In this episode Dr Angela Kingdon speaks to Daria Brown as she continues our journey through the 10 Pillars of Autistic Culture, with Pillar 8: Predictable Comforting.
I can’t relate well to this pillar. :( I completely fail on organization and every drawer is a tangled mess, don’t get me started on my closet. Plus if I put stuff away, I forget about it and have to re-buy it when I realize I need it so most things have to live on the counter where they are in clear view. As for foods, I’m definitely a mac and cheese gal, but when I eat anything else, I prefer stew/soup form where everything is mixed in. Bento boxes are too much work and then despite the prep I only eat the comfort foods and never eat the carrots or apples or walnuts or whatever healthy thing that eventually rots in its own separate compartment. Now I am questioning if I am autistic!
It’s less about organization and more about sensory sensitivity and expectation sensitivity. In autistic culture we tend to like to limit change and stick with things we know works. It’s why Steve Jobs wore the same outfit everyday - the predictability brought him comfort. The examples look different for everyone but this pillar is about same foods/safe foods, same clothes/safe clothes, being in familiar places, and having the things we can count on around us.
I can’t relate well to this pillar. :( I completely fail on organization and every drawer is a tangled mess, don’t get me started on my closet. Plus if I put stuff away, I forget about it and have to re-buy it when I realize I need it so most things have to live on the counter where they are in clear view. As for foods, I’m definitely a mac and cheese gal, but when I eat anything else, I prefer stew/soup form where everything is mixed in. Bento boxes are too much work and then despite the prep I only eat the comfort foods and never eat the carrots or apples or walnuts or whatever healthy thing that eventually rots in its own separate compartment. Now I am questioning if I am autistic!
It’s less about organization and more about sensory sensitivity and expectation sensitivity. In autistic culture we tend to like to limit change and stick with things we know works. It’s why Steve Jobs wore the same outfit everyday - the predictability brought him comfort. The examples look different for everyone but this pillar is about same foods/safe foods, same clothes/safe clothes, being in familiar places, and having the things we can count on around us.