Oh that’s so true! Some people just have their mind firmly set on rejecting people’s struggles! I’m glad you found people who were supportive though <3
A big thing I constantly try to explain to people in public transport is I cannot stand in the bus/metro cause I’ll fall over. Their mind is very set on thinking I’m just being lazy based on my appearance. But I can’t stand in a moving vehicle. My ankles will fail and I will fall down loll. Also, I can’t balance. My sense of balance is not safe for anyone in the bus.
I mean, if they felt so strongly about it why didn’t they say so in the tester call? that sounds just horrible. If a pattern wouldn’t work with different yarns I’d just say so up front. Sounds like such a weird reason to exclude someone.
Fiber arts are definitely a way to stim! There is so much sensory involved. I’m glad to hear from people who have a similar experience to me! I hope those appointments work out for you, that stuff can definitely be tedious!
I used knitting and crochet to survive studying! I couldn’t focus in class without a stim. Weirdly though, I didn’t know WHY it helped for so long, only THAT it helped
It was like a light bulb over my head the day it clicked.
I agree, plus I thought surely using different yarn would help with the testing? To see if different yarn sizes work with their pattern. But it’s alright
Oh, I hear you on the sensations, sounds, textures, etc.
I have Long COVID and I now have weird things. Things that I’ve never experienced before. For example, there’s a spot on my upper leg that has a very unpleasant sensation sometimes on its own, and sometimes when you barely touch it. It’s not painful, just a sensation that makes you want to get out of your own skin. Another example, certain fabrics are now unpleasant on all my skin. I now have my blankets and pillows in -polyester probably the main fabric.
I can’t handle children running around, screaming, yelling, while close to my “bubble”. I’ve raised 4 kids, and am almost deaf, never bothered me before. I can’t tolerate the screaming, temper tantrums, etc. I just get up and go to my cave. .
I was diagnosed with AADD in my 40s after I got custody of my two grandsons-both under 2 years. All the different tricks I used to be on top of everything just fell apart,
I agree with you, expectations are to be clear up front in the initial tester call. People are not to be excluded from the opportunity to test. Now, mind you I said opportunity not automatic acceptance . For example, a tester call cannot require a Instagram account in order to apply for a tester call.
In theory I could apply for disability retirement. However my seizures are well controlled by the medication. I would have a hard time proving that I am disabled. Plus I don’t want to go through all the paperwork and other hassle it would take to do that. Plus I think a disability pension would mean less monthly income than a regular pension
I see, I worked for the federal government and my disability pension is greater than the regular pension.
Ooo, I hear ya about the hassle of paperwork , dealing with the bureaucracy, makes me want to stick my head in the sand.
I’m a government employee. I work for the county I was born and raised in. I just wish I’d applied when I was 19 instead of when I did (a month before I was 40). I’d be a lot less fatigued if I had. Plus the cost of living is insane here in Silicon Valley
Basically neurodivergent means the opposite of neurotypical. So, any “divergence” from what is considered a “normal brain”. A “divergence” can’t exist without a socially or medically defined “norm”.
Autism, ADHD, OCD, and cluster B personality disorders all fall under this umbrella, as can learning disabilities and even changes to the brain as a result of an injury (TBIs).
Now, despite the term being very medicalized, many of us in the ND (neurodivergent) community are pushing for the recognition of a social model of disability. Basically, this means that it is not our brains which are “divergent” or somehow different, broken, wrong. Rather it’s a society with a narrow definition of “typical” that worsens and even causes our challenges.
Things like learning curriculums, classroom design, public infrastructure, and even offices and workspaces are designed for this “norm”. For example, the loud music in grocery stores makes it difficult for me to think as a person with sensory issues. The volume of the film at a movie theatre is way too loud. Florescent lights in offices give me migraines.
These are all accessibility issues that can impact ND people, but since neurodivergence is often invisible, our needs are overlooked. Applying the social model of disability acknowledges all of this and fights for accessibility rights.
Hope that helps!
(PS, I’m a disability advocate with a background in psych, anth, and specifically the overlapping systems of oppression so this is kind of a special interest for me. I’m happy to talk about it more or answer any questions if my comment was unclear!)
@xhunni something I always prompt testers to do is tell me the yarn used and adjust hook size for best results. But flat out remove them that’s not nice
@anoswaldoddity for me it’s the upper arm. If you so much as graze my upper arm I scream in agony. (Ironically enough I got a half-sleeve and was in so much pain the whole time, but still desperately wanted to finish (it’s a memorial piece sort of))
As for Instagram, I always say nice but not mandatory. Reason is 1, I definitely want to advertise my amazing testers and their lovely makes, 2, it provides some level of reasurrance that the tester is actually able to go through with testing if they have makes registered on Ribblr that’s cool too, but a lot of people don’t have any.
@tygger428 neurodivergent means the brain processes things in a different way. Be it emotions, sensory input, interactions, that sort of stuff. Most commonly known neurodivergences are autism, adhd, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and so on. There are many more. The definition varies a lot in the community but the agreed upon thing is this: the brain processes things in a different way. But one thing that is important to remember is that neurodivergence is a way to shift from the “disordered/mentally ill” narrative, to a more inclusive human experience that validates different ways of being.
For the abled people, I’d like to touch more on the subject of disability (as I already briefly talked about in my post) that disabilities only exist in comparison with abilities). Ex.: a person who cannot walked is disabled compared to a person who can walk. A non-speaking autistic has a disability a speaking autistic doesn’t have. But disability itself is not inherently bad, it’s a descriptor. A way to more accurately capture the lived experience of the individuals that experiences it. It doesn’t imply that not having that ability makes one less-than.
A lot of us activists are also trying to bring forth the belief that disabilities are not something to absolutely seek correction about. That one can exist without trying to supplement. Basically, that one is human, simply by existing.
I’ll use the example of non-speaking autistics again, as I have more knowledge on the subject. One might argue that it’s in the autist’s best interest to undergo speech therapy and all sorts of therapies to get them to eventually speak.
However, we’re trying to teach about the validity of different means of communication, as equal to speech. There are already aac devices that exist (they’re kind of like a tablet that people use to communicate) but there is also a push to be more aware of body language, grunts, stims and all as a means of communication. Trying to get more people to learn about them so they can better understand non-speaking folks.
What this would do is reduce the pressure on forcing autistic people to speak. If an individual wants to learn that’s another thing, but that should be an individual choice, not imposed on them. Because that sort of therapy can be traumatic and have devastating, lasting effects on someone. Again, some people feels it has helped them greatly, some people not so much. Emphasis on giving individuals the option to pursue that kind of therapy or discard it.
There are many more examples of this that apply to other disabilities.
that sounds just horrible. If a pattern wouldn’t work with different yarns I’d just say so up front. Sounds like such a weird reason to exclude someone.
