Understanding Life as an Autistic and ADHD Costumer

Introduction

• Presenter welcomes audience (referred to as "salty possums")
• Mentions the passing of Betty White
• Aim: Explain what it's like to be autistic and ADHD simultaneously while working as a costumer

Living with Autism and ADHD

Internal Conflict

• Constant internal conflict between needing new things for dopamine and needing everything to stay the same
• Sensory issues: Over-sensitive to some noises, while sometimes craving loud music

Getting Things Done

• Gets things done due to the conflict between ADHD's need for activity and autism's need for completion
• ADHD gets bored easily and doesn't want to do repetitive stuff
• Autism demands routine and completion, preventing meltdowns

Managing Work Environment

Organization

• Work area is usually messy but presenter has some idea of the contents of each pile
• ADHD makes it hard to remember where things are placed

Clean-Up Routine

• Involves periods of more intense organization and cleaning when it becomes absolutely necessary
• ADHD and autism conflict during clean-up, with ADHD hating it and autism requiring it

Daily Functioning

Masking and Social Interaction

• Uses facial expressions when masking; speaks in monotone when tired
• Autistic brain plans projects internally; ADHD struggles with planning

Hyperfocus and Motivation

• Hyperfocus helps accomplish complicated tasks but can lead to neglecting self-care
• Losing interest in a project leads to depression and difficulty starting new projects

Seeking Advice

• Requests advice from the audience on managing autism and ADHD effectively

Reflection and Future Projects

• Discusses how growing up thinking they were 'normal' impacts their perception
• Importance of routine in managing ADHD and autism symptoms
• Talks about upcoming sewing projects like a veil and green zimarra
• Ends with a farewell and a note about needing to pick up kids

Conclusion

• Encourages audience to be proud of their neurodivergence
• Promises to return with more projects soon