I tend to feel like people are staring at me but it could because I hate eye contact with a passion, even the tiny bit of it can make me overwhelmed so they might be making regular eye contact but to me it's staring. Also when people don't make eye contact apparently society says we look like we are deceitful, which is not true and tried to explain to people but they don't get it a lot. I also notice that if I am talking about a special interest than I do have eye contact if I am not I don't at all. People have given up on asking me to look at them when I am talking. Sometimes I can make myself have eye contact but have to work really hard and put a lot of energy, ex. at customs going into the US, I know logically that if you don't give eye contact they will probably pull you over for being suspicious, I have to work up some much to go through there a lot of positive self talk telling myself ok give them eye contact but not to much, answer there questions directly, don't look nervous , it is exhausting. I know this because one time I went through the questioned me longer than normal because I looked anxious, probably didn't help that I brought an apple with me, that my mom packed for the plane, but I didn't know you were not allowed to take fresh fruit, because didn't think about going through US customs before getting on the plane in Toronto, that stressed me out because I didn't realize. If I travel now I look up all the rules and make sure everything is perfect and force myself to use eye contact. It is an exhausting experience plus all the other sensory issues that flying gives as well.
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Your Aspie score: 140 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 63 of 200
You are very likely an Aspie
Eye test score: 21
AQ test score: 40.0 , AQ-10: 7.0
(RAADS-R): 183.0
01 Mar 2014, 3:30 pm
