what are common autism traits that you DON'T relate to?

Post Reply New Topic

For me it's the need for routine, rigid thinking, and rituals. I don't relate to those at all. I have all the other stuff under "criteria B" (special interests, repetitive behaviors, sensory issues), but not those.

I don't think I have a routine either because I'm so laissez-faire and my days are unstructured, but HOLY HELL If anyone tries to interrupt that or make me do things their way then I realise how inflexible I am. My routine is that I do "nothing" exactly the same way without fail. Try living someone else's routine and you'll see how much of one you have yourself. Alternatively, think of routine as meaning "inflexibility". I've got miles of that.

My rigid thinking doesn't really feel rigid either, unless someone challenges it. I'm a free-thinker and very open-minded so if someone tries to put me in a box or control my choices I go a little postal. I can understand other points or view and I believe in the freedom of expression but if they try to push their stuff on me or if we have markedly different values about human rights, I can really lose the plot.

Rituals - I see these in my holiday traditions. Christmas for example, has been exactly the same every year since I was born. I sit in the same spot, listen to the same music, watch the same TV specials, eat the same things, use the same type of gift wrap. The same can be said of all other holidays or traditions like birthdays. See also: I'm not flexible.

There aren't any that I don't relate to. I have literally everything in the DSM5, and more.

Uh, loads.

My social awkward traits aren't down to the typical autism factors, as I can read body language and all that social cues stuff, and I know how to participate in a conversation without interrupting or being one-sided. I can also make eye contact. My social awkwardness seems to fe down to social anxiety (lack of confidence) and ADHD (impulsivity and hyperactivity). There's no lacking the recognition of social cues there.

I don't like change much but it depends on what the change is. But I don't have a rigid routine either, in fact I dislike routine and prefer to just play things by ear rather than carefully plan everything out.

I don't have special interests. I used to get obsessions but I never have had particular subjects that I spent hours learning and fixating on. Obsessions and special interests are different things. I haven't had any obsessions for about 10 years now, I just have casual interests.

I can have panic attacks or what I call "NT meltdowns". Before I went on Sertraline I had outbursts.

Even though I suffer greatly with anxiety I don't rock or flap my hands even when alone. I've never understood how that is such a common stim among autistic people. If I flapped like my autistic friend does I'd probably end up pulling my shoulder muscles, and if I rocked like some autistic people do I'd probably get vertigo.

I have sensory issues with loud noise and clothing tags but smells and light doesn't bother me.

But despite all that I still seem to have ASD because I don't make friends very well and if I do I usually attract others with ASD or other non-NTs. I think my ADHD makes me think differently or might make me say things that are a bit weird but in a funny way, this is usually caused by impulses and hyperactivity.

I'm fine with my plans being changed, I think, but if you want me to say, wash the dishes..... I have a whole thing I need to go through before I can do them. I have to get ready to do the dishes before I can do the dishes.

The things I don't relate to aren't in the dsm, but seem to be pretty common with people on the spectrum. I see a lot of people speaking on things like clumsiness. I'm not clumsy. I'm actually pretty coordinated, athletic and did things like ride a bike early. I do, however, suck with spatial awareness. I have good fine motor skills and good handwriting. I don't struggle to get on well with others either. I don't make much effort to socialize, but when I have to, I do alright with it.

For dsm stuff, I relate to most all of that, though I do go back and forth on special interests. I never know if the things I get into are really special interests or not. They tend to be shorter intense bursts of being stuck on or obsessed with something, rather than a long term drive to know everything about a topic or whatever.

Anxiety -- doesn't matter which; general worrying, social anxiety, OCD, or years of rejection and criticisms

Clumsiness -- unnatural in my case

'Feeling lonely', ostracization

Having routines -- despite wanting or even needing it

Many, many intolerances; sensory or otherwise like change and uncertainty

Alexithymia -- despite that I'd rather be that

Panicking/being worried/guilty/fearing the moments when melting down or shutting down

Anything related to taking psychiatric medication -- because I never had one

Academic learning disabilities, academic overachievements

Dyssemia -- poor social cues is like clumsiness in my case; caused by overwhelm induced inattention

Getting into toxic and abusive relationships, being unlucky so far



In time perhaps I'd add more.

Gained Number Post Count (1).
Lose Time (n).

Lose more time here - Updates at least once a week.

Dont have sensory issues -sorta did in childhood- but not now except for a few (like NTs would have) like hating the look sound and feel of Styrofoam.

Dont have face blindness.

But other than that I was your textbook "little professor".

I don't flap. I don't spin, I don't walk on tip toes. I suspect I did as a kid but it was trained out of me early on.
PS
I don't rock, so much as I sway on my feet while waiting in line etc, they didn't quite train that one out of me.

I do have sensory issues, but not nearly to the degree most describe.

Many of autistic traits do not fit me, such as need of sameness and probability (I consider "classical" need of sameness and probability as boring and unnecessary). I have no "peculiar" sensory processing, but physical comfort is very important for me. I function low, but I have doubts if I really have an autism spectrum disorder.

- I haven't had meltdowns for decades. The most recent situation that came even close was about 20 years ago where I was so pissed off at a person on a phone call that I walked out of the building I was in and walked around the block to be able to calm down.

- Obviously visible stims. I do stim, but mostly it's not in ways most people could detect and it's things which could be from any number of mental stresses or environmental situations.

- Automatically assuming that any person who says something has any kind of blanket authority to make that statement, (although the immunity took a while to develop and fine-tune), or that they're not either lying or ignorant.

- Having any significant change to my life, or any epiphanies, when diagnosed. My life didn't change, I didn't have any kind of identity crisis, and I didn't have any problem with the fact I'd gone undiagnosed for decades.

I don't need relief from masking. For example, I often have to mask when out in crowded public places if I become overly stressed, but when I come home I don't need to release the stress like stimming or having a meltdown. I just come home and think "phew, glad to be home and out the way", and then get on with my day.

the only things I can think of at the moment is not having/doing echolalia besides on occasion and only in my head

lining up objects I think I grew out of but then again I like to pose my Transformers so maybe not.

I CAN consistently make eye contact but I prefer not to

I only flap when I'm very very excited, and only rock when I'm very very upset

I CAN have my routine changed but I will forget many things (more than usual ) and it will be uncomfortable, but I think everyone dislikes change to a certain degree.

I am pretty sensitive to pain in my opinion, but temperature maybe not. Sometimes it's very hot and I have a coat on and someone asks me "Aren't you hot?" "A little, I suppose." "Well, why don't you take the coat off?" "Because I've already put it on." but that might be something else (rigidity?).

Rigid thinking and need for structure/routine

I do pretty much the same things every day, but I don't get upset if things change or if I need to do something different (unless it's something objectively bad of course)

My home burned down last year and I lost almost all my possessions and had to suddenly find a new place to live, but I only cried about it a handful of times (specifically if I encountered physical objects that reminded me of my old home). Otherwise I adapted relatively smoothly