TEN QUESTIONS THAT I AM FREQUENTLY ASKED

TEN QUESTIONS THAT I AM FREQUENTLY ASKED

People are nosey bastards, aren’t they?

They’ve always got questions to ask and answers to seek!

And most of the time I don’t have time to answer those people.

So, here are the 10 questions that I am frequently asked!

ONE

Q. Why do you wear the colour navy a lot?

A. I wear the colour navy a lot because I feel safe and secure by wearing it, also if I’m feeling frustrated, nervous, anxious etc I feel clam and collected in wearing it. If I wear it head to toe, then take that as a sign that things are maybe not well with me and that I am attempting to calm myself by wearing the colour navy.

TWO

Q. Do you have the same meal for lunch each day?

A. Yes, I do. I often will have ham/tuna/cheese, cucumber, dukkha hummus dip, sweetcorn, 4 buttered crackers, a hot cup of tea. Occasionally I’ll have a sandwich but that’s very rare.

THREE

Q. Why do you wear your noise cancelling headphones for and what does that mean if I want to come and chat with you?

A. Headphones can be a valuable tool for me as an Autistic person, helping me to block out overwhelming noise and sensory stimuli. They can also provide a sense of calm and focus, and in some cases may help me the Autistic person communicate better with others.

FOUR

Q. If I see that you’re getting frustrated, overwhelmed, you’ve barely said two words, what can I do to help you?

A. Well, firstly approach me and simply ask me if everything is, ok? If you don’t want an honest answer then carry on walking, allow me to come to a decision on what my next move will be, once you’ve asked me. This could be something as simple as going for a walk and allowing me to have a conversation with you, or just going for a walk in silence. Either way I’ll let you know what’s happening and what can be done. In some cases nothing can be done and I simply need to go home.

FIVE

Q. if you have a meltdown at work/home/outside/on a support what can I do to help?

A. Two blog posts that can help you out are this one https://autisticnick.com/2021/10/11/autistic-nicks-meltdown-shame/ which outlines the three stages of what having a meltdown looks like and this one titled would you know what to do https://autisticnick.com/2018/03/19/would-you-know-what-to-do/ which outlines in eight steps  to assist you in being more aware and knowledgeable.

SIX

Q. What is a shutdown?

A. Shutdowns are when the Autistic person is still experiencing perceived sensory overload to an environmental trigger. Shutdowns can be defined as a person’s brain going into a protective mode, where it ‘shuts off’ momentarily.

Autistic Individuals experiencing sensory shutdown often appear immobile; they may lay in one position and not move or blink. They may not hear their names being called and are unable to respond.

These individuals during a shutdown often retreat from the outside world, by going inside, or within themselves for comfort, in an effort to self-calm and remove whatever caused their stress. You can read more here in this blog post titled 10 signs that Autistic Nick is heading into a shutdown https://autisticnick.com/2022/10/10/10-signs-that-autistic-nick-is-heading-into-a-shutdown/

SEVEN

Q. How do you organise yourself?

A. Well, it’s not easy and it’s not a regular thing that I do! But if I stop and think about things then I can usually get myself organised. It depends on the task. If it’s keeping myself up to date with where I’m at with writing something then I have a checklist for that, if it’s for example going Christmas shopping then I will book a support worker early and then start a list via my notes app on my phone. You can read more here in this blog post titled Autistic Nick getting organised and Christmas shopping https://autisticnick.com/2022/12/05/autistic-nick-getting-organised-and-christmas-shopping/  

EIGHT

Q. How do you deal with your fatigue and a possible burnout and what tools do you use to deal with it?

A. There are various things that can cause Autistic fatigue. Autistic adults suggest several causes, including:

Sensory overload

Dealing with social situations.

Masking or camouflaging their Autistic traits.

Suppressing stimming.

A sense of not meeting other people’s/society’s expectations of them.

Changes in your routines or day-to-day life, such as a change of school or job, can increase anxiety and can be additional causes for Autistic fatigue and burnout.

For me I feel that I’m going to have to put in place some strategies around monitoring and managing my expectations and knowing the signs that I may need to step outside for 10-minutes to catch my breath or to have a stim, having that extra support with the support worker will put my mind at ease. You can read more in this blog post titled how I dealt with Autistic fatigue and a burnout https://autisticnick.com/2021/08/31/how-i-dealt-with-autistic-fatigue-and-a-burnout/

NINE

Q. How do I become a blogger?

A. Being a blogger isn’t all al fresco lunches on the river, and sipping champagne whilst eating fancy food from the WA region whilst basking in the glory of your latest blog post accumulating a record number of views via the stats tool on your website.

To get to that point it’s taken a lot of hard work and effort.

I’m often stopped in the street, at the supermarket self-service till, the elevator at work and asked how do you become a blogger, Nick? You can read this blog post titled So you want to become a blogger? https://autisticnick.com/2022/08/31/so-you-want-to-become-a-blogger/

TEN

Q. What is SDP and how does that affect you being Autistic?

A. Many people who are on the Autism spectrum have difficulty processing everyday sensory information. Any of the senses may be over- or under-sensitive, or both, and at different times. These sensory differences can affect behaviour and can have a profound effect on a person’s life.

I have written about SPD before (https://autisticnick.com/2018/09/03/sensory-processing-disorder-spd/) But I want to take a more in depth look at how each of our senses can be triggered as well as looking at some of the effects of hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity to sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touch, balance and body awareness. You can read a blog post titled Autism and sensory differences here https://autisticnick.com/2019/02/25/autism-and-sensory-differences/

CARRY ON THE CONVERSATION

As always, I can also be found on Twitter:@AutisticNickAU and on the Official Autistic Nick Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/AutisticNickAU/

Thank you for reading and I will see you next time for more thoughts from across the spectrum.