The Autisticrits

Think about the last place you visited—a grocery store, a library, a park. Did you feel at home there? Or did you feel an invisible pressure, a discomfort, a sense of disorientation, or a nagging feeling of being on-edge or judged. Did you feel unable to relax into yourself or exist at your own pace?

The Autisticrits is a project born from many conversations about how the world is rarely designed for neurodivergent brains and bodies. From “minor” details like the confusing entrances or manipulative policies, to the way entire systems are built, navigating anywhere can be a minefield of sensory and cognitive assaults, with real-life consequences. There are so many aspects of our modern life that shrink the world for autistic people, especially autistic adults, limiting our capacity and access. We are advocating for a world that takes autistic experiences into account—one subjective, honest, personal review at a time.

From the outside, our critiques of things like indoor lighting or bathroom layouts can seem trivial. However, for an autistic nervous system, these details are everything. Our goal isn't to "nitpick" for the sake of venting; it’s to provide a survival guide for a world that is often hostile to autistic people.

• The Energy Tax: Research suggests autistic brains use up to 42% more energy at rest than non-autistic brains. At rest! We’re not making it up, being dramatic, or complaining too much. A single overwhelming outing isn't just "annoying." A poorly designed space isn't just an inconvenience. These things can cause sensory, cognitive and energy debt that can take days or weeks to recover from.
• Bottom-Up Processing: We process the world from the details up. Our brains tend to take in every individual detail (the hum of a fridge, the texture of a chair) before seeing the "whole" picture. Our nervous systems tend to stay in a state of high alert, nonstop processing and complex hypervigilance.
• Highly-Attuned Sensory Systems: Non-autistic brains have neurological filters that automatically tune out irrelevant stimuli—the hum of HVAC systems, the invisible flickering of fluorescent lights, or the overlapping conversations in a restaurant. Our brains often lack these automatic filters. For us, a sudden loud noise or a bright overhead light isn't just a distraction; it is frequently registered by our nervous systems as a physical assault or acute pain. When we critique lighting or acoustics, we are advocating for baseline accessibility and physical safety, not just aesthetic comfort.
• Perseveration & Rumination: Because we process information so deeply, a negative interaction or a sensory-taxing event doesn't simply end when we leave the building. Our brains frequently get caught in cognitive loops—replaying the event, analyzing every detail of what went wrong, and attempting to map out how to avoid future threats. This "stuckness" isn't an intentional choice to dwell on the negative; it is our neurology attempting to process and survive an unpredictable world. Consequently, the exhaustion from an inaccessible environment continues to drain our mental resources long after the physical exposure is over.
• Long-Term Impact: A poor interaction or overwhelming environment isn't easily forgotten; over time, autistics avoid public spaces entirely, shrinking our world.

We believe in a dual approach. We practice gratitude for the people and efforts that make our experiences and our society possible. We are grateful for the access and privileges we have. AND…we simultaneously envision a world that works better for everyone, especially those of us whose experiences and needs are often invisible, often dismissed, often not even known.

Our work is rooted in the belief that access is a collective responsibility.

• Design for All: If spaces, structures and systems are designed with neurodivergent brains and bodies in mind—low sensory friction, clear communication, and thoughtful layout — they become a better for everyone.
• Critique as Advocacy: By documenting which places are "safe to exist in" and which are hostile, we provide a roadmap for neurodivergent survival while demanding systemic change from the businesses and public spaces we inhabit.
• Advocacy through Analysis: We aren't nitpicking; we are documenting. We’re here to help you find the spaces where you can actually breathe—and avoid the ones that cost too much to visit.
• We believe that looking critically at our environments is an important part of making the world of better place.

While we aim for consistent analysis, we recognize that "autistic" is not a monolith. Every brain is wired differently:

• Nothing is objective: Our reviews are our own lived experiences. While we have insights into autistic and neurodivergent neurology and common autistic patterns of experience, you may have a very different experience of a place we reviewed than we did, even (and maybe especially) if you are also autistic.
• Sensory Profiles: We recognize that no two autistic people are the same. One of us may be sensory-seeking (craving high energy), while the other is sensory-avoidant.
• Fluctuating Needs: What feels safe on a Tuesday might feel overwhelming on a Friday. Our experiences are shaped by our daily capacity, our current support needs, and the complexity of unknown variables.
• Intersectionality and Privilege: We recognize that our perspectives are filtered through our specific identities (such as race, gender, and socio-economic status). The privileges we hold—or the systemic barriers we face—deeply impact how safe, welcomed, or invisible we feel in any given environment, and intersect with our neurology in complex ways.

We are committed to advocating for a world that takes autistic experiences into account. We are also committed to helping autistic people navigate the world as it exists now, to easily find places that feel safe and comfortable, and therefore lead richer, more fulfilling lives. We want to expand the world for our fellow autistics, to help create lives filled with community, adventures, and positive memories that build our confidence, care for our nervous systems, and strengthen our identities.