Warning people to receive accomodations

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notinabox43
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04 May 2018, 11:24 am

I had a situation in a chemist today where I overloaded due to noise and bad service and other things. My problem is that most times I can navigate shopping OK with only body symptoms later at home. But occasionally I can't and I never know when that will be.
Aside from wearing a badge, does anyone have any advice as to how to navigate these public situations with strangers?
I'm also not sure announcing my Aspergers would be useful as they probably won't know what that means.
I thought of describing my symptoms eg. Sensory overload, to receive help but I have to do that before I start down the slippery slope and then it may not be necessary.

I'm determined to advocate for myself more to try to reduce my daily headaches etc.
Anyone else feeling they are walking this tightrope? Thanks.


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04 May 2018, 5:13 pm

I have a card that I carry with me that says I have autism and how to help. It has my symptoms and contact information for people who can help me if I need it. It doesn't require me to do anything but pull it out and hand it to someone, I find it very useful.


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04 May 2018, 5:36 pm

notinabox43 wrote:
I had a situation in a chemist today where I overloaded due to noise and bad service and other things. My problem is that most times I can navigate shopping OK with only body symptoms later at home. But occasionally I can't and I never know when that will be.
Aside from wearing a badge, does anyone have any advice as to how to navigate these public situations with strangers?
I'm also not sure announcing my Aspergers would be useful as they probably won't know what that means.
I thought of describing my symptoms eg. Sensory overload, to receive help but I have to do that before I start down the slippery slope and then it may not be necessary.

I'm determined to advocate for myself more to try to reduce my daily headaches etc.
Anyone else feeling they are walking this tightrope? Thanks.


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04 May 2018, 10:48 pm

Depends on what you mean by "navigate." Are you just trying to leave and get home when you have sensory overload, or do you continue trying to finish your errands?



notinabox43
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05 May 2018, 1:49 am

Hmm, in this case I came home. Other times I may have to continue with my errand. Eg. If I'm waiting in the Dr's surgery.

I tend to overload with tears or shutdown with silence where I lose my words.


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notinabox43
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06 May 2018, 4:53 pm

Thanks everyone very much for your ideas. I appreciate the input.


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06 May 2018, 5:11 pm

I would also want to know.

One of the most problematic situations is when I get sensory overload inside of a supermarket. I want to go out but I can't exactly just drop my groceries in the middle of alley and leave - it would be rude and i would end up without the food I wanted to eat (and during a sensory overload If I want something I WANT it and there is no way around - dropping the groceries means a forced change of plan). So I proceed to the checkouts. And what is there? A queue. I want to use the disabled checkout but I am not sure if I can and besides - it has a row as well, even worse than some other cash registers although no one of the people there seems disabled - i would have to call so they let me pass but it would be too embarrassing and it only adds to the overload, especially since I'm already virtually nonverbal by then. So I have to stay and wait for my turn at some random checkout - I waste a lot of time choosing the correct one.

Then I pay, leave the shop, sit or curl into a ball somewhere not crowded, hide face in my hands, close my eyes and cry. If someone comes up and asks me what happened I shake my head in the "No" nod and soon they walk away.



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06 May 2018, 5:42 pm

Kiriae wrote:
I would also want to know.

One of the most problematic situations is when I get sensory overload inside of a supermarket. I want to go out but I can't exactly just drop my groceries in the middle of alley and leave - it would be rude and i would end up without the food I wanted to eat (and during a sensory overload If I want something I WANT it and there is no way around - dropping the groceries means a forced change of plan). So I proceed to the checkouts. And what is there? A queue. I want to use the disabled checkout but I am not sure if I can and besides - it has a row as well, even worse than some other cash registers although no one of the people there seems disabled - i would have to call so they let me pass but it would be too embarrassing and it only adds to the overload, especially since I'm already virtually nonverbal by then. So I have to stay and wait for my turn at some random checkout - I waste a lot of time choosing the correct one.

Then I pay, leave the shop, sit or curl into a ball somewhere not crowded, hide face in my hands, close my eyes and cry. If someone comes up and asks me what happened I shake my head in the "No" nod and soon they walk away.
Do you have a 24/7 market? In the US we have grocery stores that open 24 hours a day. Sometimes I do my food shopping in the middle of the night or super early in the morning when the store is not crowded. I am almost guaranteed either no queue or a very short one at checkout.


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notinabox43
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07 May 2018, 5:50 pm

I buy my groceries online. It is a game changer if it is available.
I only wish all shops delivered!


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07 May 2018, 6:40 pm

A major national supermarket chain here, (Countdown) has introduced a "quiet hour" for AS people to do their supermarket shopping, reducing noise, flashing lights etc. They undertook this initiative last month, announcing it in a respectful way. They seem to have arrived at this without prompting, possibly someone high up has AS relatives. Whatever, it is a good move to offer more options.



notinabox43
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07 May 2018, 7:39 pm

Wow! I know just cutting out the music and announcements would be a big help for concentration.
Can't beat personal experience. It is an eye opener for sure.
What country is that?


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07 May 2018, 8:15 pm

New Zealand. At the moment it is being trialled in various branches, and if it is supported by AS families, it is going national.



notinabox43
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07 May 2018, 8:16 pm

Yay NZ! I am in Oz.


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Kiriae
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10 May 2018, 3:30 am

skibum wrote:
Kiriae wrote:
I would also want to know.

One of the most problematic situations is when I get sensory overload inside of a supermarket. I want to go out but I can't exactly just drop my groceries in the middle of alley and leave - it would be rude and i would end up without the food I wanted to eat (and during a sensory overload If I want something I WANT it and there is no way around - dropping the groceries means a forced change of plan). So I proceed to the checkouts. And what is there? A queue. I want to use the disabled checkout but I am not sure if I can and besides - it has a row as well, even worse than some other cash registers although no one of the people there seems disabled - i would have to call so they let me pass but it would be too embarrassing and it only adds to the overload, especially since I'm already virtually nonverbal by then. So I have to stay and wait for my turn at some random checkout - I waste a lot of time choosing the correct one.

Then I pay, leave the shop, sit or curl into a ball somewhere not crowded, hide face in my hands, close my eyes and cry. If someone comes up and asks me what happened I shake my head in the "No" nod and soon they walk away.
Do you have a 24/7 market? In the US we have grocery stores that open 24 hours a day. Sometimes I do my food shopping in the middle of the night or super early in the morning when the store is not crowded. I am almost guaranteed either no queue or a very short one at checkout.

The problem is mostly not with the market itself but me overdoing it. Usually I can do my shopping just fine but sometimes I fail to measure my condition and sensory overload hits me suddenly - I enter the shop just a little bit tired and then get overwhelmed inside because my favorite kind of bread is sold out while I am trying to bear with the music and other customers. It's too random to predict.
However there is one supermarket that gives me overload more often than the others. I usually avoid that one although it has good sales sometimes so my curiosity gets better of me.

Even if they were 24/7 markets I wouldn't use them because shopping is a pastime for me - I love going to a random shop by tram during the day and hunt for sales (it's bordering with special interest level so it's not easy to just stop doing it).
Evenings/mornings are too cold, trams don't go that often and I can't see the outside clearly while travelling tram when there is dark out. It would also be pretty bad if the tram broke at such time (at least 2 trams a day break in my city) because there wouldn't be any other travel method (during the day you just go to parallel street and take another tram/bus) and I would have to walk a few kms in the dark and cold.



LilLoki
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10 May 2018, 7:53 am

I am afraid to make some kind of warning or signal about my autism in the establishments, and in other places where I live, because I am afraid of the monster called prejudice even the people here being mostly kind and caring people with people with disabilities. but the last time I warned about my autism in the computer course I attended, where it was very noisy and I always ran away to the bathroom, my teacher treated me like I was a brainless idiot. and did nothing about the rowdy students



notinabox43
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10 May 2018, 5:11 pm

LilLoki I know what you mean!
Fortunately (or not) people usually just look at me as if I'm speaking rubbish. "You can't tell", or "I would never have known" or "Are you sure?"
The world just isn't set up for invisible differences so I end up coming across as hysterical or chronically ill.


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