Over at The Thinking Persons Guide To Autism, they had a guest post called Business-NOS: A Standard of Professionalism. It got me thinking about what things I do differently (and will probably always do differently) because I am autistic. PDD-NOS isn't actually my diagnostic label, but the incidents I'm referring to are with people who don't know I'm autistic, so I guess it's part of Weird Smart Kid-NOS now. Because I'm pretty sure that's what they think is going on. Once I've gotten myself into an environment where my sensory weirdnesses aren't a problem, that's pretty much how I present, anyways.
So:
College-NOS is going to class in a cotton T-shirt, an (often cotton knit) loose, ground length skirt, and no shoes.
College-NOS is bringing a stim toy to class. Sometimes it's graph paper and a pen, since those geometric designs are a form of stimming for me. Sometimes it's a piece of fabric with an awesome texture (aka it's SILKY.)
College-NOS is getting banned from handwriting math homework because my handwriting is THAT BAD, and the professors know I know LaTeX.
College-NOS is sitting cross-legged on chairs, or on the floor when possible.
College-NOS is talking the departments that are closest related to my obsession into letting me ignore some pre-requisites.
College-NOS is possibly breaking the computer system that keeps track of what degree program(s) you're in.
Research-NOS is dressing completely differently in the computing lab/at research meetings and in the chem lab. In the chem lab, it's dressing the way I have to in a chem lab, though my lab coat is tie-die. In the computing lab and at meetings? Welcome to the College-NOS dress code.
Research-NOS is FLAPPING in research meetings, because this is really awesome and flapping is how I express that. Hi Obsessive Joy Of Autism. I totally know what you're talking about.
Life-NOS is realizing that I really am good enough at what I do that people can work with the weird to keep me around, and not being ashamed of it.
So:
College-NOS is going to class in a cotton T-shirt, an (often cotton knit) loose, ground length skirt, and no shoes.
College-NOS is bringing a stim toy to class. Sometimes it's graph paper and a pen, since those geometric designs are a form of stimming for me. Sometimes it's a piece of fabric with an awesome texture (aka it's SILKY.)
College-NOS is getting banned from handwriting math homework because my handwriting is THAT BAD, and the professors know I know LaTeX.
College-NOS is sitting cross-legged on chairs, or on the floor when possible.
College-NOS is talking the departments that are closest related to my obsession into letting me ignore some pre-requisites.
College-NOS is possibly breaking the computer system that keeps track of what degree program(s) you're in.
Research-NOS is dressing completely differently in the computing lab/at research meetings and in the chem lab. In the chem lab, it's dressing the way I have to in a chem lab, though my lab coat is tie-die. In the computing lab and at meetings? Welcome to the College-NOS dress code.
Research-NOS is FLAPPING in research meetings, because this is really awesome and flapping is how I express that. Hi Obsessive Joy Of Autism. I totally know what you're talking about.
Life-NOS is realizing that I really am good enough at what I do that people can work with the weird to keep me around, and not being ashamed of it.
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