Help! My child has autism! (Autism awareness day special)

Happy autism awareness day/month everyone! Yes it is so obscure that even I forgot it existed (ironic that there's a lack of awareness for autism awareness day). We should make an effort to make it stand out more since autism can be an issue if the person with autism is not cared for. Which brings me to my next point: what do you do if your child has autism?

I'm going to come out and say it: I'm not a parent and I'm not planning to have any children any time soon. This blog is coming from the point of view of someone who WAS the autistic child. First things first, don't panic! They are still your child so they'll still love you and vice versa. Secondly, if you haven't done so already, get them diagnosed as soon as possible just to be sure. Thirdly, if they seem secluded, that's fine, they're just off in their own little world minding their own business; just let them do that unless they need to concentrate for an important reason. If they get distressed and you don't know why, it's probably because something has happened that has affected their routine or little world  and if that's the case don't worry, just be patient and they'll calm down.

Another important thing is to send them to an autism friendly school so they'll be cared for by experts who know how to care for autistic people. Another important thing is to help them understand the world and the neurotypical people in it. That way, they'll eventually learn how to interact with people better. It may be ideal to help the people around you, including the child themselves, understand autism so that they can understand why the child seems different.

It's ideal to help them build a social life. Of course if they're happy being alone that's fine but you need to teach them valuable social skills in order for them to interact with people better and they can make friends on their own. Don't force friends on them if you're worried about their loneliness and just guide them into making friends on their own.

That's really all I got. Like I said, I'm not a parent so I'm a little unsure myself what would I do if I had an autistic child but I'm giving this advice because whatever my parents did to make me the man I am now must have been effective or else, I probably wouldn't be doing this blog to help others like me or those who know people like me. One thing's for sure though, that child would love you until the end of time, even if they don't show it because they may not know how, so I'm sure, whoever you are in this situation, that you will love them too.


And that concludes this thought from an autistic mind. Seeing as this is the first one to be written on an iPhone (my laptop was broken by my own stupidity) there would have been typos so please point out any mistakes in the comments below. Also on a side note, maybe talk to some parents of autistic people, see what they suggest since they're probably more qualified to deal with this topic than me. Let me know what you thought of this blog in the comments below, like the Facebook page 'Joel Mole' and share this across the internet! Until the next time, fair thee well!

Masculinity: I'd rather be feminine!

Feminism... it's really misunderstood. The movement to promote gender equality has now been perceived as a movement designed to prevent oppression on women. It's a fair assumption since women are generally more oppressed than men and there are gigantic twonks out there who do oppress and harm women. Make no mistake, female subordination is a huge issue but radical and other feminists who have warped the idea are forgetting one thing: what about men? We have our own problems too you know! Admittedly we have less problems than women but I want to address certain injustices that men face as well, particularly the concept of masculinity.

The concept of masculinity is that men are expected to be strong, brave and not the least bit vulnerable. Of course men are socialised to not be complete sissys and to 'act like a man' and be tough in the face of it all. This... irks me. I myself was expected to act tough and cool, especially in secondary school where, in the early years at least, I was told not to cry so I can be accepted. Now, crying is such a rarity in me. I keep my pain within or regressed to screams when I am physically hurt and in terms of emotional damage, very few things make me cry. I never cry in movies where I should and in sad situations, I do cry sometimes when it's really damaging but most of the time the tears never come. Where are you tears??? Where the smeg are you????

I doubt it's just me because I've never really seen a grown man cry in real life. At least not to my memory. I expect it’s because we're expected not to cry and to act brave in the face of turmoil. Women are the only gender who are meant to cry apparently and men who cry are passed off as cry-babies. I'm sorry but I can't stand that! I want to be able to cry and not feel ashamed in doing so! I want to feel scared of things without being labelled a wuss! I'm not manly, I'm me! So let me be me society!!!

The concept of manliness has led to a lack of knowledge of serious issues. For example, domestic abuse is the biggest form of oppression towards women as they are violently attacked and intimidated to the point of emotional scarring. That is a huge problem but it's not one way. Men get attacked and abused too. Most recently, YouTuber Matthew Santoro released his story of abuse on YouTube and it got me thinking, why don't men get recognised as victims too? Then I cast my mind back to sociology and crime statistics, particularly in terms of domestic violence. The main reason why men don't get recognised as victims of domestic is likely because of the fact that they're too ashamed to admit they are attacked by a woman which is considered to be a damage to their masculinity. Men, as well as women, should be recognised for those things!

It's not just masculine behaviour, the masculine image can be damaging to a man's self-esteem. Casting back to my 'Models are Clones' blog post, I noted how the 'perfect image' can give people unrealistic expectations on what they should look like. The same applies to men as they are expected to have lots of muscles and a 'boy-band' complexion. It is often men who fit that description who are seen as desirable and not all men in general. 

I suppose that's why I relate to women more than men. Don't get me wrong, I know a lot of great men and boys but I prefer the company of women because they are free to be honest with their emotions whereas men just try to act 'cool' when really it can be a mask. The men I relate with are more open with their emotions and are not as 'manly' as stereotypes suggest. I myself have some feminine traits like in my taste of music (I like Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey rather than rap and heavy metal music), my choice in films (I like manly films like Mad Max: Fury Road but I also enjoy rom-coms like Love Actually) and my emotions despite the lack of tears (such as fear). Apparently I also used to play with Barbies as well during my Pre-Doctor Who days.

Really, the people are not entirely masculine or feminine. A nice hybrid of the two makes them more relatable and trustworthy because they are open with their feelings. Back to the issue at hand, I wish masculinity would just die because boys and men shouldn't just be tough, they should be emotional too and be allowed to like things such as Disney Princesses (another thing I like). Most importantly, they should be seen in issues such as domestic violence and they shouldn't hide because of their masculinity. Sometimes men have to let it out...

And that concludes this thought from an autistic mind. What do you think about this? Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments below, be sure to like my Facebook page 'Joel Mole' for more blogs and share this around to spread the word. Thank you for reading this and until the next time: fare thee well! 

Why the Syrian air strike is a stupid decision

Well you did it didn't you! You must be so proud of yourselves government! You have no idea what you lot have unleashed have you! Look I get that you don't read my blogs, only once did a post break the 100 view mark, but this is common sense!!! Buckle up people, this is not going to be a fun post.

As many of you saw on the news, the majority of MP's voted to bomb parts of Syria following the Paris attacks. This is a stupid decision! I understand why, they're scared, we all are but did you have to let fear get to your heads? Did you not stop to think about the consequences of bombing parts of a country???

Firstly, this is obviously going to start a war. ISIS aren't exactly going to look sheepish and say "we're sorry!" Of course not! They're likely to bomb London much like what they did in Paris and hey, it might be a worse attacks. So innocent people in the UK are at risk because of YOUR decision!

It's not just the UK, like that Doctor Who quote said "you have no idea who's going to die!" Syria doesn't just contain ISIS, It contains hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women and children, who are already terrified since they risk their lives in leaving that hellish place. You're just making them more terrified by bombing them! That is, those who survive because we all know that during an air strike like that, at least one innocent person will die. Who knows? It could even be a child! If you do that, then technically you could be doing worse to Syria than what ISIS did to Paris.

I doubt this will be the first time, if other countries join you (which they no doubt will), then we may have a third world war on our hands. If you thought the first two world wars were bad, because of the rise in technology means that nuclear weapons and God knows what else would be among the weapons we have! You know what that means! More people will die because of this!!!!

Now I know what you're thinking, "we can't do nothing after an attack like that." Now that's true since another attack seems inevitable but here's what I would've done. I would've increased security and defences in the UK to make sure this doesn't happen to us and I'm sure other countries, especially Paris, would do the same.

You know what I'm furious! The UK government made a huge mistake in striking back and honestly, I'm starting to lose faith in this country because there are some people who believe this is a GOOD thing! Please just ignore your patriotism or paranoia for one minute to see what an idiotic thing the government has done. If you still think it just please tell me why!!! Otherwise if people think that retaliation is better than turning the other cheek, then I don't want to live in this country anymore... (That is figurative, there is too many to leave behind for me to leave plus it's expensive)

To sign off, I'm going to put that Doctor Who quote up again and please pay attention to it! 

"When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know whose children are going to scream and burn; how many hearts will be broken; how many lives shattered; how much blood will spill before everybody does what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning! SIT. DOWN. AND TALK!" 

#keepthepeace

And that concludes this thought from an autistic mind. What do you think about this? Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments below, be sure to like my Facebook page 'Joel Mole' for more blogs and share this around to spread the word. Thank you for reading this and until the next time: fare thee well! 

The Paris Attacks and Migration: Why people need to calm down!

As those of you who aren't living under a rock know, on Friday 13th November 2015, Paris was attacked through a series of bombings and shootings by the terrorist group known as ISIS. At least 120 people were killed. This is a horrific event and I'm glad people are showing their support. However what I'm talking about is the reactions people had. Building on this, it's about time I addressed the migrant crisis and people's attitude towards non-British people.

In talking about the reactions, most of which has been positive with numerous buildings being illuminated in the tricolour in tribute to Paris and I commend them for that. However in the Internet things are different, particularly when it comes to what they have to say about ISIS. Now ISIS are a truly despicable group and I, like many people, are baffled at their horribly misguided judgements on humanity. But that does not excuse people judging all Muslims and Syrians by what one splinter group has done. Seriously, thanks to the media, Muslims have a pretty bad name right now because of the actions of ISIS and Al-Qaeda. Just because one or two splinter groups do terrible things doesn't mean all Muslims are like this. In fact, most Muslims are lovely because the Qur'an says they should care for humanity:

"Whoever kills an innocent person, it is as if he has killed all of humanity"

- Qur'an 5:32

See what I mean? ISIS and Al-Qaeda aren't Muslims. They're wackos who believe that their actions please Allah whereas it will likely shame him.

I should point out that it has turned more people against Syrian migrants in fear of anyone of them being a terrorist. Ok I'm just going to say this but to those right-wing people who believe that migrants are a swarm or something along those lines: shut up. They're people for crying out loud and most of them are innocent civilians who are desperate to find safety because life in Syria is basically Hell. Besides, migrants can be beneficial because they boost the economy by taking the jobs no-one wants. "But they're taking our jobs" you may say, well do you want to work in a newsagents? Or be a cleaner? Or handpick butternut squash (a job that I've seen in a documentary about migration)? Thought not. Honestly, if you assume that all migrants are terrorists or that they're taking over the country then frankly, stop believing a word UKIP says, they base their views on false statistics anyway.

Another worrying response goes something like this: "Fight back against these terrorist pieces of scum! Let's go to war against them!" Ok I may be paraphrasing but you get the idea. In fairness that is a natural response, you're angry at ISIS for what they've done I get that. But can you actually use your brain and think about the negatives of war (of which there are many)? Because OF COURSE it is a good idea to send your loved ones off to fight in a war in which they are likely to die in (!). Seriously? Have you guys learned NOTHING from WW1, WW2, and Afghanistan? If you seriously believe that war is the best option, try telling what I've said above to families whose father or older brother died in battle. I'm sure they'll be happy to hear you say that (!). Honestly, war isn't even the best option. I think the Doctor Who episode 'The Zygon Inversion' (which drew parallels to ISIS) said it best during Peter Capaldi's speech near the end:

 "It's always the same. When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know whose children are going to scream and burn; how many hearts will be broken; how many lives shattered; how much blood will spill before everybody does what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning! SIT. DOWN. AND TALK!" 

- Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor

War always ends by talking so why not cut out the middle man? My point is that yes, ISIS are evil, but you can't get angry at all the Syrians and all the Muslims for the actions of the splinter group. Heck even anger at the splinter group will cause more harm than good! What happened in Paris was terrible yes but we need to keep it together! Anger and paranoia is exactly what ISIS want but we need to stand strong and retain our respect towards humanity rather than be racist towards migrants and Muslims.

To everyone against migration and ISIS, especially the government if they actually read this: just calm down please! Find the right solution to these things, forgive them even, just for goodness sakes, don't start a war! Or else what happened in Paris will happen everywhere. 

#keepthepeace

And that concludes this thought from an autistic mind. What do you think about this? Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments below, be sure to like my Facebook page 'Joel Mole' for more blogs and share this around to spread the word. Thank you for reading this and until the next time: fare thee well! 

Halloween is EEEEEEEEEEEEVIL!

Ah Halloween! Such a lovely holiday celebrating all things evil and scary! Seriously, why are we celebrating this again? It went from the eve to a Christian feast (to my knowledge) to a celebration involving the flipping Devil! I don't get it! Why does Halloween have to be so scary? And could it be that what you're celebrating is actually dodgy? Well I'm here to tell you why I don't like the current form of All Hallows Eve.

Firstly, the monsters. Why would you allow kids to dress up as terrifying contraptions such as Dracula and Zombies? That's going to scare the living daylights out of people! It's actually kind of unpleasant to look at, seeing children dressed as their nightmares! Also, as a Christian, I'm kind of uncomfortable with the fact that Witches and the DEVIL are available costumes! I mean people flipped out when Asda and Tesco were selling mental patient Halloween costumes so why aren't they freaking out at costumes that seem to promote Witchcraft and Satanism! I mean at least Dracula and Frankenstein's monster were fictional characters but Witches and Satan as costumes is messed up!

Secondly, the very idea of Trick or Treating is just dumb. So you mean to tell me that, even though it is discouraged 364 other days of the year, kids can go up to strangers houses and ask for sweets. Does that not sound wrong to you? Not to mention, not all of them are with adults so essentially, they're walking in the dark, unprotected and visiting strangers! To the parents of those children: ARE YOU INSANE??? If you have to let your kids go Trick or Treating then at least go with them! I'd be worried sick if I was their parent. Not to mention, the people giving away the sweets may be terrified of the costumes as some of them can be based off horror movies that even I (at the age of 17) aren't allowed to watch. For example, I remember one year, one kid dressed up as the killer from Scream!

Building on that, the phrase 'Trick or Treat' is essentially blackmail. It means "Give us your sweets or we'll play a trick on you!" That's a bit mean. Heck in context Trick or Treating doesn't make sense. Its origins suggested that 'Trick-or-Treaters' asked for food in exchange for poems and the reason why they dressed up as nasty things was because they were impersonating them to scare them off. Ok firstly, where does the trick come from? Secondly, the idea of dressing up came from an outdated superstition and I thought a science based society has grown beyond that and lastly, if people dress up to protect themselves from whoever they dress up as THEN WHY THE FLYING DALEK DO THEY DRESS UP AS FICTIONAL CHARACTERS?!!

Yeesh the traditions of this holiday do not make much sense! Another odd thing is, people use that time to gain sweets and dress up... can't you do that at any other point in the year? There's thousands of conventions that encourage cosplay and even more sweet shops! There's nothing stopping you from doing it all year round! Same with watching horror films! I wouldn't recommend it unless you like scary and messed up things but won't it have the same effect all year round (provided you watch them at dark)? And don't say "You'll have the full effect at the scariest day of the year" because you just trained yourself to be scared on Halloween!

In breaking down this holiday, it's nasty, it's dodgy and it makes little sense. So why do we celebrate it? Well my guess is that human beings like being scared so they celebrate that love for fear with the All Hallows Eve origins as an excuse. Would I ever celebrate it? Maybe but I would take out all things scary and prove that Halloween can be nice. After all, its origins came from the eve of All Saints Day which is a celebration of all things good rather than all things evil. Happy All Hallows Eve everyone!

And that concludes this thought from an autistic mind. What do you think about this? Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments below, be sure to like my Facebook page 'Joel Mole' for more blogs and share this around to spread the word. Thank you for reading this and until the next time: fare thee well! 

How to have fun without getting drunk/high

There's a strange assumption that in order to have more fun, you have to drink alcohol or worse, get high. Ok why? Has it become impossible to have fun in those ways? I know kid’s parties have neither of those things and they're still entertaining! So why do people love using these products so much? I probably won't answer that question because I never tried either of those things but I can say why they DON'T do the things they promise. 

Firstly there's alcohol. Now why something as potentially deadly as alcohol is sold in bars and shops is beyond me but a lot of adult parties, particularly young adult, seem to use this substance a lot. I guess it's to help you let loose but can't you do that anyway? And if you can't, why are you at the party? This is clearly the wrong environment for you! Also, over-drinking, as you should know, can lead to stupid decisions such as possibly having unprotected sex with strangers and sending incriminating messages and photos online. Parties like these can get out of hand and really, the bad side can dissipate when there's no alcohol involved. Why do people even like that stuff anyway? It doesn't taste that nice (yes I've had bits of it at home/communion) and it's really bad for you! I just stick to lemonade and the master of all drinks: Fanta. Now obviously it's illegal for people to sell alcohol to people under 18 but that doesn't stop rebellious teenagers from finding loopholes (Which I don't get. The more you wait, surely the more satisfying it would be when you finally have it)! Besides, I gather that hangovers must suuuuuuck!

Then there's drugs... ho boy this is going to be tricky to tackle. People have found excuses for Class C/B/A drugs such as calming the nerves, loosening people up, having a good time and being at one with nature (*cough* hippies *cough*). Firstly, there are other ways to calm your nerves (e.g. music) and sometimes it can make your mood worse. Secondly, as I've mentioned already, you can loosen up on your own, you just need confidence from your peers. Thirdly, taking drugs just increases the chances of having a BAD time so don't take it for that. Finally, if you want to be one with nature then go outside and just take in the environment around you! You don't need to do that!

It perplexes me that some people think that you need a key of some sort in order to have fun. Guys there's no ritual, there's no rite of passage, just have fun! Now if you want to have alcohol during parties, that's fine (if you're over 18) so long as you don't drink too much. If you want to take drugs to have fun then to that I say Shaaaaaaaaaame. However, if you do fit into the latter category then I wish you the best of luck of getting out of it. As for me, I just drink my Fanta and have fun not because I'm drunk or high, but because of how great the party is.

And that concludes this thought from an autistic mind. What do you think about this? Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments below, be sure to like my Facebook page 'Joel Mole' for more blogs and share this around to spread the word. Thank you for reading this and until the next time: fare thee well! 

BANG! AHHHHH! (I hate loud noises)

I've noticed I haven't actually done anything about autism for a while. Don't get me wrong, I like saying what I think about society but it's about time I taught you something else. Namely, how much I hate loud noises. In fact, I'm terrified of them!

These range from balloons popping, small explosions, gunfire, lightning, champagne corks, fire alarms, jump scares in horror films etc. All of these things give me the heebie jeebies and they pretty much sum up all of my fears. The reason why this is, I think is because of how much it disturbs the peace. There I am, happy in my own little world and then BANG! Something shocks me out of it whether it's a balloon at a party or a fire alarm in lessons, it just catches me by surprise.

Yet the odd thing is, I fear them the most when I expect them. This is definitely the case with balloons, especially with little kids because they have a greater chance of popping. I think it's because that loud noises scare me so much, I dread them when they come. Much like how an arachnophobics is scared that a spider is going to get them or something. This is the same for horror movies (especially since jump scares are apparently more common in them) and pantomimes (because the Fairy Godmother loves to summon explosions for some reason). 

You know once upon a time, any loud noises distressed me. I used to go around wearing earmuffs for crying out loud! (They didn't work but hey ho!). Whilst it isn't as severe now it was a huge problem because like I said, it disturbed my peace and quiet and I didn't like it. In fact longer loud noises still stress me out, such as babies and kids screaming around.

I doubt I'm alone in this. Not that I know whether or not this is true but I'm sure other autistic people hate loud noises as much as I do. Perhaps they hate it even more depending on where they are in the spectrum! Regardless it's always been a thing that has distressed me and I'm sure people like me. Speaking of people like me...

How can you help people like me? - If such loud noises or loud environments occur, find a 'happy place' for them. I suggest you find a quiet room away from all the noise with lighting and music appropriate to their needs. Alternatively, if it’s in a theatre or a party, take them outside or give them earplugs (something far more effective that earmuffs) so they can be less distressed about the noise. Also don't tell them when a loud bang is coming, surprise is better than dread in my experience. However if they know it's coming and get distressed about it, tell them to cover their ears and close their eyes or even leave the area for a quieter place (as mentioned above). 

Overall, loud noises suck for us autistic people but it is avoidable so long as you know where to go and what to do.

And that concludes this thought from an autistic mind. What do you think about this? Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments below, be sure to like my Facebook page 'Joel Mole' for more blogs and share this around to spread the word. Thank you for reading this and until the next time: fare thee well! 

Duckface: Deconstructing the selfie

There's this weird trend where people, for some reason, spontaneously take photos of themselves with their phones at any random occasion be they in a party, a public area or even at home. This, as many of you know, is a selfie. Pretty much everyone with a smartphone (which is pretty much everyone who is remotely wealthy) take 'selfies' for some strange reason and I thought "hey, since my brain is different and I don't understand this new trend, why don't I point out all the things wrong with it?" which is what I did and here we are!

Firstly, the name is stupid. Selfie is something that a toddler would say when they talk about themselves. The name alone makes a mostly harmless trend into something completely ridiculous! It's like when you're hurt and you say 'ouchie.' It just makes you sound like a three year old!

Secondly, the framing. This doesn't matter as much for one person since you can easily get them into the picture but for a crowd? There's no way you can get an entire crowd of people or the background into one tiny little phone picture. At least, without a stick (more on that later). Actually I take that back, you have to have steady hands in order to get it into the frame right. If your hands shake then the picture would just look odd.

Thirdly, the selfie stick is actually impractical. They do fit in more people but when used in public (which is where it is mostly used), they get in the way. People might get hit if it's wiggled around and during a thunderstorm... well let's just say they'll go the way of Benjamin Franklin if they're not careful.

Fourthly, the pictures themselves are mixed. Most of them, to be fair, are actually pretty good but there are two things that niggle me. Firstly, why do people pout (or duckface as I call it)? It doesn't look attractive, it makes them look vain and up themselves and it makes you look like a duck or Greedo from Star Wars thus making it look silly! The second niggle are the use of filters. It makes the picture look better but it does so artificially. It's like another shade of make-up, it just hides who the person is and it sometimes feels needless as the person already looks beautiful! (Refer to this for my further thoughts on this).

Fifthly, people overdo it! It's fine at home and in parties since the environment calls for one but in public places? A) Why can't you take a normal photo, the framing will be better and the camera shy people will be off the hook and B) if it's a place like a cinema or a formal occasion, why do it at all? That's really inappropriate!

Lastly, why is it so ingrained to our culture? It's used in films, TV shows (including Doctor Who, I'm sad to say), and songs. There are even TV shows and songs ABOUT selfies such as the TV show 'Selfie' starring Karen Gillan and the song #selfie by the Chainsmokers (the latter of which shows everything wrong with youth culture). The longevity of the show (that being one season) sums up my main problem with selfies. It ain't gonna last forever folks!

Since it's so ingrained in our culture, I'm worried that when the trend dies, the pop culture references to selfies will instantly be dated. That and people will look back at them and see how stupid some of them looked. Also, will the next generation know about selfies? How should I know? I can't predict the future! But maybe the trend will die then... I know walkmans have died out and become a relic of the past. Maybe it will... we keep evolving through trends in fashion and technology and maybe it will be the case where phones will no longer exists and technology will evolve beyond that! Who knows?

Selfies are harmless and the pictures themselves aren't all that bad. But it isn't that huge a deal and there are so many problems with it that I'm confused as to why it's so popular. Maybe I'm missing something but the selfie is a flawed trend that probably won't last forever.

And that concludes this thought from an autistic mind. What do you think about this? Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments below, be sure to like my Facebook page 'Joel Mole' for more blogs and share this around to spread the word. Thank you for reading this and until the next time: fare thee well! 

Music is the rhythm of the night (The night! Oh yeah! The Rhythm of the night!)

You know I think it's time I did something positive for once! One of my favourite things in life, besides film, is music. I don't quite know why but certain melodies just hit me right in the feels. Well certain types of music... ok I'll explain.

Like many people, I have my own taste in music. In my case, my favourite genre of music is classical or instrumental. I'm guessing that's because, with no lyrics to tell you how to feel, I can just experience these emotions for myself. In the Hall of the Mountain King for example is very grand and epic whilst Canon in D is very soothing and relaxing (and I'm not ashamed to say that I imagine myself playing the violin when hearing that even though I can't play it). Even though I won't remember nor name all of it, I will feel calm whenever I hear it.

However my favourite artist is Daft Punk. It has similar reasons as to why I love classical music as it makes me feel calm and relaxed but it does it in its own way. Since I don't consider myself 'normal', I'm a sucker for the weird and wonderful and Daft Punk can be described as exactly that. The fact that they dress up as robots coupled with synth, sci-fi style music makes them weird yet I am drawn into their own little world!

In fact I love instrumental music so much that a part of me wants to make my own. I'm guessing, like most musicians, it's because I have certain emotions that I cannot release in any other way but sadly, unlike those musicians, I cannot play a single instrument (mostly because of patience). But when I can release them, boy is it emotionally fulfilling!

I don't mind current pop music so long as it's either fun or memorable for the right reasons as I do enjoy the likes of Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey. However, that doesn't mean that I like all types of music as I don't like R & B for their song content, country music for their age specific style and slow music like Sam Smith for being boring. But I understand the love for them because everyone has their tastes.

But back to music making you feel calm. I'd imagine that other autistic people, like me, feel calm when they listen to their favourite music. I remember liking 'We all stand together' by Paul McCartney from Rupert Bear a lot because that calmed me down no matter how I felt. My guess is, like Daft Punk and classical music today, it just draws me in to another world entirely and it helps me escape the difficult nature of reality.

Maybe that's one way to calm an autistic child. If they are distressed, have them listen to calm and soothing music to see how they would react. Maybe they enjoy the same method of escapism as I do. Maybe as they get older they can learn to play an instrument (if they have the patience to) as they can channel their emotions through said instrument. Whatever it is, music is great and everyone, autistic or otherwise, should listen to it at some point in their lives.


And that concludes this thought from an autistic mind. What do you think about this? Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments below, be sure to like my Facebook page 'Joel Mole' for more blogs and share this around to spread the word. Thank you for reading this and until the next time: fare thee well! 

The Models Are Clones!!!!!

Have you ever noticed that in adverts for fashion, beauty products and so forth, the people in them fit the following description: skinny, blonde or brunette, mostly white and in their 20s? I don't get it. This planet has 7 billion people in it so why get people who always fit that description? What about people of different ethnicities, hair colour and ages? There is an explanation but that explanation has a lot of flaws. Could this be that television is full of people so alike they're practically clones?

The explanation is simple, we as humans have a concept of beauty and what is deemed beautiful can vary. At the moment, beauty is currently defined by what I've said above. This could be because we all need to agree on what is beautiful and this sort of thing makes sense. However, the problem is its effect on others.

For some, this lowers self-esteem as they deem themselves too fat or too spotty to be beautiful. This wouldn't be so bad if they weren't encouraged to be beautiful or mocked for their 'ugliness'. But this is a world where some people somehow feel entitled to say what they think and, possibly because of these adverts and other sources, feel like they can bully others based on their appearance. For those people: shut up you shallow nerfherders! Nothing gives you the right to lower a person's self esteem like that!!!!

This can get to extremes such as fasting just to get skinny which can lead to anorexia, depression for their 'lack of beauty' and surgery to make themselves look 'perfect.' The latter of which I've noticed celebrities do such as plastic surgery, liposuction, breast implants etc which alters their appearance so much they're hardly the person they once were (I'm looking at you Michael Jackson!).

This can fall into subtle things as well like make-up. Make-up always confuses me because it's like wearing a mask. Sure it looks pretty but it hides the real them. This is why I like it when women are more natural because they aren't afraid to show who they are and women who wear too much make-up look like Barbie.

Speaking of Barbie, I HATE dolls! Not just because the older ones are creepy but also because the newer ones send a bad message to children. Bratz especially teach girls that ugly people are bad and that you should focus your efforts on looks and fashion. This is... just... I.... WHAT??? I'm sorry but the media ticks me off sometimes! Celebrities, models and even flipping TOYS seem to say that anything other than skinny with occasionally big breasts and buttocks is perfect and anything else is not normal (oh for Pete's sake, this again?!)

It's not just girls, guys are expected to be muscly with stylised hair and again, go to extremes to get that far. Some guys (and people in general) only exercise to be in peak physical condition so that they would be beautiful. Some even go to Schwarzenegger levels of bodybuilding. Also 'creeps' are often associated to being bespectacled, spotty and greasy complete with braces. Some people who fit that description can be lovely and vice versa the models can be creepy. Eesh!

As an autistic, I actually don't get why there is a set view on what is beautiful and I'm sure other people like me are confused as to why others are put off by their appearance (if that is the case). In my eyes, personality makes the person. If they are physically attractive but horrible then they look like the Wicked Witch of the West to me but vice versa if they are quite plain looking but absolutely lovely then they are truly beautiful. I don't need to be told what is beautiful, I just need to find out for myself thank you. So media, next time you show something with one your clones in it, remember to consider this: other people want their chance, give it to them!

I'll end with a quote from Doctor Who's 'The Girl Who Waited' to sum up my views: "You know when sometimes you meet someone so beautiful, and then you actually talk to them and five minutes later they're as dull as a brick. Then there's other people, and you meet them and think, 'not bad, they're okay'. And then you get to know them, and their face just sort of becomes them, like their personality's written all over it. And they just turn into something so beautiful."

And that concludes this thought from an autistic mind. What do you think about this? Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments below, be sure to like my Facebook page 'Joel Mole' for more blogs and share this around to spread the word. Thank you for reading this and until the next time: fare thee well! 

GIRL ALERT!: The awkward aspects to courting and dating

DISCLAIMER: Please note that I'm primarily referring to males here since I am one myself and I don't have much of a clue how women are in this kind of thing. However, I'm not ruling women out as this can just as easily apply to them whilst also giving a good insight as to how an awkward guy like me functions in the dating game. Also these are MY experiences since I'm not psychic therefore I do not fully understand how other people behave though I will address it.

When it comes to courting and dating , guys can act very differently. They can be confident, they can be creepy, they can be obsessed they can be awkward and shy or they are either  not keen or they cannot understand the concept of dating. I fit into the awkward category as I'm sure lots of other people like me are (autistic or otherwise).

Because of this, I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to the actual dating part as I was and still am too shy to admit to liking a girl. I have done in the past but that was only once or twice. It's actually weird since I have varying degrees of confidence when it comes to fessing up my feelings to someone. This is based on how likely the person I like is likely to say yes. If they are out of my league, I am likely to be rendered speechless since they are too amazing for me and they are the most likely kind of girl to say no. Thus, I will be too shy to even talk to them. On the flip-side, If I know someone well and actually have a lot of common with them, I build more confidence because I can actually see us together. But then again, it depends on my confidence alone.

Because I'm shy, not only will I be unable to tell the person I like that I like them, but also almost everyone else. This is because they are likely to tell said person without my permission which will lead to embarrassing situations (as it has done in the past numerous times). These moments are embarrassing yet strangely enough, my mind is conflicted because a part of me wanted them to know.

Then there's the issue of actually dating and I'll talk about awkward people (including women) in general because like I said, I'm not too experienced so this is purely a theory based on what I've seen in reality and media. Usually there are a lot of obstacles that an awkward person will experience whilst dating. This includes the first date (which is awkward for everyone to be fair) where guy like me without sufficient conversation skills and the habit of daydreaming may suffer awkward silences. Then there's physical contact such as kissing, hugging and sexual activity. Honestly physical contact depends on the person. They either want to jump straight into the physical stuff or take it slow and gradually start to do these things. I'm sort of in the latter...ish. Whilst I am a hugger and open to kissing (provided that the other person is willing), sex is nerve wracking to me and I'll likely never do it until I get married (as other sensible people do).

Like I said though, this is only my experience as well as people similar to me. Other people are lucky enough to be confidant (and at times TOO confident which worries me) whilst some other people prefer to be single (which is great, more power to you!). As for me and others like me, well, It's time to bring back a certain section:

How can you help people like me? (This is for the awkward people who aren't confident) - Give them reason to be confident. Like RPG games such as World of Warcraft, experience hopefully builds strength and confidence so they will be less nervous. During the dating game, give them advice on how to sail through it without causing many arguments and premature break-ups. During a break-up (a tough time for many) console them, let them be sad but at the same time remind them on what they still have.

Dating still continues to fascinate me with its complexities and numerous stages on how to establish and maintain a relationship as well as how to cope once that relationship is over. There are also some puzzling questions such as why men are expected to ask out women instead of the other way around and why most women prefer older men/why most men prefer younger women. Oh well, I'm sure you audience members have the answer.

And that concludes this thought from an autistic mind. What do you think about this? Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments below, be sure to like my Facebook page 'Joel Mole' for more blogs and share this around to spread the word. Thank you for reading this and until the next time: fare thee well! 

Sports: It's just a game guys!!!

Now before I say anything I will say this. I completely understand the appeal of sports. It's a bit of fun that helps develop a lot of skills as well as improving your physical appearance and health. I also understand if people take it seriously as a life choice (as I know some people who do). Good for them, so long as you're good at it and work hard at it it's fine by me. My problem is when people take it too seriously.

Now this applies to a lot of things such as movies and video games as there are a lot of heated arguments about them and I have been guilty about debating the former. But I'll give movies a pass since it does have the power to influence a person's way of thinking. Video games and sports however? Calm down, it's just a bit of fun! Now when talking about sports I don't mean stuff like the Olympics or The World Cup since there is more at stake than just competitiveness since for people of harsh backgrounds, this is all they have and again, it's a lifestyle choice and I respect that. I'm on about smaller scale sports events like P.E. for instance.

I HATED P.E. when I did it in school. It was too intense for my liking and I was rubbish at all the sports I did. However, I hate sports like Football more than athletic sports (which I don't hate that much I just suck at it) is because of the pressure. People just suddenly expected me to be to be good at it even though I'm rubbish and it is too intense for my liking. When the ball comes to me, I panic because people charge at me as well so I kick the ball anywhere. This usually comes to the opposing team and my own team gets angry.... even though there's nothing at stake.

You regardless of the stakes, sports fans treat it like a fight to the death. This is especially true of fighting sports (where they literally do that), Rugby (where there are a heck-load of injuries), dodgeball (*shudder*) and of course football, which is probably the most popular sport in the world. Even if it is just a bit of fun, players and fans are just so serious that it stops being fun. And that's my issue with sports, if people don't seem to have fun and yell all the time, why should I have fun.

Like I said, this is also true of other things such as movies and video games. Movies are so critically analysed that they stop being just popcorn entertainment (though I will admit, I'm guilty of this). Video games are so competitive that in co-op games such as DotA, people just yell left right and centre complete with swearing. Even the Internet is just a hive for yellers especially in YouTube.

My message is this, if you're passionate about something, that's fine, more power to you! Just don't ruin it for the rest of us. Especially if we are not on the same level as you.

And that concludes this thought from an autistic mind. What do you think about this? Let me know in the comments below, be sure to like my Facebook page 'Joel Mole' for more blogs and share this around to spread the word. Thank you for reading this and until the next time: fare thee well! 

Banter cheeses me off!

Banter seems to be becoming more prominent in society with the rise of the Internet and shows such as the Inbetweeners developing a 'lad' culture. The biggest trait of the 'lads' is the use of banter which is basically teasing in a playful way. However sometimes it can go to far to the point where insults are passed off as 'banter'

So what counts as banter and when does it go too far as some of these, particularly when directed at the subject's personal issues, tend to do. Well it all depends on the subject's mood and whether or not they can take it. If the person recognises that it's a joke then they'll laugh along. For example, Yo Mama jokes are a form of banter and whilst it can be seen as offensive, most people know these as jokes and occasionally join in. However, when they get a bit carried away, things can get ugly fast.

What I mean by this is that sometimes, direct insults to the subject and their family are starting to be passed off as banter. For example, harsh insults concerning your background, family and appearance may not fly well with the subject and thus becoming upset about it. The insulter may then say 'it was only banter mate'. To them I say: no.... just no. No no no no no no no no no no NO! That is NOT what you say! You think that insults like that are a JOKE? Ugh..... If you are one of those people then... just no.

How does this link with autism? Well we tend to be the people who take harsh banter seriously. We're literal like that and so any insult, no matter if it's a joke, will be taken seriously and to heart and banter is no exception. This is why I don't like banter because the people don't seem to recognise that the subjects are being hurt. It isn't just that, but they seem to use it as an excuse to be sexist with phrases such as 'get in there' and 'she's got nice tits' and I hate people who say these. Hate it hate it hate it hate it hate it!

I apologise if this seems ranty but this cheeses me off! People should not use banter as an excuse to be cruel! In fact, if this is what banter has become, then it should just go and be replaced by jokes that are NOT at other people's expense! *Sigh* basically, next time you're bantering, please remember who you're bantering about and try to remember that they have feelings. Then banter can have a good name again.

And that concludes this thought from an autistic mind. What do you think about this? Let me know in the comments below, be sure to like my Facebook page 'Joel Mole' for more blogs and share this around to spread the word. Thank you for reading this and until the next time: fare thee well! 

Smart Phones: Our new evil overlords

OK the title made me sound like a conspiracy nut but here me out! What I'm saying is that mobile phones, particularly smart phones, have somewhat diminished, perhaps killed, social interaction. This is because of one big reason... it's overused

I've noticed in public places such as restaurants that instead of talking face to face, they just text other people! This, I find, is actually kind of rude because they seem to be disregarding the people around them. I myself do not have a phone so I feel like a victim to this but it isn't just texting or checking Facebook, music plays a part to this too.

Now, I love music don't get me wrong but good grief there's a time and a place to play it! When you're on your own in a safe environment, it's fine. But when you're a) with other people and b) walking near a road then it's ridiculous. Why? Because they have headphones on which means that all they can hear is music. Not only is that unsociable but potentially dangerous as you can get so immersed you may not be able to notice a busy road and you might end up as a person pizza.

The sad thing is, people use them everywhere now. In cinemas where people are trying to watch the film and  in social gatherings where you really should be talking to people. The latter is especially annoying for people like me.

Like I said, I don't have a phone so imagine how annoying it must be when I want to talk to someone but they can't here me because they have headphones on. Or an even worse situation when they flat out ignore me by texting or checking social media sites. I'm having a hard time making conversations as it is! I don't need phones to make it worse! Heck even if I did have a phone I'll probably be the same or even worse!

What I think people should do is that use phones for their primary purpose only in public and using it for other stuff in private areas such as home. Texting and messaging should only be for emergencies and private places. Maybe then social interaction can rise again but then again, I can't control 6 billion people...

The reason why phones are our new evil overlords is because we almost seem enslaved to it. Perhaps we're living in an age where we go on cyberspace more than meatspace. Even I'm not entirely innocent because I have a laptop which has a similar effect. Bottom line, if we're all getting addicted to these things, at the rate we're going, we're all going to be Cybermen in the future...

And that concludes this thought from an autistic mind. What do you think about this? Let me know in the comments below, be sure to like my Facebook page 'Joel Mole' for more blogs and share this around to spread the word. Thank you for reading this and until the next time: fare thee well! 

Friendship groups: A high school cliché come to life

I don't know about adults in the working world but I notice that in secondary school at least, very similar people seem to bunch together don't they...

Everywhere I look, people with similar personality types all seem to bunch together in separate groups. Sure they mix from time to time but generally, they all seem to be in their same groups be they large or little. It reminds me of high school movies where you have the jocks, stoners, nerds etc. on the male gender and the 'sluts', artists and braniacs on the girl gender. Obviously it's less black and white and it's not always these groups in particular but I tend to notice a similar pattern. The lads tend to hang out in one massive group, as do their female equivalent for example. It all feels strange until I figured out why: belonging.

If you meet someone with similar personality traits and interests, you normally become friends with them because you belong with them. Gradually you meet more of the similar people and they band together to form a friendship group. It's simple enough to understand but it leaves a few questions. Why are some groups bigger than others? Why don't the groups integrate more often? Why is there seemingly a boy-girl divide? And most importantly, does everyone belong in any of the groups?

I'll try to answer them all. The first question is simply because there are more people with say a cocky trait than a shy and nerdy trait and so the groups are differently sized depending on how many people with the similar trait. Groups don't integrate more often simply because of personality clashes with some people maybe disagreeing with others on their morals. There is seemingly a boy-girl divide because guys are more comfortable with guys and girls are pretty much the same (though I will point out that as you get older, the divide becomes less apparent and they're becoming more mixed thank goodness!). The last question... is a problem.

You see some people (like me at one point and others I know) don't seem to fit in to all of the groups and thus feel like they don't belong. This increases the feeling of isolation and the feeling that no-one likes you very much. This, from personal experience, is a horrible feeling and it's where I feel that friendship groups are a problem. It's understandable why they exist but if it ends up creating people like this then it's a worry. Also if a 'loner' does find a friendship group, it's normally great but if their personality clashes with that group then they don't feel like they belong. I know I struggled in the past year for that very reason and I'm glad I found one that I can connect with.

Like I said, I was lucky but other people I know aren't. Most of the time they're alone or upset because they are left out for various reasons (one could be linked to my normality post). So what can they do?

Well, I managed to cope without a group for many years because of the fact that I had a close friend I can rely on. Eventually, even the loneliest of people can find at least one friend that they connect with, probably because they're either lonely too or because they're personalities are similar as well. I know some of these people because I can connect with them and I'm actually friends with them.

So overall, if you're in a friendship group, that's fine, more power to you! Just try not to forget the people who aren't because they may be going through a horrible feeling of isolation. Maybe you could talk to them and even befriend them. Maybe it could make their lives better.

And that concludes this thought from an autistic mind. What do you think about this? Let me know in the comments below, be sure to like my Facebook page 'Joel Mole' for more blogs and share this around to spread the word. Thank you for reading this and until the next time: fare thee well! 

Normality makes you go baaaaaaaa

Looking back at my other posts I realised that I haven't put any actual thoughts yet. Instead I have been educating you about autism which was fine since you seemed interested but now let's actually follow what I intended to do. With that said, here are my thoughts on normality.

Now in order to keep society in check, you have to establish some regulations to follow. These are called social norms and if people keep to them everything's all hunky-dory right? Well kind of. You see there is a fine line between good normal and bad normal. Good normal is basically a law abiding citizen who does good for society. Bad normal is doing what everyone else does.

What appears to me is that if you follow the behaviours of others you are considered normal, no matter if that behaviour is good or bad. So, for example, if the most popular person in school is a troublemaker and a jerk, then to follow them makes you popular as well? That doesn't ring true... if anything that shouldn't be normal at all. On top of that, if everyone was 'normal' then what makes them special? What makes them stand out from the crowd? If anything they seem like sheep.

Another thing that bothers me is that if people are different then they are potentially classed as weird. Of course some people who stand out are popular because they are talented, clever, likable or cool but if the person stands out for another reason say because they're quirky or have some sort of physical or mental imperfection then suddenly they're weird or freaks? This confuses me... does being normal make you liked and if so, are you independent because of it?

What bothers me more is that what is considered normal constantly changes! Nerds and geeks were constantly pushed aside yet because of the success of comic book movies such as The Avengers they are slightly more accepted! Being gay was considered so abnormal it was illegal at one point. Now gay marriage has been legalised in places such as Ireland and the US in this year alone. It keeps changing and it makes me wonder if normality even exists!

On top of that, if being normal is more accepted, then why in the name of Gallifrey are some of the most famous people considered weird? Look at Albert Einstein! He was an oddball to say the least and yet he was considered one of the best scientists! Look at Steve Jobs! He was nerdy and yet he created our new evil overlords... I mean... one of the most used products our time: The Apple devices.

So basically not being normal can lead to great things yet abnormality is frowned upon. Even people like me are considered weirdos because we're what they don't understand. Actually thinking about it, maybe that's why not being normal is frowned upon. To quote every movie ever "People fear what they don't understand" and it's likely that the abnormal are simply what people don't understand. Maybe that's why gay marriage is more accepted. Maybe that's why nerdy things are cooler. Maybe that's why normality changes. It changes based on what we do or do not understand.

So my advice is this: try to understand the abnormal. Try to understand why they behave like this and maybe, just maybe, they'll be more accepted. Maybe people will be less like sheep and their shepherds will not mind. Maybe… maybe normality will no longer exist. But that's me wishfully thinking...

And that concludes this thought from an autistic mind. What do you think about this? Let me know in the comments below, be sure to like my Facebook page 'Joel Mole' for more blogs and share this around to spread the word. Thank you for reading this and until the next time: fare thee well! 

Coping with New Environments

As of writing this blog, I am currently in Scotland. This is somewhere I have never been before, let alone stayed in, and thus, everything feels alien to me. The reason I feel like this is because my normal routine has changed and everything is completely different.

This is not uncommon for people like me to feel uncomfortable in a new environment as we're so used to our normal area. So when we go somewhere new to meet new people, we naturally feel nervous as all sorts of things rush through our heads. Is this place dangerous? Are the people nice? What is in this place? Etc. 

It also didn't help that I had quite possibly the longest car journey in my life! It was a 9 hour journey from the South West of England to Scotland complete with hour long delays and service station visits. Everything felt too much and it was a miracle that I managed to cope.

So what made Scotland more nerve-wracking than say Disneyland Paris (which I went to a few weeks ago)? My theory is familiarity. In Disneyland, I practically had all of my immediate family with me so there were a few people I knew. That and the fact that it was Disneyland made the trip more comfortable... even though I felt relieved to be back in England. With Scotland, it was only one family member. The others I didn't know so well so it was more difficult to connect with them as opposed to my family which I've had years to connect with. That and Scotland is cold.

I kind of feel glad I went to university open days because I had time to acclimatise to what is possibly my future home which is good since for a while, I will be the only person I know. In time I know I will get used to new environments but the initial shock is still quite daunting.

How can you help people like me? - If you notice them feeling uncomfortable in a new environment, talk to them. Give them that familiarity that they need so they can connect with their new environment better. Help them get to know the new people so that they can feel familiar with them as well. When it's the case where they are on their own, check on them to see if they have settled in via phone calls and social network sites. It is also noteworthy to tell the new people that they have autism (provided that the person with autism is comfortable with it) then they will hopefully understand and act appropriately.

And that concludes this thought from an autistic mind. What do you think about this? Let me know in the comments below, be sure to like my Facebook page 'Joel Mole' for more blogs and share this around to spread the word. Thank you for reading this and until the next time: fare thee well! 

'Inside Out' and the importance of sadness

WARNING! THIS THOUGHT CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE MOVIE 'INSIDE OUT'! IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE AND YOU ARE AFRAID OF SPOILERS THEN WATCH THE MOVIE BEFORE YOU READ THIS! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

I'm doing something a little different by including a movie in this thought. For starters, Disney Pixar's 'Inside Out' is an amazing movie with oodles of clever symbolism, stellar animation, a creative use of the concept and a lot of emotion and heart to it. However what stuck out for me is its main message and how the character of Riley, and subsequently her emotions, deals with a massive change in her life.

You see at the age of 11, Riley moves from a comfortable life in Minnesota to the less favourable San Francisco. The emotions in her head, Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust are faced with this problem. How the movie deals with this represents the different stages of going through this change. For starters, Joy tries to keep Riley happy which shows Riley's initial positive attitude but bad things keep happening such as her favourite food is 'poisoned' with broccoli, the removal van is late and all her happy memories seem much more sad (as represented by Sadness literally changing the moods of each memory sphere). This doesn't help by the fact that on her first day of school, she breaks down when she remembers Minnesota in the middle of her classroom. It's at this point where Joy and Sadness, the two emotions needed for this change, are sucked out of headquarters into long term memory.

This leaves fear, anger and disgust in charge of her life and as best as they try to keep Riley happy, they end up making Riley more secluded and hostile. Things get worse when her core personalities, goofiness, friendship, hockey, honesty and family collapse as she isn't as good with them in this new environment. It is also worth mentioning that Sadness, throughout the film, is outcast as the other emotions do not understand her purpose. However, when things get drastic and Riley runs away, Joy and sadness return and it is by this point where Joy understands Sadness's purpose: to let others know when she is having a problem. When Sadness takes over, she returns to her parents and finally confesses her problems and not only do her problems disappear but she grows as a person, as shown by a more complex headquarters with mixed emotion memory cores and new and numerous personality islands. It was then when I understood what this movie represents.

When I face problems like this (e.g. fall-outs and changes in routine), I don't often admit that I'm sad, because I don't understand that it's ok to be sad. And thus I bottle up my sadness which can let my fear, anger and disgust take over. Even when I try to appear happy in front of others to hide my sadness but even then it feels false. So when I do show sadness, others realise that something is wrong and they comfort me. However, I often find it difficult to show sadness, especially as I am a 17 year old male who, as society dictates, must never cry or show sadness in order to act 'manly.' This is especially confusing as I want to fit in (much like Riley did) but I also want to show my problems. I also realise that people with more severe autism legitimately struggle to show the appropriate emotions for dire situations such as moving house and they may not even realise that they're feeling these ways.

How can you help people like me? - Teach them about sadness and tell them, especially teenage autistics, its importance and let them know when they can be sad. Also, if they do go through a situation as drastic as Riley's, talk to them. Let them know it's going to be ok and if you ask them how they are and they act more differently than usual, talk to them because something is likely wrong. Maybe then they will admit to sadness and you can comfort them and help fix their problem. And if it's a boy my age under pressure under manly stereotypes, tell them that stereotypes are hokum and that they can be themselves.

And that concludes this thought from an autistic mind. What do you think about this? Let me know in the comments below, be sure to like my Facebook page 'Joel Mole' for more blogs and share this around to spread the word. Thank you for reading this and until the next time: fare thee well!