Use the things that work for you.

It is normal for things to be hard sometimes.
But there are ways to make things easier.
You can make your own accommodations.
There are lots of tools autistic people use to make our lives easier.
Here are a few of them:

  • Printing out schedules with pictures to plan out your day
  • Having a friend come over once a week to help you clean up
  • Setting up a phone or laptop to remind you to do things

You might feel pressured to communicate in certain ways.
People might want you to talk out loud.
They might push you to talk faster.
They might want you to talk in ways that they like.
You should communicate however works best for you.
You might find writing easier than talking.
You might find it easier to point to pictures or draw things.
You should communicate in a way that you like. That’s self-advocacy!

Remember: self-advocacy is for everyone.
You are already a self-advocate.
You can use some of these ideas to practice self-advocacy.
The more you practice, the easier it will get.

Even when you self-advocate, people might be jerks.
People might not listen to you.
People might treat you badly.
When you think something is wrong, it can help to know your rights.