Tag: autistic spectrum disorder

Autism and Sensory Pods

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

This week I’d like to talk about sensory pods and how they can be beneficial for autists!

So first things first, what is a sensory pod?

A sensory pod is an enclosed space designed to be calming and relaxing for autists. Each pod can be different but they are generally soundproofed to reduce outside noise, dimly lit with LED lighting (which has been scientifically linked to behavioural improvements) and may have cushions or a comfortable mat to sit on. Pods may also allow you to adjust the temperature, play white noise, project visuals on the wall, and you can further add in sensory toys, weighted blankets, vests, plushies etc. As autists can struggle with sensory processing and overload, sensory pods are an ideal way to help manage an overwhelming situation. You can see a video about sensory pods here:

I recently booked into the sensory pod on the Carlow campus of South East Technological University (SETU) to give it a try. The university has two sensory pods in the library that neurodivergent students can avail of for time out, or even just a quiet place to study.

So what was my experience like?

I can highly recommend the sensory pod. While it was a bit awkward climbing into it as a fully grown adult in her thirties, once I was lying down in the pod it was so soothing. The room was kitted out with an interactive screen on the wall where you could avail of streaming services like Netflix to take some chill time out from your studies. There was a mirror on the wall with a panel of dials to adjust the lighting to your liking- blue, green, red, white and even no lights. The college even provided a USB mouse and keyboard that students could avail of if using the pod to study. Lying there on the squishy mat, I could easily have fallen asleep with the sounds of the library dulled around me. You would forget that you were in the middle of a busy college campus on a Friday evening!

It’s great to see a sensory facility like this for neurodivergents in an academic institution, I would love to have had something like this to study in back when I was in university (then again, I was only diagnosed as I was leaving third level education 🙃).

I also had the opportunity to try out the sensory room on campus which I will talk about in my next post.

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings!

Have a lovely weekend! 🙂

Aoife

3

Autism-Headaches & Migraines

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

This week I’d like to talk about something that isn’t normally discussed in relation to autism- headaches and migraines.

Anyone can get headaches or migraines, but it appears that there is a link between autism and their frequency , with one study even suggesting that autistic children are twice as likely to experience migraines when compared with neurotypicals. Further studies are required to confirm comorbidity, but the studies that do exist suggest a lot of overlap.

So have they any idea why there is a link?

One of the most popular theories suggests that issues in sensory processing may make autists more susceptible to headaches and migraines. For both autists and migraine sufferers, differences in sensory processing can impair how the brain registers and modulates responses to sensory stimuli like light and sound which can trigger migraines following a sensory overload. There are a lot of structural changes in the brains of both autists and migraine patients which could further explain this sensitivity.

Research has also reported that autists have altered pain sensitivity which can distort their perception of headaches, so, what might be an ignorable ache in a neurotypical individual may be much more severe for an autist.

Interestingly, there may also be a link between headaches/migraines and our digestive health. The gut is innervated by a network of nerves known as the enteric nervous system, often nicknamed a second brain. Migraines are often co-morbid with gastrointestinal problems where issues in the second brain can influence changes in the main brain via the brain-gut axis. GI issues are frequently co-morbid with autism so this could be the most logical explanation for the link. I know I’ve certainly triggered migraines from eating things that didn’t agree with me, only to have the migraine immediately dissipate the minute my stomach hit the ejector button! 😂

Migraines have also been linked to low levels of serotonin in the brain. As previously discussed, serotonin levels are dysregulated in autists so this could also explain the link. This is particularly interesting as 95% of serotonin production occurs in the gut, so this further indicates a gut related link to headaches and migraines in autism.

Joint hypermobility could also be contributing to headaches. People with connective tissue disorders like Ehlers Danlos syndrome (EDS) frequently experience headaches. Weakness in supporting tissues like collagen can cause instability in the neck and spine which can pinch nerves, interrupting the flow of blood to the brain and triggering headaches and migraines. As joint hypermobility can be co-morbid with autism, this could further explain the link.

As with many aspects of the spectrum, susceptibility to headaches and migraines could also be genetic as there is an overlap in some genes linked to both autism and migraines.

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings!

Have a lovely weekend! 🙂

Aoife

2

Autism and Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD)

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

This week I’d like to talk about another co-morbid condition with autism and ADHD– rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD).

So what exactly is RSD?

RSD is an intense or overwhelming emotional sensitivity to rejection and criticism (both perceived and real). This can cause intense emotional pain that can be difficult to bear.

Looking back over my childhood, I really struggled with RSD. Whilst I am well versed in the art of rejection now that I’m in my thirties, growing up as an undiagnosed autist did not make for an easy ride. Even the slightest rejections could trigger meltdowns as my brain struggled to process the situation. Something as simple as someone not immediately having time for me, a passing comment in a raised tone, even constructive criticism could set me off. Once at a family event in a hotel I had a bad meltdown because my uncle was short with me for requesting a different flavour of ice-cream to the one that I had been given. Cue me hiding out in the toilets followed by 3 hours doodling in the back of the car instead of joining the party from my RSD over-reaction (I was 13 by the way! 🙈). I can’t even blame sensory issues for that over-reaction, I just didn’t feel like eating raspberry ripple that day! 😂

So is there any scientific reason for RSD?

RSD, like maladaptive daydreaming, is not a clinical diagnosis so it’s hard to underpin how it works. There isn’t exactly a scientific way to measure rejection. However, as it has been observed in patients with autism and ADHD, psychologists believe that it is caused by alterations in brain structure in the regions that regulate and process emotions such as the frontal lobe and the amygdala- both regions where structural changes have been linked to autistic symptoms.

As discussed previously, autists often have a warped sense of perception and logic so it can be very easy to misconstrue and over-react to rejection. The tendency towards perfectionism and black and white thinking in particular can make us far more susceptible to such negative reactions. For example, if someone told me that they didn’t like my shoes, even though it’s only one component of my outfit and just a passing comment, my younger self would have spiraled.

Life is often all or nothing for an autist, so if someone rejects one small thing, it may skew our entire perception of ourselves.

You don’t like my shoes = you don’t like me.

The shoes are wrong, I chose the shoes, the shoes are on my body, therefore, I’m wrong. The world is black and white so if I’m wearing the wrong shoes, everything else about me has to be wrong by extension- you’re either wrong or right, you can’t be both.

RSV can be pretty exhausting for an autist, so understanding of our responses to rejection is vital to supporting us. If you’re struggling with RSV, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can help you learn how to better process feelings of rejection, but medication such as ADHD drugs and anti-depressants can be useful for more severe cases.

Hope you enjoyed this post dear earthlings!

Have a lovely weekend! 🙂

Aoife

2

Autism and Dyscalculia

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

Leading on from my previous post on dyslexia, this week I’d like to discuss another lesser known learning disability that can be co-morbid with autism- dyscalculia.

So what exactly is dyscalculia?

Dyscalculia is a specific type of learning disability characterized by a difficulty with numbers and arithmetic i.e, understanding how to do maths and manipulate numbers (that’s right- not all autists are good with numbers Hollywood 😛 ) . There are varying levels of dyscalculia but signs may include difficulties with numbers and mathematical symbols, pattern recognition, sequence issues, handling money, managing and telling time, visual processing, and memory issues.

So what causes dyscalculia?

Again as with most aspects of the spectrum, the exact mechanism is unclear. Thought to be related to ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia, dyscalculia seems to result from dysfunction in the intraparietal sulcus (an area thought to be involved in processing symbolic and numerical information) and the frontal lobe of the brain. The frontal lobe in particular contains most of the dopamine neurons of the brain which are involved in attention, planning and short term memory- all of which are important functions in comprehending numbers. As discussed in many previous posts, dopamine levels are dysregulated in the autistic brain which could explain why autists may be more prone to these types of learning disabilities.

Is there anything that can be done to help manage it?

As with most disabilities, early detection and intervention are key to helping those with dyscalculia cope with their struggles. There have been very few targeted programs specific to dyscalculia but in recent years a number of digital programs have been created to help improve basic numerical abilities. The gold standard one to one tutoring is also a useful option to help improve these skills through repetition and targeting areas of particular difficulty. Interestingly, there was a study conducted in 2014 where electrical stimulation of the left side of the posterior parietal lobe of the brain (an area involved in spatial reasoning and planned movements) improved numerical abilities in patients. As many as 43% of autists may have abnormalities in their parietal lobe, so further research into this region could provide us with new ways to manage dyscalculia in the future.

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings!

Have a lovely weekend! 🙂

Aoife

1

Autism in Heartbreak High

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

Leading on from my previous post about Netflix’s film ‘I Used to be Famous‘, this week I’d like to talk about another new Netflix series that has an autistic character- the reboot of the Australian comedy-drama series ‘Heartbreak High’.

So what’s the show about?

The show centres on a group of teenagers in the fictional Hartley High School in Australia after a graffitied “sex map” has been discovered on a wall detailing all of the sordid details of the students sex-capades. Following its discovery, the principal puts the students in a mandatory sex education class called ‘Sexual Literacy Tutorials – or “SLTs” (which inadvertently sounds like ‘sluts’) in an attempt to guide the students and calm the PR storm brewing outside.

You can see a trailer for the show here:

Now one of the great things about this show is that it prominently features an autistic character called Quinni, played by autistic actor and activist Chloe Hayden. Quinni is an emotionally intelligent, vivacious and bubbly teenager with ADHD, who loves bright colours, art, stickers, crocs and fantasy novels (one of her specialist interests). Quinni is also a lesbian, which marks one of the first times I’ve seen an LGBT autist in a fictional show, which is quite surprising given that many on the spectrum identify as LGBT+. It was refreshing to not have the classic asexual wallflower that is often depicted on screen. The real twist is that there is actually an asexual character in the show but he wasn’t autistic!

The writers worked very closely with Chloe to create a genuine picture of autism for the audience (she pretty much got to write all of her character). To the untrained eye it is not immediately obvious that Quinni is on the spectrum, she just seems like a chatty, quirky teenage girl. We don’t find out she is autistic until she blurts it out to her annoyed date after seemingly ignoring her attempts at conversation all evening as she was struggling to concentrate due to noise sensitivity in the crowded restaurant. The response she gets is one that all high functioning autists can relate to- questioning, doubtful, comparing us to stereotypes/media portrayals from neurotypical actors etc. This scene was added as the writer’s asked Chloe what happens when she tells people about her diagnosis which you can see below:

As the series progresses we get to see her navigate the rollercoaster of her first relationship. While it starts out sweet with Sasha being considerate of her needs, a typical selfish teenager, Sasha starts coddling her and feeling responsible for Quinni rather than understanding her needs:

The relationship ends in tears when Sasha becomes dismissive of her need for routine and ruins a much planned and anticipated meeting with Quinni’s favourite author for her, triggering a meltdown and shutdown, with Quinni retreating into herself, not speaking for days on end- a sad reality that autists may face.

Personally, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the show (in my opinion it was a little bit too “woke” and the broad diversity of the characters seemed a bit forced), but it is a genuine portrayal of the reality that teenage autistic women face every day and is one of the first times that I’ve seen something of myself in an autistic character on screen in a long time. We need to see more Quinni’s on our screen to properly educate people about the realities of living with autism, and to give the next generation of autists someone to relate to, something that so many of us were lacking in our developmental years.

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings!

Have a lovely weekend! 🙂

Aoife

4

Autism & the Rose of Tralee

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

Last week in Ireland saw the return of the annual international Rose of Tralee festival, and with it one of the first openly autistic Rose contestants- the Toronto Rose Maysen Tinkler.

But first things first, what is the Rose of Tralee?

For those of you who are unfamiliar, the Rose of Tralee is a festival celebrated every year in the town of Tralee in Co. Kerry in Ireland. First held in 1959, the festival was conceived to increase tourism in Tralee and to encourage expats to return home. The festival serves as a pageant of sorts to select the Rose of Tralee- a young woman of Irish heritage who embodies the virtues of Mary the title character in the eponymous song which the festival derives it’s name from. The chosen Rose should be “lovely and fair”, chosen for her personality to serve as role model and ambassador to Ireland for the duration of her reign. The festival is billed as a celebration of the “aspirations, ambitions, intellect, social responsibility and Irish heritage” of modern young women.

Current Rose of Tralee Rachel Duffy from Westmeath

This years festival introduced us to the first autistic rose Maysen Tinkler from Toronto. Maysen, like me, was diagnosed with autism as an adult, finding the diagnosis a relief after years of feeling like an outsider. Refusing to be limited by autism, she decided to enter the competition to challenge stereotypes, providing visibility for autistic women everywhere. If you’re in Ireland (or have a really good VPN blocker) you can see her interview here round the 28 minute mark available until the 23rd of September.

Interestingly, she was not the only potential autistic candidate this year as there were two candidates, one in the Kerry selection and one in the Dublin selection who both discussed their diagnosis to raise awareness about the condition. Jennifer O’ Conner who competed in the Kerry Rose selection even recited a spoken piece she wrote called ‘Autistic Joy‘ about her experiences of autism and the festival over the years and the joy that is often overlooked:

As autism is so poorly understood in women, it’s amazing to have this representation in this international platform for young autistic girls to look up to.

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings!

Have a lovely weekend!

Aoife

0

Autism in Stranger Things?

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

Following the recent release of Netflix sensation ‘Stranger Things‘ Season 4 Vol., this week I’d like to discuss a possible autistic character that many fans have been discussing online since the season dropped (don’t worry- I’ll keep this spoiler free!).

So before I get into discussing this character, what’s Stranger Things about?

For those of you who may not have heard of Netflix’s all time most streamed TV show, Stranger Things is an 80’s nostalgia sci-fi/horror/drama series set in the fictional town of Hawkins Indiana. Secret government cold war experiments exploring psychokinesis have ripped a portal to an alternate dimension filled with monsters called the ‘Upside Down’, leading to a series of mysterious events in Hawkins which a young group of pre-teens set out to investigate after their friend Will disappears.

Now back to autism.

In the most recent series, one of the new characters introduced in the last season, now appears to be showing a lot of neurodivergent traits- Robin Buckley, played by Maya Hawke (daughter of Hollywood legends Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke).

Robin is a highly intelligent high school student that befriends the main Stranger Things gang in season 3 when Russian scientists build a portal to the Upside Down in a secret lab beneath the mall that she works at. Described as “an alternative girl” when her casting was first announced, Robin has certainly captured the attention of autistic viewers as her character has developed in season 4. Throughout the season, Robin has been very quirky, exhibiting no filter and rambling constantly about random topics, but can also be quite easily distracted, suggesting that like many autists she has ADHD.

She mentions that she has no grasp of social cues and has awful coordination, claiming that she took 6 months longer to walk than the other babies which she says was not normal. Robin also claims to be a terrible liar and regularly addresses her weirdness and tendency to inadvertently come across as mean or condescending, constantly asking her friends if she is being annoying.

During one particularly memorable scene, Robin, a notorious tomboy, is dressed up in tight frilly clothing which she constantly complains about, arguing that the borrowed outfit is itchy, the bra is pinching her, and the blouse is strangling her, which could suggest that sensory sensitivities could be driving her penchant for baggy clothing.

Most autistic fans did not notice much in the line of neurodiversity in season 3, but other keen eyed viewers have noted traits prior to season 4 citing her ability to hyperfocus, her memory, her ability to connect dots the others can’t, her blunt truth bombs and that she is a member of the LGBTQ+ community (which a large proportion of autists are). Robin also remarked in season 3 “I feel like my whole life has been one big error“, a sentiment that many an autist can relate to. It could be argued that perhaps now that Robin is part of the gang, she is far more relaxed and doesn’t feel the need to mask as much as she did in season 3.

Whilst it is highly unlikely that Robin will have an autism story-line given how poorly understood autism was in women during the 1980’s, nevertheless it’s always nice for autistic fans to feel seen when watching our favourite shows. It will be interesting to see how her character develops in season 4 vol 2 and beyond!

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings!

Have a lovely weekend! 🙂

Aoife

2

Was Kurt Cobain Autistic?

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

This week I’d like to discuss something that I’ve been wondering about for a while, whether Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain was on the autistic spectrum.

As a teenager in the mid noughties, I discovered the music of Nirvana during a particularly turbulent time in my life (the joys of being an undiagnosed teenage aspie). Kurt’s words brought me great comfort as he verbalized so many emotions that I was struggling to identify. Reading more about his life, I really identified with him and felt a sense of kinship- his experiences of bullying and struggling to fit in as a teen, his shyness and intense sensitivity, his struggles with mental health and how he was so often misunderstood by the world.

After receiving my Asperger’s diagnosis in 2014, I became more familiar with autistic traits, and I often wondered if maybe Kurt had been on the spectrum- a question that many people have pondered on various messaging boards across the internet. Kurt was a quirky individual, often aloof and preferring social isolation, regularly rejecting social norms as many autists are prone to. He was an extremely sensitive individual who often struggled to balance empathy and apathy as he cared so deeply about the world and everyone in it. His struggles with addiction are well documented, something that is increasingly associated with autists. Kurt also suffered from an agonizing, unexplained stomach complaint. Many autists suffer from co-morbid digestive issues, issues that can be exacerbated by intense stress- the kind that would be worsened by such a meteoric rise to fame like Kurt’s.

The Dispatch - CDE News - Nirvana

Interestingly, Kurt’s widow Courtney Love is mildly autistic- if Kurt was indeed on the spectrum, this could explain their intense connection and turbulent relationship. Some of my closest friends are on the spectrum and the sense of connection I feel with them is completely different to my other friendships- we understand each other more than anyone else ever could, like matching locks and keys clicking perfectly together.

Having recently finished Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl’s memoir ‘The Storyteller‘ (for any Nirvana or Foo Fighter’s fans I highly recommend it 🙂 ), Dave’s personal stories from life on the road with Kurt have really reaffirmed for me what I had long suspected. In the book, Dave talks of how the huge crowds that gathered to see Nirvana in tiny venues at the peak of their fame would drive him to breaking point, constantly crawling onto the stage and interrupting the set. Kurt would reach a point in the show where he would become completely frustrated and seemingly overwhelmed with the feral fans and he would proceed to break things around him like instruments, soundboards, anything he could find to vent his frustrations. As Dave described in the book, when Kurt got frustrated, things were going to get destroyed. To the media, this seemed like a deliberate rock and roll statement, but Dave assures the reader that it was no show.

The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music: Amazon.co.uk: Grohl, Dave: 9781398503700: Books

Reading these passages felt so much like someone describing an outsiders view of a meltdown. So many times during a meltdown I’ve felt the intense need to pick things up and throw them or break them just to disperse some of the pent up emotions from sensory overload (my maths book was thrown at the wall soooo many times when I couldn’t understand my homework!). When your brain is overloaded from sensory input, it pushes you to physically output energy to try to redirect your overload and expend some of the excess energy coursing through your brain. Stimming is the classic example, but sometimes the physical urge manifests in other ways like throwing things, punching, kicking etc.

Kurt’s quotes and lyrics have always resonated strongly with me. As many of you may have noticed, my homepage is emblazoned with his immortal words: “Trying to be someone else is a waste of the person that you are.” Kurt’s lyrics are ablaze with the pain of someone who always struggled with their identity, never felt at ease, never felt like they belonged. In the song Dumb, Kurt gently lilts “I’m not like them, but I can pretend,” a sentiment that resonates with so many of us autists. Perhaps his life could have turned out differently had there been a better understanding of neurodiversity during his lifetime ❤

Kurt Cobain | Blogged about here | Sally | Flickr

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings!

Have a lovely weekend! 🙂

Aoife

7

Happy 5 year Anniversary A Is For Aoife Not Autism!

Greetings Earthlings! 😁

Happy Anniversary!!🥳

Wow- I cannot believe it’s been 5 years!😱 Where has the time gone?!

205 posts, roughly 1000 regular readers, 123,000 views and 94000 visitors from almost every country on the planet! 🤯

I am truly humbled by your continued readership and support over the last 5 years. When I first started out I never dreamed that my audience would grow very much from it’s humble beginnings as a side project to keep me entertained as I was searching for employment. I don’t think I’ve managed to keep any other project tipping away for this long- except perhaps the complete works of Hans Christian Anderson which I’ve been reading for over 20 years now!

Sorry I’ve been very quiet lately but the weeks leading up to Christmas were very busy and stressful so I’ve been taking some downtime, but I hope to be back on schedule with a brand new post next week 🥰

Thank you all so much once again for your continued love, support and encouraging comments ❤

Here’s to the next 5! 🥂

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Aoife

0

Autism in ‘Freckles’ by Cecelia Ahern

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

This week I’d like to discuss a book I recently read while on holidays- ‘Freckles‘ by Cecelia Ahern.

Freckles by Cecelia Ahern

So what exactly is ‘Freckles‘ about?

‘Freckles‘ tells the story of Allegra, a young traffic warden in Dublin city, nicknamed ‘Freckles’ due to the abundance of freckles on her body. One day, Allegra get’s into an altercation with the owner of a Lamborghini who tells her that she is the average of the five people that she spends most of her time with. This sends her into a spiral questioning the people in her life and how they have moulded her, sending her on a journey of friendship and self discovery.

You can catch a clip of Cecelia talking about the book here:

So how does ‘Freckles‘ relate to autism?

After reading ‘Freckles‘ (and being unable to put it down), I really feel that both Allegra and her father strongly come across as being on the autistic spectrum. I truly felt for the first time ever that I was reading about someone just like me, like I’d never identified with a literary character so much in my life (with the exception of Hermione Granger). Allegra is very rule and routine orientated. She loves being a traffic warden- the rules are all black and white and she has her set walking circuits and routines. If even one thing is different or she is a few minutes late, she becomes completely disorientated and her whole day get’s thrown off kilter. She remarks multiple times that she is often misunderstood by people, finding that she says the wrong thing in social scenarios. Allegra also stims and has shown some self injurious tendencies. As a child, she became obsessed with connecting her freckles with pen to trace the constellations, later using sharp implements to carve them which left scars that she would in later life run her hands over to trace the constellations in times of anxiety. Allegra can also be quite impulsive and a little bit of a loner, among a number of other quirks throughout the book.

Nicky Byrne reveals the important part he played in sister-in-law Celia Ahern's latest novel - VIP Magazine

Autism is never directly mentioned in the book, and it’s not clear either if Cecelia had an autistic perspective in mind when writing, but regardless of that, the book is a great insight into a female character who possesses a number of autistic traits 🙂

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings!

Have a lovely weekend!

Aoife

5

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑