Kelly

We can settle this the easy way. (she/her)

[Kelly @shiftlesssheep]

@Faeles47229 @AQueerPanda @StructuredSucc You are a snake, essentially. Can you unhinge your jaw and eat a live baby alpaca? Of course you can. You are marvelous. But you can't expect to do it EVERY DAY.

Focus on the baby alpacas you've eaten, not the baby alpacas who got away. 🦙

[Kelly @shiftlesssheep]

@CB09 Masking - which is to say, pretending to be non-autistic well enough that other people believe the act - is associated with significantly higher rates of suicide. It's really hard for someone diagnosed with level 1 Autism to get the support or accommodations they need.

[Kelly @shiftlesssheep]

@CB09 No - I said you can't have "a serious case of it" any more than you can be severely gay. Someone who looks like they're coping well might still have really debilitating symptoms. Someone who seems totally non-functional in one setting might be fine somewhere else.

[Kelly @shiftlesssheep]

@FriendlyBoat @dorisjac20 @cuckooclock77 @allsortsofgood1 @sarahcpr I think the ND umbrella can be really helpful. But I also think it matters that AWN, ASAN, and AASPIRE, which are all autistic-led self-advocacy groups, have position statements supporting identify-first language. So I generally say autistic unless I mean something different.

[Kelly @shiftlesssheep]

@totallynotjon_ @nello1418 @nickidbass1 @cuckooclock77 @allsortsofgood1 @sarahcpr Also, autistic people have specifically said that this kind of language hurts them. They've said it a LOT.

[Kelly @shiftlesssheep]

@totallynotjon_ @nello1418 @nickidbass1 @cuckooclock77 @allsortsofgood1 @sarahcpr I'm honestly not trying to be difficult. I know what the spectrum refers to and I get that some autistic people have an easier time fitting in with the rest of the world. But labeling someone "severely autistic" can be really misleading, and also, often, a pretext for abuse.

[Kelly @shiftlesssheep]

@dorisjac20 @cuckooclock77 @allsortsofgood1 @sarahcpr But you keep spelling it with an "h".

In the current DSM, it's considered an autism-related condition. Autism doesn't kill people - but a MeCP2 gene mutation can, and will also, frequently, cause autism.

[Kelly @shiftlesssheep]

@dorisjac20 @cuckooclock77 @allsortsofgood1 @sarahcpr Most of them prefer "autistic", if you ask. But if someone prefers "neuroatypical", that's cool, too.

[Kelly @shiftlesssheep]

@dorisjac20 @cuckooclock77 @allsortsofgood1 @sarahcpr Rett syndrome is frequently associated with autism, but it's considered a separate disorder. That's kind of a recent distinction, though - there's a lot of overlap.

[Kelly @shiftlesssheep]

@dorisjac20 @cuckooclock77 @allsortsofgood1 @sarahcpr What if they look "high-functioning" as long as they get to control the lights in the room, have noise-canceling headphones, and have control over their schedule? But if someone forces them to go to a mall, for "fun", they have a complete meltdown?

[Kelly @shiftlesssheep]

@dorisjac20 @cuckooclock77 @allsortsofgood1 @sarahcpr If a person is non-speaking, but they're married and employed, are they mild or severe? What if someone speaks really well, but can't do basic things like get dressed in the morning or do dishes? What if they look "high-functioning" sometimes and "low-functioning" at others?

[Kelly @shiftlesssheep]

@hotincleveland @LockeCuChulainn @IamJadehawk @commaficionado @AceofDragons1 Be the person in the room who sees their child as whole and valuable and delightful, just the way they are! And keep saying the phrase, "Autistic adults have told us..." Because it doesn't matter whether they listen to you - it matters whether they listen to autistics.

[Kelly @shiftlesssheep]

@hotincleveland @LockeCuChulainn @IamJadehawk @commaficionado @AceofDragons1 I realize this is an old tweet, so I'm sorry for coming out of the blue...

Give them a copy of ASAN's "Welcome to the Autistic Community". Tell them that autistic people consider ABA unethical & unhelpful. Describe echolalia as a strategy.

https://t.co/DXpAJbDfiE

[Kelly @shiftlesssheep]

@jrizzle_99 I mean, is that a genuine question, or do you just hate gay people? Because I feel like this could swing either way.

[Kelly @shiftlesssheep]

@demarcusbebool1 @bobbifleckman12 @cuckooclock77 @allsortsofgood1 @sarahcpr Oh, that's an easy block. I hope you have a terrible day :)

[Kelly @shiftlesssheep]

@bobbifleckman12 @cuckooclock77 @allsortsofgood1 @sarahcpr And a disproportionate number of autistic people are gender nonconforming, gay, asexual, pansexual, and trans. There are a lot of things about their identities that they wish were not pathologized ❤️.

[Kelly @shiftlesssheep]

@allsortsofgood1 @bobbifleckman12 @cuckooclock77 @sarahcpr I mean, I get why it's helpful to have a standard set of definitions, but it also pathologizes a lot of things that maybe shouldn't be pathologized.

[Kelly @shiftlesssheep]

@nello1418 @oceansnights @cuckooclock77 @allsortsofgood1 @sarahcpr It's in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which psychologists in the U.S. use to formalize definitions for all kinds of disorders. The levels are supposed to indicate how much support the person needs - but that's actually quite hard to predict!