What do you like best about the forum

I think that it is the ability to connect online with others with our condition from all over the U.K. (and perhaps beyond) to both share our common experiences and to get leads for searching for avenues of potential appropriate support, which recently diagnosed later in life at age 52, is important - I continue to try to contribute as much as I can on here, in the hope that as more adults are diagnosed with Autism, we all will eventually get the same kinds of support currently given to children and that the services currently available to autistic adults will be improved going forward when the “powers that be” will start to devise more innovative forms of support policies for us 

I am grateful to this forum for making sense of my world.  When MH were just insane, here I found the voice of sanity.  

Wow so many reply!

Really positive to see so many good things said :o) 

Having been here just under a day now I like the feel of the place. Nice people who come here just to chat and relax. I think I'll be staying, I like this.

AuTriker said:

I once had the joyful experience of being paid to infodump for an hour with a slideshow I made! That was back when i was doing a PhD which my burnout put paid to sadly. Of course academia is a happy home of infodumping, I do miss it! I had considered doing talks/paid infodumps but the burnout anxiety wouldn't let me.

Sounds great! What was the slideshow about?

You must have been in your element! Whilst working in academia what did you specialise in? I imagine the higher education/academia environment is home to a lot of us autistic/neurodivergent people because it suits our monotropic brains, and like you say we get to info dump about our dedicated interests all day.

I am sorry that burnout is making it difficult to do talks, it must be frustrating to not be able to follow your passions. Many autistic blog about their dedicated interests and get paid for it, would you consider this instead? Blogging is an option that is potentially less overwhelming and taxing than delivering talks.

AuTriker said:

Not sure I have a favourite topic for a factoid, I like to collect them on random topics so I can have something interesting to share in a range of conversations. Some of my favourite subjects for a bigger infodump as well as many factoids on them are writing systems especially runic, words, language, etymology, manuscripts, theology and Biblical languages, also some animals and nature, history of textiles, loads more but I get overwhelmed if i try to list everything.

You interests sound really cool, very much linguistic based. The English language is very complex and very difficult to learn. Do you like Susie Dent from Countdown? She specialises in etymology and has written numerous books on the subject. What is your favourite word/language to study?

You are a source of random knowledge. 

AuTriker said:

Do you have a good factoid you'd like to share? Do you prefer factoids on your specialist subject/s or random factoids? What are your most joyful infodump topics? Yes, it is a good word that I enjoy saying or even just thinking.

I love info dumping about autistic experience/culture , it is my passion! I am in my element when I am posting/responding to other people in this autistic community. Aucademy is a great platform where other autistic people info dump about autistic experience, it is brilliant I love it! Before I found out about Aucademy I didn’t realise there were other autistic people who felt as passionately about autistic experience as I do!

I definitely prefer factoids on my specialist subject, I love everything about autistic experience but I particularly like talking about monotropism and language processing.

It’s good that your friends enjoy your info dumping, for some reason not many people appreciate sharing knowledge in this way.

That's nice to read.

I love theatre, films, good fiction. I like practicing and playing the piano (and sometimes the guitar too). I like learning new things about music. I think these have all been (and still are) my array of special interests from as far back since I was first aware of being in the world.  Each comes and goes in cycles, sometimes overlapping one another, sometimes some are more intense than others. 

The best thing about this forum is when you read a post and you think, 'I could have written this' or 'so that explains it' as I find it very difficult to identify what's 'wrong' or how I'm feeling and something which explains anything that an ASD brain can't figure out is a positive.

I've also just deleted a further 3 paragraphs as I'm making an effort to try and not  write so much in an effort to try to help me stop explaining myself so much - but I've just read some of the other posts with one saying 'you can be yourself' here, it's hard trying to be an in-betweener. 

I once had the joyful experience of being paid to infodump for an hour with a slideshow I made! That was back when i was doing a PhD which my burnout put paid to sadly. Of course academia is a happy home of infodumping, I do miss it! I had considered doing talks/paid infodumps but the burnout anxiety wouldn't let me. I suppose it is still possible some day.

Not sure I have a favourite topic for a factoid, I like to collect them on random topics so I can have something interesting to share in a range of conversations. Some of my favourite subjects for a bigger infodump as well as many factoids on them are writing systems especially runic, words, language, etymology, manuscripts, theology and Biblical languages, also some animals and nature, history of textiles, loads more but I get overwhelmed if i try to list everything.

Do you have a good factoid you'd like to share? Do you prefer factoids on your specialist subject/s or random factoids? What are your most joyful infodump topics? Yes, it is a good word that I enjoy saying or even just thinking.

I do have some friends who enjoy my factoids, and even some of my infodumps on a subject they have some interest in. I suspect them of autistic traits but not sure they are full on ND. And they do sometimes accuse me of being a knowitall, but I will say if I don't know stuff and they always act surprised as if they don't remember the several times I have said that. 

I speak as if I'm doing a monologue and I get cranky if someone says anything (which I interpret as "interrupting my flow"). Many years ago, a friend said I must have been vaccinated with a phonograph needle

During talks and debates I regularly say. Ok I will shut up now!

Great, what is your favourite topic to info dump about?

I'm guilty as charged!

Definitely Info-Dumping primarily - like 90%! And the rest would be forrays into Supportive Reminders. But tentatively, and diplomatically, and somewhat aplogetically ('I'm sure you hardly need me to tell you, but...')

You are very welcome.

Hello, Ausomely Autistic. Thank you for your welcome.  

Welcome to your autistic community! In time, I hope you feel a sense of belonging here like I do.

What are your dedicated interests?

Sporadic Sparkly said:

a place where people can pour their hearts out when in need of a shoulder to cry on.

Very poetic comment!

Jess said:

I've not been here long but I like the friendly family atmosphere that's here.

Welcome! It's great that you find this autistic community so friendly, we are here for you. What are your dedicated interests?

Hi Trisha. As a newcomer, I have not had enough time to form a solid opinion just yet. The more I participate, the more I will get a sense of what I like and what works best for me on the forum.