Top 10 Tips on How to Be a Good Autist
Autistic people often face negative stereotypes due to being misunderstood, appearing immature, or taking things very seriously. If you want to navigate social interactions more effectively, consider following the tips listed below.Now, hear me out. I understand that individuals with more severe forms of autism may have less control over their thoughts and actions, and I completely empathize with that. However, this is addressed to those who are high-functioning.
If you're a high-functioning autistic individual reading this and want to improve how others perceive you, these tips may help.
Personally, I have mild Asperger's syndrome, and I try to avoid negative perceptions by keeping these tips in mind.
Sure, there are some things you should take personally, but not everything. The world does not revolve around you. Just saying.
Violence is never the answer. If you get angered easily, either take a deep breath, count to ten, or take a stress ball with you everywhere you go.
If there's one thing I can't stand, it's autists who use their autism as an excuse to do bad things. Don't use it as an excuse. It'll only get you hate.
Exactly! My biggest pet peeve is baby talk, and my relatives do it all the time. I don't mind a little bit of it, but I absolutely HATE it when they do it to my cousins, especially if they're crying or throwing a tantrum. That's why I've created a "Family Survival Kit" to bring to parties. It includes my phone, earbuds, chargers, and spare earbuds. These tools are absolutely necessary for me to survive my crazy relatives so I don't lose my sanity.
You can't control how loud a party you're attending is. If the area you're in is too loud, simply walk away or carry some earplugs with you wherever you go. I usually take earplugs with me when I go to certain places.
I'm not saying people should bully you. I'm saying that if you act rude or obnoxious to other people, they will criticize you for your behavior. Like I said before, your autism is not an excuse to do bad things.
It really does. Once you get angry with another person, they might get angry back - maybe even angrier. You don't want to start fights or feel intimidated in any way.
Sometimes, obsession can be a good thing. For instance, if you have a dream and you really want to make it a reality, you must be obsessed with trying to make that dream possible. You can't just sit down and do nothing. You have to work hard and live and breathe your passion every day.
On the other hand, bad obsession is a different matter. For example, if you're obsessed with things like movies, TV shows, video games, etc., there is such a thing as unhealthy obsession. Being constantly attached to your favorite things instead of trying to live your life can be harmful. People may think you're creepy for being extremely obsessed with a movie. Don't devote all your time to playing games, watching movies, or whatever it may be. You have to live your own life because this is the only shot at life you get.
No adults will take you seriously if you start whining all the time because whining is immature and very unattractive. Again, just saying.
Whenever my relatives speak in baby talk to my cousins, I usually let them know how it makes me mad and ask if they could treat them more maturely. They often understand and stop treating them like babies or toddlers.
Unfortunately, I get in trouble with my parents for doing this, so I try to only do it when my parents aren't around or are distracted by something else.
I always feel like no one cares about my thoughts and feelings. The only person who seems to care is my mom.
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It's OK to cry. Just don't overdo it.
I know some autists do take things too seriously, but if you really want to improve, try not to take things so seriously sometimes, especially jokes. It's one thing to apologize for an offensive joke, but it's another thing to get so triggered over a joke that's not even that bad. If you're easily offended by such material, then simply don't listen to it. It's as simple as that.
When my mom used to babysit my cousins, sometimes my great aunt and great uncle would come over in the evening. Whenever my relatives and cousins were at my house together and started with the baby talk, I would excuse myself to my room and stay there until they all went home. I usually either watched TV, did some homework, drew, or played on the iPad while in my room.
The problem will not be solved, and you will get in trouble this way. I found out the hard way.
Not only will others get annoyed and angry, but you will also get hearing problems from it. If it's too loud in the room, turn the music down to a reasonable volume and excuse yourself to go to another room instead.
Not all autists are like this, but from my personal experience, there have been some pretty unhygienic autists. Heck, even I was a pretty unhygienic autist until I realized how gross I felt. If you don't want your bad looks or smells to drive people away, always keep hygiene in mind.
It doesn't always work for me, so I find other things to do or concentrate on to distract myself from what I find highly irritating, such as pain, annoying and loud relatives, etc.
You will make others think that you are greedy. Make requests instead. People are more likely to say yes to requests.
If you do what your parents want, they'll be happier, and you are more likely to get what you want in return.