By Save The Neurotypicals
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- I saw this article/website and wanted to share with you.
- Here is a thing about your favorite thing.
- I would spend unstructured time with you.
- You can share my silence.
- I researched your problem; here are your options.
- I love your project so much, I thought of some ways to make it even better.
- Do you need a ride home from your mundane errand that should be no big deal but is actually a Big Deal?
- I see you’re freaking out. That’s cool. I will chill here in silence until you need me.
- [thumbs up emoji]
- I will make that phone call/book that appointment so you don’t have to.
- I knew you would forget, so I did [insert thing here]
- This is your reminder to do the self-care thing. Do the self-care thing.
Do the self-care thing. I’m not getting off the phone until you confirm you have done the thing. - We made plans, and I had a sh*tty day on that day. But, I didn’t cancel, because I knew I would enjoy seeing you more than I would enjoy staying home.
- You screwed up something people don’t usually screw up, and you’re probably embarrassed, so here is a story of my best screw-up.
- You once told me about a completely irrational thing you hate, and now I remember not to do it/to keep it away from you every time.
- I learned your allergies/sensitivities. Please confirm if these ideas I have for avoiding them are helpful.
- You mentioned one of your health conditions the other day. I have no background in it, but I read everything I could, and now I have follow-up questions.
A point to clarify:
Neurotypicals don’t “do this, too.” Not to this degree. Neurodivergents do these things repeatedly– and sometimes obsessively– and make massive time investments in them.
However, one common thread in a lot of these items is social anxiety, introversion, and means of expressing love that aren’t verbal, so those features could be common to a number of different groups, including neurotypicals.
Save The Neurotypicals is a Canadian autistic writer focusing on sass and neurodiversity. Follow her on Twitter @SNeurotypicals, or tip her on ko-fi.com.
She is also a contributing writer for The Aspergian, a website to showcase actually-autistic voices and autistic talent.
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash