Research Update! (notes on Mom on the Spectrum)

 So, I'm watching Chart of Easily Missed Traits for Autistic Women (Mom on the Spectrum) video and about 4-minutes in, she goes into how she's a flute player.  If you don't know this about me, I have been playing flute since like 2010 and I even taught people how to play flute.  I wanted to start crying when she said "for me, my music skills are I play the flute", my brain was so excited that I paused the video.

OKAY, enough for me! Just wanted to share!  I might post a post later on with a link/list to all the videos I watched for this project.

I won't share anything more because I don't want to give too much information away, but so far the research process has been very interesting (in a good way).  

LIFE UPDATE!!! (Educational Version)

 Hi readers!!

Life is good so far!  If you didn't know, I am back in school hoping to get into grad school.  

I have a special announcement!  I am working on my first ever undergraduate research project on autism as a content analysis.  I am doing 90% of the work and will be submitting the final parts in a week from today.  I'm so proud of myself.  I've come so far.  

The research I am doing is purely based on videos I am watching and observing.  I figure this is a great way for me to start my research journey in the field of psychology.

I can't wait to share my results.  Until then, peace out :)

Sensory Sensitivities and Autism

 Have you ever stopped to smell the flowers?  Listened to music?  Felt a nice warm blanket?  Ate/tasted the best meal?  Saw the most beautiful sunset?  All of these things have something in common, it's the way that we view and experience the world around us.  As human beings, we are all given the abilities to use our senses.  There's: 

1. Sight 
2. Smell
3. Touch/Feel 
4. Taste
5. Sound

People with autism experience these sensations sometimes too much or not a lot.  It seems like a lot of the time, when people with autism misbehave, they are wanting sensory input of some kind.  

An example of this would be: Jenny is a 5-year old whose mom just had a baby. Jenny's mom has been spending a lot of time with the new baby, which has meant that Jenny hasn't been able to spend time with her parents like she used to.  Jenny has been getting into more trouble than she ever been in.  She will calm down when her parents give her a hug. 

In the example, we learn that Jenny seeks the sense of touch and when her parents can't give her that, so she asks for attention to receive that sensory input.

We should implement and create healthy ways to match the sensory-seeking needs of autistic individuals, we can find ways to match the sensory seeking behaviors that each person has.  With Jenny, when mom can't give her cuddles, she can have Jenny sit next to her with a teddy bear and teach her that giving the teddy bear hugs is like giving mama hugs.

LIFE UPDATE!

 

I have been M.I.A for a while now.  A lot has happened since May 2024.  I did a full semester of classes for the first time since 2021.  I became part of the Autism Incorporated Club Presidency at UVU and we made sensory-friendly stim kits for autistic individuals.  

I am still figuring life out, and it's been a journey so far.  Being neurodiverse is complicated.  There's so many uncertainties and you never know what change is going to happen and how it will effect you.  

I will try to be better at making more entries as I know that some day, they will benefit others who have similar experiences to me.

Routines & Me

 Get up for the day, stretch, get dressed, eat breakfast, walk the dog, go to work, come home, make dinner, watch some TV. read a book, go to bed.  That's a routine, right!?  Routine.  A word that is common for many autistics of any part of the spectrum.  The word, routine is defined as a regular series of events/activities that one has in their schedule.

Routine can look different for an individual on the autism spectrum.  For me, my schedule depends on what I have going on that day/week.   I try my best to be productive given the circumstances with how my brain operates.  I've come a long way with myself.  Sometimes it can be hard to motivate myself, but if I let the part of my brain that wants motivation to win, I will never succeed.  Yes, motivation isn't bad, but if it's the only way you are able to get out of bed or be productive, it isn't the best mindset. 

Autism Acceptance Day

It's April 2nd, 2024!

You can say it is important or unimportant to celebrate something as momentous as having a disability!  For people on the autism spectrum, it can be hard to learn how to cope with their autism.  Having a day to say, "I have a day where I can celebrate me as well as people like me!"   

Here's the thing! Some people on the spectrum aren't really comfortable with sharing their diagnosis with others.  Some are!  It depends on where you are at.  Another thing too, is many times when you have someone with autism, there tends to be people who are unaware of their autism or unaware of how they can help accommodate for their needs with being on the spectrum.

Okay, okay!  You might be reading this and asking or wondering this, "well, what if I don't necessarily know all about autism?"  I will tell you this, informing yourself about what autism is and the history behind the diagnosis can help a lot.

What you need to know is that in 1943, Austrian-American psychologist, Leo Kanner did a study on 11 children who showed unique behavioral patterns.  One of them being none other than Donald Triplett (1933-2023).  Donald Triplett was the FIRST PERSON DIAGNOSED ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM IN 1943.  You can say, "Alyssa, autism has been around longer than 1943".  While you're right about that, the first DIAGNOSIS was in 1943.  While there's most likely been people in the past history of the world who have had autism, we were able to "categorize" and kind of label these kinds of behaviors in individuals.  This can be like diagnosing someone with ADHD or someone who has problems with hearing or walking.  In my experience, labeling yourself in a healthy way can help you learn more about yourself and become self-aware.  Learning about autism and how BROAD and diverse it is and can be, has helped me to be able to learn about myself as well as learning about how I can see some of my behavioral and social patterns in others on the spectrum that I communicate with.

Since autism is fairly new, there tends to be a challenge in diagnosing females. The first female who received a diagnosis (and someone whom I would LOVE to meet one day) is Temple Grandin (b. 1947).  She was first diagnosed at the age of 4 after receiving word that she had "brain damage" at the age of 2.  Temple is a living legend for people on the autism spectrum. She still advocates today for autism rights.

What is Neurodiversity? A Super Power?

What is neurodiversity?  To me, being neurodiverse means that my brain is wired differently.  What a lot of people do not know, is that disorders such as: ADHD, dyslexia, Autism Spectrum Disorder, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, and Tourette's Syndrome are part of an umbrella term of neurodiversity.  Many people associate these "disabilities" as struggles, but that's not how I see it.  

Person #1 has ADHD and has challenges with focusing on daily tasks.  Where as person #2 who was diagnosed with autism, struggles with communicating their thoughts and feelings with others.  The people who know person #1, share that person #1 has a lot of energy whenever they are with person #1.  The people who know person #2, share that person #2 knows a lot of information about the history of art.  While person 1 & 2 have challenges and struggles that prevent them from living "normal" lives, they have strengths that others that they know have seen in them.  These are like their superpowers.  Take Spider-Man for example (very common example, I know).  Spider-Man has strengths such as climbing up walls, swinging from building-to-building, and using his spidey sense.  He also struggles with losing people he loves, which can be considered as a weakness.

Autism in Neurodiversity: The Super Power

Most of the time, people who are neurodiverse don't "look" the way that their "disability" is perceived by others.  Up until I was diagnosed with autism, I was told that I didn't present the standard autism behavior.  I can make eye contact, I can interact with people and hold decent conversations, and my interests were considered to be "normal".  The term "autism" hasn't been around for long.  The first time the word "autism" was recognized in 1943, but was not mentioned as a diagnosis in the first two versions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM).  The DSM-III defined "autism" as a "pervasive developmental disorder".  The DSM-IV (1994) designated 3 domains of autism: social interaction, communication, and restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and/or activities.  The DSM-5, which was published in 2013, changed the domains from three to two.  It combined social interaction and communication with one another.  

 

The DSM-5 also stated that there are 3 levels of autism.  The graphic below discusses the three levels.

If you are reading this and you are either on the Autism Spectrum OR have yet to be diagnosed, I encourage you to take action.  Learn more about yourself AND how being diagnosed can benefit you as well as the interactions you have with those around you!

Until next time, bye!