SensoriWink

Parenting a neurodivergent child can feel overwhelming at times — like you’re expected to know the system, advocate perfectly, and never run out of energy. The truth is, most of us are figuring it out as we go, and we need support along the way.

That’s exactly why I started SensoriWink — to share resources that make life a little easier for parents like us. 🌱

The Autism Foundation of Oklahoma offers free Virtual Parent/Caregiver Classes on a regular basis. These sessions are full of practical tools to help with:
✔️ Understanding early identification & diagnosis
✔️ Navigating the IEP process
✔️ Learning how to advocate with confidence through every stage of life

🕡 Classes are online at 6:30 PM (on Zoom)
✅ Free to attend – just register!
📅 The next class (aimed at supporting parents of kids Birth-4 years old) is on Tuesday, October 7th!

🔗 Sign up here: https://www.autismfoundationok.org/news/virtual-parentcaregiver-classes

You don’t have to figure it all out alone — resources like this can make the journey feel lighter. 🤍

Let’s dig into what the spectrum really means — and how clinicians decide on “levels.”

🔎 First, the spectrum itself
Autism shows up across multiple areas — things like:

💬 Social communication

🔄 Repetitive behaviors

🔔 Sensory sensitivities

🎯 Intense, focused interests

🔀 Transitions / rigid thinking

Every autistic person has their own unique “profile” across these areas. One person might have big sensory sensitivities but find social communication easier, while another may struggle most with flexibility and transitions.

🧾 Now, the clinical side (DSM-5)
Even though we see 5 “dots” in real life, professionals group them into 2 official domains when diagnosing:

Domain A: Social communication & interaction (need all 3):

Conversation/reciprocity

Nonverbal communication (gestures, eye contact, expression)

Relationships

Domain B: Restricted & repetitive patterns (need at least 2):

Repetitive movements/speech/behaviors

Rigid routines or difficulty with transitions

Intense, focused interests

Sensory differences

📊 How levels are assigned

Clinicians rate each domain separately (1, 2, or 3).

Example: Someone might be Level 2 in social communication but Level 1 in restricted/repetitive behaviors.

Often, the higher level is used overall to represent support needs in everyday life.

It’s not an “average” or a linear score — it’s a professional judgment about how much support the person needs across settings.

And here’s the nuance:
Levels don’t capture the whole picture, because support needs can change depending on the environment, stress, and masking. So instead of thinking “How autistic are they?” — the real question is:

✨ “What supports help this person thrive?”

📚 Further Reading & Sources

DSM-5 Autism Criteria — Autism Speaks
https://www.autismspeaks.org/autism-diagnostic-criteria-dsm-5

DSM-5 Autism Criteria (official text via IACC/HHS)
https://iacc.hhs.gov/about-iacc/subcommittees/resources/dsm5-diagnostic-criteria.shtml

TRICARE Checklist — DSM-5-TR Autism Spectrum Disorder Specifiers
https://tricare.triwest.com/globalassets/tricare/provider/tricare-west-region-checklist-autism-spectrum-disorder.pdf

“Brief Report: DSM-5 ‘Levels of Support’” (PMC article)
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3989992/

Seattle Children’s — Explaining Autism Support Levels
https://www.seattlechildrens.org/clinics/autism-center/the-autism-blog/autism-levels-support/

Psychiatry Advisor — How Autism Levels Are Defined
https://www.psychiatryadvisor.com/features/levels-of-autism/

Child Mind Institute — Understanding the Levels of Autism
https://childmind.org/article/understanding-the-levels-of-autism/

APA — Clinician-Rated Severity Guide (DSM-5)
https://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Psychiatrists/Practice/DSM/APA_DSM5_Clinician-Rated-Severity-of-Autism-Spectrum-and-Social-Communication-Disorders.pdf

NIMH — Autism Spectrum Disorder Overview
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders-asd

National Autistic Society (UK) — Criteria & Tools in Autism Assessment
https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/diagnosis/assessment-and-diagnosis/criteria-and-tools-used-in-an-autism-assessment

NCBI — Autism Spectrum Disorders: Diagnosis and Treatment
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK573609/

“Everyone’s a little autistic.”

You may have heard this phrase tossed around. It often comes from a place of wanting to relate, but here’s the truth:

Autism isn’t something you can be “a little bit” of. It’s not a linear scale where some people are 10% autistic and others are 90% autistic. Autism is a distinct neurotype with its own wiring, and either you meet the markers for diagnosis — or you don’t.

So when people say “we’re all a little autistic,” it…

❌ Trivializes lived experience. Autism involves significant differences in communication, sensory processing, and daily life that neurotypical people don’t experience.

❌ Confuses traits with a diagnosis. Liking routines or disliking loud noises doesn’t equal autism. Traits alone ≠ autistic identity.

❌ Invalidates autistic voices. It reduces autism to a set of quirks instead of acknowledging the real challenges, barriers, and strengths autistic people live with every day.

🔊 What autistic voices say:

“People may hear ‘everyone’s on the spectrum somewhere’, and interpret it as ‘everyone’s a little autistic’ … When you tell an autistic person that ‘we’re all a little autistic,’ I can almost guarantee that their first reaction will be to feel like you’re trivialising their difficulties.”
— Stop Saying These Things About Autism, Autistic Not Weird
https://autisticnotweird.com/stop-saying/

“This passage does not say that everyone is a little autistic … The converse of ‘all Autistics are human’ — ‘all humans are Autistics’ — is not implied and does not hold.”
— Jim Sinclair, Is Everyone “a Little Autistic”?
https://unstrangemind.com/is-everyone-a-little-autistic/

“I believe that when people say ‘everyone is a little autistic’, … it then makes those who are autistic feel dismissed and their autism not being that big of a deal.”
— Debunking “Everyone is a Little Autistic” (personal blog)
https://iammyownexperience.com/2016/08/19/debunking-everyone-is-a-little-autistic/

🌈 Autism is a spectrum — but not a straight line from “mild” to “severe.” It’s a diverse web of traits and support needs that vary from person to person.

💜 Saying “everyone’s a little autistic” may sound harmless, but to autistic individuals it’s dismissive and erases their reality. A better approach? Listen, learn, and honor autistic voices for what they are: valid, whole, and worthy of acceptance.

🌟 Autism Markers — and When It Might Be Something Else 🌟

One of the most common questions I hear from parents, teachers, and therapists is:

“My child shows some traits of autism, but not all of them. What does that mean?”

Let’s break this down ⤵️

✅ Common Markers of Autism

Autism is a spectrum, so traits show up differently in every child. Some common markers include:

Differences in social communication (delayed speech, difficulty with back-and-forth conversation, preferring parallel play).

Repetitive behaviors or routines (lining up toys, strict rituals, echolalia).

Intense, focused interests.

Sensory sensitivities (noise, textures, lights, clothing).

Challenges with transitions and changes in routine.

But here’s the important part ⤵️

Not every child who shows these behaviors is autistic. Other things can look similar, including:

ADHD: difficulty with attention, impulse control, and regulation can overlap with autistic traits.

Sensory Processing Differences: a child may struggle with sound, texture, or touch but not meet criteria for autism.

Anxiety: social anxiety or generalized anxiety can look like avoidance or rigidity.

Speech & Language Delays: challenges in communication may mimic social differences seen in autism.

Giftedness/2e (Twice-Exceptional): highly advanced children sometimes present with “quirks” that overlap with autism traits.

🛠 What To Do If You’re Unsure

Observe across environments (home, school, social settings). Patterns matter.

Document what you see. Specific examples help professionals understand what’s going on.

Collaborate with other caregivers. Teachers, therapists, and parents each see a different piece of the puzzle.

Seek professional evaluation if concerns persist—whether for autism, ADHD, anxiety, or another difference, understanding leads to better support.

💡 Takeaway

Autism is just one explanation for certain behaviors, but it’s not the only one. Even if a child doesn’t “check every box,” their needs are still valid and worth supporting.

📖 I’m creating more resources (including social stories) to help children, parents, and educators understand these nuances and support kids in the ways they need most.

🌱 Every child deserves to be seen for who they are, not just how closely they fit into a checklist.

✨ Girls & Autism: What You Might Not See ✨

Many girls on the autism spectrum go undiagnosed or misunderstood—not because they aren’t autistic, but because they’ve become skilled at masking.

Masking is the ability to hide or “camouflage” autistic traits by copying social behaviors, scripting conversations, or suppressing natural stims. While this helps them blend in, it comes at a cost: anxiety, exhaustion, meltdowns at home, and a loss of authentic self-expression.

👉 Why it’s often missed:

•Girls are socially conditioned to be “polite,” “quiet,” or “helpful,” which can hide their struggles.

• They may appear to have strong friendships but often feel on the outside looking in.

• Teachers and parents sometimes mistake their coping skills for confidence.

📌 Signs to look for:

• Intense interests that may look “typical” (horses, books, pop culture) but are just as focused as classic “special interests.”

• Extreme fatigue or meltdowns after school from the effort of holding it together all day.

• Social challenges that aren’t obvious in structured settings but surface in unstructured play.

• Highly developed “people pleasing” behaviors that mask internal stress.

💬 Starting the conversation:

If you suspect a girl in your life may be masking, open a gentle dialogue with other caregivers or educators. You might say:

• “I’ve noticed she seems very tired after social situations. Do you see that too?”

• “She puts on a brave face at school, but at home she unravels. Can we work together to support her regulation?”

🛠 Practical strategies to support unmasking:

• Provide safe spaces (at home and school) where she doesn’t have to perform socially.

• Encourage stimming as self-regulation, not something to suppress.

• Validate her feelings when she’s overwhelmed instead of focusing only on “appropriate behavior.”

• Offer structured downtime after school or social events.

• Model and celebrate authenticity over perfection.

📖 I’m currently creating a Social Story Bundle designed to help kids feel safe enough to unmask—supporting them in understanding why they mask, and giving them tools to explore authenticity step by step.

🔗 Helpful resources for further learning:

National Autistic Society – Autistic women and girls
https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/what-is-autism/autistic-women-and-girls

Lai, Lombardo & Baron-Cohen (2015) – Autism and the Camouflage Hypothesis
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.10.010

Hull et al. (2017) – The Camouflaging of Autistic Characteristics in Girls and Women
https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361316671012

🌱 Every girl deserves to be seen for who she truly is—not just the version she’s learned to show the world.

https://www.facebook.com/share/17YdNuQ3o4/?mibextid=wwXIfr

🌱 Let’s Clear This Up: Tylenol Does Not Cause Autism

There’s been a lot of noise lately about Tylenol (acetaminophen) and autism. I want to break this down from a scientific perspective, because words like “cause” matter — and right now, the science simply does not support that claim.

🔬 What the research actually shows

A large sibling-comparison study in JAMA looked at kids where one sibling was exposed to Tylenol during pregnancy and the other wasn’t. If Tylenol truly caused autism, you’d expect a clear difference. There wasn’t. The hazard ratio was basically 1.0 — meaning no increased risk.
👉 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2817406

Some observational studies have found associations, but here’s the catch: they can’t separate the effect of the medication from the reason it was taken (like fever, infection, or stress during pregnancy — all of which can affect development). When researchers control for those factors, the “link” fades away.
👉 https://ysph.yale.edu/news-article/what-the-research-says-about-autism-and-tylenol-use-during-pregnancy

🏥 What medical leaders say

ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists): “Not a single reputable study has successfully concluded that acetaminophen in pregnancy causes neurodevelopmental disorders.”
👉 https://www.acog.org/news/news-releases/2025/09/acog-affirms-safety-benefits-acetaminophen-pregnancy

WHO: “There is no conclusive scientific evidence linking acetaminophen use during pregnancy to autism.”
👉 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/24/world-health-organization-trump-autism-tylenol

FDA: They’ve acknowledged possible associations in some studies but are very clear that association does not equal causation. Updating labels is about precaution, not proof.
👉 https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-responds-evidence-possible-association-between-autism-and-acetaminophen-use-during-pregnancy

⚖️ Why “association” ≠ “cause”

Autism is complex. Genetics play a huge role, and environmental factors are layered in too. If someone takes Tylenol because they have a fever, is it the Tylenol… or the fever itself that’s linked to outcomes? That’s why better studies — like sibling designs — are so important. And those studies say: no causal link.
👉 https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02876-1

✅ So what does this mean if you’re pregnant?

The consensus hasn’t changed: acetaminophen is still considered the safest option for pain and fever in pregnancy. The key is using it when needed, at the lowest effective dose, and always in conversation with your doctor.
👉 https://www.acog.org/news/news-releases/2025/09/acog-affirms-safety-benefits-acetaminophen-pregnancy

💡 Bottom line

Saying “Tylenol causes autism” is not accurate.

The strongest science doesn’t back it.

Trusted health organizations continue to recommend it as safe when used responsibly.

Science matters, and so do the words we use when we talk about it.

ACOG Affirms Safety Benefits Acetaminophen Pregnancy "The data from numerous studies have shown that acetaminophen plays an important—and safe—role in the well-being of pregnant women."

🍂✏️ The first month of school is behind us—and this is often when the real challenges show up. The excitement has worn off, routines are still shaky, and big feelings start bubbling up.

That’s exactly why I put together the Back-to-School Social Story Bundle. 🎒✨

These ND-affirming stories are perfect for kids who are still:
✅ Adjusting to classroom expectations
✅ Struggling with morning or after-school transitions
✅ Feeling anxious or overwhelmed at school
✅ Needing extra support to build confidence in their new environment

It’s never too late to give kids tools that help them feel seen, supported, and capable of thriving all year long. 💛

👉 Check out the Back-to-School Bundle here:

Back To School Social Story Bundle ✨ Start the school year with confidence using the Neurodivergent-Affirming Back-to-School Bundle of Social Stories! ✨Created with care for teachers, parents, and therapists, this resource supports kids ages 4–9 as they transition from summer to school in a way that feels safe, supportive, and ...