79 Results in Thoughts, Feelings & Behaviour

Sensitivity and reactivity

I've been pondering about sensitivity and reactivity, wondering what their link is, or are they the same thing? What are sensitivity and reactivity like in people with ASD?

What is empathy and do ASD people have a lack of empathy?

I think there is some misunderstanding of what empathy actually is, which I will explore in this article. There are various definitions of empathy but the one that I use and how I think about it is that it's being able to share the feelings of another person. A good way to visualise what empathy is is being in a crowd watching a football match when your team scores a goal - the whole crowd cheers because everyone is feeling the same thing and reacting in the same way. There is a common view that people on the autistic spectrum do not have empathy. Lots of autistic people think they have lots of empathy. I want this article to look at these views in more detail. I hope you see things in a more educated way after reading this article. :)

Cues for better mental health

I consider a cue to be a reminder or an instruction. Cues are incredibly helpful for people on the autistic spectrum. It might be a good idea to come up with some cues that you or your loved one can use. Cues can be helpful for reminding us to do physical or practical tasks, such as reminding us to post a letter or to do a certain piece of work - but that's not the limits. For people on the autistic spectrum, cues can do a lot more.

Different behaviours at home vs when out

One of the most common things I hear from parents is that their child is well behaved at school but has terrible outbursts at home. Because the teachers don't see these difficult behaviours, it might cause them to disbelieve the parents or not believe there are any 'problems.' Similarly with adults, an adult may get on very well at work and appear friendly and kind to their co-workers, yet can behave very differently and be difficult at home. Professor Tony Attwood refers to this as the Jekyl and Hyde character. It has been highlighted in many sources that individuals on the autistic spectrum display significantly different behaviours in different settings. In this article I will look at some reasons why this might occur and how the people around the ASD individual could better support them.

What happens when plans suddenly change?

Lots of people with ASD like to have plans and be able to follow them. Let's look at what happens and how a person might feel when a plan is suddenly changed.

The impact of feelings and thoughts on behaviour

The thoughts we have and the emotions we feel influence the way we behave (CBT model). I would like to look at this in more detail, focusing on people who are on the autistic spectrum. Thoughts I think the four most common types of thought in ASD are:

Doing the same thing over and over again

I have a little theory which I want to write out! I've been thinking about how I experience pleasure. A friend said to me, "I like doing something for the first time, it feels so fresh and is the most enjoyable." It was an interesting statement and I challenged it. I said, "What about after the first time? Does something get less enjoyable the more times you do it?" He said, "Yes, sort of. The first time is always the best." My reaction to this was: "That's a shame. The number of times I do something has no effect on how much or how little I enjoy it. In fact, if I like something, I will enjoy it just as much as I did the first time." He said, "I love that about you."

Doing well does not equal happiness

How many times have people said things to you such as "You're doing so well"? Many people have said this to me and continue to say it to me. In fact, I get comments acknowledging or congratulating me on my achievements on a near daily basis. This isn't the problem though - it's always nice to get recognition I am doing well at something. The problem is when people therefore end up assuming that because I am "doing well" it means that I am "happy."

5 tips for recognising emotions

Recognising emotions is very difficult when you have autism. Very often, what you feel is so overwhelming it takes a very very long time to determine and define the feeling. This can lead to difficulty in communication with friends, family, or partners. Being able to communicate about how we feel is massively important in society…. Join The Curly Hair Project Community Today This article and our podcasts are available only to members of our community. If you would like to co…