I can't decide how I feel about this.

[u/Autismsaurus]

This was in my therapist's office. Obviously questioning if you have autism is fine, as long as you don't say you definitely have it without a diagnosis.

The part that rubs me up the wrong way is that this flyer seems to be equating questioning with definitely being an undiagnosed autistic. It talks about unmasking and being free to be yourself as if these are things you must automatically need, because obviously you're clearly autistic, whether you're questioning/undiagnosed or not.

Thoughts?

[u/LillithHeiwa]

Whether you’re autistic or not; feeling free to be yourself is something anyone looking at an unmasking animal therapy needs.

[u/spekkje]

I wonder why they say neurodivergent, and then mention two things that belong under it.

[u/Common-Page-8596-2 → u/spekkje]

Because it's a buzzword

[u/iilsun → u/spekkje]

Some people who are autistic don't identify with the term neurodivergent. I personally don't. Also there are tons of people who don't even know what the word neurodivergent means.

[u/spekkje → u/iilsun]

I personally dislike the word as well tbh, i know what it means but it is also pointless in my opinion. Too much falls under the term. It almost basically doesn’t mean more than being human.

[u/ChaosInTheSkies → u/spekkje]

I personally use the word because otherwise the list of things that I have is really long, it's easier to just say "neurodivergent" than it is to list them all individually unless one diagnosis is more relevant in the specific situation. Then I'll just mention that one.

[u/kimtaro1]

It looks predatory to me. the "self-investment" wording is creepy, like PAY US, you're investing in YOU!!!

I love animals and I think the people-animal connection can really help people with anxiety and a higher quality of life. But overpriced fake horse therapy aimed at autistic people isn't it.

[u/keineAhnung2571]

I wonder why everything has to be about masking whenever the topic of autism is brought up... not everyone masks or is so heavily impacted by it but it seems to be the only thing that comes to people's minds that needs to be treated

[u/Eirfro_Wizardbane → u/keineAhnung2571]

My guess is most people mask whether they are aware of it or not. And any level of masking is tiresome after a while if people don’t have healthy ways to be themselves from time to time.

I’m fairly “high functioning”. I graduated from a prestigious college and played football at college. I had a decent job for about 10 years. The stress of not really being able to express myself led me to drinking and clinical anxiety. I was able to work through those things eventually.

I got an ADHD and ASD diagnosis at the age of 38. I’m doing a lot better know just from the knowledge about myself I have gained and being more of myself is part of that.

Basically I was doing really good until I was not, then I was doing really bad. During that whole time I thought I was keeping it real but the stress of trying to fit in and do well took a toll on me.

[u/Autismsaurus → u/keineAhnung2571]

I've noticed that too. I can't mask, and for a while in my twenties, when my self esteem and sense of self-worth were lower, I tried so hard to get my therapists to teach me to mask. Of course, like good therapists, they didn't, but helped me build a more solid sense of worthiness to exist as I am.

Some days when things are especially bad because of my autism, I feel a twinge of jealousy that I can't hide my disability, but it doesn't last long.

[u/Late_Inevitable_9956]

i feel bad for these horses

[u/Simsalabimsen → u/Late_Inevitable_9956]

Yeah, there is a >0 chance that they will be subjected to some performative BS that really isn’t good for them.

[u/Late_Inevitable_9956 → u/Simsalabimsen]

they get spooked easy

[u/bingobucket]

Depending on how it's done this sort of work often exploits the animals in a way that doesn't sit right with me.

[u/anmarie103]

I got kicked by a horse as a kid. This would be the opposite of de-stressing....

[u/howlsmovintraphouse]

Equine therapy is AMAZING I just wish they didn’t use this cringey language to describe it lolol

[u/Autismsaurus → u/howlsmovintraphouse]

I did equine therapy for a couple of years, it really was great. I love connecting with animals; they make more sense to me than people.

[u/Cat_cat_dog_dog → u/howlsmovintraphouse]

Yes I agree I do equine therapy several times a week, it's free, and it really helps me

[u/Fearless_pineaplle → u/Cat_cat_dog_dog]

we went there for state asd event animal farm so mamt many diff animals it was so happy hehe

[u/Fearless_pineaplle → u/Cat_cat_dog_dog]

we went there for state asd event animal farm so mamt many diff animals it was so happy hehe

[u/ManchesterNCP]

For fucks sake

[u/capaldis]

ignoring all the moronic shit on the flyer, i genuinely don’t understand how horses will help with this.

Like I was very much an Autistic Horse Girl and I still masked? Also, I knew a lot of people who were just really obsessed with horses and aren’t autistic. Neurotypical people can have special interests that are as intense as autistic special interests without being autistic.

Also the whole “unmasking” thing is not that hard? I mean it took me like a month MAYBE to unpack all the unhealthy coping strategies I had around socializing. Learning to cope with the symptoms of autism is a lot harder and it’s really frustrating that there’s very few resources available for that nowadays.

[u/iilsun → u/capaldis]

Just because unmasking is "not that hard" for you doesn't mean it's that way for everyone. Spectrum and all.

[u/neuroticmare]

Because as a riding instructor it's hard out there right now, she's trying to make a buck. There is someone online that sells these courses to riding instructors, at least similar enough ones to make me think this is what it is. Predatory and gross.

[u/SophieByers]

I don’t trust anything that says neurodivergent

[u/Cat_cat_dog_dog]

I do actual equine therapy and it's free. Thank God because that's a whole load of money I would never have

[u/Speckled_snowshoe]

maybe its just bc im not 'high functioning' and cant mask but i rlly do not understand this recent emphasis on "unmasking" as such a big part of asd discussion?? idk im probably being selfish but its kinda irritating it takes up such a big portion of the conversation but so many of us dont mask? it just feels disproportionate

[u/Curious_Dog2528]

Sounds like self diagnosis 101

[u/Formal-Experience163]

A Chilean mayor tried to evade justice by falsifying her autistic son's health documents. The fake documents stated that the child required equine therapy. The purpose of this falsification was to allow the woman to leave house arrest during certain hours.

[u/HighlightArtistic193]

I did equine therapy for.my dissociating (from ashd trauma and chronic pain) and it helped tremendously

[u/Autismsaurus]

Same. My autism is visible and I can’t mask. All the discussion about unmasking and “leaning into your autism” and “autism is an invisible disability/autism doesn’t have a “look”” bothers me because it’s shifting the lens of the narrative to focus primarily on LSN autistics. I made a video on my TikTok a couple of days ago about how it’s frustrating when LSN talk about wanting to be in spaces populated only by autistics, because what they really mean is they want to be in spaces populated by other LSN autistics like them.