iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

So deeply honored to have my @electricliterature.com essay featured by @longreads.com, and at the start of #autismawarenessmonth too! I've been so moved by all the responses to this essay. Thank you for making space me. As I say in the essay, thank you for "crossing the distance" to meet me as I am.

041

Reposted by Bathrobe Gal

Sarah Jane Cody is semi here @sarahjanecody.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Eeeie! So honored to have my @electricliterature.com essay shared by @longreads.com, a publication I adore! Thank you!! 💖 I've been so moved by the responses to this essay. ❤️💗

082

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

I wrote an essay folks. It was so hard to write this, but I hope it helps others. #autistic 💖❤️

171

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

Hi pals. I've realized I can't handle being on multiple platforms, so I'll only be posting on my Instagram and website from now on. I wish I were able to handle more because I love connecting when I'm able, but I have to work with brain. I'll see you around ❤️

141

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

Stores are hell, but I love pretty dresses. And cake. Mom was always my protector/ally/warrior:

Comic Titled: “Mom & Me Preparing for Back-to-School Shopping” Graphic: Mom holds up two metal shields; handing one to bathrobe gal, she says, “Arm yourself, Bathrobe Gal! We’re going to the mall!”Graphic: Bathrobe Gal, raising a sword, replies, “Okay!”

150

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

Are your clothes also special? Is it hard for you to find textures, colors, or a fit that is comfortable for you?

Graphic Titled “When My Clothes Wear Out”: Bathrobe Gal kneels surrounded by candles and clutches a pink dress, saying “Dearly Beloved, for these past 10 years you have been my loyal companion, protected me against the elements…and other humans, comforted me, held me, been…a…true..friend…”

150

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

When something bad happens and someone says, "It's okay." / When someone says it's okay and it's NOT okay. That's just confusing! Instead, ppl please try saying what you actually mean :) #autistic

Graphic: Bathrobe Gal frowns holding a pan of burned food, “saying Oh no! I wrecked dinner! It's completely burned." Sweet Guy tries to comfort her: "Oh, sweetheart, it's okay."

Graphic: Bathrobe Gal is weeping, saying, “Actually, the dinner is inedible. I wasted all that food. Now we don’t have anything to eat. I don’t see how it can be okay.”

091

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

I’ve missed a lot of social cues along the way. This is one of those moments you look back on with understanding 1/7 #autistic

“In high school, I felt the need to carry all of my text books with me all day. I think it gave me a sense of security.” Graphic: Bathrobe Gal is weighted down by her huge backpack.

1140

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 06/06/2025

💖❤️❤️ It used to be so hard for me to talk about things. It still can be. Thank you for making space for me and for sharing yourselves with me. Love. #autistic

Reasons IT CAN Be Hard to talk about MY Pain & Difficulties
-I learned to hide my perceived weaknesses to stay safe & get by in an often hostile society
-I fear I’ll hurt people I love by burdening them
- Fear that the pain/struggle will become overbearing & I won’t be able to manage anymore if I
acknowledge it fully
-Fear that other people will devalue my existence as lesser
-Fear of being misunderstood
-I feel the need to be a light

REALITIES OF TALKING
ABOUT MY PAIN & DIFFICULTIES
- I can help others

- It can allow me to connect more deeply with others, deepening relationships

- It can help me feel less alone, even if it can also sometimes feel paradoxically lonely to share

- There are times I am misunderstood or rejected

- I can focus on the people who do try to
understand and make space for me. Those are my people.
- I don’t have to share everything to be honest or feel seen. I don’t have to articulate everything
perfectly.
- It’s often worth it to take the risk
when I’m safe and able to

032

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

A funny thing that happened on a rare occasion when I made myself go to the store (instead of ordering grocery delivery). #autistic

Graphic: Bathrobe Gal stands holding a bunch of Bananas, her eyes going wide as she notices a display full of large, round objects with bright purple question marks on them. Text reads: "I ran out of bananas, which meant I had to go to the store. Just bananas - nothing else! I could do this. But then something caught my eye..."

Text: "The next thing I knew, I was growling aloud at a box of seltzers, because the flavor I like was at the bottom..." Graphic: Bathrobe Gal crouches close to the floor, her arms full of groceries, as she attempts to dislodge a box of seltzer at the bottom of the stack. "Grarrrr," she says. A smiling woman approaches, saying "Need help?"

Graphic: The smiling woman hands Bathrobe Gal the box of seltzer labeled "Yum". "Thanks," says Bathrobe Gal. The smiling woman says "You've got muscles, but that's a rough way to go. No cart." Bathrobe Gal, noticing a huge muscle on her own arm, says, "Woah I have muscles? Probably because I do stuff like this."

Graphic: Bathrobe Gal is at the grocery checkout attempting to load too many grocery items in her arms. The checkout woman tries to stop her, saying: "You want a bag right?" Bathrobe gal, sweating, says, "Nah. I really just came here for bananas."

292

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

My sensory profile: (I couldn't include everything, but I highly recommend taking the time to do a sensory profile on yourself or just keep a list of traits you add to when you notice them being activated.)

A diagram of Bathrobe Gal with arrows pointing to various parts of her body, indicating senses with labels: "Holds breath or covers face near bad smells." "Chews" "Touch: Sensory-seeking" "Covered in band-aids as a kid - invisible owies" "Appears shy and quiet" "tries to hold everything in" "Sound can feel harmful or painful" "Craves squeezing pressure - sash, blankets, belts" "Often lifts onto toes when happy"

A diagram of Bathrobe Gal with arrows pointing to various parts of her body, indicating senses with labels: "Emotions are highly physical + lack of recognition = alexithymia" "interoception difficulties" "Dislikes sitting/standing still - bounces, sways, etc" "Comorbid GI Issues, Nausea, & Chronic Pain" "Synastehsia" "Chronic Fatigue, Dizziness" "Visual Overstimulation"

152

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

Does anyone else really struggle with the constant info-stream of social media, even if you want to connect with our community here? My mind needs lots of singular focus and quiet. Instagram is easier for me because it's mostly art/pictures. (I don't really do videos - too stimulating!) #autism

140

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

Things I wish someone had said to me at particular points in my life––so I'm saying them for anyone who needs them. 💖 #autistic #neurodivergent

Graphic of Bathrobe Gal holding a giant heart. Text: "Your feelings are valid. Your experiences are valid. Your needs are valid. Your struggles are valid."

Graphic of Bathrobe Gal turning toward the light and ignoring an angry person who stands yelling in the shadows. B Gal's arms are full of flowers. Text: "Only you know what it feels like to be experiencing the world as you, inside YOUR self. So don't let other people try to tell you who THEY think you are or should be."

Graphic of Bathrobe Gal sitting amid giant flowers and hugging a cute dog, wearing her noise-blocking headphones and looking safe. Text: "You deserve love and care and a world where you are safe. So let's create one together."

0101

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 27/04/2025

All the medical stuff I can never solve and that insurance won't cover... #chronicpain (That's the whole post.)

040

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

Thanks to @nytopinion.nytimes.com for including my voice and combating RFK's dangerous claims: www.nytimes.com/2025/04/24/o... #autism #neurodivergence

Bathrobe Gal is quoted in the New York Times (as Sarah Jane Cody, her real name): “Mr. Kennedy is wrong. Autism doesn’t need a cure. Society does. Instead of seeing us as problems, society must embrace and support autistic people,” @sarahjanecody writes in a letter to The Times.

1131

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

Autistic humans deserve to be valued, supported, and deemed worthy for being who we are, as we are, at all levels of need. Despite what RFK wants you to believe, human value is not based on “functionality;” children are not merely a “resource” to feed the economic machine. #autism #neurodivergence

291

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

Is it just me or is Tiktok a cyclone of hell? The level of visual+audio overstimulation drives me far away.

220

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

New comic about social misunderstandings, aloneness, and the preciousness of ordinary clothes: (1/5) #autistic

Graphic Title: A Social Misunderstanding. A Girl in Green stands facing Bathrobe Gal holding a sweater, asking “Can I borrow your sweater?” Bathrobe Gal looks alarmed.

140

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 04/04/2025

The 'autism is a trend' idea is so typical of the media's commitment to preserving the status quo. If there are just a few of us, they can feel virtuous having sympathy for us as 'individuals with problems', but if there are a lot of us, they might have to admit that we're NOT broken... 1/

1110

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

Just me getting frustrated again because what the other person said makes no sense (literally). In this case, my husband suggested we could wait to do something I had already done. I asked how we could wait to do it when I just did it! What he meant was that I should UNDO it.

130

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

My mom thought it'd be cute when I was a kid to dye our milk colors for April Fool's Day. I took one sip and started bawling because it tasted like milk instead of like yummy pink magic.

070

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

So much love to you all 💖 PS I can only speak to my own experiences and don’t speak for any other autistic person. In doing so, I hope to make the world a better place. #autistic #neurodivergent

“Today marks 3 years since my autism diagnosis. Here’s why that’s a big deal:” – Bathrobe Gal – @bathrobe_gal –aka Sarah Jane Cody

“I found out I’m autistic largely by accident! That and a million other reasons are why it’s so important for me to share. It changed my life.”– Bathrobe Gal – @bathrobe_gal –aka Sarah Jane Cody

“Understanding my autistic needs & challenges has led to dramatic improvements in my health, ability to care for myself, & ability to advocate for & accommodate myself in addition to positives in other aspects of my life.” – Bathrobe Gal – @bathrobe_gal –aka Sarah Jane Cody

290

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

Tell me about your sensory joy. 💖 It can be really tough feeling so very much, but the immense joy I can get from sensory experiences makes me appreciate the body and brain I have. I'm working on adding to this list of my some of my joys: #acutallyautistic #neurodivergent

Graphic: (1.) “Sensory Joy: intense, blissful, or euphoric joy experienced due to the senses. Varies among individuals. For example… (I’ll keep adding to this list) (2.)“Sensory Joy #1: Wind feel + sound.” Bathrobe Gal smiles in a spiral of wind, her arms raised in joy. She says, “Who needs drugs? I can get high on the wind?” She thinks: “I can feel all my particles moving!” (3.) “Sensory Joy#2 Waves crashing repeatedly into me.” Bathrobe Gal stands in the crashing ocean waves. She says, “Bring it on, ocean!” (4.)“Sensory Joy #3: Soft, nice smelling things.” Bathrobe Gal lies on a giant bed of lush, green moss. She says, “Floofy moss, you are my friend.” She's thinking: “mmm inhale the earth.” (5.) “Sensory Joy #4: More soft, warm, and/or nice smelling things.” Bathrobe Gal, smiling hugely, lies with her face pressed to a dog's face. The dog thinks “So…close…” (6.) “Sensory Joy #5: The constant, stunning beauty of nature.” Bathrobe Gal stands crying watching a sunrise over mountains.

150

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

Dear Brain: Please, please, slow down. Sure, it's really cool that you can make a million connections at once & do a million things at once - amazing! - BUT! I am a human being, limited to a physical existence, in which I MUST DO ONE THING AT A TIME. Sincerely, Bathrobe Gal. #autistic

160

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

Look, I learned early on as a kid: when something is comforting, maximize its use.

Graphic titled "Activities Suited for My Bathrobe". Each of the following is illustrated with Bathrobe Gal performing the activity wearing her bathrobe: 1. Getting the Mail. 2. Working from Home. 3. Zoom Meetings (*in the image Bathrobe Gal has pulled her robe down so it's around her waist; it looks to the Zoom camera like she's just wearing her pink dress). 4. Cooking. 5. Poking around my flower garden. 6. Incubating. 7. Dancing in my living room. 8. Keeping super warm (*Bathobe Gal has her bathrobe on under her coat.)

0100

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Okay when you listen to music, it plays an intense multi sensory show in your head and body...right...or not? Talking to some friends I realized this is not everyone! For me it's visual + physical (textures and movements) and possibly even smells. Explain to me what music is like for you please.

130

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

I have a secret: it's my escape route. Do you also have an escape plan or safety in place? #autism #neurodivergent

"I often need a safe space. But that can be hard to find. In life, I've found the most readily available space that's almost everywhere is...the bathroom."

“I hate bathroom smells and germs; they're claustrophobic, but convenient. No one asks why I’m running off or why I took a long time. When I say “I’m going to the bathroom” it’s code. Only I know what the code means.”

“In private, I can safely have the meltdown I’ve been holding back, give myself care, or regulate. It’s scary to have feelings and behaviors that can be intense, uncontrollable, and deeply socially unacceptable. This is stuff that’s harder to talk about.”

“PSA: Keep your bathrooms clean and accessible to all. You never know who might need them.”

082

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

Had a weeping shutdown last night because my husband moved some furniture to fix & didn't put it back in the EXACT same spot, & I couldn't figure out exactly how it was before but it FELT wrong, & therefore, logically, I would never be safe again... #autistic

180

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

It's okay to need rest. I like to rest snuggled:

060

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

Made this comic into an animation! Writing and drawing allowed me to express my autistic struggles before I knew what those struggles were or that they had names. ❤️ #autism#neurodivergent

0132

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

Extremely frustrating when some of the foods I regularly prepare become abruptly nauseating and make me feel ill. It's not picky eating; it's my body rebelled. #autistic struggles.

051

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

Reminder: we don't have to stay lost. ❤️ Whether self-ID'd, DX'd, or questioning, there are a lot of us out here and there's a space for us. ❤️💖❤️ #autism

090

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

I find so much joy in my body, despite chronic painful conditions. I think maybe feeling SO MUCH has led me to seek out the good feelings, to, always and despite, find the joy. #autistic #neurodivergent #comic

Graphic: "How I Shovel Snow Off the Porch". (Frame 1): Bathrobe Gal wearing a pink coat shoves snow off her porch, while saying, "Boring". (Frame 2): Bathrobe Gal slides like a seal on her stomach across the porch, pushing snow before her as she goes. "Wheeeee."

0130

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

Late-diagnosed autistic people are part of what's called the "lost generations." Let's be the found generations, together.

Four-Panel Graphic. (1) “We’re called the lost generations” Image of Bathrobe Gal standing together in solidarity with a big group of people. (2) “Because we were missed as kids. We lacked the potentially life-saving knowledge that we’re autistic.” Multicolor background. (3) “But we don’t have to stay lost.” Rainbow background. (4) “Together we can be the found generations.” Image of bathrobe gal, drawn with more detail, standing with three other friends. The group is diverse and each person has a unique style.

1227

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

Please give yourself love tomorrow – you deserve it.❤️ #Valentines #autistic #neurodivergent

Comic: (1.) A speech bubble coming from offscreen says: “Ugh Valentine’s Day.” Colorful text reads: Pressure to perform. Unrealistic expectations. Noisy, crowded, uncomfortable restaurants. Gift anxiety. Loneliness. Change of routine. 2. Graphic of Bathrobe Gal shaking her head and holding her hand up in a STOP gesture. Her speech bubble says: “I want none of that.” 3. Graphic of Bathrobe Gal sitting at her desk, drawing and wearing headphones. Her speech bubble: “Instead I want to quietly do my favorite things.” 4. Graphic of Sweet Husband sitting at desk table across from Bathrobe Gal, both of them working on creative projects, with hearts around them. Sweet Husband’s says, “Want to do that together?”

061

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

Being highly affected by sensory experiences can be really difficult. But the flip side is that we can have an immense capacity for wonder and experience incredible joy from small things. #autistic #neurodivergent

Graphic with text: “Sensory Joy: intense, blissful, or euphoric joy experienced due to the senses. Varies among individuals. For example… (I’ll keep adding to this list)!)

1131

Reposted by Bathrobe Gal

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

Once again fooled by not processing hunger. #autistic #neurodivergent #hangry #comics

Comic: Bathrobe Gal(BG) feels a sense of impending doom. Her partner asks if she forgot to eat. BG: “No. Something BAD is Wrong.” Partner: “Here, try eating this.” BG: “But the BAD thing!” Bathrobe gal eats a cupcake and feels better. “Oh. I guess I was hungry.”

4818

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

Truly love my lists. Also, I have found the coziest soft dress that feels like a bathrobe under my bathrobe(!) I have been wearing it all winter. #autistic #comics

Graphic shows Sweet Hubs greeting Bathrobe Gal, who looks very happy. Sweet Hubs: "Hi Bathrobe Gal, How many days have you been wearing that cozy dress with your robe?" Bathrobe Gal: "Only a week! And I remembered to put on deodorant! It's on my To Do list."

090

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Self-diagnosis is respected here! All neurodivergence & all folks who relate to & support neurodivergence-acceptance are appreciated! I know I'm lucky to have gotten a diagnosis given the many obstacles. & I'm not going to stop talking about it all despite the fear-mongering of ppl in power.

030

Bathrobe Gal @bathrobegal.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

What's up with all the standing still (and being supposed to be still in general)? My body likes to move. #autism #actuallyautistic

Comic: (1) "Other people waiting in line vs me" Bathrobe Gal waits in line of people who are standing still. Bathrobe Gal is enthusiastically swaying in place and swinging her airms. (2) "Other people waiting for the subway vs me" A row of people stand still waiting for the subway. Alone, where there's space, Bathrobe Gal is dancing, jumping, and twirling.

0121