Autism Starter Kit for Newly Diagnosed Adults ❤️‍🩹🤗⛑

Receiving an autism diagnosis as an adult can be disorienting and confusing. 🤔You’re the same person, but seeing yourself in a different light after years of thinking you were just having a hard time fitting in. Where do you begin navigating the world with this new information? Which resources do you need in order to allow the truest version of yourself to shine through? 🤷‍♀️🧸

In this video, Tay shares a few practical tips you can implement today as you learn how to support yourself after an adult autism diagnosis. 👊

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Click on any of the blue timestamps below to jump to a specific section and please ⭐️SUBSCRIBE ⭐️to help support my channel and allow my videos to show up more easily for people like us!

💻TIMESTAMPS ⏰
(click a blue time marker to jump to a specific section)
What is stimming? (0:29)
I just got an autism diagnosis. Now what? (0:36)
You are ok. (1:04)
You don’t have to share your diagnosis. (1:08)
You need time alone. (1:32)
Give yourself permission to stim. (2:03)
The way you experience the world is different and that's ok. (2:36)
Special interests are important. (3:04)
Setting boundaries is essential. (3:39)
One step at a time. (4:09)

📱RESOURCES 🤳

Aaron's Thinking Putty (product - not sponsored):

____________

I'm Tay, a married mom of 2 who was diagnosed with Autism at 31 years old. This was after YEARS of therapy (and all of the self tests in the world!). My diagnosis has brought up questions, frustration, doubt, but most importantly, a new level of self compassion and understanding.

I'm here to share knowledge, resources, and products that empower other neurodivergents (and their loved ones) to live freely and creatively. I'm not a doctor so please speak with your healthcare providers before implementing any recommendations I make on my channel.

Females are under-diagnosed due to both lack of research and awareness. Please share any videos that are helpful to you so we can spread awareness and acceptance.

Music by Milky Wayvers ("Mountain")

Thumbnail Photo by shawnee wilborn on Unsplash

#autism #autistic #aspergers

[sueannevangalen]

Hi, I am a new subscriber to this channel. I'm 45 and just figured out I'm on the spectrum over the summer, so I'm currently self-diagnosed and going to be seeking formal diagnosis in the coming months. RE: stimming. I didn't really notice that I flap my hands when I'm excited about something until I realized I'm autistic. My non-verbal autistic eight-year-old son does, too. One evening, within the last couple of weeks, I flapped my hands in front of him for the first time. Oh, his face just lit up. He hummed and grinned and rocked a little bit. When I stopped, he reached over and lifted my arms as if to urge me to keep flapping. It was one of the most beautiful moments of my life 🙂

[carriemummy]

I got diagnosed yesterday at the age of 56. I thought I had researched autism a lot, maybe even too much, I thought, for going for my assessment. Turns out there are some things I didn't know about and had no idea how other people experienced them differently from me!

[siennaprice]

I’m a female on the autism spectrum, and I have complex PTSD. I really enjoy sensory toys and equipment. I also love music. CPTSD on top of autism can be hard. I won’t go too deep into what my CPTSD was from, but I’ll say it was for almost 10 years of nonstop craziness. I try to mask my CPTSD more than my autism.

[kikijewell]

1:08 "you don't have to share your diagnosis." I find its easier to share _symptoms_ rather than diagnosis. Like, "let's go somewhere else, since I don't like loud crouds of people." People are much more understanding, accepting and accommodating of your specific symptoms.

[rivahcat]

I'm 70, and your chart of autistic traits in women has made me self-diagnose as being on the spectrum. I actually met 3/4 of the traits listed! It explains a lot about my life experiences. I don't find it disturbing, but rather strangely comforting. My brother is ADHD, which is no surprise considering his life experiences. I also think our mom may have been on the spectrum as well.

[viviendavenport]

Thank you. The idea of accomodations instead of resistance has changed my life in a week. "Resistance is futile", and masking it all the time is hard, hard work, which requires too much energy. Here are a few things in myself I am accepting and even accomadating when i am alone, that i fought against a week ago: Repitition, repitition, repitition. Stimming when alone. No lights. Low volume, soft music. Phones off. Outbursts of cussing and flayling when irritated. Loud, uncontrolled outbursts of laughter. Talking to myself out loud. Admitting and noticing how much the littlest things can annoy me. Wearing soft pajamas all day, in a dark room, with AC on. Unintelligible baby talk to my dog. Long bathes in candle light with epson salts, and Eric Satie with red, red wine. By giving myself an Autistic Adult free zone when alone, I have more energy to mask effectively, and focus on the needs of others.

[jeannette]

My least favorite thing people say to me, "You would be really good at (insert activity here)! You should try it out!" Not realizing that I have like 5 special interests that consume all my free time already. That can be overwhelming just thinking about it, but they all make me happy when I put energy into them. Just thinking about the person's suggested activity makes me twitch and it is all I can do to politely say no when I really want to have a meltdown. If they only knew ...

[KMx]

My mom was so excited to tell me she learned that AuDHD was a new "thing" that fit me. It makes sense. Total sense. Im 48 and finally making sense of all my challenges. Btw i love how fast you deliver info in this video. I usually speed up videos, but not this one. My mom is always asking me to make it normal speed so she can understand what's being said and it sounds like super slow mo and stresses me out / gives me anxiety. Your speed is perfect. ❤

[whitneymason]

I so needed this! I got my diagnosis 2 months ago and I'm still struggle sometimes wrapping my head around it. I thought everyone was just better at dealing with daily stress and anxiety, I didn't realize that I experience the world differently than the average person. I really appreciate your positivity, thanks for sharing!

[Shotleythinktank]

My “stemming” is the absolute destructive act of skin picking. I’ll be doing it without thinking then catch myself yet unable to quit till it’s picked-off. With the exception of smoking that I quit 25 years ago, no other repetitive activity has successfully replaced this god awful obsession—or damn addiction!!

[willowravenwright]

I was just diagnosed as an AuDHDer at the age of 40. With regard to not sharing a diagnosis, I absolutely agree. However, saying to people, “I am neurodivergent, ” is a way to explain how you have trouble communicating, interacting, etc. without directly having to say, “I am Autistic, ” or, “I have Autism, ” or anything similar.

[goodbyekitty]

I've felt very different from other people for a good chunk of my life. I do have depression and anxiety, and have felt that there was more to that. For many years I've wondered what else I could be dealing with, but was too nervous to go find out. After having a major depressive episode/shutdown, I finally decided to get help with that. It was a few months later that my therapist suspected that I was on the spectrum. I had mixed feelings about getting evaluated, and then realized I had to know. I had my evaluation two months ago, and was officially diagnosed a month later with ASD and ADHD at the age of 41. When I got the diagnoses, I pretty much shrugged and thought to myself okay then, now I know. It certainly has been an eye opening experience, and things started to make sense. My mom has been very supportive. My brother doesn't really believe that these conditions are real, and I haven't yet told him of my official diagnoses.

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[MasterpieceLost]

I am 39 and newly diagnosed Level 1. Your videos were instrumental in giving me the understanding I needed to express my ‘quirks’ to my therapist and get an assessment. Your videos have also been a huge comfort in better understanding myself, when so many other resources lean on outsider observations rather than the experience of those living with Autism. Thank you for all you do!

[betube]

You said rest is essential! This is prime advice I wish my past self had taken to heart.

[margiestevens]

Just saw this today, I was diagnosed a couple of years ago. I am 70. You had me when you said you also had ADHD and your interests included piano, and crocheting. Thanks, I also cycle through those along with reading, writing, and crafts😂 nice to know there is another person out there with similar interests ❤

[AutisticDutchie]

I’m 43 and got diagnosed today. I brought in your list of autistic traits in women (of which I checked off nearly everything) and the assessor loved your list so much and said she may start sending those out to other women with their pre-assessment questionnaire packs.

[Philtopy]

Thanks a lot for this.
I don’t have a diagnosis (yet) but I met a psychologist yesterday and he made some tests with me, just to find out the ground water and for both of us to get to know eachother and he told me that I shine out on all the autism tests! Hit me like a baseball bat because it really never occurred to me that this could be the case why I struggle so much and just with this half diagnosis I already feel like a huge weight goes off my chest because I treated myself very unfairly and suffered needlessly because I didn’t meet my expectations.
So I started to look I to what autism really is and I found this video. Really helpful stuff :)

[HannahFields]

Your content has been immeasurably helpful! I'm 48 and for 3+ years I've been searching a doctor in my area who will assess an adult female new patient for autism, with no luck. I recently found someone in your big autism resource guide and have started the evaluation process. Thank you for what you do! 😊

[Nodsbane]

It is so wild being able to understand my life after all this time at age 37. I really don't know how everyone missed it but I did do stuff like go to school and I've always been one of the smartest people others know so I think my flat affect makes people think I'm way more normal than I really am lol. It's so awesome to know why I think the way I do and why I think people are mad at me and stuff. I thought it was paranoia but it's actually that I cannot read people.

[Athenasfairygarden]

I know I'm late on this video but I just got diagnosed with inattentive adhd and autism level 2. I told my mum and cried to her about how I was feeling and she has gone and told her partner and I mean I would have told him bet I feel horrible because it wasn't my choice so thank you for saying it's up to me who gets to know my diagnosis