Blog - Autism Chrysalis

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Shame and Self-Compassion

When Journaling is Hard

Some people love journaling. Some struggle with it and feel like something is wrong if they don’t love and embrace journaling. Don’t worry, nothing’s wrong.

Adulting

How Much Gas Money To Give For A Ride

How much gas money you’re supposed to give for a ride is tricky. There’s lots of factors and different views. Here’s some thoughts to help you figure it out.

Line of white dominoes on a curve, knocked over.

Education

Knowing Why I’m Doing Something Leads to Less Complaining

I find it a lot easier to do things when I know why they matter, and then I don’t complain about them (nearly as much).

Employment, Work, and Self-Employment

How To Request Sensory Accommodations

It can be hard to convey what you need when requesting sensory accommodations. Here’s a framework for how.

A young woman in a white shirt and black vest holds up a life-like face in each hand as if it were a mask. Each face wears a different expression. She looks to one as if she is deciding between the two.

Personal Growth

Shifting Negative Thought Patterns

This phrase has helped me gradually shift from a negative outlook on sensory issues, socializing, and myself, to a tendency toward looking for the good.

Energy

How to Use Body Signals to Make Better Decisions

If decision making is hard for you, here’s a technique to use body sensations as another source of information for decision making.

Acceptance

On Trying To Be Normal And Understood

Trying to be normal as a way to be understood is a self-defeating. People who learn about you, will only learn about this pretend version of you.

Communication

How To Ask Someone To Do Something For You

It can be intimidating to ask someone to do something for you, yet we all have to do this. I’m going to discuss an approach I’ve pieced together on how.

Blue solid foreground with text "Why NTs Do That: Small Talk" and to the side a picture of a pale skinned woman in a green sweater smiling at the camera.

Autism

Why Neurotypicals Do That: Small Talk

Autistics and neurotypicals tend to have very different views on small talk. What’s going on from both sides?

Close up on a white fire alarm, with a blurred out image of a room.

Autism Acceptance

Are You Really “Overreacting”?

People react to different amounts of sensory input, but even when it’s only a little, it’s not made up.

Red and yellow fireworks set against a black sky over a crowd of people in silhouette.

Acceptance

My Independence Day

The Fourth of July celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence, not of actually gaining independence. That took several more years and they had to fight for it. Hard.