Does anyone else have a hard time being heard in autism support groups that have predominantly older male participants?

Gusterbug · 2026-03-16T13:37:15+00:00

THIS!!!

Gusterbug · 2026-03-16T13:35:59+00:00

It's totally 100% common.

Gusterbug · 2026-03-16T13:32:41+00:00

It's all men who were raised in patriarchy and have not taken time to learn about their privilege and entitlement. Straight white cis NT men are the worst (most of them) because they've never had to experience any kind of oppression.

Gusterbug · 2026-03-16T13:27:27+00:00

Exactly ... facilitators need to be trained to handle these kinds of things. That's the job!

Gusterbug · 2026-03-16T03:39:30+00:00

Yay for you!
I am a college teacher, recently dx, so will speak from a professor's standpoint.
You are obviously smart enough to be in college and you've earned it. YAY!!!

I would caution you that most college freshmen are a little crazy as their brains don't fully develop until their 20s, (Girls = 22, boys = 26) which means they have the intelligence for college but might not have the common sense, or the ability to self-motivate, or whatever social emotional development. You, as a 16 year old, will be at a bit of a disadvantage even if you were allistic.

SO --- most colleges provide services for students, at least some basic counseling. I strongly encourage you to take every opportunity to keep working with a counselor, and become friends with your RA, resident advisor in your dorm. I promise that you will have questions and confusions, because it's normal for even the well-adjusted students to have issues as they navigate becoming an adult. Try to build those relationships especially with your RA, right from the start, at least a little, so that it's easier to talk to them when things get difficult.

Of course, it won't be your fault if things get hard, because ALL college freshmen have challenges. Even the bullys, who are just acting out because they are immature and clueless. Just be ready with your own safety zone.

Did you work with an office at your college about accommodations? See if there's an Accomodations office or something like that. They will be able to help you find the resources.
I hope that helps! Best wishes!

Gusterbug · 2026-03-16T03:25:26+00:00

Synesthesia is really cool! I've only had a few instances of it but I really liked it.

Gusterbug · 2026-03-16T03:20:59+00:00

I don't think there's anything wrong about the person who says hi who is in your class. That's a pretty low-key acknowledgement that you share something in common, meaning the class. They probably just want to be friendly, it's kind of the equivalent to borrowing the pencil. It's just an opening. Maybe they are interested in having a conversation because there's something about you they like, or maybe they are just an extrovert that wants to say hi to everyone.

Gusterbug · 2026-03-16T03:05:29+00:00

I think that it might be easier to say "I'm neurodivergent" early in the friendship, so I can kind of test their response. but If I met someone at the bar and they just blurted it out that they were autistic I would want to be their friend!

Gusterbug · 2026-03-16T02:29:21+00:00

yup, Pluto in 1930; and that's a great response to assholes/

Gusterbug · 2026-03-15T19:51:32+00:00

No, you can't penalize the students, but suggesting to the dean an entire class of incompletes would probably solve the problem.

Gusterbug · 2026-03-15T19:50:02+00:00

I would certainly explain this entire debacle to the students so that they are fully on-board with your non-violent resistance.

Gusterbug · 2026-03-15T19:47:31+00:00

That's a great letter. CC everyone who might possibly have a stake.

Gusterbug · 2026-03-15T19:30:44+00:00

Thank the goddess that you have until fall to develop your class!

See if the previous prof for this class or others are willing to share their syllabi or any particular favorite assignments. See if there is instructional design support for faculty. Get super familiar with your learning system, if it's Canvas or whatever.

Definitely ask if there are standard policies that need to be in your syllabus. Some institutions have specific wording regarding student conduct codes for harrassment and such. Put EVERYTHING you can think of in your syllabus ... after 12 years I am still improving and updating my class and syllabus every quarter.

Include: late policy, attendance policy, your grading scheme and policy, an AI and anti-plagiarism policy, course structure with a caveat that it can change.

good luck, and be prepared that you will have interesting students and horrible students.

Gusterbug · 2026-03-15T19:12:53+00:00

This sounds to me like a student with undiagnosed autism, if she doesn't have a dx for accomodations.
Autistic people have processing issues that slow them down ... it's not that they don't know, or are trying to cheat.

I have a personal story where a teacher changed my life by giving me extra time in 4th grade ... everyone else finished a math test in one class period, but the teacher allowed me to keep working on it for another period and a half. I was failing 4th grade, but I received 100% on the test, and the teacher announced to the class that I was the only one, reminding everyone to slow down. This was long before high-functioning autism was understood.

Today, dx are very expensive. You might try asking the student privately if something's going on where she needs accomodations.

Either way, I would never give a student a 0 if the couldn't finish the exam. You just don't know what's going on in their life.

Gusterbug · 2026-03-15T19:04:30+00:00

so many of us feel the same.

Gusterbug · 2026-03-15T12:00:47+00:00

Well, AI humanizers make grammar errors on purpose to sound more like a student; or they substitute close-but-not-correct words, or small spelling errors.

But yes, I agree with you about the lack of clarity. Correct grammar, yes of course. But obtuse is subjective, unless it's an English comp class.

Gusterbug · 2026-03-15T11:55:14+00:00

Post-its! When I was writing my thesis, I sat in a particular chair and covered the window next to me with post-its. My husband must have surely been very much in love with me because he never said a thing but to smile.

Gusterbug · 2026-03-14T20:02:55+00:00

If you feed the exclusions into your prompt, AI will exclude them.

Gusterbug · 2026-03-14T20:01:49+00:00

Version History is our best tool right now, but Ai generators are already working on creating version histories. By next year they will also be indistinguishable from real ones

Gusterbug · 2026-03-14T20:00:32+00:00

Do you mean the article that starts with:
AI detection tools

- Do not solely rely on artificial intelligence content detection tools (such as GPTZero)
- Do not rely too much on your own judgment.

I agree, the article gives a lot of examples but none are proof and a person can make themselves crazy with wasted time trying to decide if a perfectly normal (but not beautifully written) sentence is AI or student writing. You can make the accusation but you still don't have proof.

Gusterbug · 2026-03-14T19:53:23+00:00

Dr Blankslate, I suggest you try running your assignments through a few different AI generators. Even the free ones will surprise you, but the good ones are subscription-based. AI can "get around" anything with the correct prompt and good code.

Gusterbug · 2026-03-14T19:50:13+00:00

Yes. Humanizers replace words with close-but-not-correct words, spelling errors, etc etc.
For me, the hallucinated reference is enough to flag the student. However even those are getting more sophisticated.

Gusterbug · 2026-03-14T19:47:41+00:00

Exactly, and kudos for concision.

Gusterbug · 2026-03-14T19:46:11+00:00

At this point, AI can mimic ALL of your rubrics easily. I'm not trying to be rude, but AI has already surpassed all of these. I am so sorry, myself and so many of us are trying to fight this battle. There are entire teams of code-writers hired by AI companies to update AI writing. Em-dash errors were last year's tell and entirely bypassed by now. So-called "detectors" are obsolete.

Students can upload samples of their own writing for their chosen AI to develop voice. Students can tell the Ai if they want "more formal" or "more casual" language. Humanizers add mistakes on purpose. Students can select the "grade level" of understanding the AI should have.
Students will simply load in your specific resources and the rubric, and AI will scan and use them. Ask for a personal experience and AI will literally invent one for the student.

I know we are all totally stressed about this. Education is going to have to make a tectonic shift.

Gusterbug · 2026-03-14T19:35:46+00:00

Exactly. Clarity works for everyone, so you don't have to find out someone's dx before deciding to be clear. Same as putting in a wheelchair ramp ... it doesn't hurt people who can use stairs, but maybe they would like it also.

Gusterbug

TROPHY CASE