.Being.Us

As a chronically ill person, I spend a lot of time at doctor's appointments, and, as a chronically ill, autistic, and mentally ill person, I find them overwhelming and draining. I want to talk about some of the things I do to make them easier for myself. Use mobility aids - If you use mobility aids, and your doctor is understanding about it, they can make the trip a lot easier. One mobility aid I use is forearm crutches.   Make visit notes ahead-of-time - I try to make my notes complete enough that I can hand them to the doctor if I'm having trouble with verbal communication. I take notes in my planner.   Present accommodation needs in writing- Carry a printed report of your accommodation needs to each appointment, and present one to each doctor's office to have on file. Discuss it with your doctor. Use an AAC program - Personal Favorites are Talk for Me for laptop and tablet and Speech Assistant for mobile. These are good if you prefer text-based AAC. I use Let Me ...

 For many autistic people, grocery shopping is an overwhelming and stressful experience. I'm an autistic adult, want to share some of the things I do to make the experience easier for myself. Bring a trusted friend : I grocery shop with my aide and my service dog, and they help guide me through the maze of colors and lights, keep track of how much I am spending, and make sure I don't forget anything.  Wear noise-cancelling devices : The sounds in a grocery store are super overwhelming. There's the buzzing of the lights, the people, the beeping of the checkout, the music, the carts, the refrigerators, and so much more. Block them out with earplugs; noise cancelling headphones; or my personal favorite, Ear Peace . Wear a mask : The grocery store is full of smells that can be unpleasant or overwhelming, not to mention trigger co-morbid conditions like asthma or migraines. A mask can help with this. I'm personally about to try Vogmask , since I've been having se...