This morning, I woke up to my “sunrise alarm” at 7:30am. It wakes me up gently and with little stimulation by giving off light instead of sound. This helps me get the best start to my day.

I use my list when I brush my teeth, eat breakfast, and get dressed. This helps me know what to do and feel comforted. Each activity has a specific time slot that I follow. 

I put on my regular cotton t-shirt that has stars on it and comfortable pants. I know to wear these clothes because all other clothing makes my skin crawl. 

My mom makes me toast with butter. She often tries to convince me to try other foods but the texture of many foods makes me feel overwhelmed.

This is my first day at a new school with all new people and sensations. I can feel myself beginning to panic and I begin to rock back and forth. I put on my noise canceling headphones and I get directed towards my classroom. 

One student greeted me with a hug that made me feel as though I was being suffocated. I stood stiffly waiting for her to stop. I anxiously avoided eye contact as she talked at me. I was not entirely sure what she said because the clicking sound of the clock on the wall filled my brain. 

Her other friend came to join us, which jerked my attention back. She introduced herself and said that her and her friend were “two peas in a pod”. I was not sure what they meant. Neither girl looks like a pea or is green; and what is the pod they are talking about?

I notice that the one girl has very messy hair. I tell her this. She tells me that this hurts her feelings, but I do not understand what I said wrong. I was just being honest.

Still looking at the ground, I attempt to explain everything that I know about the solar system. This is difficult, I know a lot.

194 moons, 3,583 comets and 796,289 asteroids have been found in the solar system.99.86% of the solar system’s mass is found in the Sun. The majority of the remaining 0.14% is contained within the eight planets.The combined mass of all the moons in the solar system is less than 0.1% of the Earth’s mass...

Eventually, when I am finished talking I sit down to begin arranging my pencils in order.