Callum Stephen (He/Him)

As an autistic person, just because it can take me longer to process my emotions and identify how I feel about something, and I can be succinct in how I express my emotions, that doesn’t mean I don’t feel emotions. I feel emotions deeply.

Autistic people may appear to ‘overreact’ to ‘small’ things, but often such things are not small to us. For example, sensory overload can be very distressing, and it can be so unsettling when a beloved food/product is out of stock if it brings much-needed familiarity and comfort.

The autistic urge to google words and their synonyms, so that you can find out their precise meaning and then use the words that most closely capture what you wish to express, because even the thought of using inaccurate words can feel very uncomfortable and unsettling.

@WritePaintDraw I think if one is included in plans one deserves to know what’s happening and be kept up to date 🙏🏻

@AutisticCallum_ Yes, I've gotten, "It's my house, I'll invite who I want." I'm not trying to control that. I just want to know, if at all possible, how many people will be there & who. It's to better manage myself, stay calm, calibrate my energy. Surprises are hard, esp if I can't easily leave.

As an autistic person, something that can be so stressful for me is when additional people are added to existing plans with little to no prior notice. How many people and which people will be present can have a huge impact on the energy of a social situation, …

@JesusMcChr65795 And when the vibe is different it can be so easy to just feel completely at a loss about what to say and how to act 😂

@AutisticCallum_ And then the new person thinks I hate them but really the whole group vibe is different 🤣

The autistic talent of falling in love with unpopular products that keep getting discontinued without warning.

Plans do change sometimes, I accept that, I navigate the changes, and I want everyone who attends the social situation to feel welcome, but it is so helpful when, where possible, I can have sufficient time to process and prepare for any changes (and the more time the better!).

… the conversation dynamics, my planned conversation topics and scripts, and more. Not having much/any time to prepare for how the social situation will now differ from what I had anticipated can feel quite overwhelming.

Many autistic people remember the lyrics to an unusually high number of songs, and we may often burst into song (in our minds or aloud) when someone says words that match the lyrics of one of the many songs we remember. A lot of us share a strong connection with (certain) music.

The autistic experience of planning things extra extensively yet still fearing that you could be underprepared.

Part of my autistic experience is sometimes not being able to find the words or, if I can find them, not being able to speak them. It feels like there’s some kind of block, like my brain is so busy that there’s been an abrupt stop.

The autistic experience of thinking that you don’t really understand something because you don’t understand *all* the details, even though you understand the key aspects and many people in your position would feel that they have a good - maybe even a great - understanding of it.

@hyperbrainco Silo is on my list of shows to watch! I’m glad to know there’s another season coming - that’s a good sign 😁

@AutisticCallum_ Only to find out they are making another series. This happened last night, (Silo) I'm still processing this new information 😂

The autistic urge to process finishing a TV series or movie by spending hours (maybe even days) researching it.

@ElleBeePhotos Thank you 🙏🏻

@AutisticCallum_ I feel this way about social media especially. Well said, Callum. 👏

The autistic experience of being misperceived as disinterested/unenthusiastic when in reality you are very much interested in the proposed opportunity but also mindful of the additional challenges it may present for you and whether you can accommodate all the processing, …

@SmithCkilg Wearing them is a wonderful way to honour her 🙏🏻

@AutisticCallum_ I have sweaters that my mom bought me in the 90s and I still wear them. I miss her so 💜

Autistic people often keep and use objects for longer than is typical. While many people regularly upgrade, we frequently hang on to things for years (even if they break) because we can get a lot of comfort from familiarity, feel so attached to our things, and…

…energy, preparation time and recovery time the opportunity will require of you.

@Toasty199 I hope you can find something else you enjoy soon 🙏🏻

@AutisticCallum_ I used to love tinkering with computers but now it all feels to soulless

An autistic person may experience intense feelings of loss and grief when losing passion for a special interest; our special interests can mean so much to us and can be life-enhancing interests that empower us, invigorate us, soothe us and help us through challenging times.