@KatyElphinstone@mas.to

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 2w ago

"What is it about these people?" A thread on abused women, autistic people... and a question asked backwards. Researchers have spent a great deal of time trying to work out what kind of woman is especially likely to end up in abusive relationships. Which personality traits make women susceptible. They've also spent a huge amount of time (and money) pondering over what it is about autistic people that makes them not fit in, and struggle. A thread 🧵 ⬇️ #ActuallyAutistic #AutismResearch #Trauma #DomesticAbuse #VictimBlaming #CriticalPsychology #SocialModelOfDisability 1/13

88

9

90

1

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 2mo ago

Boosted by @trending@homestead.social

"Why do you need a label?" ⬇️⬇️⬇️ #Neurodivergent #Autistic #ActuallyAutistic #AuDHD #ADHD

689

32

461

2

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 2w ago

Replying to

Hannah Arendt spoke about the banality of evil. And how when studying evil in action, the evidence points to one thing. A rather unexpected thing. Not lack of empathy, or a fondness for logic. No, none of the above. The thing was so much simpler: a failure to think deeply! The greatest indicator of not committing evil acts, after all, is deep thinking. Perhaps the autistic tendency is actually simply towards being more *universally* empathetic... and less partisan. End of 🧵 #Neurodiversity #Fairness #StructuralInequality

45

9

18

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 2w ago

Replying to

Autistic people are famously fond of logic, and data. We’ve also repeatedly ‘failed’ in tests designed to evaluate our empathy. Tests which I found more interesting as a ‘spot the assumption’ exercise than serious research – or at least, serious research into what the studies professed to be about. I wrote a thread about it: https://mas.to/@KatyElphinstone/116070156336606549 ⬇️ #ActuallyAutistic #Neurodivergent #AutismResearch #Empathy #AutisticThinking #CriticalPsychology #Logic #Reasoning #Neurodiversity #DoubleEmpathy

mas.to

K. J. Elphinstone: "Have you wondered where the claim that autistic p…" - mas.to

26

11

17

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 1mo ago

Subject: Trauma and executive functioning difficulties. Are there any links? I’m just having a thought about the constriction of people’s capacities after severe trauma. So... one problem, you can deal with. Two problems to deal with, you can just about manage. Three problems, and suddenly everything falls apart. And I’m thinking how this could resemble some autistic executive-function difficulties. Judith Herman also talks about what powerlessness does to people. If you get used to almost any action potentially being punished badly, then acting becomes difficult. Deciding, too. Sometimes doing anything becomes difficult! Which makes me wonder about the overlap: if there is one, and how the two things could be related if so. Does that make sense to anyone else? I’d be really interested to know what people think. #AskingAutistics

64

19

34

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 2w ago

Replying to

It seems autistic people are generally less willing to let the emotional story settle the question. And more inclined to bring in data, nuance, and reasoning. If empathy is usually partial, selective, and easily influenced by familiarity, similarity, emotion, social convention, and who we happen to identify with in a given moment... ...then greater reliance on consistency, evidence, and reasoning is actually going to produce the fairer judgement. ⬇️

22

2

7

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 1w ago

~False binaries series~

Real / not real 🧵

And this one is the biggie!

We tend to think things are either real or not real.

Although put a group of people together and ask them what belongs under “real” and “not real” and they will disagree very quickly.

While nearly all remaining absolutely convinced that the distinction itself is binary.

⬇️

10

1

6

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 2w ago

Replying to

Refs for the thread: Paul Bloom – in his book, 'Against Empathy', talks about empathy as a spotlight. Powerful, but narrow and selective - in effect, biased. Paul Farmer's book 'Pathologies of Power' goes into charity vs social justice. How helping individual suffering through philanthropy leaves the power structures causing it completely untouched. Hannah Arendt on the “banality of evil” - Her point is about thoughtlessness vs some kind of monstrous evil personality (people conform, obey, don’t properly examine what they’re doing). All three books are really excellent and I'd highly recommend them 😊

19

5

2

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 1mo ago

Boosted by @trending@homestead.social

"Sometimes I wonder just how many autistic people go undiagnosed due to how horrible society portrays autism to be." Credit to @Autistic_Lia on ex-Twitter #Autism #Autistic #Neurodivergent #ActuallyAutistic

23

0

20

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 3mo ago

Replying to

Reason no. 8 "why I like being autistic" My non-conformist mind. 🎋 To many autistic people, “because everyone else is doing it” is NOT a good reason for doing something. I see this non-conformist thinking style as an important safeguard against herd mentality. 9/11

103

13

16

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 3mo ago

Replying to

Reason no. 10 "why I like being autistic" My potential for authentic friendships, given the right environment. We have a strong and growing community. There's still often this vast loneliness. But now we can find each other, at least. And perhaps, ourselves. 🌈💟 #AutisticCommunity #AutisticJoy

101

13

18

1

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 3mo ago

Replying to

Reason no. 2 "why I like being autistic" My unusual empathy. 💟 Autistic empathy can be intense! It tends to also be pretty democratic: for people, animals, and even objects. Our empathy often isn't interested in hierarchies - and doesn't exclude those who don’t appear useful or successful in society. #AutisticEmpathy 3/11

98

22

21

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 3mo ago

Replying to

Reason no. 7 "why I like being autistic" Asking, "Why?" ❓ There's often a strong autistic tendency to look for the “why” of things: to question systems, notice patterns and wonder about them. And then to creatively imagine how things could be changed. 8/11

95

14

19

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 3mo ago

Replying to

Reason no. 9 "why I like being autistic" Resistance to manipulation. 🫏 Autistic people can be hard to praise or punish into compliance. Often due to inability more than any active rebellion. Though we may feel a lot of shame around this. My take: it's not always a positive thing to fit in. 10/11

90

12

16

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 3mo ago

Replying to

Reason no. 3 "why I like being autistic" My selective hyper-memory and hyper-focus. This can mean persevering past the point where others would give up – so developing knowledge, skill, or creativity to unusual depths. ⚓ That said, I may sometimes forget how to use a kettle. #Hyperfocus 4/11

83

18

8

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 3mo ago

Replying to

Reason no. 1 "why I like being autistic" My way of processing information. 🔢 Autistic different ways of processing information can lead to unusual perception: seeing patterns, details, connections, and possibilities that may not be obvious from the mainstream view. #AutisticCognition 2/11

80

26

14

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 2w ago

Replying to

So… we can care hugely about one suffering person, while staying blind to the system that keeps producing suffering people. We can be moved by an individual story, while ignoring the data. We can feel deeply for somebody we identify with, while extending little understanding to somebody whose behaviour, background, language, or way of thinking is unfamiliar to us. And we then mistake the intensity of that feeling for morality itself. ⬇️

4

1

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 2w ago

Replying to

I read recently that in societies where empathy increases, justice decreases. It puzzled me at first, but it makes sense. Philanthropy is all about compassion and empathy – giving. But that doesn't make it fair. In fact, often it’s another way of making sure some are benefactors and can feel great about themselves, while others are poor and crushed and have to feel permanently grateful if they get anything at all. ⬇️ #MoralPsychology #AutisticThinking #Justice #Logic #Reasoning

4

13

2

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 3mo ago

Replying to

Reason no. 5 "why I like being autistic" Getting right into the details of things. 🎼 Autistic attention to detail can be difficult, for example when trying to shift focus - but it can also mean unusual observational powers, precision, and noticing things other people don’t. 6/11

68

16

8

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 3mo ago

Replying to

Reason no. 6 "why I like being autistic" Unusual imagination 🍃 Autistic imagination can be wonderfully various, rich, strange, vivid, or deeply felt. Some autistic people have whole inner worlds! While for some, there are no inner visuals. For some, memory - if present - comes by sensations. 7/11

64

15

8

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 3mo ago

Replying to

Reason no. 4 "why I like being autistic" My hyper-sensory experiences. 🤪 These can be totally overwhelming. But, on the positive side, I might notice ambient nuances, beauty and subtlety – smells, textures, sounds. They can also be handy, e.g. for noticing in time if the house is on fire!! 5/11

63

17

8

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 3mo ago

Boosted by @GroupNebula563@mastodon.social

The Deficit-Trauma Loop ➰ 1. Autistic trait exists. 2. The trait is socially inconvenient or misunderstood. 3. The person is corrected, punished, excluded, shamed, or unsupported. 4. Trauma, anxiety, masking, burnout, or co-occurring difficulties develop. 5. The resulting distress is read as autism alone. 6. The diagnosis/deficit story is reinforced. 7. More pressure is applied to reduce the autistic trait. 8. The person is further harmed (PTSD etc.). 9. They exhibit increasingly more distress and less ‘functioning’. 10. Conclusion: “Autism is simply a disorder.” #Autism #Neurodivergent #ActuallyAutistic #AuDHD

68

8

51

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 2mo ago

Replying to

Little yellow frog replies in increasing desperation, "Yes.. I know... but, I'm a little yellow frog." I insist, "All frogs are frogs." And everybody nods, as though that makes perfect sense. Bearing in mind nobody has ever been interested in what makes the frog who they are (beyond pathologising their annoying tendency to keel over overwhelmed & dig their little feet in about apparently pointless things) leaving a sad lack of data on the subject. ⬇️

51

2

8

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 3mo ago

Boosted by @trending@homestead.social

Subject: Autistic perception Studies suggest that autistic people give relatively more weight to incoming perceptual detail - and less weight to prior expectations, or assumptions. A thread 🧵 #Autism #AutisticPerception #Neurodiversity #Neurodivergent #ActuallyAutistic

74

5

66

1

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 2w ago

Replying to

@Furthering@convo.casa I'm really glad you liked it! Sometimes I feel a bit odd sort of arguing 'against empathy' (although of course, it's not really like that... in fact, I've just thought of a new term based on others' comments here, a kind of autistic 'universal empathy') but I do love all of the reasoning and logic behind this stuff. Sometimes people think I'm cold, you see, because I go so 'big picture' and say things like 'it's just logistics'. So this is also a way to try to defend myself 😂

3

1

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 2mo ago

Is autistic distress around change necessarily a problem of personal rigidity or inflexibility? The truth is, everyone's more comfortable with change when they choose it, understand it -- and have some power over how it happens. And this is especially true for those who've been traumatised, or had deeply negative (or even just very intense!) experiences, even when others were insisting that everything was fine. So perhaps the deeper issue isn’t sameness, but safety and being listened to. 💟 #Autism #Autistic #ActuallyAutistic #Neurodivergent

34

1

19

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 2mo ago

♾️ 10 reasons why I like being autistic ♾️ Thanks to @astridpoot@mastodon.social, my thread has now become a beautiful and fully-illustrated zine! Share if you like what you see❤️ https://wise.astridpoot.nl/30-10-reasons-why-i-like-being-autistic/ 🥰 🥳 😎 🙏 #Autistic #Neurodivergent #Neurodiversity #ActuallyAutistic

wise.astridpoot.nl

30. 10 reasons why I like being autistic – Wise enough to play the fool

27

0

28

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 3mo ago

You've probably got an old phone gathering dust in a drawer somewhere. You meant to get it fixed. But repairing it was too expensive, too difficult, or simply impossible. That’s not an accident. Companies like Apple and Samsung profit when we don’t repair and buy new instead. While mountains of electronic waste continue to grow, we pay the price. Right now, the EU is working on a new law to tackle this mountain of waste. It's called the Circular Economy Act. Done right, it would mean products built to last, and repair that’s easy and affordable. But there's a problem. Right now, the plans are all about recycling, and almost nothing about repair and reuse. That suits the industry fine: they'd rather you give up on your old phone and buy a new one. We can still turn this around, the law is being written as we speak. But only if enough of us raise our voices now. https://action.wemove.eu/sign/2026-05-circular-economy-petition-EN?akid=s8491484..vMeQmr #repair #reuse #repairReuseRecycle #environment

action.wemove.eu

38

3

53

1

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 2w ago

Replying to

Charity responds to the suffering person in front of us. Justice asks why people keep ending up there. And strangely enough, the second (the colder-sounding proposition) is often the more humane one, at the end of the day. Then there's autism. ⬇️

2

1

2

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 1mo ago

Boosted by @trending@homestead.social

I’ve just signed this open letter calling on Higher Education to strengthen systems of care for Black, global majority and neurodivergent staff and students, following the death of Professor Jason Arday. It sets out three specific demands for action, alongside calls for urgent inquiry into the circumstances leading to his death. You don’t have to work in academia to sign it - please sign or share if you can. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfz8pSxrx8h4iZiw6pywyuW0XxaJpxUj19P5zkPi2dxObymMQ/viewform #Neurodivergent #BlackLivesMatter #Autism #DisabilityJustice #Ableism

Google Docs

PROFESSOR JASON ARDAY (1985-2026) AND THREE DEMANDS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

The attack on the late Black, autistic Professor Jason Arday was racist and ableist. We call on the Education Secretary Lucy Powell, Higher Education authorities (HESA, the Office for Students, Advance HE) and University leadership to respond publicly with concrete plans and a timeline for meeting these three demands: Explicit, binding clauses added to the Race Equality Charter and Equality Act (2010), with duty to make feasible, not symbolic reasonable adjustments, Access to Work provisions, an

4

0

14

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 4mo ago

Boosted by @trending@homestead.social

Many more women than men have been diagnosed over the years with ‘personality disorders’. These labels are much more personally damning than autism or ADHD - as they judge who you are, rather than explaining how you function. #Autism #ADHD #AuDHD #Diagnosis #Sexism #GenderEquality #Neurodivergent

43

5

52

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 2mo ago

Replying to

This kind of non-sequitur statement belongs, I think, in the same family as arguments like "all lives matter." They’re true, of course. But why say them in this context? Could it be… possibly… to shut down people who are trying desperately to say something about their experience? ⬇️

15

2

4

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 2mo ago

Replying to

So yes, we’re all neurodiverse. The statement is quite a conversation stopper. Which, I think, is exactly the effect desired by the larger societal agenda that reinforces it. End of 🧵 Thank you! Rant over 😊 #Autistic #Autism #Neurodiversity #Neurodivergent

14

1

3

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 3mo ago

Deficit or difference? There are a few things about autism that it takes quite a lot of ingenuity to consistently frame them as negative. I've listed some of them here... A thread 🧵 ⬇️ #Autism #Neurodiversity #Neurodivergent #ActuallyAutistic 1/13

17

0

21

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 3mo ago

In the UK, 89-97% of autistic adults aged 40+ may be undiagnosed. That's a whole generation of people who've been blamed for traits they naturally had that went unnamed. 😢 #LateDiagnosedAutistic #Autism #ActuallyAutistic #Neurodivergent

13

2

10

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 3mo ago

"Autistic people aren’t afraid of genetic research – they are afraid of what scientists might do with it" #AutismResearch https://theconversation.com/autistic-people-arent-afraid-of-genetic-research-they-are-afraid-of-what-scientists-might-do-with-it-284387 Thank you @rmblaber1956@mastodon.social for sharing this excellent article.

The Conversation

Autistic people aren’t afraid of genetic research – they are afraid of what scientists might do with it

Most autistic people support genetic research but fear how the findings might be used. Their concerns are becoming harder to dismiss.

11

0

8

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 4mo ago

Many more women than men have been diagnosed over the years with ‘personality disorders’.

These labels are much more personally damning than autism or ADHD - as they judge who you are, rather than explaining how you function.

#Autism #ADHD #AuDHD #Sexism #Neurodivergent

mas.to

15

3

11

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 2mo ago

Replying to

For arguments sake: Imagine there's an area with a species of little yellow frog, that can't cope if certain chemicals go into the water. And then there are plentiful bullfrogs there, who can. Little yellow frog says, "Help me! I'm a little yellow frog. My skin means I'm extra-sensitive, so I'll suffer." I say, "You're a frog." ⬇️

8

3

2

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 2mo ago

Replying to

Of course we're all neurodiverse! Just as all living things are biodiverse. That doesn't mean that within that category there can't be further refinements. It would be a bit of a conversation stopper if every time you tried to talk about a species or a genus, I interrupted you and said, "but all life is biodiverse." ⬇️

7

6

1

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 2mo ago

Two young women in Arua, Uganda, were arrested after allegedly kissing in public. Under Uganda’s harsh Anti Homosexuality act, they could face life imprisonment if convicted. The petition is to call for the dropping of charges against them. #LGBTQ #lgbtqia #lgbtqpluscommunity http://a.allout.org/s/WKp5D/

a.allout.org

5

0

9

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 3mo ago

Replying to

@fabienmarry@mastodon.social 🙏 🥰

5

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 3mo ago

Replying to

@stgiga@blahaj.zone Yes, me too! It's a funny mix at times. I'm very creative and non-conformist and yet very attached to detail and routine.

2

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@NicelyManifest@mastodon.social @joshsusser@autistics.life Yes - this makes sense. Also, I think we generally prefer logic. And unfairness is illogic.

3

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@stevebrady@mastodon.social I honestly think there's pretty much sums it up 🤷‍♀️ I have got my eye on Elon here.

1

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 3mo ago

Replying to

@astridpoot@mastodon.social 🙏 🥰

0

1

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 2w ago

Replying to

@thisislieven@c.im I love the idea of there being a collective healing aspect to it. I shall take that into my day as I go off to do something else and stop staring at the screen.

0

1

0

K. J. Elphinstone @KatyElphinstone@mas.to

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@sandorspruit@mastodon.nl @joshsusser@autistics.life Ooh nice one!

0