It is a little spikey rubber ball. I was only diagnosed this year, despite being in my 50s, and I had the ADOS2 test. One of the tests was with a green spikey rubber ball and other items, and I updated my profile to it on the same day (it didn't have a face then)
That's what I'm liking most about this it's well organised rather than everything being lumped together on a constant refreshing feed. I like your pfp by the way it looks cute like a green porcupine ^^
I'm also new here. I found out recently after a massive burnout in a group setting that I am and always have been "autistic". I put quotation marks on that because it's really the least of my problems but it's had the greatest effect on my life.
After my recent burnout I couldn't do anything for several months - never left the house or sometimes even get out of bed. Eventually I learned about autism and how it affected my life from the computer. I can identify with everything others talk about here - loneliness, poor self-esteem, poor work habits, no self-confidence, etcetera. And I made notes and reports about the bad times and the good times. And I work to improve on those issues. I go places where I know I can meet people and carry on conversations, join committees. Just try to be active. I went to church for several years, I lived in a small community so I participated in the volunteer fire department, volunteer ambulance, I took training to be a firefighter instructor. I took training to become a Special Olympics coach. And I worked for several years in residential homes for mentally challenged individuals of all ages, not ever realizing that I myself was autistic until I was in my early seventies.
My username is "thtufus". I like that because I was assigned male at birth but I'm really a female.
Thank you I was part of an online group, used to interact on there but it became too crowded and hostile for me. I’m hoping it will be less stress on here.
