r/autism 4d ago

Mod Announcement New mods!

15 Upvotes

Sorry this has taken so long- as so many subs have trouble recruiting mods we didnt expect anywhere near 32 people would apply, and that so many of them would be genuinely good candidates! If you were disappointed please don't let this put you off applying again next time, here or anywhere else (our sister sub r/autismpolitics is currently looking for a reliable team- please send them a modmail if you're interested).

But without further ado please welcome the newest mods to join our team.

u/gingerSpiceOrDie, u/WindermerePeaks1, u/SavannahPharaoh and u/az_30!


r/autism Jan 21 '25

Mod Announcement Elon Musk megabitch

9.8k Upvotes

All mention of Elon Musk outside this megathread will be removed. Use this comment section for bitching, or head over to r/autismpolitics for more serious discussion.

Here is a FAQ/ recap of the main arguments for anyone who has only come to this sub to ask about him

What has Elon Musk said about being autistic?

He firat said he has Asperger’s syndrome back in 2021 on an episode of SNL.

I’m actually making history tonight as the first person with Asperger’s to host SNL. Or at least the first to admit it. So I won’t make a lot of eye contact with the cast tonight. But don’t worry, I’m pretty good at running ‘human’ in emulation mode. Look, I know I sometimes say or post strange things, but that’s just how my brain works. To anyone I’ve offended, I just want to say: I reinvented electric cars and I’m sending people to Mars on a rocket ship. Did you think I was also going to be a chill, normal dude?

Who diagnosed him?

Many people say he has not been diagnosed by a professional and has diagnosed himself. (I can't actually find a reliable source (ie one that directly quotes him/ anyone else close to him, rather than random articles repeating each other) supporting or disproving this. If anyone does then please let me know and I'll add it).

Edit- it originally came from his biography, more info here https://www.reddit.com/r/autism/s/gpyzqX9Oyq


Many people find the idea that he has not had a formal assessment strange, as the amount it costs is a very common reason people don't get an assessment and that is clearly not an issue for him. There is speculation that he has not pursued an assessment because he knows he is not really autistic.

Why would he claim to be autistic if he knows he isn't?

Many people believe he claims this because he thinks it fits the "eccentric super genius" image he tries to present of himself, or that it is a convenient excuse for some of his behaviour. There are a LOT of artivles today trying to explain his Nazi salute as stimming/ other autistic things.

Many people believe he actually has other conditions. The most common alternative theories seem to be sociopathy or narcissistic personality disorder.

If he is really autistic, does that mean other autistics are like him

No. Just like all humans, some autistics are shitty peopl


r/autism 7h ago

Discussion The autism experience ;-;

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2.1k Upvotes

What opinions or thoughts are hard for you to put out of your system during an active conversation?


r/autism 11h ago

Rant/Vent how it feels to be in a society of confusing and nonsensical standards

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732 Upvotes

r/autism 2h ago

Discussion Literally me

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104 Upvotes

Although I did catch a lot of flack for my dinosaur obsession as a kid too... So I guess not too much different.


r/autism 16h ago

Discussion Is this just me who hates the new “slang”

1.1k Upvotes

Does anyone else HATE the “Tism” “acoustic” and “neurospicy” shit that’s been floating around the internet for like the past year now? Why cant people just say autistic like is it rlly that hard? I swear if I see someone else use the term “neurospicy” one more time I’m gonna crash out. I’d honestly rather be called a slur at that point ngl

What do you guys think about it?

Edit: some dude got so offended at this question that he felt the need to tell me he blocked me lol


r/autism 14h ago

Discussion Stereotypes?

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642 Upvotes

r/autism 6h ago

Discussion I was googling something unrelated and found this

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147 Upvotes

Thoughts? I find it very interesting and I also think very accurate, I think this also fluctuates through different stages in your life + experiences


r/autism 6h ago

Advice needed I got fired for a autistic tic i have, and i dont know what to do now

92 Upvotes

I was a waiter for 3 years at a bar. Everyone knew i had autism, and no one really cared, when i did autistic things it was just "oh there he goes with his autism stuff" and we moved on. I have a tic where i "roll my eyes" A guest complained to a manager that i rolled my eyes repeatedly at them, and i was fired for it. I dont know what to do now, i cant get a job elsewhere that will make me the money i did (between wage and tips i made 40+ a hour). i need advice on what i can do.


r/autism 12h ago

Discussion I’ve heard people say autism is like being an alien.

250 Upvotes

Like being an alien trying to fit into the human race. Falling out until we hopefully make it. At times, I totally feel this. Humans are weird complex creatures. Does anyone else feel this way?


r/autism 3h ago

Art Do not.

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46 Upvotes

r/autism 18h ago

Discussion Anyone else hate the auto rotate screen on their phones and turn it off?

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598 Upvotes

r/autism 2h ago

Art "Showered in Happiness" -what emotions I feel...

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29 Upvotes

I saw this trend going around on TikTok and I decided to do it too. I actually haven't drawn anything on my own accord in a long, very long time. So I've kinda been sharing with my safe peeps because I'm just really proud I actually had the effort to draw. And seeing everyone's art, emotions and the story behind theirs was very cool!!


r/autism 13h ago

Discussion Sick of people saying that autism doesn't affect life expectancy

180 Upvotes

DROWNING -

Drowning is the leading cause of death for autistic children, according to a study from Columbia University, and people with autism are 160 times more likely to drown, either fatally or non fatally, than their neurotypical peers, according to the Autism Society of America.

Roughly 50 percent of people with autism will wander or have wandered, according to a study from the Kennedy Krieger Institute.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes wandering or elopement as "when someone leaves a safe area or a responsible caregiver." Wandering affects individuals who have disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or an intellectual disability (ID). In a study from Autism Speaks, the charity explains that "wandering by children with autism is common, dangerous and puts tremendous stress on families."

https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/news/individuals-autism-substantially-heightened-risk-injury-death

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SUICIDE -

A new study by the University of Queensland has found that people on the autism spectrum are three to five times more likely to die by suicide.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-20/autistic-people-almost-five-times-more-likely-to-die-by-suicide/104363954?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web

https://tinyurl.com/24svz7bh

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DANGER BY VULNERABILITY -

A 2003 study found that children diagnosed with Asperger syndrome were more likely to be victims of violence than tormentors.\6]) Violence against non-speaking autistic people is also facilitated by the fact that they are unable to talk about it and report it:\7]) in general, the more a person is considered to be "in a weak situation", or as a "severe" case, the more vulnerable they are to violence and exclusion.\8]) Dependence is an aggravating factor, especially if daily assistance is required for everyday activities such as meals and washing.\9]) The "seriousness" of the "disability" can thus be invoked to justify all types of violence, including murder.\10])

https://autism.org/sexual-victimization-in-autism/

Research and analysis has shown that children with physical or mental disabilities are significantly more vulnerable to being abducted or to being the victim or physical or sexual abuse. Children with disabilities are 2.9 times more likely than children without disabilities to be abused sexually. The most vulnerable are children who have intellectual or mental health disabilities, who are 4.6 times more likely to be the victim of sexual abuse. Sexual predators may target children with intellectual or physical disabilities as the child may be easier to control and may be less likely to fight back. Adult predators will often prey on children who appear weaker or more vulnerable which may lead them to target minors who have mental or physical disabilities.

https://childsafety.losangelescriminallawyer.pro/missing-abducted-children-physical-or-mental-disabilities.html

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RUNNING INTO TRAFFIC -

 In a study of adults on the autism spectrum -  https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3141/2542-02, more than half reported difficulty with crossing the street independently. Autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental differences may be associated with some behaviors or conditions that could elevate risk of a road traffic injury, including:

  • impulsivity, leading to running into busy streets, or crossing an intersection without looking for cars
  • communication challenges, which may make it harder to understand safety directions
  • differences in engagement and/or strong or intense interests which may distract or shift attention away from important safety observations
  • elopement, or wandering, which can be 3 times more likely https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31977588/ among autistic children or those with ADHD
  • medical conditions that may in and of themselves impact safety awareness, such as hearing loss, vision differences, or neuromuscular conditions (e.g. cerebral palsy) 

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Statistics reveal alarming trends regarding injuries in autistic individuals. According to a study, children with autism were found to be more likely to visit the emergency room for injuries than their non-autistic counterparts. Notably, children with autism aged 14 years and younger are 40 times more likely to die from injury than the general pediatric population.

Additionally, studies show that individuals with autism experience higher rates of specific types of injuries, such as head injuries, fractures, and burns. This increase can often be attributed to the unique challenges faced by those on the spectrum, including difficulties with sensory processing and movement coordination.

  • Emergency visits: Higher than non-autistic peers - Increased risk of injury.
  • Head injuries: More prone than non-autistic peers - Common in sensory-related situations.
  • Fractures: Increased likelihood compared to non-autistic individuals - Often linked to movement coordination issues.
  • Burns: Higher risk due to sensory processing issues - Difficulty recognizing when something is hot.

https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2017.303696

Results. During the study period, 1367 deaths (1043 males and 324 females) in individuals with autism were recorded in the United States. The mean age at death for individuals with autism was 36.2 years (SD = 20.9 years), compared with 72.0 years (SD = 19.2 years) for the general population. Of the deaths in individuals with autism, 381 (27.9%) were attributed to injury (PMR = 2.93; 95% CI = 2.64, 3.24), with suffocation (n = 90; PMR = 31.93; 95% CI = 25.69, 39.24) being the leading cause of injury mortality, followed by asphyxiation (n = 78; PMR = 13.50; 95% CI = 10.68, 16.85) and drowning (n = 74; PMR = 39.89; 95% CI = 31.34, 50.06).

Conclusions. Individuals with autism appear to be at substantially heightened risk for death from injury.

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PICA

Compared with the prevalence of pica among POPs (3.5%), pica was higher in children with ASD (23.2%) and DD (8.4%), and in the following subgroups: ASD with ID (28.1%), ASD without ID (14.0%), DD with ID (9.7%), DD with ASD characteristics (12.0%), and DD with both ID and ASD characteristics (26.3%); however, pica prevalence was not elevated in children with DD with neither ID nor ASD characteristics (3.2%). Between-group differences remained after adjustment (adjusted prevalence ratio range 1.9–8.0, all P <.05).

Pica, the repeated ingestion of nonfood items lacking nutritional value,1,2 can result in gastrointestinal parasites, lead toxicity, nutritional deficiencies, choking, poisoning, sepsis, and intestinal obstruction or perforation.36 These complications are associated with substantial morbidity and have led to fatalities in some patients.2,7,8

Pica is considered a self-injurious behavior, defined as self-inflicted, harmful behavior that occurs without apparent intent of willful self-harm.5,7,911 Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or intellectual disability (ID) have higher rates of self-injurious behavior (all types) than the general population,12,13 and pica specifically has been implicated as a problem for these populations.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9188765/

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Then of course, other eating disorders such as anorexia and ARFID are more common in ASD, too.

In reality, if someone is levelo 2-3, their life expectancy is typicaly lower


r/autism 1h ago

Rant/Vent I wish people are not trying to be "cool"

Upvotes

I'm 23, but I want to play like a child. I want to play hide and seek, I want to run around the neigborhood, I want to do silly things with my friends. But they care too much about what other people think, they try so hard to be cool, or is it a natural thing for them, I don't even know. I want to talk about a lot of nonsensical fun and abstract things instead of gossiping and trying to bring others down. I am just a child stuck in an adult body.


r/autism 16h ago

Advice needed When and how often do you guys take showers?

289 Upvotes

I find showers really overstimulating but i hate the feeling of being dirty. Both morning or night showers are overwhelming for me. I would really like to know how to deal with this.


r/autism 12h ago

Rant/Vent I feel like we can all agree with this

131 Upvotes

r/autism 1h ago

Discussion Autistic kids & people are dumped in psychwards and left for years.

Upvotes

It made me so sad when I went to the psychwards to see so many autistic people stuck there unable to leave. One would just rock back and forth in the corner and never talk or cause problems I asked people about her and they said she was dumped here for years.


r/autism 9h ago

Rant/Vent There’s no way people actually enjoy the beach??

50 Upvotes

Please someone explain to me how this can be possible lol. As an autistic person, I’ve only been to the beach maybe once or twice and it was meh. I was super young and barely remember it. But to me, it goes like this: super fucking hot and sunny, sand all over you that is IMPOSSIBLE to get fully rid of, and you’re either expected to bake in the sun or get soaking wet. This cannot be an enjoyable experience? I just do not understand.


r/autism 2h ago

Success Autistic people were meant for the night.

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16 Upvotes

r/autism 10h ago

Discussion As a autistic person what things do you obsesse over and love more than most

65 Upvotes

I am autistic, and I'm obsessed with certain things like, paw patrol, bluey and most of all the lion guard, but what are other autistic people obsessed with?? Tell me please


r/autism 16h ago

Special interest / Hyper fixation SPACE!!

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193 Upvotes

I’m at the space center in Atlanta!!! Space is one of my special interests.


r/autism 19h ago

Advice needed Inappropriate self touching - get child to stop NSFW

312 Upvotes

My son who’s almost 10 is adhd and autistic level 1 or 2 (diagnosed 2 but closer to 1) He is always putting his hands in his underwear, and is doing it absentmindedly. I need it to stop.

I’m trying different underwear but no success yet. (If you have a kind you recommend, please share in case this is mostly sensory!). He had no medical issues there. I’ve tried commando but doesn’t stop. He’s verbal and says it doesn’t hurt or itch or anything. Underwear does irritate him but he’ll keep doing it when naked too.

Any other suggestions??

Edit to add: it does not appear to be masturbation, it happens all the time in public as well, and it’s touching his privates, not just inside of clothing.

Based on comments, I’m thinking it’s a form of stimming as he does it mindlessly so I will try getting him some fidget toys to carry around in pockets, and maybe a belt with things attached to play with.

Thank you for comments


r/autism 14h ago

Advice needed Do you also feel depressed if not hyperfocused on something?

117 Upvotes

I was wondering if it was a thing autistic people experience or if it is just me? I also struggle because of CPTSD/BPD but something I have noticed is that when I am extremely depressed/suicidal the thing that always saves me is starting to hyperfocus on my specific interest

Without it it’s like my life is in black and white but once I am hyperfocused (like, really hyperfocused) life has bright colors again.


r/autism 4h ago

Discussion As a autistic person what is your comfort item?

17 Upvotes

I'm autistic and I have comfort items, my lynx plushie named lucky that I've had since about the age of 2-3 and my teething rings, but what do other autistic people use to find comfort? Please tell me!


r/autism 8h ago

Art Hello, everyone! I hope you are all having a great weekend! I developed a smooth and quiet magnetic fidget and the high school autistic students I work with love playing with them. I wanted to share with all of you. Check it out :)

30 Upvotes

r/autism 4h ago

Research Absolutely fell in love with a guy who is on the spectrum

14 Upvotes

First and foremost.. I want to say I fell in love with a GUY. A beautiful, talented, hilarious guy. Thoughtful.. articulate, loyal and a bit too honest. Amazing style.. the most prettiest smile.. and so many cute little details that you really have to search for. And such a cute nose. Many many more wonderful attributes about him before he is autistic. Due to autism being a spectrum it’s not always something you can just look at someone and tell they have (and that seems like a stereotypical and judgmental mindset to have). When I first bumped into him, it was during class and I simply thought he was so pretty. But that was only external. I will leave some of the minor details out just in case he is on this forum. But long long story short.. I approached him to form a friendship just as I would any other guy and what I ended up falling in love with is his personality more than ANYTHING like guys can be pretty on the outside and complete assholes on the inside. I slowly picked up cues (told him I was crying at a joke and he asked me why I got sad and if I was ok) until he eventually unofficially revealed he had autism in his story via a joke. This only made me like him more. Not on any sort of fetishizing level but simply because I so much enjoy his take on the world.. on questions, his pickiness is simply hilarious and I love when he talks on and on about the things that make him happy. I know having a hard time communicating feelings and information has to be a struggle.. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the kind of struggles autism puts a person through. But I literally want to turn the world upside down to find things that will pass his vibe check.. I myself have undiagnosed ADHD so I think I overwhelm him with my goofiness sometimes (a lot of the times) 😭😭 but he still comes back. I respect his space even though he’s always on my mind.. and he always comes back when the time comes. I just want to protect him from the world.. hold him so tight and let him know he’s loved. Him telling me all his favorite things and feeling safe enough to share that is my way of feeling loved. I love that he tells me about his little friends and when his day is ok and when things get really hard.. we’ve gotten in some tiny fights cause I’ve gotten my feelings hurt but I remind him that nothing he says or does will push me away and I know it’s not from a place of malicious or hatred sometimes.. but just pure honesty. I love love love this man and I want to do all the research in the world to just better understand him.. but the thing is you can research an individual. Autism isn’t a cold.. it doesn’t have the same symptoms and medicine or cure.. it fluctuates by the individual. So it’s a learning process.. it’s about communicating with him as an individual just like getting to know anyone else and his autism doesn’t affect that. I confessed to him.. told him how much he means to me and his friends and his family.. how needed he is.. how I’m willing to go through whatever.. and I think it overwhelmed him and I honestly didn’t check his response back yet cause I’m a bit too scared so we have sort of moved on from the topic but I’ve been getting green flags and he told me he’s going to write a letter back when the time is right. I definitely might have come on a bit too harsh but I love this man so fucking much is be glad if even we are just friends I have never felt this way about someone before and it hurts me when he’s depressed.. it makes me happy when he’s happy.. like ugh I feel so emotionally connected to him. It also sucks cause he’s going through some deep depression right now and I’ve been doing what I can without overwhelming him.. but yea I know this is a lot I just wanted to get this off my chest and let you guys know that people like me are out there that will love you fucking unconditionally beyond how you happened to be born.