#actually-autistic — Public Fediverse posts

We found Maelle!

Now we just need to find the village we’ve been told is somewhere nearby.

So far, ‘nearby’ has proved to be a rather flexible concept.

Live now with more Clair Obscur: Expedition 33!

https://twitch.tv/ElMagnificoGames

#ClairObscurExpedition33 #ActuallyAutistic #VTuber

Autistic readers see… what's really going on. The quiet part. The words no one says out loud.

4th grade. Catholic school. The teacher holds up my haiku and calls it “plagiarized.” Makes me read it out loud. In front of the class. Shame…

50 years later. Me in a breakfast line for the homeless. A stranger in army fatigues says the quiet thing that cracked my world open.
"Maybe… genius is elsewhere…"

I almost missed it. What was really going on. In school. In my life.
No paywall. No subscription demand. No ads. Just the story… free. On me.
https://autisticaf.me/2026/08/28/maybe-genius-lies-elsewhere-autistic-me-theo-school-pt-1/

Medium & Substack readers? Link below.

#ActuallyAutistic #Psychology #MentalHealth #Education #Neurodivergent
—
Mrs. Sharding's voice. A cold blue-steel razor blade slicing through that classroom. "Read it."

I manage to mumble,

Man in backyard night
Reached toward a star in sky
It burned his closed hand

Utter silence.

I spew at her, "I did too write it!"

The class roars.

That was the first time the system labeled my wonder… a crime.
I had every advantage. Race. Gender. "Gifted" IQ.

But with every privilege handed me… I failed to thrive. BIG freakin' time.

And no one saw what was really going on.
—

Shalom Center breakfast kitchen. Bloomington, Indiana. Me & Theo. Two homeless guys at a back corner table. Aqua walls. Cement floors. Cold. Like a crypt.

Both grad school washouts. Both "failures," demonstrably. Both crazy, more than likely.

But here we are, strangers. Talking neurodivergent joy. Openly. Unashamedly. First time in our lives. In a homeless center.
School was a place to escape… from.

But a breakfast line for the homeless? That’s where I found someone who finally made me feel seen.

Cuz… if you don't know us… how ya gonna love us.
—

Part 1 of 2 from my upcoming autobiography, 'Autistic Noir: My Autistic Life Is My Art."

Everything's free at autisticaf.me. No paywall. No ads to piss ya off. On me.

Part 2 is live now, too. To see the real full story.

Stay weird. Stay fierce. Stay alive.

That's how I survived 7 decades… so far. You?

- Free & shareable:
https://autisticaf.me/2026/08/28/maybe-genius-lies-elsewhere-autistic-me-theo-school-pt-1/

- Medium:
https://medium.com/artfullyautistic/maybe-genius-lies-elsewhere-autistic-me-theo-school-pt-1-6fa3c078f5e5

- Substack:
https://johnnyprofaneknapp.substack.com/p/maybe-genius-lies-elsewhere-autistic

Vous avez connaissance ou observé une initiative permettant l'amélioration de l'inclusion des personnes en situation de handicap dans un lieu culturel des arts visuels (centre d'art, Fond régional d'art contemporain, galerie, collectif d'artiste, musée, école d'art, artothèque) ? Si oui, vous êtes invité à remplir le formulaire ci-dessous.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdkDwC9ASIqe8znNwvsj_I4icbZRgI7O1_jmAAmykgN2Qb0PA/viewform

#handicap #Art #inclusion #culture #ActuallyAutistic

To the Autistic, AuDHD, and HSP community: What is one small boundary or change you’ve introduced lately that made your day feel a little more manageable?

Maybe it was saying 'no' to something draining or finally giving yourself permission to pause. Or not getting on your own case for feeling things others don't care about. Let's celebrate the tiny, turtle steps in the replies!

#AskingAutistics #ActuallyAutistic #AuDHD #Neurodivergent

Spending more time with your special interests is good for an autistic person, helps regulating the nervous system and is a path out of burnout they said. And they were probably right about it. That I will end up in an almost constant hyperfocus on music, that intensifies my ADHD traits they didn’t say. I am so glad my routines and other systems help me to function in this state.

Written by a very happy AuDHD person.

#ActuallyAutistic #AuDHD #neurodivergent
@autistics

[P] Iarael caused its own water shortage by bombing Gaza.

Hey, think I'm going to tag this as #hiverarchiansaredumb?

Fuckin' bet.

Also. Israel thought the correct response to UK sanctions is cyberattacks against commercial airlines.

The IDF are really dumb terrorists.

#psychology #actuallyautistic #politics #uk #israel #racism #zionismiswhitesupremacy #zionismisracism #hiverarchiansaredumb #dumb #dumb #imeanlikereallyfrickindumb #howdumb #sodumb

So who gets disenfranchised by #VoterID laws?

"under-25s, low-income individuals, eligible #immigrant voters facing language and documentation barriers, those with gender/sexuality/marital status issues, those who were #neurodiverse, and those with #disabilities."

In other words, exactly the people the #Conservatives wanted to exclude.

#ActuallyAutistic
#TransRightsAreHumanRights

h/t @BylineTimes

https://bylinetimes.com/2026/09/10/voter-id-has-damaged-trust-in-uk-elections-study-finds/

There are a fair number of #actuallyautistic and #actuallyauded people on the Fedi. There are also a fair number of #homeassistant users on the Fedi. Coincidence? ;-)

If you're autistic and becoming more aware of the sensory input that regularly overwhelms your system, there's a lot happening inside you and much of it probably feels unfamiliar.

And when something is unfamiliar (even when it might be actually a positive thing) just the unfamiliarity of it can feel close enough to feeling bad that it's easy to mix them up. 1/2

#ActuallyAutistic #Sensory #Interoception #BurnoutRecovery

Diary of an AuDHD Squirrel. Day 1048 , Thursday 10/09/2026

Thursday started earlier than I hoped, next door still not having moved yet & also not having learned to be a bit more considerate of a morning!

Managed to dig some spoons from behind the couch, or somewhere, & got some of the bigger jobs done.

The fridge has been cleaned to within an inch of its life both inside & out.

I also get the plinth heater its annual service - I always try to do it before we put the heating back on each autumn / winter & while it doesn’t get too dirty if done regularly the cottonwool buds I used to clean the narrow blades of the fan were evidence that it is a job that needs doing.

Finished the day off with a romp thru the Starfield, I’m learning about ship building in between missions and trial & error is the name of the game here!
Still I now have fast access to the outside from the cockpit now & I have started to build a workshop in the back of my ship. I have decided to be a nomad this time around & live out of my vessel.

Final Thoughts.

I have an invite to join in a multi-player game,but even though it is with people I know well I am … not at ease with the prospect. The last time I tried it was too much in the end & I have not the energy to interact with others at the moment. This year has taken its toll.

Still there is always next year!

Thank you to all those who are helping me on this journey, in a myriad different ways. I am thankful to each & every one of you! 🫂 🫶🐿️🖖

@autistics
#TimsASDjourney #ActuallyAutistic #Neurospicy #TheMammutMoves

I have peopled so much today! :blobcat0_0:
I wisely skipped department breakfast to conserve energy for group activities we had in the team. That was from 13:00 to about 20:00. I am glad I took part, as the team was complete and it probably would have alienated me to miss it. For being a work thing it was also pretty fun, but my goodness am I tired now.
I have retreated to my dark room, put ear plugs in and am having some tea. :pixel_battery_0:
#ActuallyAutistic

An autistic meltdown isn't "bad" per se.

It's also not good, at all.

Let's not moralise them.

It's a reaction - like a sneeze.

They can be traumatic and violent.

They can put us in danger.

They're scary.

But they aren't a BEHAVIOUR.

"Behaviour" implies choice.

It implies something to be managed and corrected.

A meltdown is an alarm.

It means needs went unmet for long enough that your system ran out of quieter ways to say so.

The world spends its energy silencing our alarm instead of asking what set it off in the first place.

#ActuallyAutistic @autistics

Healing grief may seem a long ways away. This anthology featuring #ActuallyAutistic and #neurodivergent authors explores the impact of and the ways of healing grief in our lives.

https://books2read.com/grief

💙📚♾️♿
#SpoonieAuthor #CripLit

@autistics #ActuallyAutistic

https://www.instagram.com/p/Dbsyx9pxXfh/

The goal of recovering from autistic burnout isn’t to get back to that past version of yourself who could do more. The goal of recovery is becoming a new version of yourself 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙙𝙤 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮. 1/2

#AutisticBurnout #BurnoutRecovery #Burnout #ActuallyAutistic

Since I have been diagnosed I find showering much more difficult. I used to wash virtually every day, now I basically do it twice a week, or maybe every 4 days,and only then from a sense of shame.
#Autism #autistic #neurodiverse @autistics #AutisticBurnout #ActuallyAutistic

GitHub changed the layout of their open PR page and it’s like the day my coworkers switched my desk at work and I had to go home early. #ActuallyAutistic

If some kind Canadian E transferred me $35, I'd be able to make it until next week, which is fed disability check day. 🥺💕

etrans: [email protected]

#BlackMutualAid #MutualAidRequest
#BlackMastodon #queermutualaid
#HelpFolksLive2026 #Queercrowdfund
#disability #disabilityaid #actuallyautistic #DisabilityCrowdFund #MutualAid

@[email protected] @[email protected] @MutualAidVisibility @anarchomutual @blackfedi

Vegan nuggets are the G.O.A.T. for us plant based autistic people. #vegan #actuallyautistic

I just dont feel like posting about my autistic experiences.

I'd rather put them into my art.

Ya know?

#actuallyautistic

I have been telling my dad about my programming adventures for like the past 6 months every so often, and I just realized that my dad didn't even know what I meant when I said I was making a template language 6 moths ago. So I said, "Well a template language is a type of language like PHP you know?"

Dad: "No."

I have been explaining this for the past 6 months not realizing my dad was too embarrassed to ask what I meant. I also find it funny that my dad used to have a job involving lots of programming/cybersecurity and he dose not know about PHP, which is infamous in both worlds. Hmmmm, I wonder why? Maybe it has something to do with being embarrassed to ask questions?

I then asked what he thought about it and he said something like, "It seems like you put a lot more effort into this then I realized, but like, I don't even know how you decided you wanted to do that."

Two things:
1. I have been telling you about this for the past 6 months what did you think I wasn't putting in effort???
2. You're the one who took me to get diagnosed with Autism when I was little??? Also even if you didn't associate that, you've known me my whole life???

(My dad dose have Mastodon, so if you are reading this (although you probably are not), I am not mad lol. I was just shocked you never asked any clarifying questions.)

#actuallyautistic #programmers

I'm autistic. Here's what happened to us this week.

- Scottish police used Tasers on children in custody 43 times in one year. Ten of those childran had learning disabilities or autism. A government watchdog says stop. Police Scotland says it will "consider" the recommendation.

- A nonverbal autistic 5-year-old drowned in South Carolina. Warrants allege her parents removed her safety tracker before the trip... then misled searchers about where to look.

- Brazil is considering a bill that goes beyond hiring quotas. It would require employers to change how workplaces actually function for autistic workers. The catch... disclosure still carries real risk.

Plus a dozen more stories that hit where we live.

If your child can't explain what's wrong during a crisis... if keeping a job means hiding who you are... this isn't abstact policy.

This is the week we just lived.

What does this fight look like where you live?

https://johnnyprofaneknapp.substack.com/p/divergent-times-september-39-2026

#ActuallyAutistic #DisabilityRights #Neurodivergent #MentalHealth #Autism #Psychology