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One of the most common comments I receive from allistics (individuals who are not autistic), is that they also experience an autistic characteristic that I mention in an essay. It makes sense that all of humanity will share some specific characteristics. For example, an allistic and autistic person might both hate chemical smells. They also both might struggle with rumination.
Given the natural overlap of some characteristics, it follows that some allistics might also find some autistic strategies helpful.
For example, a key autistic strategy is to limit length of exposure to substances or environments that negatively impact their sensory system. Almost any human would also benefit from such guidance.
The same can be said of almost any autistic strategy. If an individual shares a similar struggle with a particular autistic characteristic, then they will likely benefit from autistic strategies on that topic.
I’d like to be clear here that I am not suggesting that allistic people are autistic. I am also not suggesting that autistic people experience the world as allistic people do. We don’t. I’ve written multiple essays on this topic, including: The Harm in "They're a Little Autistic" and Your Autistic Experience Sounds Just Like my Neurotypical One.
So if you’re allistic, I’m not suggesting you are “slightly” autistic. I’m simply saying you might benefit from some strategies that autistics also find beneficial.
For example, if you struggle with focusing, you might benefit from strategies autistics use to focus. You can read my essay 6 Strategies to Harness the Hyperfocus Power of an Autistic Mind.
If you often feel exhausted from your weekly schedule and feel like you can’t catch up, you might benefit from a no plans day. You can read my essay No Plans Days as an Autistic Tool.
You can read more strategy ideas in my essay Learning Autism Strategies as an Adult.
I’m here to give you permission to use what works for you and enhances your life. One of the benefits of being autistic is that I perceive and think about the world in a different way. That means that my fellow autistics and I come up with some pretty clever and creative ideas and strategies. We don’t want to keep them to ourselves. We want life to be a better experience for everyone.
Thank you for reading. If you’d like to read more, sign up for my FUNletter. If you would like to explore your autistic identity with an autistic therapist, you can learn more about my therapy services here.