The Autism Spectrum According to Autistic People

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The Autism Spectrum
According to Autistic People

NeuroClastic

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My Brain Is Autistic

Terra Vance

This NeuroInclusive story is for kids and adults and helps to understand how autistic brains are different— from most brains and from other autistic brains.

Autistic kids and the people around them rarely get the luxury to learn how they are different from others and what this means for them.

This is obviously an oversimplified analogy of brains, but it is accurate to the neuroscience. Autistic brains (usually/often) have less connectivity between left and right hemispheres, then either more or less connectivity to various sensory systems. Also, those systems themselves may be more or less developed. 87% of autistic people have a degree of apraxia or dyspraxia, which means that there’s atypical connectivity in the areas of the brain responsible for movement and coordination. This is why many nonspeakers cannot speak or speak reliably.

Basically, most people’s brains are like a bunch of evenly distributed two-lane roads, but autistic people have 14-lane superhighways, labyrinths like the stuff of Greek mythology, toll booths, mountainous hiking trails, and rickety foot bridges.

We may have to run an internal obstacle course every time we do a “brain errand,” or those tasks that become automated routines for most people.

We are in our heads with the urgency of Indiana Jones trying to navigate and keep up with your world and what is easy for everyone else. We spend so much time breaking our necks trying to do what everyone else is doing, the way they’re doing it, that we never get to learn what we can do if we open up that superhighway and do what we’re wired to do best– which varies depending on the person’s brain map.

NeuroInclusive is a word coined by NeuroClastic that is used to describe spaces, activities, and programs that are intentionally, actively designed to foster inclusion for people who are from different neurotypes— like Autistics, ADHDers, PDAers, dyslexics, etc.

*Note: thank you to everyone who credits NeuroClastic when using the term “NeuroInclusive” in your work and posts.

You can click here to download the printable PDF of the images in this post, and the individual images are viewable below.

Click here for the link to image descriptions.

Written by Terra Vance with art contributions from Kate Jones.

All images have a dark, night sky motif a starry or solid blue or black backgrounds. Image is a title slide that reads, “My Brain Is Autistic,” and at the bottom, “A NeuroInclusive Story from NeuroClastic”
Images of five children with thought bubbles and a brain. The first child’s bubble says “What exactly do we mean when we say we are Autistic?”. The second child says “We are different in some ways”. The third says “But we are the same in other ways.” The fourth says “It really is a good question.” The fifth says “But you cannot *see* how we are different. The brain says “Our differences are in our brains and how we think.” @neuroclastic
Image of a starry night sky with a constellation that looks like a brain. Underneath are purple and pink waves one says @neuroclastic in it. The words underneath say “Brains do a lot to help people see, hear, know they are hungry, understand their emotions, remember, feel heat and cold, move their bodies, read, think, and lots of other cool jobs.”
Image has a picture of a kid smiling and jumping and reads: When you need to move, your brain sends a signal to your body to move. Image shows a group of kids listening to a teacher read a story and reads: When you need to listen to a story, your ear sends a signal to your brain to understand the words and meaning. Image shows a picture of a colorful word art sign of the word lollipop. It has a road going from the word lollipop to a brain and a car is traveling the road between. It reads: Imagine a brain is like a map with each stop being a place to process different signals. Signals are like cars that carry information. Pathways like roads in you brain carry signals to each part so you can understand and interact with the world around you. If you see a word, your eyes send a signal to your brain to read the word and remember what it means.
An image of a bright moon appears on a starry background. A black silhouette of a leafy landscape is below. Text reads "Most brains have a map that looks similar, with all the roads being the same size."
Image has a brain at the center of a map and lots of icons around the map of different sensory processes like touch, vision, smell, sense of time, sorting and organizing, etc. All of the roads are about the same size and have direct paths to the brain. This is to show that non-autistic brains are relatively evenly connected with access to neural connection to various parts of the brain.
Image of a dark sky full of stars (one is a shooting star) and black shadowed mountains below. The words say “But autistic brains all have different maps! The roads that carry signals may be bigger or smaller, or might take a shorter or longer path. This means we see, think, and feel things differently from most people and at different speeds.”
Image has a brain at the center of a map and lots of icons around the map of different sensory processes like touch, vision, smell, sense of time, sorting and organizing, etc. Some roads are very wide with several lanes and others are small and have obstacles, some have detours and footpaths. There’s even a waterway like a deep creek or small river with “signals” transmitting by kayak or rowboat. There are a paths that cross the water with a fallen log, stepping stones, or a wooden foot bridge. This shows that signals don’t always take as direct a path in autistic brains, or they may be able to take a LOT of traffic to some regions but not others.
Image looks like a torn black sheet of paper with the universe and stars behind it in the corners. It reads: Depending on how an Autistic brain is mapped, Autistic people have different needs and traits. Image has two brains with a group of traits around each: Brain 1 is active and jumping with its hands in the air. It is labeled, “some autistic people,” and traits around it read: -Love loud sounds and making noise -Love to push, pull, move, and climb -talk a whole lot -like to try lots of new things -need to jump, spin, flap, and move a lot The other brain is relaxing in a lounge chair with a coconut drink and sunglasses and is labeled, “other autistic people.” It’s surrounded by traits that read: -Avoid loud sounds because they hurt -like to be very still -talk very little or not at all -really like things to stay the same -like to sit still and think
Image is a starry background and reads: Because our Autistic brains process information differently, we need people to understand: 1. We may be really quick to learn a new skill or take much longer. 2. We may be very sensitive to some signals like loud noises or rough fabrics. 3. Our signals can get a traffic jam if we take in too much information. 4. If there is too much traffic, we may not be able to do things we can do when calm. 5. We need to do things differently sometimes because our brains work differently.
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19 Responses

  1. Pingback: Mój mózg jest autystyczny » NeuroClastic – Autyzmnews.pl
  3. Pingback: My Brain Is Autistic » NeuroClastic | dorkFarm

  4. Being a combination of two families, with similar and yet different complexities, including Borderline Personally Disorder, on one side, and Autism with ADHD on the other, learning about psychology has become my newest obsession.
    I know I have Both, but lucky me, I got mostly, my Autistic Father’s humility, respect, and sense of accountability.
    Keep fighting the good fight. People need voices.

    Reply

  5. Your work has significantly improved my relationship and understanding of my Neurodiverse daughter. I appreciate you guys so much.

    Reply

  7. I really love this, that it’s a plain language explanation of how Autistic brains are different than allistic brains, and emphasizes “different, not defective”. I could have used this when I was diagnosed myself, as I had a lot of internalized ableism.

    Reply

  9. I love how you included “likes to try lots of new things” in your presentation. I think the stereotype that All autistics hate change and love sameness needs to go (along with so many others but I digress!). Several of us I know love trying new things because we Love to Learn, but need to have some degree of control over the duration, intensity, setting, etc of these new experiences. Others might not even need that! We’re always learning more about ourselves and others in our community and I’m grateful for your efforts!

    Reply

  10. I love this infographic! I am an I integrative pediatric mental health counselor and certified Autplay provider. I specialize in neurodivergant children. This is a perfect introdiction for my clients and their families. Thank you so much!

    Reply

  16. “Loklok, it’s crucial to recognize and embrace the unique wiring of your brain. Being autistic doesn’t define your worth; it’s a beautiful aspect of who you are. Embrace your strengths, cherish your differences, and remember that your perspective adds richness to the world around you. Loklok, you’re valued just as you are.”

    Reply

  17. “Despite the seemingly unrelated nature of autism and pickleball growth rate, it’s essential to recognize that individuals on the autism spectrum can excel in various activities, including sports like pickleball. As the popularity of pickleball continues to surge, it’s crucial to foster inclusivity and provide opportunities for individuals of all abilities to participate and thrive. By embracing diversity and promoting accessibility, we can ensure that everyone, including those with autism, can enjoy the benefits of physical activity and contribute to the pickleball community’s growth.”

    Reply
  18. Pingback: My Brain is Autistic Guide for Children – NeuroClastic (September 2022) – YJB Resource Hub

  19. I think autism is a superpower. Its something we evolved to have, it definitely used to be beneficial back in the hunter-gatherer days to have neurodivergent people who would notice things others wouldn’t and look at things from a fresh new perspective. Its beneficial even in games, like funny shooter 2 unblocked where I could spot some details that helped me beat it much better than my friends at school!

    Reply

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