An episode that takes on the heavy lifting.
Here’s what’s packed into this episode:
In this episode, we tackle the autistic hell that is moving — diving into all the intricate details, overwhelming processes, and sharing strategies for coping through it all.
Our hosts discuss Matt's recent move and explore the time-consuming yet worthwhile systems autistic individuals often need to implement to stay comfortable and regulated in their own homes.
Matt and Angela dive into the art of emotional regulation and why it's such a foundational task for autistic folks. They also discuss how to incorporate emotional regulation strategies into the moving process as much as possible.
We discuss the importance of having our own Autistic Survival Packs in each room of the house and how crucial they are for regulation. Angela shares some of her essential items, including eye drops, nail files, phone chargers, and blankets for temperature regulation—a common issue for many autistic individuals.
In this episode, we also dive into how autistic folks often have a predisposition toward hoarding and emotional attachments to their belongings, and explore ways to break this generational curse.
“As you know, we [autistic people] process 42% more information at rest than neurotypical people. Because of that, our brains are always churning through the data and always looking at the variables. Our brains are much more variable-focused. We’re much more detail-oriented than neurotypical people. Neurotypical people are big-picture people. We are the minutiae. And when it comes to moving, it’s all about the minutiae. ” - Matt
“There’s a lot of stuff that we [autistic folks] don’t have opinions on - but when we do have opinions, we have fucking strong opinions. And when we find something that just clicks with us, we need it. You need your mattress.” - Matt
“Emotional regulation is our biggest job as autistic people. It’s a full-time job, it’s our number one job. There are going to be times you’re dysregulated. You’re gonna have to go to court, you’re gonna have to go to the DMV, a cop is going to pull you over. You are going to be dysregulated some of the time. And so every single second you can possibly control being emotionally regulated, that’s your job to put first in order.” - Angela
“Well, so this is the thing about the ‘tism, right? Because again, the neurotypicals only know us by our deficits, but we only have the deficits when we’re dysregulated. We only have the deficits when we are out of our element, when we are desperately trying to accommodate everyone else and everything else. We have to do that for us first. And in order to be a functional human being, you need to have that regulation.” - Matt
“Is one of your techniques [for phone calls] is as soon as the phone picks up, I just start screaming ‘agent, agent, agent, fuck you, agent, let me talk to a person, fuck you. Do you do that? Is that your technique? It doesn’t work, but it is my approach.” - Angela
Did you catch the whirlwind of emotions that come with moving? In today’s episode, we’re diving deep into Matt's recent move and all the unexpected hurdles along the way! Thanks for tuning in! Share your thoughts in the comments, and use #AutisticCultureCatch to connect with fellow listeners on social media. Which moments or insights from Matt's story resonate with your own moving experiences?
Resources:
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