Do my #ActuallyAutistic comrades who work self advocate at their job? If you’re self-employed, do you advocate for yourself with suppliers and clients? Tell us about it!
#AskingAutistics @actuallyautistic @actuallyautistics @autisticadvocacy
@theautisticcoach @actuallyautistic @actuallyautistics @autisticadvocacy when asked, I personally always express my needs openly, but I never explain the "why" (ie because I am autistic). I question my approach sometimes because I think representation is important and maybe it's better to disclose. But then also I feel there is so much stigma and others who have the same needs as me who are not (or do not know they are) autistic may not seek the same accommodations because they feel they are not _for_ them
@chai @theautisticcoach @actuallyautistic @actuallyautistics @autisticadvocacy when I was early in my reconciliation with my own self post-dx I was forthright about my autism when first starting to actually self-advocate. Now with two years in and some tough hurdles cleared, I can self-advocate with less effort, less explanation. I practiced for a long time how to say more with less before I knew more about myself. Now it starts to pay off.
@aaronesilvers @theautisticcoach @actuallyautistic @actuallyautistics @autisticadvocacy that's so great - I wonder could you share any tips on how you manage this?
@chai @theautisticcoach @actuallyautistic @actuallyautistics @autisticadvocacy Well, for starters, I guess, I write a bit, whether it's for work or blogging. I work with engineers who value getting to the point, and I work with a lot of non-technical people, who require more simple language.
Post-dx, knowing that I tend to ramble, once I could at least blog about my autism, it was a subject on which I set the terms. That unlocked my ability to write again; and practice has helped rebuild skills
@chai @theautisticcoach @actuallyautistic @actuallyautistics @autisticadvocacy it took me a bit more than 2 years post-dx to be able to blog about it; which helped me figure out how to talk (or not talk) about it; and successive writing/speaking/presenting/interviewing opportunities help me mask w/ purpose and unmask at home; a safe space now.
Finding a balance; making sure I eat and rest before I feel the need; communicating needs and getting them met in small ways helps with the big things.
@chai @theautisticcoach @actuallyautistic @actuallyautistics @autisticadvocacy oh… one big thing that helped me was recognizing what I call "trauma echoes"
sometimes I'll come back to some bs in my head — an old argument/an old fight brought into the now. I used to act on those thoughts; now I know it's a hybrid of my autism and trauma from childhood… and now I catch it in seconds if not milliseconds and immediately ask myself — what do I need? and it's almost always rest or food.
@aaronesilvers @chai @theautisticcoach @actuallyautistic @actuallyautistics @autisticadvocacy
Replaying unresolved conflicts is a huge one, for me. I've learned to embrace it, acknowledge the feeling, then let it go again. There's nothing I could do now, today, to change it, so it's just what is.
