Understanding Autism

I am always grateful when Monkey shares something with me that gives me a little more insight into what it is like in her brain. She's very good about clearly explaining things to me, but often I do not even know the right questions to ask. We can't jump outside our own brains and suddenly have insight into what the world is like for other people, so I do not know what I do not know.

Recently she shared a Reddit thread with me that resonated for her, and reminded me of the many, many ways that she has to expend energy to get through her day in ways that I do not even think about. FYI, if you aren't used to Reddit, trying to read these links may be confusing and not necessarily worth the effort for you.

The question for this thread was: "Fellow Autistic/ADHD people of Reddit, what did you think was normal for a long time until you realized it wasn't?"

Monkey said that of the answers she read, most of them resonated for her. And when I was reading it, I laughed often because I would read the answer, then check to see if the user name actually was Monkey because I recognized the experience through her.

I was reminded of some of the difficulties during Monkey's recent surgery. For example, I find an IV annoying, but I can forget about it after awhile. For Monkey it does not ever fade to tolerable. It is a constant awareness. And that it is only on one side is another brain disconnect. It would actually be better to have an IV on each side so it is balanced.

This current Republican administration has been spouting all sorts of nonsense about autism. And it isn't just silly nonsense, they have the power to cause irreparable harm to so many people.

All of us view the world from unique perspectives. Our brains all work in different ways. I would not change one thing about Monkey. Her autism is part of the wonderful whole.

I would change the world and this administration to one that understands people need and deserve support and adaptation, not ridicule and abuse.

Thanks, Monkey, for your willingness to offer a peek into your life and prospective. May we all try to understand each other more.