Life Tips and Tricks from an Autistic Adult
Daily Functioning
-Keep some kind of planner/tracker with you at all times.
-Experiment with different styles of trackers (digital and analog) until you find what works for you.
- Reward yourself for small accomplishments, even something as small as a thumbs up to your reflection can train your brain keep up the habit.
- Try gamification with tools like HabitRPG and more.
- Dont stress when you mess up; we all do. Forgive yourself and keep trying your best. Know that some days will be awesome and some days wont. Try to roll with it instead of swimming against it.
Sensory Issues
- Find safe and appropriate stims that you enjoy to help you cope.
- Invest in stim toys or weighted products that help and comfort you.
- Use earplugs or noise canceling headphones as needed.
- Try Nasal Screens
- Dont feel embarrassed or ashamed of your sensory sensitivities or coping skills. Learn to love and accept who you are and feel proud of yourself for adapting to a world that can be overwhelming.
Communicating and Socializing Successfully
-Research neurotypical body language and behavior.
-Study social skills from other autistic adults.
-Read social stories for adults.
-Play games like The Sims 4 to practice interaction in a fun way.
- Explain to your close friends and partners your style of communication and any difficulties you may have. Ask for adaptations from them. Ask for understanding on their part.
Maintaining Relationships
- Encourage your partner to learn about autism.
- Encourage your partner to speak their wants and needs bluntly and directly rather than dropping hints
- Consider couples therapy to bond while learning amazing communication tools together.
Dealing with Emotions and Meltdowns
-Keep your essential stim toys and sensory objects with you in high-stress situations.
-Rely on your loved ones and pets for emotional support.
-Carry an ASD alert card, give it to whomever you are with when you have a meltdown and when it might be hard for you to speak.
-Learn more about managing emotions.
@RainbowTrie This is a great post which I am sure those with Autism will really benefit from reading and I hope that these kinds of strategies can be beneficial to many :)
What's a Nasal Screen? I've not heard of them before. I can get very affected by smells and at the moment I carry a pot of perfumed gel that I can put under my nose but it doesn't completely block out the other smells, so anything else that could help would be great!
@LittleLotte the word "nasal screen" is a link that takes you to amazon :)
@RainbowTrie Thanks! I hadn't noticed that! I'll have to see if they're on the UK Amazon site too.
@RainbowTrie
What a beautiful support! Thank you for publishing this!
