I'm Probably Not Autistic (one therapist I had said I likely had Asperger's, but we never got it checked) but I am diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder, so...

Basically I always have a slinky or other fidget toy on hand ( slinkies are the best though ) ( just, like, in general ) and if I get a sensory overload, or am stressed in general I pull it out, and just slink away.

I also have mantras I recite internally to calm down, which is admittedly kind of cheesy and Not For Everyone, but you gotta do what helps you out, you know?  ( my current one is "drive until the rain stops, keep driving," because it's a Mountain Goats lyric I like, and I am a nerd.) Actual content of the mantra matters less to me than the repetition of it. 

yoooo

i've got adhd 

I have ADHD and terrible hypersensitivity. Fun times.

Some quick neurodiversity definitions: (copied and pasted from a Word fact sheet I created, with some others added. Like I didn't put autism or ADHD in the origional fact sheet because the fact sheet was for my dad and he knows about autism and ADHD. The only ones I put there are dyslexia and dyspraxia, as well as the non-speecific definitions)

Neurodiversity: The idea that all brains are unique and all have strengths and challenges

Neurodiverse: Describes a society that has many kinds of minds, whether neurotypical, autistic, ADHD, dyslexic, etc.

Neurodivergence: A group of people that think differently from neurotypical people in a particular way.

Neurodivergent: Describes a person who has a neurodivergence. Please do not confuse “neurodivergent” with “neurodiverse”! It really annoys me.

Neurotypical: Describes a person who is not neurodivergent: i.e. thinks and acts the way the majority of people in the world do. How I like to think about neurotypical vs. neurodivergent is that if, on another planet, there was a civilization of people where the majority were what we call neurodivergent and the minority were what we call neurotypical, the labels would be switched: The former would be called neurotypical and the latter would be called neurodivergent. So it’s kind of a pointless distinction unless you’re specifically referring to the distribution of neurodivergent and neurotypical minds in our society.

Some specific definitions:

Autism: A neurodivergence that can make people with it very creative and visual thinkers, but at the same time can give them a wide range of challenges including difficulty to interpret body language or social cues, or oversensitivity to body language or sound/light/smell/tastes/touch. It also can make them kind of socially awkward. I'm pretty sure I have this, but as one CBer noted, it is very complex, so I'm getting a formal assessment. However, so far I'm self-diagnosed with this so I can relate some experiences with that. About 2% of people have autism.

Dyslexia: A type of neurodivergence that can make people with it very creative and great at processing spatial information but at the same time it can make it harder for them to read and process text information. Unfortunately, the latter is the main definition of dyslexia, rather than both the latter and the former.

Dyspraxia: A type of neurodivergence that can make people with it good leaders and very empathetic but at the same time can make it harder for them to perform physical tasks and manage time.

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder): A neurodivergence that can make people very creative and innovative, but at the same time can have a hard time focusing on things they're not too interested in. They may also be very hyperactive, which is probably self-explanatory. There used to be a diagnosis called ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), which my brother was diagnosed with, but now it's merged to ADHD. About 3% of people in the world have ADHD. In 80% (I think?) of cases, autistic people also have ADHD. This is not surprising, as I have noticed I also have some symptoms. My formal assessment covers everything, so I'll figure it out then.

Finally! My assessment is today! I got sick Friday and couldn't go so I had to wait ten whole days! I was counting the hours and minutes since Saturday. 

POP ITS

Oh yeah, I had to get some medical checks yesterday and despite how often it happens, its really rather a lot. Like, the squuezy thing they pump on your arm that makes it all tight and then they kinda poke and prod you a bunch :/

Later in the day i had to get my blood drawn and GOODNESS GRACIOUS THEY TOOK 3 OF THOSE LONG VIALS :(((( I was watching, which makes it a little better for me cause when they take it, it feels like there's something crawling around in there up my arm and it makes me so very anxious (for no good reason, seeing as that's definitely not true but stil ew ew ewwww) and then it gets really sore because I have a weak immune system and health complications and bleck. :/

idk if this counts as neorodivergence but i was kinda freaking out and teeming with adhd energy despite being physically exhausted during the whole thing so yea

Sooooo most people I know (including a lot of family) don't know I'm autistic. I'm high-masking in public, which can make me really tired after engaging in professional situations/interacting with people I don't know well. I'm also pretty sensitive to noise and emotion, and I can get upset easily when other people are upset or arguing.

Today at work there was some kind of frustration or misunderstanding with how something was supposed to be done. I don't know exactly what the problem was, but some people nearby my station were yelling at each other. I think they were acting that way because of frustration, not because the situation warranted such a response. Even so, it was unsettling. During one of my breaks today I also got a concerning email related to school. On my way to work I didn't bring my jacket (it's cold there) and I forgot my morning snack (I never eat enough for breakfast). And I had to make a phone call. :(

Seemingly minor inconveniences, but they add up, unfortunately.

I know, first world problems. I've just been spiraling a bit today and felt like ranting about it. Sorry.