Tag: ASD

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Autism & Learning to Recognize Autistic Meltdowns Before It’s Too Late

Lyric Holmans

Sometimes when I am unable to get away from other people, or the situation that I am in, or event that has triggered my meltdown, then I will go from flee to fight, and have a meltdown, where I may become air quotes, “combative”, “aggressive”, “defensive” -because I feel as if I am in danger, and cannot flee and get away from the danger, so then it switches to “defend myself and fight”. Continue reading Autism & Learning to Recognize Autistic Meltdowns Before It’s Too Late

Autistic Interests, Coworkers, Family, Masking / Passing, Videos, Vlogs1 Comment

Late NeuroDivergent Diagnosis – Diagnosed Autistic at 29 – Reading my Autism Diagnostic Report

Lyric Holmans

It was August 23rd, 2016, when I went in for the first part of my autism assessment, an in-person interview with myself and the person who would be reviewing my childhood history and medical records.

By the end of August, all of the interviews would be concluded, and by early September 2016, at the age of 29, I would be diagnosed Autistic.

At that point in my life, being almost 30 and having such a bombshell of a piece of information dropped upon me, I skimmed a 13 page (actually 14 page) diagnostic report, but was very overwhelmed, and couldn’t process the report in front of me. In fact, I threw the report into a paper shredder, and destroyed the report.

However, recently, more than five years later, I’m feeling more ready to face the information that was in front of me all of those years ago. Continue reading Late NeuroDivergent Diagnosis – Diagnosed Autistic at 29 – Reading my Autism Diagnostic Report

Autistic Interests, Masking / Passing, Relationships / Bullies / Friendships, VideosLeave a comment

The Challenges of being Autistic in a NonAutistic World

Lyric Holmans

Learning I’m Autistic has helped with some things, and made them easier. I am studying facial expressions and body language, to learn what some of that stuff means. I’m learning it in a very unnatural way, and I hear some people picked up on that naturally in life, which is hard for me to fathom… but I’m learning it.
I’m capable of understanding these things, it’s just like learning a foreign language to me. Some things, however, haven’t gotten any easier, because some things might be more difficult for some of us.
Continue reading The Challenges of being Autistic in a NonAutistic World

Coworkers, Family, Masking / Passing, Relationships / Bullies / Friendships, Videos5 Comments

I See Autistic & NeuroDivergent People Who Don’t KNOW their Minds Work Differently

Lyric Holmans

There are people out there in the world today who do not know that they are NeuroDivergent, and may never know in their lifetimes. Not knowing that our brains work differently from that of a lot of other people on this planet, can have impacts on us, on our mental health, and our sense of self-worth; when we constantly compare ourselves to others around us, whose brains do not work as ours do. Continue reading I See Autistic & NeuroDivergent People Who Don’t KNOW their Minds Work Differently

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We Don’t Have a Definition for Autistic Success Because We Only Talk About Autistic Struggles & Pain

Lyric Holmans

Autistic people are so defined, especially by the medical industry, by our struggles, pains, deficits, and the hard parts in life. Often the joys, positive experiences, in our skills are completely ignored.

We don’t even, really, have a good understanding of what Autistic success looks like, because, by definition, Autistic People are often described by our failures. Continue reading We Don’t Have a Definition for Autistic Success Because We Only Talk About Autistic Struggles & Pain

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What is Autism to Me – One Autistic Person

Lyric Holmans

Over the past five years, there have been many videos breaking down different questions and parts of my Autistic experience, sharing some of your experiences, and talking about what it’s like to be an Autistic person, but every now and then I still get the question…. “Well, that’s great Lyric, but what is autism, exactly?”

 It’s a question I dodge a lot of the times, if I’m honest, and that is because autism is something that’s very hard to quantify because… it is a lot of different things to a lot of people, depending on the lens through what you are viewing. For example, autism, when you ask the medical community is very different than if you ask an Autistic Person what autism is… or a parent of a newly diagnosed Autistic child.

Depending on who you ask, you’re going to get very different responses, and even asking and looking at Autistic Person to Autistic Person, what autism is within those contexts, and for each and every Autistic Individual, also, can be very different.
Continue reading What is Autism to Me – One Autistic Person

Diet & Nutrition, Illnesses, Masking / Passing, Videos5 Comments

Autistic Sensory Issues – The Relationship Between Sensory Processing Differences & My Digestive Problems

Lyric Holmans

Today I’m going to be talking about sensory processing, and the impact that that has on my stomach; because I don’t think a lot of people have spoken about this, and I want to know if anyone else is noticing what I am noticing.

Unfortunately, stomach problems are something that a lot of Autistic People will deal with. I know because I am an Autistic Person who has dealt with stomach issues off and on throughout my entire life.

Continue reading Autistic Sensory Issues – The Relationship Between Sensory Processing Differences & My Digestive Problems

Children & Families, Dyspraxia, Masking / Passing, Relationships / Bullies / Friendships, Videos6 Comments

Autism & NeuroDivergent Trauma in Public Education – My Autistic Experience

Lyric Holmans

 If you would like to know a little bit more about my personal experience with school, and why education, the way it was for me, was a very traumatic experience – please do stay tuned. Continue reading Autism & NeuroDivergent Trauma in Public Education – My Autistic Experience