Anybody carry an 'Autism Alert Card?'

Post Reply New Topic

I don't have one, but I've thought about carrying one around. I shut down really easily in emergencies and it'd help explain why.

I wander off if I'm in a situation that's tipping me over the edge. A situation getting so extreme that I'll actually have to make use of such a card has never happened in my life.

It might be useful for some but if meltdowns are frequent enough to warrant a card then said person should not be out in their own anyway.

Pardon me?

If someone is prone to having meltdowns or complete shutdowns to warrant a card they should probably being a friend or relative with them anyway when outside the house.

Sounds logical, but nope. Not in my case, anyway. Having someone go with me would be even more annoying because I'd have to share my personal space, listen to them talking, make conversation, modulate my emotions to be polite, follow their schedule or timeline, and deal with all the sensory input of another person's scented products, noise, etc. When I leave the house it's generally because I want to be alone for the duration of the drive (both ways), and I want to have as little social stimulation as possible when I reach my destination.

I'm an adult. I'm self-aware enough that I can control my behaviour in public even though it's exhausting and I nearly always collapse when I get home. If other people can't respect someone acting differently, having benign mental health issues which don't hurt anyone, being mute, or being disabled by noise and bright lights, that's their problem. There are plenty of resources available to educate people so they will be more accepting and compassionate toward other people's mental health or physical needs.

I say again that I'd only need the ID in the event someone else thinks I need help. Unless I suffer another stroke and pass out on the ground, I'm quite confident I can manage much better on my own.

FROM OP: I began this discussion after researching stories of misrepresentation concerning adults with High Functioning Autism (HFA) - hence the topic of 'Autism Alert Cards' got ample mentions.

'Autism Alert Cards' may be a necessary choice in order to be proactive in reducing misrepresentation esp. with medical emergencies.

I felt this post "broke the ice" - hence the topic of misrepresentation concerning HFA will extend beyond 'Autism Alert Cards' here on WP!

I'm not HFA. I have Moderate Autism, if that makes a difference to what I've written.

I do not and don't see the point of needing one.

I should make one, but all my gang-stalkers would already know.
Rather pointless, now that I think about it.

People concerned with the Autism Spectrum must carefully consider just what specific information to place on an Autism Alert Cards. It may be noted that no two 'Autism Alert Cards' are alike.

I've always thought that these cards don't have to even necessarily say that someone has autism, if someone doesn't want to add that. They're more about letting emergency personnel know about potentially concerning behaviours/impairments, than just telling them that someone has autism. One could simply put that they have communication issues/repetitive behaviours/whatever would be important for someone to know in an emergency situation.

If I had a card I'd probably just have one that mentions that I shutdown and can't communicate well in stressful situations, since I obviously couldn't communicate that myself. lol