Level 1 Autism Isn't Just Being Quirky. Saying That It Is Is Confusing For People Who Also Have Level

level 1 autism isn't just being quirky. saying that it is is confusing for people who also have level 1 and then think "no i must be high support needs" because they keep getting fired from jobs, or can't manage their own finances, or lose speech sometimes, or struggle to communicate anything beyond the literal.

like my diagnostic paperwork says "level 1" on it. i'm not a huge fan of flattening autistic experiences into homogenous "tiers" but like. there's a big difference between someone like me, who can hold basic conversations and work full time in competitive employment, vs someone who is nonspeaking and cannot work.

but that doesn't mean i'm "quirky." my parents literally tried to put me under a guardianship, on the recommendation of a doctor. strangers know i "have something wrong with me." i've been nearly expelled from two different universities. i struggle to convey nuanced and subjective information to like. employers and doctors and landlords. everybody who knows me knows i have communication issues. my motor skills impact my ability to feed myself--i.e. move food from my plate into my mouth without getting it all over the table and my clothes. not just "oh i don't know what to cook tonight uwu." i spent 2 years in high school in a social skills class where they tried to make us memorize facial expressions on flash cards, and had to take us on weekly outings to learn how to ride the bus and order at an ice cream shop.

this kind of framing of level 1 autism as being "just quirky" is harmful to all autistic people, because it means that level 1 autistic people like me, who are disabled by autism, will see this and think "well i'm not just quirky, i must be level 2 or 3" and then start talking over people whose disability from their autism is more pronounced. we see this with people who lose speech sometimes calling themselves nonspeaking. or with people who live with roommates calling themselves "high support needs" because they "can't live alone."

it's hurtful to all of us to pretend that there exists any autistic person who is "just quirky." what separates "autism" as the clinical diagnosis from "autistic traits" as in the thing that most people have a few of, is that if you're actually autistic, your autistic traits cause a disability. "just quirky" = does not have autism.

Describing Voices

Inspired by this old post

Words (and definitions) as text below cut.

Words to Describe a Voice

Adenoidal: pinched and nasal in tone

Alto: a low female voice, or a high male voice

Appealing: evoking interest, desire, or curiosity; attractive

Austere: severe, uncompromising, or strict; sober, or serious

Baritone: an intermediate male voice, between tenor and bass

Booming: a deep, resonant sound; prolonged or echoing

Breathy: audible, or excessive, emission of breath

Coarse: harsh, or grating; vulgar, obscene, or crude

Croaky: low-pitched and hoarse; croaking

Deep: low in pitch; sonorous tone

Ethereal: light, airy, or tenuous; extremely delicate or refined

Falsetto: an unnaturally, or artificially, high-pitched voice

Frail: delicate, weak, or fragile

Grating: irritating, unpleasant, harsh, discordant, or rasping

Gravelly: harsh and grating

Guttural: harsh, or throaty; sounds formed in back of mouth

High-Pitched: high in volume and/or tone

Hoarse: a low, harsh sound; husky; weak intensity and excessive breathiness

Honeyed: pleasantly soft; dulcet, or mellifluous; flattering, or ingratiating

Husky: a somewhat hoarse, semi-whispered vocal tone

Hypnotic: inducing, or tending to induce, sleep; soporific

Lilting: rhythmic; light and tripping

Lofty: elevated; arrogant or condescending

Low: quiet or deep

Luscious: sweet to excess; highly pleasing; satisfying; cloying

Lyrical: enthusiastic; effusive; melodious; musical

Majestic: lofty, imposing, stately, or grand

Mellow: mild and pleasant; relaxed; soft and rich

Melodic: sweet-sounding; musical

Mesmerizing: completely engrossing, captivating, or fascinating

Musical: resembling music; melodious; harmonious

Nasal: sounds, either partly or entirely, form the noise

Orotund: strong, full, rich, or clear; pompous or bombastic

Plaintive: sorrowful; melancholic; mournful

Plummy: rich, or mellowly, resonant

Raspy: harsh, grating, rasping, or irritating

Resonant: deep and full of resonance; reverberating

Rich: full, strong, deep, or vivid

Ringing: clear, resonant; reminiscent of bells

Scratchy: uneven, irritating, or grating

Shrill: high-pitched and piercing

Silvery: having a clear, ringing sound

Small: humble, weak, soft, or of little strength or force

Smoky: hazy, hoarse, husky, or raspy

Soft-Spoken: soft, gentle, or mild; persuasive

Soporific: causing, or tending to cause, sleep

Squeaky: sharp, shrill, high-pitched

Strong: robust; powerful; intense in quality

Sweet: pleasing to the ear; delicate, or agreeable

Tenor: an intermediate male voice between bass and alto

Thick: husky, or hoarse; not distinctly articulated

Thin: lacking fullness or volume; weak, or shrill

Throaty: guttural, husky, or hoarse

Tight: drawn, tense, or taut

Weak: lacking in force; soft, deficient, or quiet

Wheezy: with a whistling sound, and difficulty breathing

Words to Describe Tone of Voice

Affected: false, or feigned; pretending to possess

Arrogant: overbearing, assuming, insolently proud

Authoritative: positive, peremptory, or dictatorial

Bloodcurdling: arousing terror; horrifying

Boisterous: rough and noisy, rowdy, unrestrained; noisily jolly

Breaking: changing, or collapsing, suddenly

Bright: animated, lively, cheerful, clever, or witty

Brittle: fragile, frail, lacking warmth; having a sharp, tense quality

Cacophonous: having a harsh, or discordant sound

Caterwauling: long and wailing; a howl, or screech

Cheery: in good spirits; cheerful, or happy

Delicate: soft, or faint; subtle; tactful, or cautious

Dry: plain, unadorned, indifferent, or matter-of-fact

Dulcet: pleasant to the ear; melodious

Ear-Splitting: extremely harsh and irritating; loud

Enthusiastic: lively, ardent, eager, or passionate

Faint: soft, weak, feeble, or slight; lacking clearness or volume

Feeble: lacking in force, strength, volume, and distinctness

Flat: without modification or variation; without vitality

Forceful: powerful, vigorous, or effective

Frank: direct and unreserved; straightforward; sincere

Gruff: low and harsh; hoarse; rough, brusque, or surly

Hesitant: wavering, irresolute, timid, or unpersuasive

Insincere: lacking sincerity; sarcastic; hypocritical

Irreverent: lacking respect; flippant

Monotone: single tone, without harmony or variation

Patronizing: offensive and condescending

Pedantic: overly concerned with details and rules

Petulant: impatient irritation; annoyed

Piercing: loud, or shrill; sarcastic, or caustic

Pompous: ostentatious display of self-importance

Pontificating: to speak in a pompous or dogmatic manner

Pretentious: making an exaggerated outward show; ostentatious

Raised: increased in volume

Raucous: harsh, strident, or grating; rowdy, or disorderly

Respectful: showing deference; politeness

Rough: harsh to the ear; grating, or jarring

Sarcastic: using harsh or bitter derision or irony

Screeching: harshly shrill

Serious: grave, somber, earnest, or sincere

Singsong: rhythmically monotonous cadence or tone

Smug: contentedly confident in superiority or correctness

Snarky: testy or irritable; having a rudely critical tone

Snobby: condescending, patronizing; snobbish

Soft: low, or subdued; gentle and melodious

Sotto Voce: in a low, soft voice, so as not to be overheard

Stilted: stiffly dignified or formal; pompous

Strangled: choking, or stifled; gradually cut off

Sullen: gloomy, irritated, morose, or malignant

Trembling: shaking, as from fear, excitement, or weakness

Unapologetic: bold, and showing no regret

Upbeat: optimistic, happy, or cheerful

Warbling: with trills, quavers, or melodic embellishments

Wavering: unsteady, shaky, or fluctuating; begin to fail

Whiny: complaining, fretful, or cranky

Whisper: to speak with soft, hushed sounds

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confusledqueer

5 years ago

Good Omens Hamlet

Do y’all ever think about what David must have had to deal with listening to that awful rendition of to be or not to be I mean hell, the actor had some of the words wrong and was terrible lol. I know it was purposeful but like as a Shakespeare geek seeing the supposed Richard Burbage be such a bad actor physically hurt me. I can’t imagine what David, a classically trained actor, who played Hamlet on the West End, must have felt.

dream and george’s synastry analysis (4/21/2021 UPDATE)

its time to give the people what they want (electric boogaloo)

Keep reading

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confusledqueer

5 years ago

KATE MCKINNON Presenting The Carol Burnett Award At The 77th Golden Globe Awards To ELLEN DEGENERES

KATE MCKINNON presenting the Carol Burnett Award at the 77th Golden Globe Awards to ELLEN DEGENERES

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confusledqueer

6 years ago

This is lovely

My Parents...

So typically, teen girls hide fanfiction from their parents. Whether it’s one they’re reading or one they’re writing.

My family, however, read my gay fanfictions quite happily and offer criticism and/or support when I’m stuck. They also say whether or not my ideas are good.

I’m not sure if I should be traumatised or not. Is this good? Am I breaking the fangirl rules or something?

Even my grandparents will read my writing! My Nan is 91 and supports my writing even if it is fanfiction! She even helps me with fanart and concept pictures!

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confusledqueer

5 years ago

Mando is so astonishingly accepting of the Child. Again and again, the kid does something weird or troubling or downright dangerous, and Mando is like, "well, we have to work that one out I guess".

Baby eats frogs? I mean, not my thing but uh...*files that away*. Pushes buttons that make alarms go off? Gently prevent him from doing it again. Nearly crashes the whole damn ship when left alone for a minute? Okay we really can't afford to leave you alone; let's go find the most patient dude I know. Force chokes Cara? Get his attention and explain why he needs to stop. Speaking as a parent, his patience is enviable.

He talks to the Child even though he can't talk back ("I told you this was a bad idea"). He's gentle with the child and moves slowly around him when possible. He even shows physical affection a couple of times (small caresses when the Child is sleeping or when he thinks the bounty hunters have him beat). That's particularly incredible given that physical affection has most likely not been a significant part of his life since his parents died, given what we've been shown of Mandalorian life.

Basically, it sure seems like, given that he's got next to no reason to know anything about parenting and definitely knows nothing about how specifically to care for whatever-the-Child-is, his instincts are really super good.

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