Being neurodivergent in a neurotypical world ✿

The autism experience - exclusive to me as an autistic small business owner.

*I want to preface this blog post by saying that no autistic experience in the same. Every single person with ASD has a different experience and I can and will only speak on my own behalf.

I know this is not my usual content, but as an autistic small business owner (and human in general), I think it is important and also a passion of mine to advocate for autism awareness and education. 

I only recently got diagnosed with autism. However, contrary to popular belief I have had autism my entire life. Another important thing to note is that getting my diagnosis has not changed my day-to-day experience. The challenges I face as a person with ASD are challenges that I have been experiencing for a long time (the whole time really), hence why the diagnosis has brought some closure in the sense of understanding why these are the challenges that I experience. An example of this is my sensory issues. Prior to my ASD diagnosis, I had the diagnosis of "sensory processing disorder" (SPD) ... safe to say that an autism diagnosis was not surprising considering very rarely do people have SPD without having ASD. 

Recently my most prominent challenge has been autistic burnout (I'm going to attach some articles on this at the end of this post because there seems to be a lot of confusion on how autistic burnout differs to neurotypical burnout). Autistic burnout leaves us feeling not only emotionally drained, but physiologically and cognitively drained. Oftentimes it makes it harder for us to concentrate, empathise, understand and process things the way we usually would when we mask. Those of us who experience autistic burnout often feel "chronic exhaustion, loss of skills, and reduced tolerance to stimulus" (autism.org.uk) and it tends to affect us for extended periods of time and in super debilitating ways. 

The beauty of being a small business owner with ASD is that it allows me to be myself and pace myself to my needs. Although I have been able to hold down a regular job in the past, going through burnout makes it difficult in the present. Which brings me to my last point; how grateful I am for all the reach I have gained since opening my shop! Not only allowing me to indulge in my special interests (crochet and Jellycats) but also proving to myself that there are people out there who value what I have to offer.

Thankyou all so much, just viewing this post and clicking my links is a form of supporting me and I appreciate it all. If you have time, please check out my Etsy and other socials in the sidebar tab and email me with any questions or concerns.

Goodbye for now ♡︎

Stay educated! ᵔᴗᵔ

Understanding autistic burnout - National Autistic Society (UK)

Autistic burnout - Spectrum 

Autistic burnout is more than burnout - Autistic Science Person  

What makes autistic burnout different from a regular burnout? - The Swaddle