Mind Your Autistic Brain with Social Autie

This week I  discussed ADHD vs ASD in a video on Tuesday as well as the role Eating, Alexithymia and Autism play in our daily lives and had a great conversation on the Talk Show with my friend Stephanie yesterday. In each of these topics there was “A Fork in the Road” figuratively speaking.  And as I used that phrase in the photo above, I laughed because I could only visually imagine a literal fork in the road.  Maybe you did too. LOL.  (did you catch my joke in the image?) I was identified as having ADHD in my 20’s after first  going through the horror show of a misdiagnosis of bi-polar and the awful things those medications did to my brain and body. Finally, in my 39th year on this Earth, I was fortunate enough to be identified by a neuropsychologist as being Autistic.  This was a blessing and where the fork in the road appeared in my life  I originally thought I was JUST ADHD and that even though it didn’t explain everything, that was me.  Then...

  Thought Loops, Rumination & Worry  How to use them as a tool for Autistics What is it? Mandall et al defines rumination as the "tendency to engage in sustained, repetitive thinking about negative topics." (Mandell et al., 2014, p. 35). Overall, with variations in definition in psychology research, rumination is a pattern of thinking which is most often, but not always, linked to a negative feeling, experience from the past or future feelings that are anticipated. Example: * Replaying a conversation that has happened * Scripting every scenario for a future conversation Rumination refers to thinking about events in the past . Worry refers to thinking about events in the future . Beneficial Tool vs. Harmful Behavior The harmful affects of rumination and worry can be: *Loss of sleep * Easily agitated * Increase in anxiety & depression * Impact your emotions and can change your world view along with your sense of safety. INSIGHT The brain cannot distinguish easily betwee...

  In this installment of the 2020 Holiday Survival Guide for Autistics you will get insights and tips into: What to do if you are alone on the holidays How to use past holiday events to help you this holiday season 3 Clues you are saying “YES” too much and How to say NO Going places and meeting new people Sensory Challenges and Overwhelm Download the Mind Your Autistic Brain Holiday Magazine along with 3 Gifts & 2 Bonuses including Tips for stressful family events and MORE. There are many reasons we could be alone during the holidays , from moving too far from family to be together, COVID safety protocols, no family and the list goes on. I know how this feels because I have moved far from anyone I knew many times and been in this exact situation. Start by redefining what the holidays mean to you. Not what some Norman Rockwell painting depicts, but what you think and feel the holidays should be to you and how you want to spend them. This can be anything. A cozy day in your...

Autism & Self-Worth By  Maisie Soetantyo of Autism Career Pathways         & Social Autie, Mind Your Autistic Brain You can view the Live Instagram TV Discussion Here: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CHvwBaBA6sG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link What is Self Worth? Positivepsychology.com definition-Having a sense of self-worth means that you value yourself and having a sense of self-value means that you are worthy. Merriam Webster defines it as…”a feeling that you are a good person who deserves to be treated with respect.”  What does not define self worth: Bank account or social status Job title Attractiveness # of social media followers What are some barriers or roadblocks in the life of an autistic to self-worth? What we have been told from others in our life which has formed or defined our beliefs of who we are and what we can or can’t do. How we view ourselves in the world in relation to others. Comparison trap. “Comparison is...