Totally Over The Spectrum

Hyperfocus is a calming and healing state of mind. Being completely immersed in a task is often a reprive from the daily bombardment of sensory issues, anxiety and emotional dysregulation inherent to the autistic experience. So how could that possibly be a bad thing? In this episode we discuss the joy and the dangers of hyperfocus. Check out our website! https://www.totallyoverthespectrum.ca Follo...

Anyone can perseverate, it isn't exclusive to autism, but it is a component of the autism diagnostic criteria. In this episode we talk about why autistic people perseverate and some strategies to help. Check out our website! https://www.totallyoverthespectrum.ca Follow us on socials! FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/totallyoverthespectrumautismdiscussiongroup I NSTA : https://www.instagram....

Neurodiversity affirming language is all about acknowledging and accepting the concept of neurodiversity. With most things, people tend to get carried away and take a concept too far. In this episode, we talk about whether or not we've gone from encouraging to demanding and if that is hurting the community in the long run. Check out our website! https://www.totallyoverthespectrum.ca Follow us...

The infantilization of autistic individuals is painfully prevalent and it just needs to stop. Check out our website! https://www.totallyoverthespectrum.ca Follow us on socials! FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/totallyoverthespectrumautismdiscussiongroup I NSTA : https://www.instagram.com/totallyoverthespectrum/

Holidays are a stressful time for most people, but for autistic individuals, they can be absolute torture. In this episode, we discuss why holidays are hard and what you can do to give everyone a reason to celebrate. Check out our website! https://www.totallyoverthespectrum.ca Follow us on socials! FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/totallyoverthespectrumautismdiscussiongroup I NSTA : https://www...

Lying is a learned behaviour and widely considered to be part of the social norm as being polite and as a means to uphold social harmony. Lying can be difficult for many autistic individuals and often being honest also means being very trusting of others. This can leave autistic people very vulnerable to victimization. In this episode, we discuss strategies to help keep yourself or your loved one...

People pleasing is when you put the needs of others first, at the expense of your own needs. At it's extreme, it's referred to as fawning, and is a trauma response. In this episode, we talk about why people pleasing is so common for autistic individuals and how to set some healthy boundaries. Check out our website! https://www.totallyoverthespectrum.ca Follow us on socials! FB: https://www...

A big thanks to "TheAnthillCommunity" for asking us to discuss this topic! Check out our website! https://www.totallyoverthespectrum.ca Follow us on socials! FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/totallyoverthespectrumautismdiscussiongroup I NSTA : https://www.instagram.com/totallyoverthespectrum/

Autistic inertia is the unofficial term used to describe the difficulty an autistic individual can have when starting, stopping or changing activities. It range from being bothersome to debilitating and with little information on how to cope, it once again falls to the autistic community to talk about personal experience to help support each other. Check out our website! https://www.totallyoverthe...

Rejection sensitive dysphoria is characterized by strong emotional reactions to real or perceived rejection. Although this isn't an official diagnosis, it is commonly considered to be experienced by many neurodivergent people. In this episode, we talk about what it's like to have RSD and some strategies to help cope. Check out our website! https://www.totallyoverthespectrum.ca Follow us on...

Resiliency is described as the ability to bounce back from a negative experience. While this is a necessary life skill for anyone to learn, we need to take a step back and look at the entire picture before we start throwing around negative experiences and demanding that autistic people just get over it. Check out our website! https://www.totallyoverthespectrum.ca Follow us on socials! FB: https://...

There has been some confusion with the music, so this episode and the previous will not have music in the intro/outro. We will resolve the issue soon - so sorry! Resiliency is described as the ability to bounce back from a negative experience. While this is a necessary life skill for anyone to learn, we need to take a step back and look at the entire picture before we start throwing around negativ...

There has been some confusion with the music, so this episode and the next will not have music in the intro/outro. We will resolve the issue soon - so sorry! Many parents of autistic kids struggle with the expectations surrounding Halloween. Whether it's going out trick-or-treating, or celebrating at home, in this episode we give some helpful tips on how to make this Halloween fun for everyone...

Perfectionism can be both an asset and a hinderance. In this episode we talk about how perfectionism can lead to some serious problems and what you can do to help reduce your anxiety and your expectations. Check out our website! https://www.totallyoverthespectrum.ca/ Follow us on socials! FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/totallyoverthespectrumautismdiscussiongroup I NSTA : https://www.instagram...

Many autistic individuals are selective eaters and it can be very overwhelming trying to figure out how to navigate food intake challenges. In this episode we provide some evidence-based beginner strategies that really work! Check out our website! https://www.totallyoverthespectrum.ca/ Follow us on socials! FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/totallyoverthespectrumautismdiscussiongroup I NSTA : ht...

Everyone has a different idea of what it means to be your authentic self. It can be really easy for someone to say that you should unmask and just be true to who you are, but it's not as simple as that. Autistic individuals are often the most genuine people in a room, but get criticized for it. In this episode we discuss what it means to be authentic and also finding acceptance. Check out our...

Being a caregiver is a stressful job and the physical, emotional and financial strain can be overwhelming some days. In this episode we talk about what it's like to have an autistic family and why it's not the tragedy some people think it is. Check out our website! https://www.totallyoverthespectrum.ca/ Follow us on socials! FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/totallyoverthespectrumautismd...

Autistic brains are wired differently, so it isn't much of a surprise that our love languages are also different. That doesn't mean that relationships are impossible, just that they require understanding, open communication and acceptance. Not sure how that isn't the basis for any solid relationship, but regardless, in this episode we talk all about autistic love languages. Check out o...

PDA is a behaviour profile that can be very difficult to navigate, both for the autistic person and for their loved ones. In this episode we talk about the inner turmoil of the PDAer, how that may look on the outside and lots of strategies to help everyone. Check out our website! https://www.totallyoverthespectrum.ca/ Follow us on socials! FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/totallyoverthespectrum...

For many autistic people, including myself, routines are not just about preference, they're essential for daily function. Sometimes we put routines in place and we don't even notice we've done it, other times we might feel like we can't stick to a routine at all. This episode is all about how and why we need routines and when there isn't one, there's usually a system instea...

Excessive daily stress is a very real concern in the autistic population. While we can't completely eliminate stress from our lives, we can put strategies in place to mitigate the effects. This episode is all about putting strategies in place to minimize the amount of stress in our lives and how to decompress from the stressors we can't avoid. Check out our website! https://www.totallyover...

In the general population, only 4% of people suffer from PTSD. In the autistic community, that number is about 45%. We discuss why so many autistic individuals have PTSD or complex PTSD and why strategies that work for neurotypical people, need to be modified for autistic people. Check out our website! https://www.totallyoverthespectrum.ca/ Follow us on socials! FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups...

Every single day can be stress inducing for autistic people. We already know that there are high rates of comorbidity between autism and mental health issues like anxiety and depression, but a recent study suggests that the impact of stressors might have a more profound impact on the brain than previously thought. Check out our website! https://www.totallyoverthespectrum.ca/ Follow us on socials!...

The vast majority of autistic people are either unemployed or underemployed and that's partly because most workplace environments can be exhausting, dysregulating and unaccommodating for autistic needs. In this episode, we talk about some practical workplace workarounds as well as how and when to ask for accommodations. Check out our website! https://www.totallyoverthespectrum.ca/ Follow us on...

Interviews are stressful for everyone, but for autistic people, interviews can be absolute torture. In this episode, we talk about why interviews are so incredibly difficult for autistic individuals and we provide our top 7 hacks to help you be successful. Check out our website! https://www.totallyoverthespectrum.ca/ Follow us on socials! FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/totallyoverthespectruma...