Alex

That there's no "autism look". Autistics are everywhere. Your workmate, your school mate, the cashier at the grocery store, the person serving you at the pub, your librarian, your doctor, your hairdresser, your best friend.. Anyone could be autistic. If either of your parents is autistic, well.. 💡😉

Beautiful! ❄️ Hope you feel better soon!

Thank you! Really appreciate it!

📢Are you #autistic and living in the UK? Would you like to provide feedback on our short films about autistic adults' experiences of #dance? We are running online focus groups in the new year to discuss the films and other resources. Email me for more info: kelly.birtwell@manchester.ac.uk 💃🕺

A large Christmas tree with colourful baubles and lights surrounded by a white picket fence in Vauxhall, London. It has a golden star on top of the tree.

Beautiful Christmas tree in Vauxhall, London 🎄

This has been one of the biggest challenges for me throughout adulthood! It is comfortable for me but does not work with commitments like work (typical hours).

The autistic tendency to stay up late because:

- nighttime is when the world finally slows down (quieter, fewer demands, less sensory input)
- you’ve been randomly hyperfocusing
- “do not perceive me”
- SPECIAL INTERESTS! ❤️
- transitioning to bedtime can be hard
- your circadian rhythm is chaos 🫠

Take care!

Yes! Same here…

Like many late discovered peeps, I sometimes still have imposter’s syndrome around being autistic…until I remember my teen years…

How is it possible it is only really another two weeks until Christmas? It feels like yesterday it was Christmas last year! 🎄

Aw, how lovely! So cute 🥰

Phew, I got through just in time and all sorted 😀

Oh right, that’s very interesting! I’m still on hold and not sure I’ll get through before their phone line closes at 8pm…so frustrating.

Public autistic meltdowns are brutal. They feel sudden, but they’re usually the result of days or weeks of stress building up. By the time it happens, you’re already running on fumes, tired, overloaded, and stretched too far. It only takes one tiny trigger for everything to spill over. 1/3

I don’t romanticise autism.

But I’m also done pretending the real problem is us.

It’s the hostile environments, the absurd expectations, and the constant demand to be palatable.

Every Autistic person has always been Autistic.
Every ADHD person has always been ADHD.
(Same for AuDHD)

This is true even if they’re never diagnosed.

I don’t understand why companies offer the ability to contact them via an online form and then don’t respond so you end up having to call them anyway, which is difficult for many. Currently on hold for a very long trying to speak to someone about a delivery that appears to have gone missing 🙁

A small teddy bear with a large grey and white striped bow sitting on a Christmas tree. You can see some red and warm white lights and a pine cone bauble nearby on the tree.

Because you can’t have enough bears 🐻 on the tree 🎄 here’s our newest family member ❤️

I have, thank you! And makes such a difference.

At the moment I am absolutely loving Pret’s Festive Truffle Pasta. Warming and tasty. I might be the only one, but it’s currently one of my favourites. It’s just a shame about the price point, otherwise I’d happily have this everyday for lunch!

I absolutely love them (not flashing though), but would never expect everyone too! They bring me joy especially in the winter months but that’s me, I completely understand why this might be very different for other people. Sending hugs as there’s so much of this around now.

Your breakfast looks delicious! Superb.

I can definitely relate to this.

You can be in a room full of people and still feel lonely

And when you’re autistic, that feeling can be even louder

But everything changes the moment you find your people - the ones who get you, celebrate you, and make the world feel a little less overwhelming ❤️

Oh, I’m so sorry you’ve been unwell! Hope you’re feeling much better soon 🫂

A Christmas tree with colourful rainbow lights and warm white lights and a variety of baubles including a tiger, lion, teddy bears, snowmen and Santas.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in our house! Very uplifting 🎄

Congratulations! That’s brilliant news and I’m so happy for you 😀

I know I sound like a broken record when it comes to our upstairs neighbours but I so wish housing had good soundproofing like some hotels. The whole time we were in Berlin I didn’t hear any noise from fellow guests but now it’s back to the usual noise from neighbours. How I wish that was different!

A photo of me wearing a red and blue jumper and my black framed glasses. I’m sitting on a beige booth with a picture and lamps behind.

And a photo of me while we were out for dinner one evening 😊