Sometimes I& #39;m & #39;high-functioning& #39;, like when I& #39;m writing, fully dressed, with a cup of coffee I& #39;ve made, listening to music.

Other times I& #39;m not. When I haven& #39;t the energy to make a drink, the wherewithal to get dressed properly or I& #39;m in meltdown cos it& #39;s too hot.

#autism

That& #39;s why & #39;functioning& #39; labels are so pointless. There& #39;s no consistency to an #autistic person& #39;s ability to function, other than the correlation that stress leads to problems. We have tremendously & #39;spiky& #39; skills profiles.

Either amazing at stuff or bloody dreadful.

One day I& #39;ll be full of beans, able to mask, have the spoons for all sorts of challenges. Next day I& #39;ll be wiped out, barely able to talk, completely exhausted, overwhelmed by sensory information. #autism

This is why employers can have real issues with us. They have no real comprehension of what an #autistic & #39;off day& #39; can look like. Why would they? Not many talk about it, especially in & #39;training& #39;.

This leads to getting sacked, at its worst.

I think the off days can be considerably reduced in number and severity if #autistic people are treated with compassion and not pushed beyond limits.

Trouble is, we get pushed beyond our limits all the time, often by ourselves.