yappingbirdofparadise

Latest Posts by yappingbirdofparadise

Wholly agree with this (and love it!), just gonna add a couple things:

First, and I can't believe we're here, but: Aaravos might have just made it on the best cartoon dad list, AND JUST FROM ONE EPISODE! That's gotta be a record.

Second... I think this point could get even more sad, so sorry in advance; Leola was executed for breaking Cosmic Order, right? Because she gave magic to humans... Aaravos also gave magic to humans, and a far worse kind at that, while being a menace to any other form of Order he could find..... and was imprisoned. I'm sorry, WHAT?

And while we're mentioning it, let's look at that prison, shall we? It's a big pearl, sure. Inside it, it's a near-perfect replica of the home Aaravos and Leoa lived in before her execution. Outside, it rests among bones that could very well be LEOLA'S REMAINS, inside a body of water that Aaravos made with his tears over the span of 100 YEARS!!! And someone chose THAT as his prison, like they're trying to rub salt on the wound.

All this, on top of your point, makes me think that they, while definitely not wanting humans to have magic, were more concerned with getting rid of a child they could not understand or control, while trying to keep "one of the Great Ones" with them, and subsequently got petty when that (unsurprisingly) backfired.

The whole situation reeks of toxicity and ableism under a perfect facade.

Ok ok ok SO!

I think everyone has realized that Leola was autistic. It was heavily implied both through the flashback images and Aaravos' narration-

She lined up her toys, flapped her hands (it was also shown in the trial scene), seemed to be sensitive towards loud sounds (like the other startouch elves when they talked), and walked on her tiptoes. All of those are classic signs of autism.

But there's one thing I haven't seen anyone else bring up, and that's that her giving her human friends magic and breaking the "cosmic order" or whatever could also be because of her neurotype!

Autistic people tend to have very strict senses of morality and fairness, and will disregard rules if they don't fit their idea of right or wrong. Personal example here, I used to constantly do things I was told not to because I thought the rules in question were bogus.

It's not hard to guess that Leola would find the rules about humans not having magic to be unfair- after all, her and all the other elves, and even the animals around them are full of it! So in the mind of an autistic child, this would be incredibly unfair. And she had the power to "fix" the situation! So why wouldn't she?

Why wouldn't she try to help her friends? Because it would break the cosmic order? That's vague as hell and she was a KID!

And the startouch elves atomized her, for breaking a rule she probably only half understood and thought was stupid. Because she was autistic.

Had this thought and wanted to share, makes the whole thing even more tragic.

I will never not like a Pong Krell hate post, especially one this well done.

Valiant men, the clones have proven to be. Saved my life and yours they have many times. Believe in them we must.

I would say Spoilers, but you've likely seen the GIFs if you're reading this. That said:

This is equal parts sweet and sad - it is so obvious that Crosshair's at his lowest and trying to get Omega to escape without him. Thankfully she doesn't buy this, and matches his stubbornness... and maybe his sass, too. 😅 Also, the fact that he's still helping her despite still trying to convince her to leave him. 🥺

STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH S3x01 — Confined

I'm close to 30, and I'm in some heavy-ass denial. It doesn't help that I don't trust that greased-up, Frankenstein-wannabe breath-talker. 🤬

Do I have any late 20’s/early 30’s mutuals willing to reassure me that I’m NOT bat shit crazy for being this upset over a character death?

(My husband is trying to be supportive but I can tell he thinks I’m bonkers)

I definitely don't want to see Spider harmed, he's a sweet kid and deserved far better than what he's been getting, both in and out of universe, and he did nothing wrong.

That said, the Sully's aren't gonna see it that way.

Granted, you're right about Spider, he didn't betray anyone, and he saved the life of someone that showed he cared... during a hostage situation, sure, but it's more than the kid usually gets, and even without that, he likely would've saved the jerk anyway, because SPIDER IS NOTHING LIKE HIS FATHER. (well, maybe the same capably crazy energy, but that's it)

BUT, the Sully's have been dealing with this psycho Colonel's bullshit for too long already, they've lost so many of their community and family, the whole famn damily done with this man, and they thought they were rid of him... only for Spider to save him.

I still say he's not wrong for it, but the Sully's are equally not wrong to be mad about it, though they would be wrong for trying to kill him for it (I'm looking at you, Neytiri).

Since everyone assumes the worst if and when the Sullys find out Quaritch is alive because of our boy Spider. Let's think this through.

He didn't betray them. They betrayed him and left him to Quaritch. He had every right to save someone who saved him from torture.

If anything this is a chance for the Sullys to reward his loyalty and love because he could have chosen to go with him but he didn't.

Quit wanting Lo'ak to kill his best friend. Quit wanting Netyri to kill a boy who just wanted to be apart of their family and endured torture for them.

I swear there is something deeply wrong with this fandom.

He had buzz cut before he woke up, too... I wonder if Quaritch requested that. 🤔

There was no fucking reason to make his avatar THAT attractive. 😤

I just ran into this on my feed, and I'm having trouble looking up the info, so maybe someone here could tell me (please?);

What are endogenic systems and traumagenic systems, in regards to mental illness (and maybe autism)?

This always irritated me, too, and what's worse is that, "I planned to do it" has never been accepted as a good reason for me to be upset, since, "it's getting done anyway"; I'm not upset about it being done, I'm upset that you didn't even warn me before disregarding my plan, and it's only going to get worse because I can't properly explain it anymore than I can contain my frustration at this point.

when your mom presses the button on your laundry, and you planned to do it yourself. but no one will understand why you're so upset. your doubly angry because you know she knew it would trigger you and she still did it nonetheless. it was just convenient for her. (oh and she put her laundry in with it too).

no one will ever understand why I am so angry. (cause I planned to do it). no one around me at least.

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The Tism;)

[ from Pinterest ]

Y'know what? Fuck it

I want clones that become mandalorian

I want clones finding their familial culture, one that isn't connected to fighting someone else's battle.

God I want this so bad.

This. This is the post I need to show my family. Thank you for putting this into words.

Explaining autism to an allistic is exhausting.

Because most of the time, in my experience, they don't listen to what I'm telling them that it's a disability and that we force our square shaped selves into the circular world everyday and that slowly erodes the edges of who we are.

They're looking for hidden meanings in order to get Autistics to behave more neurotypical. They want to see us become circles.

I explained why we don't use functioning labels any more. And they will say "yes, but you do function more than some." As if it's an "Ah ha! Caught you!" moment.

I was even told today that I obviously find this all easy. Because I hold it together at work.

And I just get so tired trying to explain that I'm not "Aspie". I'm not "high functioning". I'm not "on the spectrum". I'm not "mostly neurotypical".

We're Autistic, goddamnit.

FACTS! Say it louder for the NT's in the back!!!

ND culture is that the "taking stuff literally" thing goes in both directions.

No, allistics, I'm NOT exaggerating, saying things between the lines, being metaphorical, emphatic, or sarcastic, or anything like that. I'm being LITERAL. So when I say something, take me seriously and at face value, damnit!!

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*inhales deeply* ..... oof. I felt this one in the pit of my stomach.

nd culture is not having anything to say and then one of your special interests comes up naturally and you think "talking about this has gotta be better than the silence right?" and next thing you know your 40 min into an info dump and the other person is barely paying attention.

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Me, often called a Vulcan by my family: 👀... 🖖🙄

Autism culture is identifying with autistic coded characters, but as soon as someone who is not neurodivergent says "Hey you remind me of *insert autistic coded character*" getting very uncomfortable

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I just woke up, man... but no, Tumblr chose to get personal today. 😅 Well, at least I'm fully awake now.

ND culture is spending your whole childhood being told you're "too sensitive" and "need to toughen up." Then realizing as an adult that it was basically just "traumatize the ND kid until they stop melting down." Bonus points if the adults in your life still feel justified in how they treated you because you "turned out OK" despite needing years of therapy.

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How would one go about finding out how high ones support needs are? Is there some kinda test you can do to check if you're too lazy to do something or just lack the spoons or something?

There aren't any tests to determine one's support needs. Support needs are determined by how much help is required to get through the day.

This includes:

Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) such as showering, dressing, eating, toileting etc

Communication abilities

Physical requirements (mobility aids)

Mental health requirements

Schooling needs/after school needs

And more that aren't coming to my mind at the moment.

A low needs person still needs help in many areas. They just can complete most tasks with little to no help.

Moderate needs will need prompting in many areas and help, but is capable of some independent tasks.

High needs will require daily help in most areas most days.

Now, I'll start with the important notice that high needs individuals can have good days where they don't need much help. This never invalidates them as a high needs person.

Low needs people can have bad days and need more help than usual. They are not high need, however, and shouldn't speak over high need voices.

And every mix in between.

Happy pride! Have some cryptids 👻🏳️‍🌈 

[Redbubble]

Source ~ @/autisticamente_marcela

Original Text:

The pathological medical model defines #Autistic play as inappropriate, restricted, and repetitive with DEFICITS in imagination, imitation, symbolism and joint attention.

A paradigm that focuses on deficits rather than strengths.

In this context, playing "appropriately" means playing with toys exactly as a typical child would play with toys.

When an autistic child plays in an unusual way, it is considered "inappropriate play." In other words, "it's different, therefore it's bad."

It's not that autistic children don't know how to play. There is no correct way to play. Play is play.

Autistic children's exploration and interaction with the world is outside of society's understanding, and just because society doesn't understand the value of doing things a certain way, it doesn't mean it's wrong.

There is nothing wrong with lining up toys. 🦒🐖🧸

There is nothing wrong with spinning the wheels of a car. 🚙

There is nothing wrong with playing with nature. 🌱

There is nothing wrong with playing with a cardboard box. 📦

Autistic play is appropriate play.

Autistic children are not broken versions of neurotypical children. Same thing goes for autistic adults (we exist by the way 😉✌️). #Autism is a natural part of the spectrum of human diversity... and diversity is beautiful.

We learn, interact and play AUTISTICALLY.

-Autísticamente Marcela 🚙 🦖 ⚽🚂

Publicación en español:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=459514795536353&id=100044335094112

[Image description: an illustration of a child smiling and sitting on the floor while holding a stick with a leaf. The child is surrounded by a display of toys and other household items that have been lined up in a curved row (a piano, a cardboard box, a bucket & pale, a stuffed bunny, a wooden train, two plastic cups, four colored markers, a broom, a toy dinosaur, a hat, two Christmas tree ornaments, a vase with flowers, a toy bus, a potato head, a pop it, a spinner, a book, a boat, a panda bear, a rattle, a number block, a beach ball, a stacking toy and a Peppa Pig). A thinking bubble above the child has a smiley face.]

is it weird or normal to have a shutdown instead of a meltdown? like i’m talking about them overlapping and shutdown taking over meltdown kind of thing.

for example, i’m in a highly distressing situation, either in class, the store, on a trip or anywhere else where there is lots of sensory input, changes, new things and people.

rather than starting to pace, hit my head, scream, punch things and cry my brain goes into shutdown and reboots to avoid a meltdown, and i go into non-verbal autopilot mode until the reboot is done and it feels like i’m starting on a clean slate. zero viruses detected.

so is that normal? i don’t like meltdowns because i can get violent, so shutdowns prevent that, so is it like a coping mechanism or something?

also is referring to my brain as a computer system strange? media and the society overall seems to view autistics as robots and many autistics don’t feel like it’s accurate and rather offensive. but my brain has always operated like that.

Shutdowns vs meltdowns are completely normal and individual. Many (not all) Autistics will also switch from physical meltdowns to more internalised ones (shutdowns) as we get older.

We may not even have meltdowns or shutdowns until life circumstances pitch us enough difficulties to cause one. And some never have them at all.

And yes, I think of my brain like a computer system, too! So all normal!!

I don't know if it's an autism but when I was a kid or even now I smile when looking at people, being around them or talking to them.

Sometimes it didn't happen but most often it did and I'd turn my back when passing by someone because I couldn't stop myself from smiling and laughing even though I didn't want to.

To this day I don't like looking at people because if that, and when I'm mad I can't express my thoughts correctly and end up smiling and laughing which bugs me because I don't want to smile and laugh.

This isn't something I've experienced, but it could be a trigger effect...your brain associates smiling with laughing... So any smiles can trigger laughter. But I can't say for certain.

i get so worried im faking autism and adhd because i also have anxiety and some of the symptoms are the same... do you have any advice/ideas on how to differenciate the three?

If you're worried you're faking it, then you're not faking it. Faking is a willful act.

And as you've probably seen me mention in other replies, the why is the key factor. Plus, anxiety is highly comorbid in both autism and ADHD. So, you can have all 3! I certainly do. And they affect each other in many different ways.

Saw your asks were open! Don't burn yourself out with answering, please.

So, a thing I've heard sometimes is autistics having a low "mental age". Both from people in my school* and more influential sources that make out autism as a tragedy. As small news articles and ableist teenage boys aren't the best sources, I'm asking you! Do (some) autistic people actually have "lower mental ages" or is that a complete myth?

("I wish I had autism so I could also get benefits." "Dude, do you want to be four years old for the rest of your life?" That type of thing.)

This is very factual, but with a major caveat: it's not the mental age. It's that we don't adhere to social norms and will continue to enjoy or act in ways seen as younger.

I collect stuffed animals and have a toy box full of colouring books and stim items. I also don't dress my age and wear jeans and Disney t-shirts.

Not all Autistics do this. Some act older than they are. Some have intellectual disabilities that NTs deem as "child like" (they're not... They're adults with intellectual disabilities. Not an adult with the mind of a 4 year old.)

So, yes. But with lots of reasons.

yall. i see a lot about masking, and i just wanted to ask that, well personally, i dont mask. and i feel like thats weird because i keep hearing how, it feels like everybody else is in some form masking?

i dont even know what masking entails, what it is, i only know some very few information that it is like, well one is wanting to touch stuff but dont? idk, i just, if i wanna touch something, i touch it. but im not obsessively touching stuff. i dont like, stim either, in the autistic way, im sorry if that came across as rude i just wanna say i dont do it because of autism, i do it because of my severe anxiety. i only do stuff, crossing arms, twisting foot, idk how to explain it, if im stood still, i will like, bend my foot so it looks like it might break but it wont lol...etcetc, are those even stims? they dont sound like it now that i wrote some down haha, because i have severe anxiety and i feel like im gonna pass out and vomit when im out of the house. i have a whole ass YEAR left until i begin my cbt therapy. i dont even know if thats gonna help, i tried it before years ago but pretty much gave up because i felt it didnt do anything and im depressed af and have zero motivation. because im never gonna get better anyways. i had a nurse telling me that too ages ago and i still remember it because he was all like "so im not supposed to tell you this because its private information about me, but you'll never get better from this. this is a lifelong issue you'll have to deal with for the rest of your life, because i have it too" real comforting when you just told that person you wanna kill yourself because you suffer so bad. i feel like he wants me to kill myself so they'll rid a troubling annoying person. but anyways!

oh yea! another one is forced eye contact, i dont do that either haha, i look up people in the eye, or in the middle, and then if i dont wanna, i dont. so im sure i dont mask and is that normal? is there anybody else out here that dont either?

yall, a list of various ways of masking would be appreciated so i know whether i am or not, even though im preeeeeetty sure that i do not.

thank you. and i hope you have a good week.

I'll answer this in parts.

1 - Autistic masking is the conscious and unconscious act of pretending to be neurotypical.

Conscious versions of this are things like practicing conversations, practicing facial expressions in a mirror, watching others communicate so that you can mimic them. However, unlike neurotypicals or allistics (non-autistics), at no point do we feel comfortable or confident in doing these performances. It's exhausting and we're very aware of our actions and other's actions.

Unconcious versions of masking are those that are drilled in to us either by society, family (on purpose or not), bullying etc. These include forcing facial expressions, forcing eye contact, forcing vocal tone, holding back or permanently repressing stimming, ignoring special interests due to mocking or bullying, enduring adverse sensory experiences etc. These are often enforced from infancy and we may not even be aware we're doing it. But we are aware we're exhausted from tasks others are not.

Unconcious and conscious masking mix and match. They're fluid, and not everyone experiences the same versions.

2 - Not every autistic masks. Higher needs may not mask, intellectual disabilities may prohibit it, and supportive families may never enforce it. Some autistics grow up and refuse to mask any longer. And many different versions of this, too.

3 - Everyone stims. Stimming is any repetitive behaviour that is used to modify external or internal input via a soothing behaviour. Autistics and many other NDs simply do it a lot more and have more variety. So, yes. If what you described is done in order to add input or block out input, it's stimming.

4 - Not all Autistics struggle with eye contact. Whilst clinicians use it as this big indicator, it's really not.

5 - Lastly, that nurse who spoke to you in that moment of need was a complete ass. Anxiety is difficult, but it's not the end of the road. If CBT therapy didn't help, it may be that you need a modified version, or try something different all together. There are many different therapies and avenues. There is hope, you just need to figure out what road is yours.

Remove the stereotype of knowing everything about the so called special interest, I have never had one, but I'm curious why is it called like that, when it isn't for Neurotypicals?

So the list you posted, it just sounds like something a person likes, but why is that it is called special interest?

Because if a Neurotypical would say, if they had those interest(s) that are on that list, or more. Its just...likes. hobbies even. But when a Neurodivergent has any of that, its called a 'special interest' why is that? It just occured to me too this question, I find it strange. That it has a name like that for Neurodivergent but not for the Neurotypicals.

I also feel like, if you utter you like something, then people just assume straight off the bat that it is a 'special interest' when it may not be.

Its the same with the Autistic Meltdown, or that other thang I forgot what the name of it is. Why is it called like that? Because again, if a Naueotypical has, like a big outburst of anger and they get real mad even throwing stuff, whatever someone does, it's not called specifically a meltdown, or that other thing i forgot the name of it. I'm genuinely wondering btw, not trolling.

This is a good question, and completely understandable.

Firstly, a special interest is specific to autism. My post lists a variety of ways that they can manifest, but obviously it's not the only ways.

A special interest is different to a hobby in the way that an autistic engages with it. A hobby for a neurotypical is something they know all about and do to pass the time. They may even take breaks from it.

A special interest for an autistic may not even have a physical component, we have anxiety about not interacting with it, and it's not to just pass the time. It can feel like a core part of us.

Which is why if a special interest fades, we can be left in a state of deep loss. It's like losing a loved one. It can cause grief.

Autistics can also just have hobbies.

Now, an autistic meltdown or shutdown is once again specific to us because it's linked to how we engage in the world. Specifically, sensory input.

A neurotypical can have a "meltdown" after a bad week at work, a break up, plus their car won't start and they'll scream and need a day off. It may even lead to a breakdown. They are serious, and they need self-care. But it's a long build up of stressors.

An autistic meltdown is a painful experience of no longer being able to endure sensory input. We need to escape, and harmful stims, screaming, crying etc are our only coping skills we have left in our arsenal. There is no emotion behind it, no end goal, except to make the pain stop.

I’m looking into autism for myself, and I think I may be autistic? The thing is I don’t really see enough like… examples when it comes to meltdowns or shutdowns or missing social cues. So off it’s not too much trouble… could you maybe share some experiences so I have a better idea??

Certainly! Followers are totally okay to give their own examples, because these can be very individual.

Social Interaction Difficulties:

Not understanding how to perform small talk

Listening/eaves dropping in on other people's conversations in order to create scripts in your head so you can act out successful interactions

Same as above, but learning conversation through books or TV/movies

Getting exhausted from conversations or navigating social situations

Needing days or weeks to recover after social interaction.

Anxiety over interaction because you don't understand how to do it and you dread the exhaustion and the mental leaps it's going to take to do it. This is different to social anxiety, where you dread messing up or being seen as incompetent.

Difficulty holding conversations. You may trail off mid-sentence, talk continuously so that the other person feels like they can't respond, or struggle to listen and respond to the other person.

Difficulty making or keeping friends. May also not be able to define what a friend is.

Low eye contact or no eye contact.

No vocal tone (monotone) or improper vocal tone to what is being said (this can also be due to other reasons other than social difficulties).

No body language or incorrect body language (also can be due to other reasons).

Meltdowns:

Can be sudden or a slow build up

Sensory input can suddenly feel too intense or painful

Often accompanied by an intense need for the input to stop

Stimming often increases. If standard stims don't help, more aggressive stimming may be used such as self-harm, screaming or full body movements such as running back and forth

Has no end goal other than for the sensory input to stop.

Communication is limited and the person may not be in control of their actions.

Some people may be able to hold back meltdowns, but this is very bad for their mental health as the damage continues and they are not able to release the pent up energy.

Sensory input may include: noise, lights, smells, touch, taste, delayed emotional responses, inability to communicate effectively, delayed sensory input (the build up happened mainly before the current moment) or sudden input.

May be accompanied by a time of "reset" (also called a shutdown) where you don't move or respond.

Shutdowns:

As in meltdowns, but no outward signs are given.

Often described as "an internal meltdown". Many Autistics describe these as worse than a physical meltdown, as no relief is given from stims and those around you may be unable to attend to your needs to remove the input.

i feel like the infantilisation of autistic people in the eyes of science and psychology really stunts them when it comes to talking about some of the issues that come from being autistic in a world built for nt people. like i dont think ive ever seen substance abuse rates discussed wrt autistics because thats an “adult problem” and the public at large has an image of autistic adults as overgrown kids, despite the fact that almost every other autistic adult ive met has had a history of substance abuse issues at least partly in response to the stress of existing in the world as an autistic person. like if youre constantly beset on all sides by stress and sensory overload of course youre going to gravitate towards drugs and alcohol and things that smooth over those sharp edges, make socialising easier, etc…

if you want to actually truly support autistic rights, you need to accept the fact that many autistics will forever and unchangeably be wildly socially incompetent, and this does not make them bad or dangerous.