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Tralin @tralin.ca · 7h

#ASD #WorkplaceAccommodations: Shifted hours. Where possible, having hours that are partially or completely offset from main hours may make a huge difference. A few hours before sunrise to read emails, or a couple hours after home-time to prep reports may give healthy focus time to be efficient.

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Tralin @tralin.ca · 22h

I've got a geriatric chair from an old employer. I can't quite rock in it the same way, but I have myself tilted back with a leg rest, and because of the wheels I can bounce myself back and forth by toeing the wall. I tried to buy a new one, but the manufacturer stopped making them 😭

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Tralin @tralin.ca · 1d

To be fully honest, every time I play #REPO I secretly pick these up to make the same sound. www.twitch.tv/courtneylite...

Twitch

Twitch is the world

www.twitch.tv

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Tralin @tralin.ca · 1d

And yes, certain sensory seeking is damaging, but understanding what we're trying to achieve is the first step to finding a healthier solution. Forcing us to stop just because you don't like it is prioritizing the preference of the neurotypical experience, not the needs of the neurodivergent. 5/5

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Tralin @tralin.ca · 1d

As an adult I get to choose to have fidget toys, to have contrasted images to look at, and to have chairs that allow me to rock.

Sitting still and looking at you is my nemesis to comprehension: When I can meet my autistic needs, I can give more of my energy to understanding the world around me. 4/5

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Tralin @tralin.ca · 1d

When I was in school, I used to chew all my pencils. Teachers would get frustrated with me, but I just NEEDED to do it (I still remember how great it feels to chew on a pencil). Stickers that sparkled would hold my visual attention, and rocking on the back legs of my chair was pure comfort. 3/5

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Tralin @tralin.ca · 1d

Not only do we have the common 5 senses (smell, touch, taste, sound, sight), we also have vestibular (balance), proprioceptive (position in space), and interoceptive (how our body is doing).

Seekers may try to stimulate any of these senses as a way to regulate, or possibly to help cognitively. 2/5

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Tralin @tralin.ca · 1d

#SensorySeeking in #autism - What's that?

Sensory seekers try to find stimulating sensations, such as chewing and smelling things, touching stuff, finding a noisy space, excessive movement and fidgeting, etc.

As we discussed in a previous series, there are lots of ways to feel sensory! 1/5

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Tralin @tralin.ca · 1d

#ASD #WorkplaceAccommodations: Work from home. WFH is criticized for people defocusing away from the office, but that's the point. In the office, we take a minute to recover but are surrounded by overstimulation. At home, we defocus and actually recover, ready to come back and deliver results.

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Tralin @tralin.ca · 2d

#ASD #WorkplaceAccommodations: Floorplan for pacing. Close to our workspace might be good enough: Having space to get up and walk around while on a call can make those digital meetings far more tolerable. For myself, sitting still in a chair doesn't work: Up and moving allows me to keep focused.

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Tralin @tralin.ca · 3d

For more reading check the links below, and as always, thank you so much for following, liking, and reposting so others might also find this info! 🥰 9/9

www.who.int/teams/social...

www.canada.ca/en/departmen...

www.nia.nih.gov/health/lonel...

Tralin @tralin.ca · 3d

Loneliness is actually such a large issue in the world that countries like Canada and the United States, and groups like the World Health Organization have recognized it as a significant concern.

For everyone, not just us with #autism, connectedness is unbelievably important to better health. 💞 8/9

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Tralin @tralin.ca · 3d

There might be possibilities though! Engaging in hobbies, joining a club, visiting public spaces (libraries, museums, theatres, etc), signing up for a class, adopting a pet, checking in on a neighbour, or scheduling time to call with loved ones could help. 7/9

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Tralin @tralin.ca · 3d

Unfortunately, people may not be able to fix their loneliness: They may be unable to leave home, having financial difficulty, not have access to transportation, struggle with the local language or culture, and a myriad of other possibilities. It's not as easy as "just going out" for most of us. 6/9

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Tralin @tralin.ca · 3d

But when loneliness sets in for people, whether alone or together with others, it can bring along a lot of unhealthy results: Poorer health, cognitive decline, anxiety, and depression are a few of the major headers. Reliance on coping mechanisms like drinking and smoking may occur too. 5/9

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Tralin @tralin.ca · 3d

In my case, I can be by myself and be entirely comfortable, even after extended periods of time: I thrive off my relationship with myself, engaging in my special interests, pouring energy into my tasks, resting when I need to rest, and being perfectly understood by myself. 4/9

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Tralin @tralin.ca · 3d

For example, someone living alone might feel totally connected with themselves, comfortable, happy, and have a thriving life, whereas someone living with a family member might feel no one understands them or like they're not having a meaningful personal connection. 3/9

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Tralin @tralin.ca · 3d

Loneliness, on the other hand, is a negative emotion responding to feelings of isolation. Loneliness might happen when being alone, but it can also appear in relationships, at a party, in a crowd of people... It's not about how many people are around you, it's about having personal connection. 2/9

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Tralin @tralin.ca · 3d

Being alone vs being lonely: #Autistic edition! At least my personal flavour of autism.

If someone has never experienced loneliness, it may be tempting for them to identify these as the same, but they are often quite far apart! Being alone is easy enough: It's just having no one else around. 1/9

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Tralin @tralin.ca · 3d

#ASD #WorkplaceAccommodations: Walking meetings. Sitting still in a boardroom talking for an hour can be one of the toughest things for someone who needs to stim, or who might not be comfortable with eye contact or sitting next to someone. Taking that meeting to the trails may be the answer!

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Tralin @tralin.ca · 3d

Autistics employ strategies to work in a world that doesn't work for them. Sometimes this is for our benefit as we overcome a challenge, other times it's a coping mechanism born of repeated traumas. Let's support accommodation and understanding, and not force people to rely on trauma responses. 7/7

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Tralin @tralin.ca · 3d

When my scripts have not worked, I end up in horribly awkward situations, but when they do work people barely notice anything is different about me. Today, for instance, someone asked about my car and I was able to draw on a script I created to handle the last time a similar question came up. 6/7

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Tralin @tralin.ca · 3d

In my case, I've used scripts that I thought were going to end up horribly and had people cry laughing, and scripts that I thought would dispel tension and instead led to me getting in trouble from management. And I have everyday scripts designed to get social communication moving. 5/7

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Tralin @tralin.ca · 3d

However comforting, scripts can go wrong. Hearing someone make a funny retort to a comment that has everyone laughing, then reusing the statement and people are instead offended and upset with you can leave someone feeling very unsure of themselves and confused of what went wrong. 4/7

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Tralin @tralin.ca · 3d

Scripting may appear in this way as planning and rehearsing a conversation, or it could appear as a series of words and phrases repeated (as in #echolalia). In this case, a person may use things they've heard from others, movies, read in books, etc. Having a library to fallback on is a comfort. 3/7

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