Let us describe autism for NTs

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Why do we need to describe what it's like to have autism on a forum that's made for autistic people? There's thousands of threads here that describe all aspects of autism if anyone's interested.

Let's dissect the word:

from the Greek: autos means self + -ism -- in other words "selfism"

To have autism whether in the most mild form of Asperger's or the most profound form of classic autism - one is to varying degrees inside themselves significantly more than neurotypical people.

To have autism whether in the most mild form of Asperger's or the most profound form of classic autism - one is living in their own world significantly more than neurotypical people.

Because of this "selfism" - To have autism whether in the most mild form of Asperger's or the most profound form of classic autism one has a history of confusion by the larger world around them and has a history of difficulty interacting with the larger world around them.

At least, that's how I see it....doug

I don't think quite the way that you do. It's more about facts and information and what is right and wrong than about how people will react. That doesn't mean that I'm not intelligent. I don't enjoy interaction for interaction's sake-- I would love to talk with you, but I would prefer to talk ABOUT SOMETHING.

I don't feel quite the way that you do. Sometimes it takes longer for emotions to process, and some things don't affect me at all. Then again, if it is very important to me (or I'm very tired or very stressed), I might "feel too much." That doesn't mean that I don't feel, or that I'm dramatizing, or pitching a fit just so I'll get my way.

I don't react to things quite the way that you do. That dance party you're looking forward to?? Looks like Hell to me. That presentation you're a little bit worried about?? I'm so scared I can't see straight. When I'm hurt, I don't want to be comforted. I want to be left alone. Just as it's difficult for you to understand that I don't work the way you do, it is hard for me to remember that you don't work the way I do. That doesn't mean that I don't care for you.

I'm still a human being. It hurts me to be called stupid, or ret*d, or evil. It hurts to listen to people say that I don't feel, or that I'm not capable of love, or that I'm dangerous. I am different than you, but that doesn't have to mean that one of us is right and one wrong, one bad and one good, one more and one less. At the end of the day, we're all people, and I don't understand why this has to be so hard.

Beware of not thinking like Buyer Beware

Seriously: I do like what Buyer Beware stated, and believe in what she said.

A hell that comes with social awkwardness, Not being able to pick up on social cues, Face blindness, Not being able to hold or make eye contact, Not being able to or having trouble holding down a job, Troubles with verbal communications, Not being able to pick up on jokes, Taking things literally, Loneliness & isolation, Sensitivity to lights & sounds, Having difficulty understanding verbal instructions in classes as well as co-morbidity issues such as Dysgraphia and borderline Dyslexia and last but not least restricted interests (which at times could be a benefit as most savants have intense interests that makes them an expert in that subject).

That is best how I would describe this wonderful disorder called Autism. Any questions?

These may not be exclusive to aspergers or even an accurate portrayal of autism but I will give it a try anyway. Here are my ten sentences!

1. Sometimes a minor irritation for you, feels like a knife twisting in my mind to me.

2. Having genuine thoughts and feelings yet getting frustrated because they're often difficult to express in a timely or fluid manner.

3. Becoming intensely focused on a narrow subject for hours on end.

4. Struggling to navigate the complexities of human interaction appropriately.

5. I don't always make eye contact or I might appear oblivious when other people talk to me; I am still interested in what was said but sometimes I just need a little extra time to process everything and formulate my reply.

6. Adhering to a relatively short list of foods prepared a specific way because I am hypersensitive to tastes and textures.

7. Trying to paddle down a river only using your hands while there is an oar at the back of the boat. (Metaphor)

8. Needing more time alone to decompress compared to most others because I can get overwhelmed by the constant bombardment of sights, sounds, smells, and textures.

9. Thinking up a witty reply the next day after its too late.

10. Realizing that most people may never truly grasp what it's like to be an aspie.

I'm an NT but this was my attempt to explain to other NT's what it might be like with respect to the social communication issues.

www.autisticbean.wordpress.com/2014/10/ ... n-culture/

Obviously I have no first hand direct experience but the idea for this analogy was gleamed from conversations with various autistic people and then applying what I had read in various books to try and get NT's to imagine what it might be like. Analogies are often a good way to get us NT's to imagine something that is hard to imagine.

I only covered the social communication issues in this story/ analogy so have not covered sensory issues or temporal awareness issues which I am sure affect my son.

Oh and I don't think 10 sentences would even begin to explain anything to an NT. Its waaaaay more complex than that.

Although I am most likely taking this out of context, this is how I feel:

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For me it means a difficulty to understand social norms, to develop and maintain relationships with people, and to veer away from my restrictive behaviors. Along with those major categories come a whole mess of subcategories.