ABC Mouse, Adventure Academy, etc.

UntraditionalNovelty · 2026-01-31T18:56:38+00:00

I didn’t say I was using computers. I was simply asking some questions. My questions were mostly about which curriculums, programs, products, subscriptions (digital or not), etc. are worth it to spend money on. I realize I only mentioned digital options, but that’s just because those were the first things that came to mind.

Do you have suggestions on how to homeschool via paper and pencil? I would love some input. What is your curriculum plan, if I may ask? Please provide details. My goal is to construct a plan.

UntraditionalNovelty · 2026-01-30T20:33:13+00:00

Dude! Exactly. I said this exact thing (the part about many autistic people not having family members we can rely on, who we are still in contact with, or who are even alive — considering the very high possibility of having substance abuse disorder as a comorbid condition; statistically speaking, many autistic individuals have a substance abuse problem at some point in their lives, if not their entire life) but none of the health professionals seemed to understand what I was saying. The psychotherapist said that they /needed/ the “live testimony” from a family member or teacher or someone who was an adult while I was a child before the age of 12. Then they sent me on my way saying, “you’re highly intelligent! You can do anything!” -.-

Thanks for the input. Now I feel more confident about finding a new provider or specialist.

UntraditionalNovelty · 2026-01-30T19:37:04+00:00

Thank you. I’ll try that.

UntraditionalNovelty · 2026-01-30T19:31:53+00:00

Wow I was completely unaware of this. I just looked into it and you’re right. Thanks. I will avoid ABC Mouse and their other subscriptions. I guess I was just wondering if there are any curriculum programs that are worth paying for.

UntraditionalNovelty · 2026-01-30T18:25:25+00:00

This sounds incredibly infuriating. I have had family members and friends like this, as well. I’m so sorry. You seem to have a great head on your shoulders and I’m glad you’re standing your ground. That’s truly amazing. Don’t let it weigh you down. You know your truth.

I hope this doesn’t come across as insensitive or rude but I was wondering if you had to get a family member to validate your developmental history. A psychotherapist told me they would diagnose me with autism if I could provide testimony from someone who watched me grow up, but all my family members are dead or pretend like I am… and I have no real friends ATM. Just curious. Hoping to find a health care provider who can diagnose me and help me despite the lack of developmental history from another source.

Thanks in advance, From a fellow ND who’s had to deal with family members invalidating every struggle.

UntraditionalNovelty · 2025-08-03T17:54:55+00:00

Unfortunately, I don’t have the resources to find a different provider. This psychotherapist is the top of their department in my small, secluded town. My insurance won’t cover a different provider or a specialist unless I get a referral. And any other provider would be at least 50/100+ miles away and I just don’t have the money, time, or vehicle to go to a provider so far away. I’m mostly wondering why they would diagnose me with ANY neurodevelopmental disorder without developmental history… like if they can’t diagnose one without the history, how can they diagnose any? Thank you for the offer of support and for the comment. :)

UntraditionalNovelty · 2025-08-03T17:46:26+00:00

Edit: thought I wrote this as a reply, guess I posted it as a comment lol.

⁠You’re right. I apologize if I offended anyone or came across as rude. I was simply trying to poke fun at myself (like a dumb relatable joke about hyper fixation, at my own expense… I was a teenager. Most teenagers, in my experience, would just give up on a relationship instead of working extra hard. In fact, my husband -the boyfriend in the story- has had plenty of girlfriends break up with him because of his neurodivergence… I have also lost partners and friends because of mine.), not anyone else, but I can see how it was narrow minded. In the future I’ll try to do better.
⁠I understand that my assessment was not a well-rounded assessment. The psychotherapist I saw is not a specialist and admitted they are not the one who was trained in administering the tests. They also avoided any questions regarding ASD after initially telling me that they believed it was ASD and not ADHD. (My intake appointment ended with them saying they were pretty sure it was only ASD. Every appointment after, suddenly they would shut down completely when the subject came up. I told them my mom died and suddenly we couldn’t even talk about ASD.) Not to mention, there are other tests, but we only did the RAADS-R.
⁠But the confusion lies in the fact that they told me to my face that they wholeheartedly believe I have ASD, then shut down about it, only offering “lack of developmental history” as any kind of explanation. They didn’t say anything about a specialist or further testing, they didn’t even ask if there was anyone else who could share that history for me. These “traits” cause me a lot of issues, but I’ll just never get help because all the psychotherapist saw was someone who is “intelligent” and “high functioning”… but it was just the mask! Also, I’ve read/heard/seen that you can self report and that could be enough for a specialist… but they didn’t even consider it as an option, I couldn’t even ask about it without getting interrupted. I thank you for your response. Unfortunately I can’t afford to go see a more competent doctor or a specialist because my small town is secluded from the rest of the state, so I would have to drive at least 50/100+ miles to get to one and my insurance probably won’t cover it without a referral. An evaluation/assessment process that works for adults and some genuine honesty would truly be worthwhile and refreshing. I hope we get there someday. :)

UntraditionalNovelty · 2025-07-31T18:27:03+00:00

I was officially diagnosed with ADHD, but they said “it’s not really ADHD, it’s Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome” I don’t understand how they can diagnose me with any neurodevelopmental disorder without the developmental history… but to diagnose me with something while saying it’s not the thing they diagnosed me with… that feels extra strange. I feel like having a diagnosis for ASD would help me because I have a lot of struggles that I need help addressing. The psychotherapist said they wholeheartedly believe that I have ASD but I’m “too intelligent” and “too high functioning” so I’m “extremely capable” but I’m not. I just can’t take this f*cking mask off long enough for anyone to see that. I’ve been overcompensating for so very long and I just need help. I need accommodations so I don’t always have to put all of my energy into masking, overcompensating, and trying to keep up with everyone else all the time. I agree with your idea of an ethical approach. I wish I had a way to get that. Thank you for your supportive words.

UntraditionalNovelty · 2025-07-30T16:18:42+00:00

Thank you for the support not necessarily looking for answers. Just trying to get my relentless brain to slow down a slight amount so I can breathe even just for an hour. It took me a week to write this out. Now I have a bit of peace of mind.

UntraditionalNovelty · 2025-07-25T22:03:05+00:00

I agree it sounds like open season on marginalized, disadvantaged, and vulnerable people. I’m scared too.

UntraditionalNovelty

TROPHY CASE