ASD management and assistive tools
ASD management and assistive tools
I got some good quality noise cancelling headphones 12 months ago and thought they were great. Since doing more reading about ASD and ADHD, I've come to understand I have some sensory issues.
I bought some Loop earplugs a few weeks ago after reading about them in other ASD threads and I love wearing them when driving, shopping or in doctor's waiting rooms. I feel much less anxious and tense.
After doing some more reading and reflection, I think that a weighted blanket might be helpful and so I ordered one.
I've been using softer, less jarring alarms and ringtones for years and started using the Smiling Mind phone app recently which has been helpful.
I was wondering if there are any assistive tools/devices/tips that any other ASD people have found that have had a major impact on their lives that they might like that share?
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What's ASD?
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Thanks. Is Autism just short for ASD then, or is it different?
yeah it's pretty messy
there was an original condition called "autism" which referred to the stereotypical, ""low functioning"" case where someone has intellectual disabilities and the rest
then a ""high functioning"" variant was labelled, where the intellectual disability was missing, called "asperger's syndrome"
then more and more inbetween cases started being labelled like rett syndrome, CDD, PDD-NOS, and so they had to say "fuck it, it's all "autism spectrum disorder" now"
over time, "autism" has become shorthand for ASD. to avoid confusion, the OG autism sometimes gets described as "classic autism"
honestly it's all a big mess
You're right, that is a huge mess for something that should naturally have a more accurate naming convention. It's understandable why people with it would want to avoid labels about it for some of those reasons as well or be more specific about the labels even. It's also probably a big reason more people aren't honest about having it or even why people probably aren't diagnosed more often and sooner.
Damn.
Thanks for explaining.
The history of it is... interesting and somewhat unfortunate. It at-least helps understand why we've got the mess we have now. The early history of the study of autism is muddled with the politics and hatred of WWII.
IIRC the current diagnostic system is 'Autism Spectrum Disorder' and then there's a level stated. 1: Requires Support; some trouble in social situations, rigid/inflexible behavior, stress during transitions 2: Requires Substantial Support; atypical social behavior, high interest in specific topics, noticable distress with change 3: Requires Very Substantial Support; severe communication deficits, repetitive behaviors, extreme distress when asked to switch tasks
They're the same, ASD serves as the acronym for Autism Spectrum Disorder, Autism is Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD is useful for short form purposes or specifying it from a medical perspective but they're interchangeable.