Callum Stephen (He/Him)

Autistic ADHD’er 🧠 | LGBTQ+ 🏳️‍🌈 | Writer ✍️ | Dreamer ✨ | IG and TikTok: @ autistic_callum_

[Callum Stephen (He/Him) @AutisticCallum_]

The autistic urge to process finishing a TV series or movie by spending hours (maybe even days) researching it.

[Callum Stephen (He/Him) @AutisticCallum_]

Receiving mixed messages can be distressing for anyone, but it can be extra distressing when you’re autistic and your brain is prone to analysing things deeply, connecting dots, spotting patterns and trying to predict what will happen.

[Callum Stephen (He/Him) @AutisticCallum_]

Many autistic people remember the lyrics to an unusually high number of songs, and we may often burst into song (in our minds or aloud) when someone says words that match the lyrics of one of the many songs we remember. A lot of us share a strong connection with (certain) music.

[Callum Stephen (He/Him) @AutisticCallum_]

The autistic experience of playing a song on repeat for weeks/months,

then suddenly not listening to it for months/years,

then one day playing it on repeat once again.

[Callum Stephen (He/Him) @AutisticCallum_]

The autistic experience of thinking that you don’t really understand something because you don’t understand *all* the details, even though you understand the key aspects and many people in your position would feel that they have a good - maybe even a great - understanding of it.

[Callum Stephen (He/Him) @AutisticCallum_]

The autistic experience of often being perceived as joking when you’re being serious and being serious when you’re joking.

[Callum Stephen (He/Him) @AutisticCallum_]

As an autistic person, an aspect of communication I can find challenging to navigate is being hyperaware that, sometimes, other people can attach intentions and emotions to what I say that do not reflect how I feel or the place I’m speaking from.

[Callum Stephen (He/Him) @AutisticCallum_]

@JimmyJab_ I love having a range of interests too! Some I will hyperfixate on for weeks before focusing on other ones and then eventually returning to the first one 😂

[Callum Stephen (He/Him) @AutisticCallum_]

Some activities that autistic people in particular often enjoy:

- reading dictionaries and thesauruses
- researching one specific thing for hours
- playing one song on repeat for hours
- sharing facts (especially unique ones)

[Callum Stephen (He/Him) @AutisticCallum_]

… the thought of replacing them.

[Callum Stephen (He/Him) @AutisticCallum_]

Autistic people often keep and use objects for longer than is typical. While many people regularly upgrade, we frequently hang on to things for years (even if they break) because we can get a lot of comfort from familiarity, feel so attached to our things, and feel upset at …

[Callum Stephen (He/Him) @AutisticCallum_]

Obviously explanations shouldn’t be given in place of apologies, but I like them as extras.

[Callum Stephen (He/Him) @AutisticCallum_]

As an autistic person, I LOVE explanations; I always like to know the “why”.

I see explanations as reasons, not excuses. They help me see where people are coming from.

[Callum Stephen (He/Him) @AutisticCallum_]

I don’t get upset or annoyed when people explain why they did something - I’m glad to know their intentions. I know intentions aren’t everything, but they matter to me - they’re informative.

[Callum Stephen (He/Him) @AutisticCallum_]

The autistic joy that may come from organising your playlists, books, folders and/or other collections, because putting things in an order that makes sense to your brain can bring a sense of calm, relief, comfort and/or achievement.

[Callum Stephen (He/Him) @AutisticCallum_]

But, this doesn’t mean that I can’t be fun and lighthearted, because I can be.

[Callum Stephen (He/Him) @AutisticCallum_]

As an Autistic person, I often take things more seriously than other people do.

This is because I experience many things - such as emotions, thoughts, sensory experiences, and more - on a deeper level; things often feel more intense for me.

[Callum Stephen (He/Him) @AutisticCallum_]

When you speak and someone says they love your witty, deadpan and sarcastic sense of humour, but what they just experienced was actually an autistic person speaking candidly.

[Callum Stephen (He/Him) @AutisticCallum_]

Part of my autistic experience is that sometimes my friendliness is perceived as ‘polite but distant’. I can feel like I’m being bubbly and convivial, yet sometimes not be perceived as such by other people.

[Callum Stephen (He/Him) @AutisticCallum_]

@NCC1977 I love playing music in my head! I’ve often done this during stressful situations 🙏🏻

[Callum Stephen (He/Him) @AutisticCallum_]

One of my favourite things about being autistic is having an extra strong connection with music; I can feel music so deeply! All the intricacies of a great song can come together to bring me such joy. Music can transform my mood, help me process my emotions, empower me, and more.