Autistic Hedgehog
RSSI worked in a research lab at my university. Loved it - - mostly because marine biology is one of my "special interests" and who doesn't love getting paid to do what they'd be doing anyways? - - and I found that (cont'd)
even in triggering situations at work (like running around on a beach with nearly 100 other people, all of us elbow-to-elbow, rushing to plant mangroves and lay out oyster mats before the tide came in) I wasn’t being triggered. (cont’d) It’s like I was so focused on the work because I was so in love with what I was doing that it created a buffer or something. Maybe? It makes me curious to know if other hedgehogs have had similar experiences. (I’m done now)
To job advice anon: I'd try and find a job that plays to your strengths as much as possible. What would your ideal job environment be? What industries get close to that? Go from there and see where it takes you. (I support myself working for my school's maintenance/electrical department.)
I work at the same store my Mum works as well. One day per week with her at my side. We will slowly stock up my work hours and also try working without my mother. The whole company is informed about me being Aspie and they are all supportive. I guess that is the most important thing, being honest about your Autism. (I live at home as well, my parents support me financially, I'm 22 btw, got my diagnosis at age 18 after years of struggle and false diagnoses.)
Because I have more of the urge to block things out and run away, I see myself as more of an autistic armadillo than a hedgehog. I still get mad though.
For some reason my brain wants to respond to this with a macabre and inappropriate sense of humor. Please ignore my brain, it’s an asshole sometimes.
That aside, an armadillo works pretty well. I mean, holy crap, they sure can sound cranky.
For me, as an Aspie, the best thing to do is learn to say sorry. I think there are a lot of people who are willing to forgive you once they know you didn't do it on purpose. I look for peoples faces to change and make the sad or distressed and then I know that maybe I've done something. I think that the other strategy that helps the Anon might be to have a wing man. I have friends who I've asked to tap my arm when I'm getting loud, or put their hand on my thigh when I'm stimming inappropriately.
i have aspergers and i don't like being touched by most peolple but when i do trust or like them i will be 100% snuggling puppy around them
How old are you and how do you get a living? I'm quitting school soon, it's just too much to handle, having a meltdown everyday isn't very 'healthy'. The problem is, I've worked 2 times during holidays (student job), but I had to quit because it was even worse. Any tips / advice what I can do? Thanks
Anonymous
Unfortunately, I’m not a very good person to ask for this. I stay home and work on my writing; we live off my husband’s (pretty darn good) salary, something we can get away with in part due to living in a country with universal healthcare and stuff. I’m very lucky that he’s supportive like this, because I’m not very well equipped for working. I never learned any good coping strategies.
But I know some of my hedgehogs have jobs or have held jobs, and have some experience with this sort of thing. If anyone has some advice they’d be willing to lend, please don’t be afraid to chime in.
The way you explained us as hedgehogs is perfect. I like to think of myself as more of an echidna because I'm Aussie and I prefer to go with Aussie animals, but the premise is the same I think. Anyways, yes, I like :)
Anonymous
Unless I like the person I don't like them touching me at all, and only people I really like and trust can put their hand near my head without me reacting badly to it
Anonymous
I notice in a few of the asks you've answered, you talk about autistic people not wanting to cuddle. But I really enjoy and feel a necessity to cuddle... Does this make me unusual/atypical among autistic people?
Not necessarily. We all have differing feelings about cuddling and touching. Some of us like it a lot, some of us hate it pretty much all the time, some of us fluctuate.
I’m very much a fluctuation type myself. Generally, I don’t like being hugged or touched much, but I usually don’t mind if it’s my husband. But even then there’s times I just don’t want to be held or hugged in any way, or times when all I want is to cuddle and be close.
Like everything with us, it’s a spectrum. :)
About Autistic Hedgehog