Everyone stop what you're doing because I found another awesome free resource! Daniela Schrieter ("Fuchskind") is an artist I connected with on Mastodon thanks to my timeline only being populated with things I've explicitly asked for and not some algorithm trying to profit off of me unlike other social media sites. ANYWAY.
Daniela is an amazing artist, and you should check out all of her stuff! I've linked the English version of her website since since my blog is in English, but you can see the German version by clicking the flag icon in the upper left corner. She also takes commissions, by the way.
Daniela's art includes comics with representation of autistic characters, which is much needed in media. Autistic people deserve accurate representation, and mainstream media often misses the mark. She recently created Neurodivergence Infocards, which she is distributing for FREE.
Overload card, shared with Daniela's permission
Some autistic people (and some neurodivergent people who are not autistic) experience sensory overload, which can interfere with their ability to communicate. Some have limited or no ability to speak using mouth words, which can be exacerbated when overstimulated. Basically, during times when it is most important for the people around them to understand what they need, the person struggles more with sharing what those needs are.
Infocards can be a great intervention because the individual can show the card to indicate their need without having to say it. You can either print out the cards or save the images to your device, and present them to express a need in a way that the people around you can understand.
Daniela's cards include cues for sensory overload, needing a break, asking for help, and "Yes" and "No" cards to answer basic questions without having to verbally form words.
Letting people express themselves in the way that works for them rather than forcing a specific communication style arbitrarily deemed superior can prevent future overload by reducing stress. It also lets the person get their needs met in a way that does not harm themselves or anyone else. Infocards are a great starting point for this.
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