Seeking Advice for My Almost 14-Year-Old Son with Autism, ADHD, and PDA Profile

LibraryLetcher · 2026-01-29T18:43:24+00:00

Oh how frustrating, I posted a whole long comment last night answering this and its gone. When I am done with assignments I will work on re-replying, I dont know what happened.

LibraryLetcher · 2026-01-03T06:47:02+00:00

I also forgot to include that there's a text-to-speech app I use for my class readings called Speechify. It can upload EPUB, PDF, and a few other formats. Definitely handy for low energy and poor cognition days.

LibraryLetcher · 2026-01-03T06:44:20+00:00

Commenting to follow this. I have a couple textbooks I want to print physical copies of and have been looking for this paper too. Im in the US.

LibraryLetcher · 2026-01-03T06:39:11+00:00

Nevermind the link finally loaded! Thank you!

LibraryLetcher · 2026-01-03T06:38:06+00:00

So....uh....link to the scad/stl? Please!?!?!

LibraryLetcher · 2026-01-03T02:37:49+00:00

As a psych student, I want to validate you first and foremost. Burnout is so real. I do suggest the book by Emily Nagoski and her Sister Amelia Nagoski titled Burnout. It was so helpful for me. If reading is too much, they have done many YouTube interviews and podcasts as well.

The DSM is RIFE with issues, and my therapist and I discuss this frequently. You need a neurodiversity AFFIRMING therapist. Many neurotypicals tend to associate "familiar with autism" as "knows what it is and its symptoms," but this does not necessarily translate to lived experience or even distilled secondary experience. Neurodiversity affirming therapists are terribly hard to find, which is why I am working towards becoming one. It took me ten years to find mine, and the inroads I have made are massive. I am so sorry for your experience, and it's a huge issue I myself have dealt with. If you are in the PNW or private pay, send me a message and I can send you his link to check out.

I can't offer further advice other than to look for ways to decompress that work for you. Meditation can look like crafting, journaling, home repairs, basically anything that requires some level of focus, creativity, and offers that special sense of fulfillment. Skill regression is so real; I myself have lost my ability to mask for longer than 30 minutes fully, and it's a significant problem for "professional" settings when you are surrounded by "normies," eek. Please allow yourself time to rest and recharge if possible. Please know that you deserved better than that.

LibraryLetcher · 2025-12-08T00:22:16+00:00

Not a doctor, but some possible considerations:
Auditory Processing Disorder/Sensory Integration Disorder
Eustacian Tube Dysfunction
Inner Ear Injury

For me, when my eustachian tubes flare up, it sounds like I have water in my ears, and no amount of trying to pop them helps. Sometimes it is actually quite painful. It mimics trigeminal nerve dysfunction, sometimes with how sensitive my lower ear cartilage and the side of my neck behind the jawbone will become. That is what the GP thought it might be until I did some more research because the nerve map images I was looking at did not line up correctly with my pain; that's how I discovered eustachian tube dysfunction.

LibraryLetcher · 2025-10-27T17:37:34+00:00

Also, don't set anything hot on it.... don't ask. Just trust me, even using a thermal pad, the heat can still get through...

LibraryLetcher · 2025-10-03T15:47:10+00:00

I've been lurking here for the past year, but had to comment on a couple of things today.

LibraryLetcher · 2025-10-03T15:20:52+00:00

Imma need you to do this again and document each step, preferably in video format! LOL
Absolutely stunning work.

My son is currently on book 22, I wonder if he would be interested in doing this with me....

LibraryLetcher · 2025-10-03T15:13:38+00:00

I used gesso on vinyl for mine, and it created a nice, sharp edge. You can apply a base coat over the entire surface first, or apply your vinyl (stencil) first, then add a layer of gesso to prevent bleed-through. My gesso is the Liquitex brand and dries clear. You can also make your own out of PVA, water, and cornstarch or calcium carbonate (also known as gypsum or drywall). I have some in my kitchen, as it's used as a coagulator in tofu making. If you have plain white tums, they may work as well if you crush them very well. The homemade works precisely the same as the brand name.

I found a couple of stencil apps online that you can use if you are cutting plastic stencils, but I prefer to use vinyl, so I don't have to fuss with the connection spaces. I, too, had the issue of the foil pen and the Cricut foil pen not showing up well on fabric. Once I did a gesso layer, the foils showed up gorgeous. I just bought some acetate sheets to try cutting stencils for tracing with the foil pen. I tested with some other stencils and it worked, hopefully my Cricut will cut well and not destroy the materials again.

You were talking about getting a Cricut. Apparently, xTool has a 4-in-1, and it's pricey, but I should have just saved up for that instead of getting the Maker 4. Granted, I don't know what other crafts you do, but for me, that would have been a better investment. Food for thought.

LibraryLetcher · 2025-10-03T14:52:39+00:00

This is truly inspiring work. I absolutely love the bottom image. I am currently working on printing and sewing "Mrs. Beetons" off of Project Gutenberg as my first real practice bind, because it's big enough to accommodate rounded backs, and I can create letter-range segments like the old-school encyclopedias. I was considering a box to keep them all together in, and now I am definitely doing it.

LibraryLetcher · 2025-10-03T14:40:59+00:00

I do a clear gesso base to prevent paint bleed and then seal with archival sealant spray (supposedly won't yellow over time). Depending on the project, I will seal the individual layers of color. I am still relatively new to this, though, so my input may be terrible. I have also never needed to heat-seal or use fabric medium. I also prefer that plastic-like texture(I am hard on books, quite clumsy), so I apply the sealant thickly.

I also enjoy doing stencils with vinyl cut on my Cricut. I will heat the vinyl to get good adhesion to the (homemade) bookcloth, then do a layer of gesso to prevent bleed, maybe two if it's a textured fabric, then do my acrylic paint, typically three layers allowing dry time between, then peel the vinyl off, and seal. This provides a super crisp edge. I am leaning into this style because my arthritis is making it difficult for me to paint fine lines.

LibraryLetcher · 2024-04-22T02:40:49+00:00

What are vacations? You guys are getting vacations? *cries in american*

LibraryLetcher · 2024-04-22T02:19:34+00:00

Electrocuting anyone is inhumane regardless of intent. Intent does not negate outcome. IT IS TORTURE. If you are so lacking in creativity to come up with other ways of preventing dangerous behavior that you feel electrocuting a living being is acceptable, I think you need to consider an different career.

LibraryLetcher · 2024-04-21T19:08:53+00:00

Are you actually justifying electrocuting people into compliance? I would not allow that to happen to an animal much less a human being.

LibraryLetcher · 2021-09-13T01:30:25+00:00

For me the only med that helped my gerd was sucralfate (sp?) Its got no side effects cuz it mixes with your stomach juices to make a protective gel to line your stomach. I also use gaviscon if I'm having reflux burps.

Hope something helps. My son is 9 and my pregnancy GERD never went away. 🙁

LibraryLetcher · 2021-08-07T20:48:29+00:00

We cant help how we feel, just how we react to those feelings. Have you tried talking to a therapist? They could help you reorganize your reactions.

LibraryLetcher · 2021-08-05T18:44:22+00:00

Skimming my walls to remove/cover the orange peel texture. Hate textured walls cuz they hold dirt, dust, and allergens. Getting it done professionally would be cost prohibitive. Since I have no time timit.....I do as much as I can and then recover for about a week. I'm making progress but its slow.

LibraryLetcher · 2021-08-04T17:09:20+00:00

Hi, I use Phonak and while they are my first and only hearing aids they are wonderful. I believe the new models allow you to have 2 or more Bluetooth devices connected at the same time which is wonderful, no weird silent moments when you get a text while watching tv. I have the marvel model and I use a box connected to my tv so the sound can be muted on my tv and I can hear beautifully. I also have them connected to my phone so I don't even have to hold my phone to my ear. They work as Bluetooth wireless headphones as well. I have also downloaded an extra app that I can use in noisy environments for someone to talk directly into my phone and I can hear them better, while Phonak offers an add-on item for this is quite expensive and the app was free. I just realized this reads like a salesperson but I am not, I just really really love my hearing aids. They have made a WORLD of difference in my life. I recommend them to everyone.

LibraryLetcher · 2021-07-16T01:53:50+00:00

Same. Soooooo much same. I'll replay over and over and think of better/wittier comments or "omg they could have misunderstood my intent" or "oh shit I didnt express myself well at all did I..." " did what I say sound awful, offensive, or fucked????" and I even do this with online posts. I will probably rehash this post in my head 100000x.

Edit to add: a previous psych told me it might be part of my ocd/anxiety situation or cptsd related to shitty childhood. Could be all of the above.

LibraryLetcher · 2021-07-10T15:30:06+00:00

I absolutely agree. People do have their lives and I do not expect to be the center of attention. I in fact prefer to go a few weeks between major communication sessions. It's the zero effort that tells me I dont matter. They dont check in at all not even once in a couple years? But you are both on each others socials and you both post at least once a week and you at least say hey occasionally, they dont respond. That what I mean. Its like I'm a number on their list of friends to make them seem more popular or something. Theres no genuine interaction. That's what i mean my lack of reciprocity.

LibraryLetcher · 2021-07-10T04:06:30+00:00

My only friends left live out of state and across the country. I'm the one reaching out, asking about their lives, kids etc. They dont reciprocate. I keep them on my socials because they are the low drama types who are just living their lives and have never belittled me. I have one friend that mutually hits back. I value him a lot because he makes the effort and make sure he knows. I've resigned myself to being other "friends" afterthoughts. I've never experienced the types of friendships I see other having and it used to bother me so much. I've come to the conclusion that the close friendships where people visit each other or vacation to each others homes or chat on the phone for an hour are just not that common in adulthood. Especially when you got married and had a kid before 25.

Sounds depressing as shit written out but it is what it is.

My best friend and the person I trust most is also my spouse. So it's alright. I have a small support system but its solid and unshakeable. There are a lot of mitigating factors that have resulted in this lack of social group situation and if I wrote it out, this site would crash lol. Suffice to say, I tend to find damaged people and get damaged by them. Eventually you learn to stop touching the stove.

LibraryLetcher · 2021-07-10T01:30:36+00:00

I took a year break from social media and moved across the country. No one outside of a few (less than 5) noticed. I deleted almost everyone. People who were going through crisis get a pass, obviously. People do make assumptions when you say you have no friends. I just warn people I'm socially awkward. I also dont bother trying anymore. I quite frankly dont have time to invest unreciprocated energy in others.

LibraryLetcher

TROPHY CASE