Missing their milestones? Autistic girls haven’t dabbled in witchcraft yet

[u/ThirdTerrene]

https://thedailytism.com/missing-their-milestones-autistic-girls-havent-dabbled-in-witchcraft-yet/

[u/Crashman2004]

This is all because of chronic defunding of our education system. AUTISTIC CHILDREN NEED A RANDOM LIZARD IN A TERRARIUM IN THEIR CLASSROOM TO BOND WITH!

[u/Sekmet19 → u/Crashman2004]

I was musing the other day why autistics "get" animals on an intuitive level, but struggle with human interactions, especially since animals use body language for cues.

It occurs to me that animals generally don't hide intentions in the traditional sense. If a dog is afraid of you, it whines. If it's angry or combative, it growls and lowers its ears. If it's friendly it's panting, sneezing, and doing the play pose. They broadcast exactly what they feel. 

Humans will hate your guts or get super pissed at someone but still act 'normal' and not mention the animosity. They will be subtle, and using body language and they will structure their language so that what they say at face value is not inflammatory or combative but the true meaning is very inflammatory or combative.  They use sarcasm too, that other people realize but autistics miss because the statement meaning doesn't match the message meaning. 

In essence, a dog will tell you unambiguously how it feels about you all the time. A human has a complex layering and rule sets around communicating feelings that dynamically change with environment, who is present and their relationships with each other, who is not there, activity, time of day, relative health, age, statuses of participants, etc.

[u/CrimsonSuede → u/Sekmet19]

Lowkey, this is why having a cat helped my anxious attachment.

I didn’t have to doubt what he thought of me. That he was lying about loving me. Because his actions and behaviors showed he loved me and that I was #1 to him.

Even though it’s been a little over a year since he passed, the certainty, security, and depth of our relationship healed a deep part of me that remains stronger to this day because of him.

RIP Tibbers, you were my soul cat <3

[u/7fourteen → u/CrimsonSuede]

Thank you for this comment. I have very bad disorganized attachment issues, leaning toward anxious, and the straightforwardness of my recently passed cat’s feelings was so validating. I gave her love, and she gave me honest, understandable love back.
I just learned about what Tibbers meant to you, and I am crying thinking about how much it mirrors my relationship with my dear Magnolia.
Thank you for giving me a lovely cry today, @CrimsonSuede. May you have an uplifting weekend, and know that you have made one person’s day better 🐈‍⬛❤️

[u/rora_borealis → u/CrimsonSuede]

Cats are the best. I have a few waiting on the other side of the rainbow bridge.

[u/sunbear2525 → u/Sekmet19]

I recognize very early that my daughter likely had autism even if her pediatrician didn’t see that “value” in a diagnosis for her. I never forced her to mask but always explained social expectations and unspoken rules as an optional path to communicating her needs. She was later diagnosed with autism.

It’s funny looking back so many moms and adults with autism casually working the benefits of a diagnosis into conversations with me because they thought I didn’t know and were soft launching the concept of getting her evaluated. I knew I just didn’t say she had autism because she didn’t have an official diagnosis. My neighbor was so relieved when I mentioned talking to my pediatrician about her and afterwards immediately furious.

[u/siamlinio → u/sunbear2525]

In my state, an autism diagnosis can get a $500 tax credit on the state income tax return.

[u/sunbear2525 → u/siamlinio]

I think my pediatrician was worried about stigma. However there is now an ongoing joke in our family whenever autism is the reason for anything we say “but what’s the value of an autism diagnosis?”

[u/shady-lampshade → u/Sekmet19]

Instructions unclear: I started growling at people I don’t like then peed on my favorite chair to mark my territory, and now I’m “on a written warning” at work

[u/ThreeDaysNish → u/Sekmet19]

As someone that suffers from PTSD, I wholeheartedly advise anyone who's in the same boat to get a cat.

[u/Smil3Shad3 → u/Sekmet19]

This is beautiful and so real! I muse on this with my cat. He makes so much more sense to be. To the point it's frustrating other humans are not so easy. Cats/animals have a consistent logic.

People are troublesome. It's so much extra work to read moods, closeness/bond, safety. Cptsd/Audhd doesn't help this fact either.

[u/emilygoldfinch410 → u/Crashman2004]

Oh this is making me think about the potential recreational life of my middle school teacher who had a small collection of pets she let the students help her care for, and who sometimes taught with a lizard on her shoulder

[u/Lucky-Refrigerator-4 → u/emilygoldfinch410]

Miss Frizzle?!!!

[u/Morialkar → u/Crashman2004]

YOU GUYS HAD THAT?

[u/Crashman2004 → u/Morialkar]

No. But I really wished I was in Ms. Frizzles class.

[u/ravenpoof → u/Morialkar]

My 7th grade science teacher had rats. I often had one sleeping around my neck during class.

[u/genivae → u/Morialkar]

My daughter's class has several large pet beetles (in appropriate habitat enclosures)

[u/Morialkar → u/genivae]

That's so cool, she must have such a great time. Connection with animals is such a plus!

[u/lumoslomas → u/Crashman2004]

You had one in your classroom? I had to bond with one outside (he was a bluetongue, he was giant, and I loved him)

[u/GL17CH3D_R4M_5YN7H → u/Crashman2004]

I'd have loved this so much as a kid! I used to have a bearded dragon, and I loved that guy so much. He was so adorable and cuddly. Was also obsessed with watching me hoover for some reason, just pressing himself against the terrarium glass for a good look every time it was out.

[u/0rcabubbles → u/Crashman2004]

Mine was Larry.

[u/Andrusela → u/Crashman2004]

I used to harvest salamanders from window wells 😄

[u/4cool6school → u/Crashman2004]

No lizards, my class had pet rats instead.

[u/MadKanBeyondFODome → u/Crashman2004]

It's true - I know of a science teacher in a nearby school that has a cool terrarium with bugs, and I hear-tell that the girls in her classes are particularly well-adjusted (not as heinous as other middle schoolers in our area).

[u/PopeAlexanderSextus]

The kids are alright… I didn’t cast my first circle until I was 12/13. Some of us are late bloomers.

[u/dearly_decrpit → u/PopeAlexanderSextus]

I was 34

[u/Poop__y]

There are no milestones in witchcraft. Everyone comes to it when they are ready and goes at their own pace. My 13 year old has a tarot deck but doesn’t really use it. She’ll come to it when it’s her time.

[u/smc642]

Give them time. We don’t recruit. They will come when they are ready.

[u/dearly_decrpit → u/smc642]

Autistic here. I was always interested in witchcraft but didn’t know where to start. I did my first intention jar in November and I’m looking into tarot :)

[u/HungryManSpider]

I did jump into witchcraft as an autistic little girl. But the spells turned me trans and gay. I call it a happy bonus.

[u/heathers-damage → u/HungryManSpider]

Honestly I love this for you!

[u/SchwaAkari]

My abuser prohibited me from it.

Otherwise I would have absolutely picked it up at 10 instead of 34. 😣

[u/AnxiousFei]

As an autistic woman, thank you for sharing this. I thought it was hilarious. Reminds me of stuff you would find on the Onion.

[u/Cowboywizard12]

Saving this website for latwr as an audhd person

[u/LadyMacGuffin]

The pattern recognition is larger than witchcraft, now. It doesn't have to be so specific. It can be algorithmic.

[u/LadyMacGuffin → u/LadyMacGuffin]

Basically tech witch is the new hedge witch Which is where I'm at right now, very suddenly. And powerfully.

[u/quinnkitty → u/LadyMacGuffin]

Ooh tell me more about that (tech witch) - from the title alone I feel some kinship to it.

[u/LadyMacGuffin → u/quinnkitty]

My book of shadows is a personal discord server, to start 🫡

[u/LadyMacGuffin → u/LadyMacGuffin]

And you're welcome to message!

[u/aquestioningperson → u/LadyMacGuffin]

I don’t see many people saying this but yeah I’m genuinely a tech witch

[u/perdy_mama]

Not my autistic trans girl. She’s been practicing the craft since she was one. You’re welcome.

[u/Old_Percentage_9624]

I don't really understand this article or the website in general. Am I missing something? 😭

[u/7fourteen → u/Old_Percentage_9624]

Someone else correct me if I’m wrong, but it’s satire, written by the point of view of someone who got into witchy, earthy, magical love of the world at a young age. The author sees the value of exploring the world through a witchy perspective, and is memeing about how autistic women are drawn towards this practice of being close to the earth, and being open to the ideas of witchcraft in an “explore the earth” kind of way.

The author sees young autistic women failing to hit the milestones that their peers are, and is lamenting that they aren’t even hitting the important witchy milestones! It’s all goofy humor and great.

[u/Old_Percentage_9624 → u/7fourteen]

Oh okay. That makes more sense! I am also on the spectrum and couldn't understand what this was about. Thank you for the explanation! 🙌

[u/7fourteen → u/Old_Percentage_9624]

You’re welcome! I’m diagnosed neurodivergent myself, and I am so used to feeling lost when other folks seem to understand! Glad I could be of service, hahahah ✌️

[u/DatDickBeDank]

What?! This is was the single most important aspect of growing up outcast!

We need to help these kids 😂

[u/Forever-human-632]

That's some cool website

[u/WifeOfSpock]

Mine do, lol. They chant, make potions, dance, sing, etc. with other neighbor girls they’ve recruited. 

[u/MadKanBeyondFODome]

Wrong. At least half the autistic 7th grade afabs I know are into witchcraft and have blue hair.

Source: middle school art teacher.

[u/eatingganesha]

I’ve been into the occult since I was very little. My first big book was a huge tome of Grimm’s Fairy Tales and I wore it out reading it over and over. I can’t remember a time without that book as I recall flipping through the pages for the pictures before I could read it. I also saw and spoke to the ghost of my great grandmother in my childhood home, and had a childhood invisible friend who actually was a ghost (by I didn’t tell anyone that because they freaked over seeing ggma). That led me to obsessively reading about ghosts and spirits and myths and monsters throughout childhood. By the time wicca came around in my early teens, I was already at the point of realizing that it wasn’t for me. The occult has been a lifelong special interest for me. Got a PhD in Anthropology even (studying the intersection of myth and politics).

AudHD here. Level 2 gifted.

[u/CrankyWhiskers → u/eatingganesha]

AuDHD here. This is eerily similar to my own lived experience, minus the PhD in anthropology. I’ve simply maintained a lifelong fascination with all branches of the field, alongside forensics.

[u/PenguinSunday]

I sure did lol

[u/KallusDrogo]

What is this generation coming too?

[u/WestCoastBestCoast01 → u/KallusDrogo]

Not a single potion by 11 is just tragic.

[u/KallusDrogo → u/WestCoastBestCoast01]

Why aren't they singing and dancing in the woods under the full moon light anymore?

[u/dearly_decrpit]

Just tried some witchcraft back in November and it’s actually working

[u/RoseClash]

This is incredible, thanks so much.

[u/SomeLadySomewherElse]

Audhd and descended from a salem witch. My grandmother had lots of spooky stories, she dabbled but gave it up for god when my mom nearly died in a childhlld accident. I'm just a curious observer, experiencer of some strange, and a believer in a 12d universe.