Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Autistic Adults.

Transcript

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Autistic Adults

May 5^th, 2024

Segment 1

Welcome everyone to Today’s Autistic Moment: A Podcast for Autistic Adults by an Autistic Adult. My name is Philip King-Lowe. I am the owner, producer, and host; and I am an Autistic Adult. Thank you so very much for listening.

Today’s Autistic Moment is a member of The Autistic Podcasters Network.

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This first segment of Today’s Autistic Moment is sponsored by The Autism Society of Minnesota, known as AuSM throughout Minnesota’s Autism community. As Minnesota’s First Autism Resource for more than 50 years, AuSM serves the whole state, the whole spectrum, for the whole life. Visit AuSM online at ausm.org. 

Thank you for joining me for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Autistic Adults. Silas Zacharias from Queensland, Australia will be my guest beginning in segment 2.  

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Autism Acceptance Month is over and many of us are exhausted. Physically and mentally.  Many of us avoided social media because we did not want to read all the despondency about Autism.  Some of us use social media to connect with other Autistics.  To get to those who identify with Autistics on social media, we found ourselves looking at a Facebook ad about how to “cure Autism.”  Seeing those posts triggers trauma. Others worked through social media, blogs, podcasts, and radio interviews to be Neuro-Affirming.  Only to have the editors rewrite or reword what we said to take us back to the dismay of the pathological approach.  We make progress during April, but we only get so far as our own energy drains away. 

Today’s Autistic Moment had two great shows in April. Rachel Cullen gave us a stunning conversation about Autistic Culture & Language.  Holt Mills told us about his success for An Autistic College Student’s Story.  Today’s Autistic Moment, our sponsors, and networks, wants the true gifts of being Autistic to shine through our conversations.  Autistic Adults are moving the dialogue towards real social change, in Takiwātanga, in our own space, in our own time.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is something that impacts Autistic Adults and our Intersectional Communities in so many ways. PTSD occurs when our bodies start to process the trauma we have experienced, and it triggers the emotions of anger, fear, sadness, and resentment.  Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is not a failure to “just lighten up and be happy.”  Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder comes from abuse, neglect, harassment, and rejection.  While Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder does make life difficult, it is something Autistics can work through over time. 

Silas Zacharias has studied Trauma including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Silas’ work with Trauma in their own life helps them to understand and talk with other Neurodivergents with authentic compassion and understanding. Silas is a nonbinary, queer person who lives in Queensland, Australia.  As you listen to our conversation, Silas will talk about the history of PTSD and the experiences of Autistic Adults and our Intersectional Communities with some constructive tips on working with PTSD.

Stay with us after this first commercial break when Silas Zacharias and I will talk about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Autistic Adults.

Commercial Break I

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Segment 2

Philip King-Lowe 

Silas Zacharias, welcome to Today's Autistic Moment. I'm glad you're back with us. Almost. Well, yeah, because two years ago now, we talked about Trauma: An Unavoidable Consequence, and this is no less true. You know, I don't know about you, but we've just come off of April, Autism Month. And we have been inundated with Autism debates, you know, things that have been said about Autism and Autistic people. And we find ourselves in the middle of all of these discussions, arguments, debates, whatever you call it. And I know that another thing that happens to a lot of us in April is that we wind up having to explain and/or defend ourselves to no end. And even without all the regular things that happened in life, these things can really impact us with a lot of us, Autistics with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. So, I want to begin this month. Again, especially since we're heading into Pride Month, which will bring another round. Um, the point is, is that I want us to have a conversation about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and, and that sort of thing. So, Silas, let's begin. Where can we begin to explore Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and how it affects Autistic Adults and our Intersectional Communities?

Silas Zacharias 

Thank you for inviting me to talk about this subject. I appreciate the space being made. And I think I want to premise the conversation with without going into specifics, there's so much happening in the world where trauma and the conversation around it almost seems somewhat pointless, or maybe somewhat hopeless. You know, if it's happening so much at this time, all around the world, especially within the news and Autism Awareness, and the Autistic Acceptance as well. I think we need to break down how we discovered PTSD, from a historical standpoint, in a quick way. Now, my mind, and I don't want anyone to quote me verbatim as if I am the, the diviner of historical truth here, because I'm not. But in my mind, when I first heard about PTSD, it wasn't called that. It was called Shell Shock Syndrome. And this is something that very much had been picked up, even all the way back from, I think, the American Civil War, but particularly World War I. And Shell Shock Syndrome was something that was only kind of given, it was given some weight. And it was and it was identified as a particular sort of specific issue. But in the context of war, and the and the wheel of change, I guess, it wasn't given much foresight. And I think it was only until really, in the 90s to the early 2000s, the idea of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder really started to hit the societal mainstream. And PTSD was always very much contained within what would be a singular circumstance. So, and this is never to compare. The comparative analysis in trauma is almost like it's just nonsensical. You don't do that. It's not a binary, it's, it's a spectrum. But even getting across onto the spectrum, it's a little bit beside the point. But if we look at how early conceptualization, particularly for our age groups Philip, and our generational sort of understanding, it came about, like that singular, horrific episode, or a singular circumstance where there was a lot of trauma. But it was wrapped in a, in a scenario which it was a once in a lifetime event, or it was a very, it was a small portion of a person's life that they would subsequently get over. And that's not to say that that would happen for most but that was the consensus in society generally, that if you want to ask a person, PTSD, I guess an everyday sort of understanding of it would be someone's gone through like a really bad car accident, or, or something horrific, and that they've subsequently had some depression, anxiety. And then they've gotten treatment and have moved beyond it. Now I, and you, and many people who may be listening know that whilst that's correct, it is a small piece of the pie. And we've tried to understand this phenomena, which is trauma, and I have such a big view on trauma. I think trauma rules the world. But I think we need to understand what we mean by trauma because I think the negative connotation is somewhat from my background, I feel that whenever that idea or word is used trauma it's conflated with almost like a fragility. A negative fragility. A fragility that is almost to be despised and have contempt towards so whenever you try to speak to it it's denounced as being almost contemptuous. Why would you even why would you even mention something so ridiculous? Yeah. So, you're starting on the backfoot. So, you want to try and adjust the common understanding of it, but no one really wants to listen to you.

Philip King-Lowe 

All right. Let me let me add here that I think we need to, in particular to the Autistic and our Intersectional communities, I think we need to acknowledge that a lot of our PTSD that we have gone through, comes from so many different places. Those years that we did not know, and that we thought other things were happening. We undoubtedly took a little abuse, a lot of abuse most likely during that time. And that sort of thing piles itself up. And then when we do finally become identified as Autistics, we then begin to understand a little bit more about how much how much trauma and stress we have taken on. That, actually, we have taken that we have taken on but was given to us by no fault of our own, okay? And then there's the stress that comes from, recognizing that we have our sensory processing that for all too long, because we didn't know we didn't give credit, that that's what was happening. And so, we didn't turn things down, or we didn't turn the lights down, or we turn up whatever we did or didn't do. And then there's the stigmas that come from including, like, you know, job losses, economy losses, we know that a lot of us Autistics, we're definitely not economically equal. And that, you know, the thing is, all of these things pile up. And I can speak as a 55-year-old man who says that, in the last four years, I have realized how much stress I have taken on in my time, and let me tell you, I'm still working through it. And so, my first my first, my own, my own first thing that I would say is, when you're dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, my beloved Autistics you need to be kind to yourself. And make sure you're not expecting more of yourself than you can do. It's a lot. And quite frankly, no, you did not deserve all the stress you got. And you don't deserve the stress you're getting even now. The thing is, yes, it can be addressed, but it takes a long time. And that's okay. But it's important that you whomever you are that's listening to this, this conversation. You find your best ways of working with it. And then I'll let you know best. Yeah, I mean, yeah, so, go ahead, Silas.

Silas Zacharias 

So yeah, I appreciate that, like finding your way of working through it. Is such a great permission giver. I really liked that. And I think many, many Autistic people feel as if the routes to change or to treat them or to working through what is being harmed is a narrow way of doing things or what society has told them is a narrow way of doing things. I want to just step back again once more and say let's just have a look at trauma.  So, I was going to kind of just quickly touch base on the, on what I know to be just breaking down the etymology of trauma and the etymology is the origin of words and the meaning of them. That trauma means harm, harm perpetuated on a person, and harm we all know can be physical, mental, emotional, and others. Now harm is just simply that harm against you as a person where it causes pain. So, what is trauma? It's perpetual harm, causing pain to your person. That is unaddressed. And it continues to go unaddressed. And then you will have what is known as we've been talking about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. So now we've gone back to the etymology of the word this is harm that's been inflicted upon you, whether it's playing by others, yourself, or the combination of. And then the ways that it can be applied emotional, physically, mentally, and then it, it will become at a point where it reaches a threshold of tolerance, where your ability to hold that harm is akin to, say, cutting yourself accidentally chopping some vegetables. Now, if you were to cut yourself, and you notice that the harm that you've mistakenly done to yourself by just making some food is fairly tolerable. It's only a small slice, the pain is going to be representative of that and you can handle it right you can, it doesn't hurt too much. Right? You can, you can contain it, you can do something about it. But when that tolerance is we know, it's unbearable. So, we're going to go back to the idea of that that pain that has been harmed, harm has been inflicted upon you is now reaching a point of in tolerability, you no longer contain this harm. That's when you start to experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This is when your life is now being impacted in measurable ways in multiple domains. And the application of how the harm is now perpetuating against you is that it's still here, it's still in your body. And in your mind, yeah, how there's no bandages that have been put on yet. It's still, in some ways festering, but now it's actually affecting you in palpable external ways now. So, you're actually able to manifestly see how it is affecting you. But the cognitive dissonance that comes in is, many people don't know the significance of the harm that's been perpetuated against them.

Philip King-Lowe 

Yeah. And I, myself can speak to some of that, because up until my husband, and I bought our home, and, you know, we were in major adrenaline stage for many years. And, you know, I had absorbed a lot of trauma. And then when I first came here, I found myself really getting hit, I mean, mentally hit, by some things. Yeah. And it was explained to me by a great psychotherapist, who said, the reason being is that your body is now ready to process all of that, but your brain is not. So that's why you're gonna have to be patient with that. And it's a reminder, it's a reminder, even if your brain isn't getting any anymore, it's your body that remembers it. And so sometimes it can be your body, that's just telling you, I've got to deal with this now, because I can't not deal with this anymore. And I realize that may not be the same for every Autistic but that is an example of how it could show itself.

Silas Zacharias 

Well, I definitely relate to that myself. And I would also say that, you know, the Autistic experience, the interoceptive experience. So, the, the sort of interoception being the perception or the internal sensory awareness that someone has of their own body. Now, I'm very aware of certain parts of my own body. I can, I can almost tune in like a radio. But there's multiple parts of me that I'm just like, I don't know what's going on. And definitely when it comes to, we're going to talk about how hard it is to not hard but the length of time it is hard, but the length of time and kindness that you have to show yourself. And that's probably the biggest thing I want to do. Now back to what you said before, the self-kindness. It's not as a superfluous or superficial thing that most people would think it is. No. How do you expect anybody to do anything different if you're being yelled at? Or if you're being harmful to yourself in ways that and you're admonishing yourself, you're telling yourself that you're stupid, or you're not enough or you don't deserve it, or you're the problem, or you've done something that has caused an issue, or you have not been strong enough for all these things are just hurtful. Yeah. Yeah, they don't help. And not only that, they add to their harm. Yeah. What you're doing is you're piling on, in many ways, more harm that you'll have to process later. When you could be slowly working away at that luggage pile that we all love to drag behind ourselves. And it's not like I mean, it's a, it's not something that we do because we want to, but we do because it's a part of our life. Right. We don't, no one has asked, whoever has had a bad childhood has said to themselves, and the things that they carry with them. You know, I love that part of my life. Yeah. But it's still a part of our life, and we still love ourselves. Are we trying to learn how to do that? Yeah, I think when it comes with trauma, like you said, but I think there's gonna be probably a larger portion of the conversation, it's when you start looking at the trauma and you want to do something about it. I, I always let a person know that there's no one right time to start. But also, when you start, it will, in some ways get more difficult, before it gets better.

Philip King-Lowe 

Absolutely. Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. That's been the case with me too. You know, and I think a lot of us, pardon me, I don't want to generalize too much. But, you know, the pandemic, which isolated a lot of us for a long time. And, you know, we're not seeing people like we used to that sort of thing that I found, I found my PTSD really coming home, because of things that are you know, I wasn't around people all that much. So, it was really starting to process.

After this next commercial break, Silas will talk about engaging self-care regarding how PTSD is affecting our Autistic Intersectional Communities.  We also want to speak about our Autistic strengths that we can invest ourselves in, to empower us to work through PTSD.

Commercial Break II

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Segment 3

Philip King-Lowe

We're already kind of talking about this next question. But let's dig a little deeper. How can we engage the Intersectional Autistic Adult communities in doing the important self-care that is so important when dealing with PTSD? And before you jump in here, say this, I just want to also bring to light you know, the Intersectional Communities that we're speaking to include people of color, LGBTQIA+. Our heterosexual friends. We're also talking about other Neurodivergents, which can be ADHD, we can be talking about dyslexia, dyspraxia. There's so many. There's so many of them, yes, we are talking about all of those. Okay, the intersections and, and that it plays its role in our PTSD, which is why self-care is so important. So, we need to talk about how we how we help them get engaged in their self-care. We've already been talking about, you need to do your self-care, and you need to discover what works for you and what doesn't. Now you may need some help with a therapist to kind of put that sort that out, that's perfectly okay. Or you might just need to do something, find your somethings on your own. This is where stimming and fidgets can certainly help. You know, especially stress balls, you can just sort of squeeze that ball to put some of that stress in that stress ball. I like things like, yes, yeah, you know, that sort of thing. So go ahead Silos.

Silas Zacharias 

And, and I am, I very much really appreciate how when I started looking at my history and looking at it from a point of detached observation, and I mean, I wanted to see what I needed to get done. And then I can click back in and work on it. And when we talk about intersectionality, I find myself getting some of the most wonderful education and the most holistic nuanced and in-depth education about my own mental health, but the mental health of the world at large for black and indigenous women. And I say this in a way where I'm so I'm actually really passionate about it, because in my mind, from my own experiences, even running up to recently where I've had to deal with some elements of my own life or part because of other people's mental health. I can't imagine what it would be like, or what I have, I'll never be able to imagine. But the amount of trauma and generational trauma that many black and Indigenous men and women, but particularly women, have had to absorb and contain, and to live with and to work through. And they still, in many ways, give away these things for free, because they want others to feel and go through the healing that they need to go through. I have been so amazed at just how invigorating it can be, to hear what I have felt always. The healing has always been a big part of my life, but it's very alien in in Australia, it's not something you actually really have to seek it out. You really have to want it. And it's and it shouldn't be this way. But when it comes to trauma, and understanding like how much it can affect you. I just think that there's such a wealth of knowledge, and clinical understanding and, and community understanding and holistic application from the black and indigenous communities. And I'm talking from the black communities in America, to the black communities in Australia and the indigenous communities in Australia. You know, I say to most people, when I talk about these things, that the one group that had done the most harm against me as a person over cumulative time has been the white patriarchal men. And I'm a queer man. And I'm also identify nonbinary many ways as well. I'm more about non binary than I am not masculine or male, but most people see me man. But you know, if I could go through life as myself, I would, but I can't because of the many ways in which I've been contained. And this is a trauma and of itself. You can't feel like you can even be yourself, let alone navigate in a way that is safe. So, when I see black and indigenous men and women talk language, about safety, understanding the nuance of trauma, I and I can totally understand their perspective as to why they're speaking to that, because that is their daily living. And this is something that the Autistic community, I think, particularly the Western Autistic community, is beginning to really grapple with, which is the isolation and the alienation from the mainstream community, which many black brothers and sisters who have Autistic, just as many Autistic community members in their own communities, but they themselves just from the color of their skin had been ostracized. And we are starting to really grapple with that, and the trauma involved with that. And I think this is a good thing in the way that we're able to really start advocating for ourselves and our greater community that's in lockstep with the ones that have done the work, who have been around and have done the work and that they're here. Like there's, there's more a black woman in my life, who has taught me just from simple conversation, and getting to know a person who I've never have thought I would have had the opportunity to meet. I've learned so much, like so, so much. And I'm so grateful for those people in my life. And it's all been through many parts, just through very, sort of LinkedIn, through LinkedIn, really. And I, some people might say, Oh, well, you know, this is just another white person talking about how we should be listened to black people. But I really do think that's the case. Because you know, like, I'm, I'm in Australia. And not only did we just vote no for constitutional, we had a referendum, we didn't have very many referendums in Australia, we've had about 10 or 11. And the latest one, which we had last year was to give the Indigenous men and women and our communities and our queer brothers and sisters a voice in the Constitution, and we voted no. We voted no. And they've had to retreat. And so that we don't want to speak anymore. How harmed we are. Yes. You know, and this is what we're getting at, right? Like we were talking just start about how PTSD was a singular thing that you get over, when in reality, it's a perpetual state of being for many people.

Philip King-Lowe 

Yeah. And it's ongoing. It’s ongoing, just as you're getting rid of some, you're getting new stuff. Yeah, you know, and I would have to throw in here that we are seeing the transgender and especially in the U.S. where we see this onslaught of bills and like fat that had been prohibiting gender-affirming care for trans youth, and many of them who are Autistic. And so, we are really seeing this stress placed upon them that doesn't need to be, but it is. And, you know, it's it continues to be a difficult issue. And America is currently in the middle of a presidential election getting ready to elect our next leader, President or past or whatever we do. But, you know, whenever we are in these kinds of years the communities that are struggling most to find their voices and their places to the venues to heal and get some get some recognition. Those are the ones that get harmed by the political rhetoric, they really do. Because, you know, especially with transgender things being so hot in the past year and a half in the U.S., it's among the things that is part of the campaigning, I'm afraid and………

Silos Zechariah 

It speaks to the trauma of the periphery that the peripheral communities always receive. Absolutely. I Agree. It's pointing to the periphery of the circle of the community. That's the most ostracized and demonizing them. And it's a very old rope. Yes. And, and as tragedy that we're all kind of tired of,

Philip King-Lowe 

Yes, they are. Yes, they are.

Silos Zechariah

And not just the community, the queer community, I think many of the communities at large are just that they realize the nonsense locality of it all. It's just seems very, like why are we continuing to do this, because so many people do know, a trans person now. Or they do know, a queer person now, and they know that we are just a part of the community when we are different, right. And to be honest, you know, we could probably get stuck on how we're just account. We're just accounting for what is happening with trauma. But I would like to also add that there are really some amazing things happening with the understanding of trauma. And it's happening in such a way that it's, it's almost like global waves of understanding and real grappling with trauma. It's happening so much in such quick evolutions around the world at the moment with what is happening. And I think these are all things that in many ways, if they weren't to happen, they would have happened too late. And I'm glad in many ways, these conversations are happening now. Because I think if we were to not, I think of the kids that, that are under 10, who are very aware of what is happening around the world. And they speak about it quite often. They mention it to their parents and to their family members and friends. 5 6 7 8 9 10-year-olds talking about things that no child should really have to ever talk about. But because it's so ubiquitous, now, the children are talking about it. And I think in many ways, this is part of the, the crest of the wave and the trough, we are reaching a point of terminus where things will reach a point of no return will have and will eventually start to start to heal. Yeah, you know, and a lot of this trauma needs to come out and be spoken about. But I think also we need to understand that no one person is not traumatized. No. And even the people that say that they aren't in many ways, the system that we've all been on dying credit for ourselves. And analogy I like to use is that our rich man is still very much in a prison. It's just a golden one. Yeah. And it's no different in in the ways of we're all a part of this system that's just slowly draining ourselves.

Philip King-Lowe 

Yeah, I like what I like one of the points you're making here, Silas is that, among the ways that we begin to engage ourselves in the self-care is by creating for ourselves some communities. And many of our Intersectional communities and making them aware of that we, we share their stresses, we share their concerns, we share a lot of the things that they have experienced, even though there will be one community that will experience a stress that the other one won't. As far as Autistic Adults are concerned, we are seeing Autistic Adults on LinkedIn, and even some places on Facebook, where they're really interacting with each other in one way or the other, so that they're actually finding people to connect with, so that they can, you know, talk about that stress, and have someone have somebody validate them. In other words, by talking about it with other Autistics, and other of our intersectional communities. We know we can have those conversations without someone minimizing or dismissing our experiences.

Silas Zacharias

Especially minimizing. I think a minimization is a big thing in the Autistic community. And I really do think that's a big part of what enabled me to even survive. I like unfortunately, LinkedIn has decided to do the whole restructure, restrict your account through your ID sort of bizarre, which is a bit hard. But I still don't know if you remember, Philip, I posted a video sometime few years ago now how I said that LinkedIn community actually saved my life. And in many ways, it did, because, you know, diagnose like, your mask for me fell off. I didn't know it fallen off, though. So, I was blissfully unaware. Yeah. And then everyone is telling me that I'm different. Yeah. Well, in the first time in my life, I feel very much myself. Yeah. And that in itself is a trauma.

Philip King-Lowe 

Yes, it is. Yes, it is. Yes, it is

Silas Zacharias

And having people say to you, you know, and these are people who have you've worked with, or you've known for some time, who, you know, pre diagnosis, were somewhat supportive of you getting your diagnosis. But as soon as you get it, and the implications, the consequences that come about for you, as a person post diagnosis, people are very quick to, and this is not a negative or positive sort of connotation to the to this sort of circumstance. What I'm saying is that when your mask drops, or when you have a Neurodivergence come about in your life that you didn't know, was there beforehand. things fundamentally change.

Philip King-Lowe 

Yes.

Silos Zacharias 

And you have little recourse available to you, when it comes to how they're going to change.

Philip King-Lowe 

Yeah, I, I understand exactly what you mean.

Silos Zacharias 

You know, and it's, it gets to the point where you have to quickly or not, no, I wouldn't say quickly, but you end up finding through desperation, people who are genuinely wanting to connect, because of this newfound experience that you have. Yeah, and I think this is the case in point with trauma. Once we start having the conversations around how it, everyone has it. And we are all being harmed some so much more than others. That's why they don't survive. Yeah, that's when things will change. Yeah. But I think I think that is happening. And it's happening very fast. And it's happening right now by us talking about it. I encourage everyone that's listening also to, to have these conversations and not to shy away and to take and not to ever take it so seriously that you, you. You. What did you say before minimize someone else's experience because you don't know the reactions that people have to trauma. Some people laugh and laugh. It's not a laughing as in it's a funny thing. Laughter in many ways can be anxiety. And it can be an anxious thing and an anxious response where you don't know how to respond properly, or you don't know how to respond in a way where you might be talking about your trauma. You can't talk about it in a serious way. I know I didn't. I used to think it was some of the things that happened to me until it was called how serious it was funny. Yeah, so there's such a wealth of sensitivity required. But I'd like to, I'd like to encourage people is that don't go in with this idea that you have to have a huge ball of sensitivity. Come in with a genuine, sincere need to speak and express something at you may have gone through, and hope that others are going to do the same, and the sensitivity will be there.

Philip King-Lowe 

Now that we have explored the topic of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and talked about how we can get the Intersectional Autistic Adult Communities engaged, how can we empower them to discover their strengths in this area and use them? You know, less than a year ago, I had Lisa Morgan on. And she does Autism Crisis Support, work. Absolutely brilliant at what she does. And she talked about how she holds workshops, where she's actually talking to crisis counselors, to help them understand that when they are working with an Autistic individual, they're the things they might need to do. She said in that interview that she has had many times when she is doing the workshop, and she will ask that, that room of crisis, volunteer crisis volunteers or even professionals. "What are the strengths of Autism?" And Lisa says, the room is crickets. You can hear crickets in the room, because nobody, nobody's going to say anything. And then what you hear, Lisa say, eventually, is that I think with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is you need to discover your Autistic strengths, which could be you're a literal thinker. You are rule based. You are honest to a fault. You happen to be somebody, you know, with your monotropic mind that just lines everything up and everything. What Lisa is saying, and what I am saying is that part of empowering yourself is to see your strengths as an Autistic person. Those things that society and a lot of the pathology is telling you is just not right. Those actually are your strengths. And part of working through Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is using those Autistic strengths. Do you agree?

Silas Zacharias

I agree 100%. And I think my mind quickly goes back to our schooling. I think for many kids that grew up in the late 70s 80s and 90s. Yep. We had interesting schooling experiences. Yep. And when it came to being Neurodivergent, you were that kid? You. You were that person. And you know what? I'm going to tell everybody that may have been or known that kid. That kid didn't know he was that kid. Yeah. Not until many years later. Yeah. You know, and this is something that I think is a good segue into understanding which is many Autistic Neurodivergent kids, many kids with mental illness, and maladaptive behaviors, who are going through life and have been made to feel like they are less than. Many of the hard things that we went through as children and through teenagers and even through early adulthood, I say you're going to make us very much stronger for the future. And that I can talk about, we will talk about traits. But I want to talk about the sheer capacity for survival. Yes. This is something that I can tell some people like your stories. And I'm not someone that likes to talk about my own life. Really. I will talk in a fairly detached fashion if I can. If it helps to a to conversation, but I'm not really interested in setting myself. But what if I was to speak about it. The general reaction is horror. Yeah. That's what it is. And that some of the things I've accomplished as well. And I've gotten two degrees. And I'm 31. I've got a master's degree; I'm trying to write a book. I've been through a lot. Yeah. But even in that point, I've never looked back and thought I've never gone out of my way to get things like accomplishments. It was never a thing in of itself, it was me trying to survive. Yeah. And that is where many people I think, miss the point with Autistic people. They look at all the things, the shiny things, that in many ways we have. Not as much significance in there is significance. But we've done it to get accepted, to feel as if we are doing a good job for the community that so much so that they can see our work. And that is part of surviving. And this is what I love about the Autistic community is the tenacity. The sheer tenacity, right? I think if we were ever to survive, anything like climate change will be because of the Autistic community. If we're ever going to survive the things like capitalism, AI, and AI, out of a capitalist lens, the future when it comes to climate change, droughts, flooding, everything, all the things that need changing, I guarantee you, the majority of the work, the hard, the complex, the overarching complex systems work that will need to be done, will be done by Neurodivergent people. And that, in of itself, is, is something to look forward to. I agree. Because many ways, life has become so complex. Because of all the invariable BS stuff that we've all been made to do. So, we will, we will come become quite good at it. We've worn ourselves out in many ways. And we've had to learn to retract and to have self-care. And many of us are stepping into that now, which needs to happen. Because we won't survive if we don't do that. But we also need to look after each other. And I really do believe that you only have to look at the job market around AI. And this is not to opine about the fanciness. That is AI and capitalism and the money you could make. But I want to just as a case in point, a little microcosm, the queer community, and the Neurodivergent community’s representation in the AI community in terms of development is huge. It's massive. And it's got a nice big slice of the pie when it comes to representation and that is a good thing.

Philip King-Lowe

After this final commercial break, Silas and I will talk about the importance of creating good spaces where you can work through PTSD. After that will be Today’s Autistic Community Bulletin Board.

Commercial Break III

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Future Shows

Continuing where this show is leaving off about PTSD, on May 19^th we turn to get some helpful tips about Anger Management for Autistic Adults. Anger is a natural response to when we feel the need to protect ourselves from perceived dangers.  Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder fuels a lot of anger in us for things that happened that were out of our control. We need help to manage our anger.  Angela (AJ) Locashio returns to Today’s Autistic Moment on May 19^th to tell us about anger and how it affected them and will give us some examples of how to manage our anger. 

June is the celebration of LGBTQIA+ and Autistic Pride.  During June Autistics celebrate our integrity that was overlooked in April.  Bisexuals celebrate their existence, while the history of LGBTQIA+ rights movement have stigmatized and ignored them.  Daren Howard returns on June 2^nd to Today’s Autistic Moment for The Autistic Bisexual Experience. 

On June 16^th, Oluwatobi Odugunwa joins me to talk about The Autistic Black Nonbinary Experience.  This show will focus on several groups that Autistics intersect with.  Oluwatobi Odugunwa will share their experiences as an Autistic Black Nonbinary person.  Neurodiversity, racism, and transgender identities will inform our consciences to advocate for them all.

Check out to the Future Shows Page on todaysautisticmoment.com for all updates about shows coming up.

If you would like to offer to be a guest, go to the Be My Guest page on todaysautisticmoment.com to fill out the Guest Intake Form.

If you have any topic suggestions, please go to the Contact Us page and submit your ideas.

Thank you for listening to Today’s Autistic Moment.

Segment 4

Philip King-Lowe 

I want to talk about but our friend David Gray-Hammond, who has been on the show a few times and how he spoke of how the Autistic Community saved his life as he was working through substance abuse and recovery.  Because he had to discover that his monotropic mind, was actually the strength he needed to work his way through recovery.  Okay. That's amazing. Yeah, he talks about that a lot. And there are many others who have done that. I will say that one of my challenges over the many years has been if I have become say, gotten into a project with a whole group of people that I have to meet with regularly and work on and get something done.  And I find a lot of opposition in those things. I have often discovered that my greatest work comes when I am on my own, doing my own thing in my own little corner.  And that's where Today's Autistic Moment came from. Okay, so the point is, is that if it must, if you must do that sort of thing, that's actually your strength, not your weakness that has to defeat you. It will mean, it will mean certain things, you know, it has an impact on your economic status, sadly, which it shouldn’t, but it does, you know and those sorts of things, but I think it's much more important that you discover your strengths, and you learn how to use them do your advantage. I don't know if you have heard, I don't know if you've heard her on.  I don't know if you've heard her yet. But there is someone next door to you in New Zealand that I became fond of. Jolene Stockman, who has developed Takiwātanga, and I love that word.

Silas Zacharias

Yes, yes. Yeah. In their own space and time, I think.

Philip King-Lowe

And you know, I remember the first time I heard that I had been stressed from a number of different things that were happening. And when I listened to that, I felt like I have this new breath of positive fresh air, that just in your own space, in your own time.  I think that whole thing about each Autistic individual being so unique from the other, that is itself, the strength and that is the strength that you need to you need to invest in.

Philip King-Lowe 

Silas, I want to thank you so much for being here today. Wow. I'm always amazed at the conversations I have with you and many of my other guests, but I love where this conversation has gone. And I hope that many Autistic Adults and other of our Intersexual Communities have found some great helps with this. You know. So, thank you so much for being here today.

Silas Zacharias 

Thanks again, Philip.

Philip King-Lowe 

You're welcome.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Today’s Autistic Community Bulletin Board

All of these events and many others with their links can be found at todaysautisticmoment.com/bulletinboard.

Go to autisticwomenemerging.org to read about the AutisticaPalooza conference that will be held on October 18-20^th, 2024 at the Marriott Denver South in Denver, Colorado.  Tickets are now on sale.

Join The Autism Society of Minnesota for their Adult Coffee Club. The next Coffee Clubs will be on Tuesday nights from 5pm to 7pm at Dogwood Coffee in St. Paul on May 7^th, and June 4^th. Please RSVP at ausm.org.

Register for the Summer ASD Direct Support Certification Classes at The Autism Society of Minnesota.  Classes will be Monday through Friday, June 10^th to the 14^th, from 9am to 12noon. The cost is $300 per person, scholarships are available.

On Tuesday May 21^st at 7-8:30pm Jillian Nelson will be the presenter at a workshop at The Autism Society of Minnesota entitled Minnesota Service Navigation.  Jillian will provide her own perspective of service navigation as an Autistic Adult.  Learn what services are available and which ones may work best for you and your loved ones.  Services may vary on an individual and family basis. Jillian is not able to provide what an individual may qualify for in services.  However, Jillian can walk you through what the process is like and how to find out what someone qualifies for in the state of Minnesota.

Steps for Autism will be on Sunday, May 19^th from 9am to 12pm at ROC at the St. Louis Park Rec Center located at 3700 Monterey Drive in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.  All of the funds raised at this event stay in Minnesota for the Autism Community. 

The Autism Society of Minnesota invites you to a virtual workshop on June 6^th, 2024, beginning at 9:00am to 12:00pm entitled: Plain Language and Easy Read: An Introduction to Cognitively Accessible Formats.  The presentation will cover cognitively accessible formats when writing for Autistic people and other people with IDD.  We will talk about the difference between Plain Language and Easy Read, and the basics of illustrating and formatting Plain Language and Easy Read.  No prior experience in cognitively accessible formats is required, however, please come prepared to try writing in these formats.  The cost is $35-$65. 

Go to ausm.org to get more information about these and other social and educational events, counseling services and support groups at The Autism Society of Minnesota.

MNeurodivergent is a social club rooted in a vision of bringing Neurodivergent Minnesotans together to build meaningful connections.  Its core principle is to foster an environment where all are treated with dignity and respect regardless of ability or preferences. Go to the bulletin board at todaysautisticmoment.com and click on the Meet Up link to become a member and attend their events.

Today’s Autistic Moment is here because of the generosity of sponsors and supporters.  Please join the supporters by clicking on Support Today’s Autistic Moment on todaysautisticmoment.com.

If you work for a company and/or organization that supports Autistic Adults and the movement for Neurodiversity, I would love to have you sponsor ads on the show.

If you would like to sponsor an ad and/or have questions about Today’s Autistic Moment, please send an email to todaysautisticmoment@gmail.com.

Thank you for listening to Today’s Autistic Moment: A Podcast for Autistic Adults by An Autistic Adult.

May you have an Autistically Amazing day.