradition and I hate it.

Everyone in the workplace and in volunteer situations knows me as the person to ask if they have any kind of question. During an average day, I have half a dozen people come ask me for advice, because they know that if I don't already know the answer, I know where to find it.

Of course, much like a stereotypical village wise person, there is a kind of social distance between me and other people. But I prefer it that way.

Autism makes my life very hard in some ways, but I do love my ability to create an internal encyclopedia on subjects I enjoy.

When I was about 10, I had a lovely deep pressure vest. I'm not sure if it was entirely the pressure, or if the compression involved in properly fastening it also was part of what I liked, I know that before I got the vest I tried a few improvised compression solutions (under my mum's supervision, I was careful), that were pleasant experiences. However, I am an AFAB individual, so that hug vest obviously fit preteen me reasonably for a lot less time than it might have continued to fit if I was AMAB. And as far as I can tell, no one makes pressure vests for sensory purposes in adult sizes (and anything labeled a sensory tool or disability aid tends to be at a premium, and I really couldn't afford it anyway). I've been looking for a replacement for that hug vest for over a decade now.

I've been asking everyone I know IRL to help me look for solutions, but most of them are NT individuals who've never worn a pressure vest ever, so, I thought it might be more productive to ask other neurodiverse folks for solutions.

Idk if this is relatable at all, but I get a sort of “high” when things pile up (primarily in social/engagement contexts. I think part of it stems from the fact that I see numerous hints of something to do, but that is immediately offset by the thought/potential of negative engagement and/or rejection. There’s also the thought that once I do engage/respond, my “inbox” will never return to that level. And then I see that as a reflection of myself being too much/not enough. Rinse and repeat

God, it’s such a toxic cycle. I can’t remember any time in my life when I haven’t had this problem in some way, but I think it first started bothering me in high school when I would get unfollowed on instagram or people wouldn’t respond to my texts. So I kinda learned to just avoid and dodge what hurt. Honestly might have been earlier than that when I was deemed a loud mouth and always told to shut up/pay attention

I feel like it’s something I must learn to conquer though, especially in this day and age. I always think to the interactions I’ve had online where I do end up responding and connecting with people (though it doesn’t happen often). It’s like it suddenly dawned on me that I get so upset when I am lonely but sometimes go out of the way to ensure no one finds me. And when people do find me, I always keep them at a distance :/

Crossposted from https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/64470729

It’s called Evil Autism, because it’s a space based on the old subreddit that was so fun back in the day. Please join and help make this new space feel like another safe space for those of who are ND. I hope to see you there!

Join this space on Matrix https://matrix.to/#/#evil-autism:matrix.org

i mean even tho i have a master degree in psychology i never really looked into autism

but i always felt off as a kid, had deep depression between 15 and 18, I left home at 18 ans could feel sorta normal at uni even though it was mostly through alcohol abuse, and then a drug phase, and then i sorta runaway for a while. In foreign country at least i could be alone, in the countryside / seaside, things like that. I never was happier than working on a farm. I self diagnosed with adhd, which sorta makes sense to me.

But now im with wifu inside the big city, no more drinking, and we have fought a lot, it's like she's getting mad at me for not being able to speak after a day at the office, she's getting mad at me for some stupid stuff and i freak out, sometime it's like i get that she's mad at me and then she says she wasn't that mad. And when it happens it takes days for me to come back to baseline, and then i get even more mad because she makes me unable to function for 3 days over some stupid laundry stuff

but then last time i saw they stopped thinking of adhd and autism as totally separate thing and it all made sense somehow. but i now i dont know how to tell wifu

I washed my car today and I can't stop grinning like an idiot when I glance out the window at it. Just wanted to share that joy and hear about other's wins - no matter how small they might seem.

I am writing at fucking 200 words per hour. After every paragaph I want nothing more than to lay down and do fucking nothing. I am writing this between paragraphs because the idea of writing about early 20th century European realpolitik fills me with utter dread. I don't fucking care about Clemenceau I don't care. I hate him, I hate them all. Why did I even take a modern history course I hate modern history all of these people are awful.

I wanna write about ancient art and religion dammit. I'm tired. Atleast with meds I could power through this. Bang it out and move on with my life. But noooooooo, I forgot to make an appointment with my doctor so now I don't get meds for a month and it takes me 3 days to write a 2500 word paper. The essay is already fucking late. I'm in my closet pacing rn.

I want to do something, anything, but organizing/participating in orgs is really hard with how my brain works. Theres chapters/locals out here, dsa, psl, frso, etc., but i feel like i cant participate.

I get overwhelmed by noise and large groups, especially if those groups are shouting or chanting. Protests and marches and demonstrations are a nonstarter cause having panic or anxiety incidents at those does more harm than good. Ive tried attending meetings and discussion groups, but theyve been so incredibly difficult for me and i end up contributing nothing and taking nothing away. I cant hear what people are saying cause if multiple people are talking it all blurs into a single sentence. And my body dumps literally all the cortisol into my blood and i have to recover for a good while afterwards.

What can i even do? Like, i could admin a *nix box that serves stuff, i can cook, i can do (very basic) firearm safety, i can do things, but the social aspect is really hard for me. Organizers want to fire people up, but that firing up incapacitates me. How can i attend a meeting when that meeting is geared toward not-me and within 15 minutes im in emergency mode and lose the ability to form solid memories from the meeting, or lose the ability to speak? Last one i went to, it started with chants and that was kinda it for me. I stayed thru the end, but it was really intense and i needed to lay down cry and be held afterwards. I cant participate in those kinds of things in a manner that is sustainable for me.

I want to do stuff, i want to contribute, i want to make the world even just a little bit better, but i feel like all the activities and actions that are available to me are things that are either veryvery difficult or incapacitating for me.

Being not immune to culture, I saw recent articles about the Solid Snake active listening; more accurately “Aizuchi“. Being a generally poor listener, I decided to give it a shot!

I’d say it works well! At the very least it gets me to pay enough attention to where I can even offer an interjection. Normally I’m just waiting to talk, but this turns that on its head enough to make a difference in how i converse. Kinda neat!

Anyone else tried this or similar?

https://web.archive.org/web/20250925045309/https://www.upworthy.com/solid-snake-active-listening-tips-ex1

First off, thanks for all the supportive notes when I mentioned being nervous about my psychiatry appointment!

I got diagnosed with Inattentive type ADHD, which makes a lot of sense to me. Currently I'm coming to terms that I've spent a lot of energy covering up my dysfunctional traits for the past decades, and put myself into a state of burnout for the past few years. I've started medication, too, and that's been a huge help to start building good habits and pull myself out of the slump I've been in. Super weird not needing coffee throughout the day, though! I feel like a cyborg or vampire or something when I prepare a single coffee for my partner lol

CW: ableism (I think)

I've been recovering from/experiencing burnout symptoms for the majority of the last couple years. It definitely messed with my relationships and life in general to the point where some people were really confused and put off by my behavior. I've been isolating myself a lot and been kinda flaky with showing up to events or hang outs because I just haven't had the energy. I didn't really explain or offer reasons for my actions. I've just had no energy, no capacity to deal with life, let alone social situations.

Well, an old friend who's been going to therapy weekly for who knows how long basically confronted me the other day saying that I needed to 'get help', go on meds, or 'fix whatever the hell is going on' with me because I was starting to seem agoraphobic or severely depressed and 'overly obsessed with covid' (because I still mask when in public and large groups) and that they'd spoken to their therapist about me, who apparently suggested those terms to describe me...almost like the therapist made a second-hand diagnosis of me or something. I am AuDHD. They know I'm neurodivergent. I guess Autistic burnout is something completely foreign to both of them, because I'm a walking info graphic on burnout and it's notable symptoms.

I need space to recoup my very tiny battery, I get overwhelmed by too much stimuli, I've had deteriorating executive function, struggled to communicate, and just do life stuff some days. I told them I was burnt out, and they never responded. I guess it's been annoying enough for this person to talk to their therapist at length about what's wrong with me, which makes me feel fucking weird.

Idk what I'm expecting by posting this. I guess I'm wondering if anyone has experienced something like this and maybe have advice on what to say to this person, who I thought understood that I was ND and struggling with everything? How the fuck do I even begin to counter those weird accusations and the low-key aggressive way that they approached me with this? I was so flabbergasted I just didn't respond. And now I can't stop thinking about it.

It's a long video, but I'm really impressed with the amount of research he put into this. I knew about ABA's problematic origins but going more in depth really paints a picture of how bad it is. As well as, that there ARE people out there working to change it from within, but they face ENORMOUS structural and for-profit incentive pressure against them. I think the best part is near the end, where he lays out the sort of things parents should be asking in order to evaluate just what kind of therapy is right for their child. I'll copy some:

• What behaviours are you planning to change, and who decided they were problems?
• How do you respond if my child says “no”, cries, hides, or wants to stop?
• Do you ever target stimming, eye contact, or “looking normal”? Why?
• How do you measure my child’s wellbeing during and after the session, not just their behaviour?
• What alternatives (OT, speech, autistic-led supports, relationship-based models) have you considered?

As an anecdote, I once took a psychology 101 course in college. I thought it was gonna be all that interesting internal stuff like Jung. But no, the entire course was focused on BF Skinner's behaviorism. The cold mechanical view treating people like input output robots really freaked me out. The professor even once showed us a video of a mother "extinguishing" a behavior in a 2 year old, and all I could see is that she basically traumatized this baby. But no one else seemed to see that. The professor showed this example as a good thing. I was horrified. The nonchalance of the psych professor teaching this behaviorism put me off so much, that it made me reluctant to seek out therapy for my mental health, fearing that this is how therapists must think of us. I kinda regret not speaking up in class about it, but the way nobody seemed to care made me feel like I was being too sensitive or something. The fact that ABA is entirely a behaviorist model is really the root of the problem.

Obviously if the doctor switched me off vyvanse it's not ideal. I'm having serious executive disfunction and it's going to be weeks until they let me refill.

I don't remember the brand name of the one I'm supposed to be taking but if it's important I'll get the chemical name off the bottle.

Priority 1 is still finding the bottle but garbage bag man needs his pills.

This was published on nature.com.

It looks like the whole article was AI generated.Here are responses from pubpeer.

I never thought I'd see professionals just kind of collectively give up on putting effort into things. Maybe by "fexcectorn" and "frymbial" levels are abnormal?