I was trying to figure out why shopping malls and supermarkets still wipe me out, even on days when I’m not rushed or anxious. I’m a woman on the autism spectrum, and for a long time I blamed it on crowds or noise. But recently it clicked for me: sensory overload isn’t just sound or touch, it’s visual too. The colors, the lights, the branding, the signs everywhere competing for attention. Bright packaging stacked floor to ceiling. Flashing sale signs. Aisles that don’t visually “rest.” My brain

I recently discovered Ella.kids, an incredible AI-powered app that can write custom social stories and create task cards or visual schedules for any situation you describe! This is a game changer for autistic travelers and families who want to prepare for new experiences. Whether it’s flying for the first time, going through airport security, or checking into a hotel, you can describe the situation and Ella.kids will build a personalized social story to help preview each step of the trip. 💡 Wha

I love cooking, but there’s something oddly comforting about fast-food pepperoni pizza. It’s predictable. You know exactly what you’re getting: the grease level, the salt, the chew of the crust, the way the pepperoni cups or lays flat depending on the brand. There’s no guessing. And on a busy or mentally drained day, that consistency matters. National Pizza Day kind of reminds me that cooking doesn’t always have to mean scratch-made or elevated. Sometimes it’s about understanding why a simple sl

I’m genuinely curious about this, especially from an autistic perspective. I use dating apps, and sometimes I just sit there thinking… do people actually understand how these apps work? These are complete strangers. Literal strangers. Aside from initial physical attraction and maybe a shared interest or two, I don’t understand how people expect this instant, deep, movie-level connection just on there... I’m a woman on the spectrum, and for me, connection takes time. I need repetition, familiarit

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It is designed to allow individual with disabilities to receive long term care services in their home or community. It supports independent living and provides care that is tailored to their individual needs.

I’m nonverbal, and this really gets under my skin sometimes. People praise me for things that feel completely normal to me things I do every day and it just… doesn’t feel like praise. It feels like they don’t see me, they just see a checklist of what they think I shouldn’t be able to do. For example: Brushing my teeth on my own. “Wow, good job!” Like, yeah… I do this literally every day and getting dressed in the morning. Again, normal stuff. I’m not asking for a medal here. I get that people me

I’m planning a date night and realized how oddly stressful picking a movie can be when you’re on the spectrum. I love movies, but sensory stuff, pacing, and emotional intensity matter a lot to me especially when I’m watching with someone I’m still getting to know. For me, a good date-night movie has to be engaging without being overwhelming. Something that gives you things to talk about after, but doesn’t require constant emotional processing in the moment. Too loud, too chaotic, or too heavy an

I saw a trending post on X where married couples shared photos and short stories about marrying young. I am a married woman, wife and mother, speaking from lived experience, not advice for everyone. First, you grow together from the start: Marriage early placed both of us in the same learning phase. We built habits around money, work, faith, and conflict at the same time. You avoid trying to merge two fully formed lifestyles later. Studies from the National Marriage Project link shared early rou

If you’ve been following delivery tech for a minute, today’s news feels like a milestone: Amazon has officially launched Prime Air drone delivery for customers in parts of the Kansas City metro. These aren’t test flights anymore, they’re real deliveries. Drones are taking off from Amazon’s facility in Kansas City, Kansas, carrying packages of up to 5 pounds to homes within about 7.5 miles. Prime members pay a flat $4.99 for the service, and non-Prime customers can still use it at $9.99. What thi