228 Results in Strategies

The 6 Golden Rules of Managing Sensations (animation)

The majority of situations can cause an autistic person to feel a degree of uncertainty. Even very common situations, such as going on the train or going to a GP appointment, can contain many unpredictable factors, leading to feelings of uncertainty. Neurotypical people don’t tend to worry to the same degree about uncertainty. They might not even feel that situations can have an uncertain outcome. This might be because they naturally have the flexible thinking skills to know what to do should something unexpected happen.

How to be a more constructive thinker

In any situation, we always have a choice over how we behave. We can try to choose to think constructively or we can think destructively. Consider it as though our thinking is either a tool (useful and empowering) or an obstacle (harmful and disempowering). Once this concept is understood, it gives us the ability to positively change our lives. By thinking and behaving as constructively as possible, life can be constructed in the way that we want. Thinking and behaving in a destructive way, on the other hand, can make life worse.

The 4 phases of a meltdown

Having done quite a lot of research into the subject, I started to see that there may be a trend in the way autistic people experience meltdowns. The trend that I noticed was that there seems to be different 'phases' of a meltdown. I wonder whether if people are able to identify these phases and understand them, they will be able to anticipate and manage their meltdowns better. Might it also be true that if someone identifies and treats a meltdown early on then some 'symptoms' might be prevented? A person might also find that they will be able to anticipate the duration of their 'attacks', which can help them better plan their life and know when they'll be back to normal.

Why it might not be a good idea to compare yourself with others

Over the years, something that has caused me to feel very unhappy and anxious is that I was comparing myself with other people. What I say now and the philosophy I adhere to whenever I think about comparing myself to others is: "I will only compare you to you" (or "I will only compare me to me") This is a very powerful line. I will talk about what it means in this article. Autistic people are prone to comparing themselves to others, but this can lead to poor self-esteem and anxiety. In this article, I provide strategies on how to stop comparing yourself with others and explain why the only person you might find beneficial to compare yourself with is you!

Why do I feel anxious and not excited?

One of the ways I tend to feel most isolated from others is when other people are feeling excited about something, I am feeling anxious. Or they might be expecting me to be feeling excited about something, but instead I'm feeling anxious. Having autism can dampen one's mood. For me, it's as though anxiety masks any positive feeling. Anxiety is always there, even when I am trying to feel positive emotions. This experience is very common for autistic people.

How to make decision making easier for autistic people

This is a follow up article to: Why might decision making be difficult for autistic people? Now I will look at some strategies autistic people could use to help make decision making a bit more straightforward. Also, I'm excited to show you a new animation in this article!

The importance of good habits

Positive habits are hugely significant in helping us along in life. They teach us to be disciplined and responsible and encourage us to put the values that drive us into practice. These attributes make it easier to achieve our goals. One positive aspect of being on the autism spectrum is that many of us are naturally inclined to want routines and consistency. One of the criteria for being diagnosed with autism is the person must have "restricted, repetitive behaviours or activities." Therefore, I think some autistic people can often have a slight advantage over neurotypical people because they may be more inclined to create habits that contribute to getting things done consistently. Three things are needed in order to have positive habits:

How to find your strengths and achieve your potential

Like many autistic individuals, I was a completely terrified adolescent with zero self-esteem. This meant that any abilities I had or potential skills I could have learned were restricted by the discomfort I felt in being myself. I was so preoccupied with wondering why I was different, why I didn't fit in, and trying to make myself "normal", that I was not able to appreciate my strengths (I didn't even know I had any!). Combine this with my experience of school where I was known as The Person Who Did Not Speak and who no one (apart from the bullies) paid any attention to, my strengths were not visible to anyone else either. Consequently, I never really recognised my strengths and certainly never utilised them. It was not until much later in my life that I started to realise that being different was not all negative. When I was young, I saw being different as being purely negative and I was extremely uncomfortable with who I was. It was only once I became comfortable with myself - many years later - that I was able to recognise that there were many good qualities in my character. This leads me to the point that: in order for a person to best utilise their potential, they have to first recognise what it is. They have to recognise what they are good at. If a person is very unhappy with themselves, then they will probably not be able to think about any of that. Their headspace is consumed with comparing themselves to other people and feeling inferior. So how can an autistic person best achieve their potential?

How to manage separation anxiety problems

In the previous article I provided insight into why autistic people might experience separation anxiety. Now I will look at what we can do to overcome or reduce this particular type of anxiety...

Why autistic people need others to be reliable

One of the traits I most admire and need is reliability. If I am to have any sort of meaningful relationship with someone then they must be reliable. The fundamental reason is that when a person is reliable, their actions are predictable. If their actions are predictable then my relationship with them is also going to be predictable. That means a larger proportion of my life will be predictable. When my life is predictable I feel much less anxious. My mental health is improved. What do I mean when I talk about 'reliability'? A reliable person is someone who: Communicates clearly their plans Does what they say they are going to do Doesn't tend to forget about what they said Is organised in their mind Is responsive Is punctual Doesn't often change or cancel plans These are all characteristics that many neurotypical people also appreciate and admire. However, I think a lot of autistic people will have a much, much greater "need" for this characteristic in others.