Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity

Expand the time frame you use to gauge productivity and success. Take the “long view” of your life. Don’t be afraid to cycle back to old projects, or let a passion go when it’s not serving you. Slow down. Stillness helps neurodivergent minds process the huge quantities of data we take in.

Interestingly, adults are only shamed for having an obsessive interest if that interest is a bit too “strange,” and doesn’t come with the opportunity to rack up a lot of achievements or make a lot of money. People who routinely complete eighty-hour workweeks aren’t penalized for being obsessive or hyperfixated; they’re celebrated for their diligenc

Consequently, a big part of unmasking will mean facing those qualities you loathe the most in yourself, and working to see them as neutral, or even as strengths.

Masked Autistics sometimes find structure and belonging in “high control” groups, such as radicalized political organizations, religious communities with very restrictive beliefs, and cults. High control groups famously prey on people who are lonely and desperately seek a sense of purpose. Their repetitive rituals, seemingly close-knit social bonds

In addition to compensating by working from home or pursuing digital work, a significant percentage of Autism maskers disengage from reality via internet and gaming.[40]

To download this chart, go to http://prhlink.com/9780593235249a001

It’s not just that Autistics tend to be obsessive about hyperspecific subjects, and have the technical skills necessary to build these networks.[19] In fact, many masked Autistics focus instead on the social and practical aspects of connecting online and in person. They are often the ones to schedule the tabletop gaming sessions, tweak the forum se

http://prhlink.com/9780593235249a009.

there are gaps between what we’ve been told we should be, and how we’d actually like to live.