10 Ways I Unmask and Accommodate My Autistic Self

My last post I talked about the ways I masked as an Autistic kid.

Undiagnosed. Filled with gender norms and stereotypes. It can be upsetting to read about, even if you do resonate with it. So, this post is all about how I have unmasked and learned to accommodate my Autistic self and my needs.

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Photo by Polina Kovaleva

1 Earplugs

I don’t leave the house these days without my Loop earplugs. I have them on before I even enter most stores. I can’t believe the difference it’s made, especially when I tried to go without them once. Oof. I didn’t realize how overstimulated most stores made me until then.

2 Plenty of Rest

When I learned that most neurodivergent’s need more sleep than the average neurotypical, things started to make more sense. I still struggle with “I’m not being productive enough,” but I try my best to listen to what my mind and body needs–and more often than not that is rest.

3 Stimming

Stimming kind of changed the game for me. I stim mostly at home or in places I’m comfortable in. I’m still working on stimming freely in public. I usually fidget with a scrunchie or tap my fingers together. This way I’m not drawing unwanted attention to…