Nicole Filippone, Autistic Advocate & Author
@sensorystories.bsky.social
Advocating through science based education, validation, and empathy
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If you recently discovered you might be autistic or you're a parent who recently discovered your kiddo might be autistic & you're looking to learn about autism through science and lived experience...
Hi... I'm Nicole! 👋🏻
Hi... I'm Nicole! 👋🏻
Being a high masking, lower support needs autistic person who has a full time job and is married with kids basically makes it so people think your challenges are a combination of poor planning, poor choices, and social incompetence rather than because you have a literal disability 🥴
November 16, 2025 at 4:06 AM
Being a high masking, lower support needs autistic person who has a full time job and is married with kids basically makes it so people think your challenges are a combination of poor planning, poor choices, and social incompetence rather than because you have a literal disability 🥴
Autistic people are not wired to be rigid.
Rigidity is a human response to the fear of our needs not being met. A logical one, even.
Because it's a mechanism that ensures our needs are met. Because when they go unmet, we suffer. Sometimes to an intolerable level.
Rigidity is a human response to the fear of our needs not being met. A logical one, even.
Because it's a mechanism that ensures our needs are met. Because when they go unmet, we suffer. Sometimes to an intolerable level.
November 16, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Autistic people are not wired to be rigid.
Rigidity is a human response to the fear of our needs not being met. A logical one, even.
Because it's a mechanism that ensures our needs are met. Because when they go unmet, we suffer. Sometimes to an intolerable level.
Rigidity is a human response to the fear of our needs not being met. A logical one, even.
Because it's a mechanism that ensures our needs are met. Because when they go unmet, we suffer. Sometimes to an intolerable level.
I think the reason autistic people struggle with unwritten social "rules" is that those "rules" are never universally applied.
Because they are not actually rules, they're more like standards that most people seem to align with. But not all... never all...
Because they are not actually rules, they're more like standards that most people seem to align with. But not all... never all...
November 15, 2025 at 12:23 AM
I think the reason autistic people struggle with unwritten social "rules" is that those "rules" are never universally applied.
Because they are not actually rules, they're more like standards that most people seem to align with. But not all... never all...
Because they are not actually rules, they're more like standards that most people seem to align with. But not all... never all...
If your autism is basically completely hidden but causes you debilitating anxiety most days... I see you. ❤️
November 12, 2025 at 11:59 PM
If your autism is basically completely hidden but causes you debilitating anxiety most days... I see you. ❤️
Neurodivergent friendship is a funny thing. You can find your people and have amazing connections with them, but be too overwhelmed with life to stay in touch, but miss them dearly and feel lonely, but be too burnt out to even send a text. 😩
November 11, 2025 at 3:11 AM
Neurodivergent friendship is a funny thing. You can find your people and have amazing connections with them, but be too overwhelmed with life to stay in touch, but miss them dearly and feel lonely, but be too burnt out to even send a text. 😩
Neurodivergence is being mocked your whole life for being "weird" because you're different, then after years of social trauma finally learning to embrace your differences only to be told "everyone is like that, you're not special" 😒🤦♀️
November 10, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Neurodivergence is being mocked your whole life for being "weird" because you're different, then after years of social trauma finally learning to embrace your differences only to be told "everyone is like that, you're not special" 😒🤦♀️
I think I know why so many people think "everyone is a little autistic"
It's because autistic needs are human needs.
Because our needs are not a different category of need. They're the same as everyone else's...
It's because autistic needs are human needs.
Because our needs are not a different category of need. They're the same as everyone else's...
November 10, 2025 at 3:45 AM
I think I know why so many people think "everyone is a little autistic"
It's because autistic needs are human needs.
Because our needs are not a different category of need. They're the same as everyone else's...
It's because autistic needs are human needs.
Because our needs are not a different category of need. They're the same as everyone else's...
Reality: Many (if not most) autistic people are living to survive. Barely coping. Some of us manage to look "fine" but are really struggling to make it through the day...
November 9, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Reality: Many (if not most) autistic people are living to survive. Barely coping. Some of us manage to look "fine" but are really struggling to make it through the day...
Criticizing a disabled person for feeling any way whatsoever about their own disability... by using "internalized ableism" as a reason... is victim blaming and invalidation.
November 7, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Criticizing a disabled person for feeling any way whatsoever about their own disability... by using "internalized ableism" as a reason... is victim blaming and invalidation.
Anyone interested in content on "pure O" OCD? This is a presentation of OCD that doesn't typically show up with overt behaviors.
Personally, I think "internalized OCD" might be a better term for it (for the same reasons I've been using the terms "internalized autism" and "internalized meltdowns").
Personally, I think "internalized OCD" might be a better term for it (for the same reasons I've been using the terms "internalized autism" and "internalized meltdowns").
November 6, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Anyone interested in content on "pure O" OCD? This is a presentation of OCD that doesn't typically show up with overt behaviors.
Personally, I think "internalized OCD" might be a better term for it (for the same reasons I've been using the terms "internalized autism" and "internalized meltdowns").
Personally, I think "internalized OCD" might be a better term for it (for the same reasons I've been using the terms "internalized autism" and "internalized meltdowns").
Let me put it this way. Disability supports are necessary to get disabled people out of survival mode. Because we can't get out of survival mode without help.
Without disability supports, we are stuck using desperate, highly ineffective, and often harmful strategies to survive.
Without disability supports, we are stuck using desperate, highly ineffective, and often harmful strategies to survive.
November 5, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Let me put it this way. Disability supports are necessary to get disabled people out of survival mode. Because we can't get out of survival mode without help.
Without disability supports, we are stuck using desperate, highly ineffective, and often harmful strategies to survive.
Without disability supports, we are stuck using desperate, highly ineffective, and often harmful strategies to survive.
Did you know...?
Autistic burnout is pervasive, long-term (3+ months) exhaustion, loss of function, and reduced tolerance to stimulus. It's described as being the result of chronic life stress and a mismatch of expectations and abilities without adequate supports.
If you know. You know. 😅
Autistic burnout is pervasive, long-term (3+ months) exhaustion, loss of function, and reduced tolerance to stimulus. It's described as being the result of chronic life stress and a mismatch of expectations and abilities without adequate supports.
If you know. You know. 😅
November 5, 2025 at 3:20 AM
Did you know...?
Autistic burnout is pervasive, long-term (3+ months) exhaustion, loss of function, and reduced tolerance to stimulus. It's described as being the result of chronic life stress and a mismatch of expectations and abilities without adequate supports.
If you know. You know. 😅
Autistic burnout is pervasive, long-term (3+ months) exhaustion, loss of function, and reduced tolerance to stimulus. It's described as being the result of chronic life stress and a mismatch of expectations and abilities without adequate supports.
If you know. You know. 😅
Empathy is not a feature of autism.
Is it impacted by autistic brain wiring? Absolutely. But it's not a feature of autism.
And I want to talk about this because this is one of the most common misconceptions I've seen about autism.
Is it impacted by autistic brain wiring? Absolutely. But it's not a feature of autism.
And I want to talk about this because this is one of the most common misconceptions I've seen about autism.
November 4, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Empathy is not a feature of autism.
Is it impacted by autistic brain wiring? Absolutely. But it's not a feature of autism.
And I want to talk about this because this is one of the most common misconceptions I've seen about autism.
Is it impacted by autistic brain wiring? Absolutely. But it's not a feature of autism.
And I want to talk about this because this is one of the most common misconceptions I've seen about autism.
Autism is a social disability
It's also a sensory disability
What it isn't is an empathy disability
Or a rigidity disability
Or an intellectual disability
Breaking this one down because not all of this is self explanatory...
It's also a sensory disability
What it isn't is an empathy disability
Or a rigidity disability
Or an intellectual disability
Breaking this one down because not all of this is self explanatory...
November 2, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Autism is a social disability
It's also a sensory disability
What it isn't is an empathy disability
Or a rigidity disability
Or an intellectual disability
Breaking this one down because not all of this is self explanatory...
It's also a sensory disability
What it isn't is an empathy disability
Or a rigidity disability
Or an intellectual disability
Breaking this one down because not all of this is self explanatory...
Autism is a social disability because most people don't have empathy for the way we communicate... yet we're the ones constantly accused of lacking empathy. Make it make sense. 😒
October 29, 2025 at 2:51 AM
Autism is a social disability because most people don't have empathy for the way we communicate... yet we're the ones constantly accused of lacking empathy. Make it make sense. 😒
I think I may have figured out why there's so much confusion around what autism is and isn't.
After years of trying to make sense of it myself, I'm realizing that there are actually two separate, but related aspects of autism...
After years of trying to make sense of it myself, I'm realizing that there are actually two separate, but related aspects of autism...
October 27, 2025 at 11:00 PM
I think I may have figured out why there's so much confusion around what autism is and isn't.
After years of trying to make sense of it myself, I'm realizing that there are actually two separate, but related aspects of autism...
After years of trying to make sense of it myself, I'm realizing that there are actually two separate, but related aspects of autism...
People pleasing is a human behavior that occurs for all sorts of reasons.
Neurodivergent people pleasing is a behavior specifically tied to trauma. We develop it as a coping mechanism to minimize repeated mistreatment...
Neurodivergent people pleasing is a behavior specifically tied to trauma. We develop it as a coping mechanism to minimize repeated mistreatment...
October 27, 2025 at 1:10 AM
People pleasing is a human behavior that occurs for all sorts of reasons.
Neurodivergent people pleasing is a behavior specifically tied to trauma. We develop it as a coping mechanism to minimize repeated mistreatment...
Neurodivergent people pleasing is a behavior specifically tied to trauma. We develop it as a coping mechanism to minimize repeated mistreatment...
Autistic anxiety (aka distinct anxiety)... let's talk about it. #autismawareness
October 26, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Autistic anxiety (aka distinct anxiety)... let's talk about it. #autismawareness
Autistic anxiety... which is the direct result of autistic needs not being met (and can't be explained by any other type of anxiety) should not be the barely researched topic it currently is...
October 24, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Autistic anxiety... which is the direct result of autistic needs not being met (and can't be explained by any other type of anxiety) should not be the barely researched topic it currently is...
I don't know who needs to see this, but autistic accommodations include anything that would reduce autistic anxiety.
Examples...
Travel anxiety... asking for a seat with extra room, pre-boarding a flight, asking for a different hotel room if the one you were given triggers you.
Examples...
Travel anxiety... asking for a seat with extra room, pre-boarding a flight, asking for a different hotel room if the one you were given triggers you.
October 22, 2025 at 2:07 PM
I don't know who needs to see this, but autistic accommodations include anything that would reduce autistic anxiety.
Examples...
Travel anxiety... asking for a seat with extra room, pre-boarding a flight, asking for a different hotel room if the one you were given triggers you.
Examples...
Travel anxiety... asking for a seat with extra room, pre-boarding a flight, asking for a different hotel room if the one you were given triggers you.
Fellow autistics... please hear what I'm about to say, because it's important.
If we want to create real, meaningful, and lasting change as a community... we need to start with radical inclusivity.
That means including every autistic person. Every. single. one.
If we want to create real, meaningful, and lasting change as a community... we need to start with radical inclusivity.
That means including every autistic person. Every. single. one.
October 20, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Fellow autistics... please hear what I'm about to say, because it's important.
If we want to create real, meaningful, and lasting change as a community... we need to start with radical inclusivity.
That means including every autistic person. Every. single. one.
If we want to create real, meaningful, and lasting change as a community... we need to start with radical inclusivity.
That means including every autistic person. Every. single. one.
I think I understand why there's so much disagreement and confusion within the autistic community.
Most of our disagreements come down to different philosophical perspectives, not different views on how autistic people should be treated or how important it is for autistic people to be supported.
Most of our disagreements come down to different philosophical perspectives, not different views on how autistic people should be treated or how important it is for autistic people to be supported.
October 19, 2025 at 9:19 PM
I think I understand why there's so much disagreement and confusion within the autistic community.
Most of our disagreements come down to different philosophical perspectives, not different views on how autistic people should be treated or how important it is for autistic people to be supported.
Most of our disagreements come down to different philosophical perspectives, not different views on how autistic people should be treated or how important it is for autistic people to be supported.
Why are there so many undiagnosed adults who are only now discovering they're autistic or otherwise neurodivergent?
I have an explanation...
I have an explanation...
October 18, 2025 at 3:12 AM
Why are there so many undiagnosed adults who are only now discovering they're autistic or otherwise neurodivergent?
I have an explanation...
I have an explanation...
Them: You don't look autistic
Me: You don't see it because my autism mostly affects me. I've spent most of my life painstakingly minimizing the impact it has on others... so now it has no effect on you at all, but my life is indescribably more difficult and exhausting
Me: You don't see it because my autism mostly affects me. I've spent most of my life painstakingly minimizing the impact it has on others... so now it has no effect on you at all, but my life is indescribably more difficult and exhausting
October 17, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Them: You don't look autistic
Me: You don't see it because my autism mostly affects me. I've spent most of my life painstakingly minimizing the impact it has on others... so now it has no effect on you at all, but my life is indescribably more difficult and exhausting
Me: You don't see it because my autism mostly affects me. I've spent most of my life painstakingly minimizing the impact it has on others... so now it has no effect on you at all, but my life is indescribably more difficult and exhausting
All humans experience dysregulation and distress.
Many humans experience dysregulation and distress long enough that they reach a point of exhaustion and burnout...
Many humans experience dysregulation and distress long enough that they reach a point of exhaustion and burnout...
October 16, 2025 at 3:10 AM
All humans experience dysregulation and distress.
Many humans experience dysregulation and distress long enough that they reach a point of exhaustion and burnout...
Many humans experience dysregulation and distress long enough that they reach a point of exhaustion and burnout...