Aspie Radar?

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But how do you all verify your assumptions?

Do you walk up to the person and ask, or do you just believe your assumptions are correct?

I can almost always tell if a person is "classically" autistic. I grew up around it. I went to a school where there were autistic children, as well as children with other disabilities.

It's next to impossible to tell if a "nerdy" or shy person, without the "classic" symptoms of autism, is on the Spectrum, unless you've been around that person a long time.

Yep, there are some "Aspie" types where I can tell right off. But more where I can't. You wouldn't know with my mom for example and even less so with me unless you were around us day in and day out, or knew us for a while. I've been asked if I had it, but it's always either someone who's spent a lot of time in spaces that have people with it, or someone who works with me.

I didn't even know I was on the spectrum until I was diagnosed in my late 20s, along with everyone else. So I think this "Aspie radar" thing is nonsense. I don't normally even look for everyday traits in people as I walk by, let alone autistic traits.

Yes am not apt to look into peoples traits , except that some people I interact with, that happens as a instance
Of getting help as a customer .. It became hard to ignore … confronted by what appeared to be a heavierwoman whom portrayed what appeared to be traditional male traits . In unique dress and some demeanor and voice.
And a genuine innocence openness character trait , that I have come to realize,might be a good indicator of autism.
Had not asked for the interaction but analytical minds get curious. But it was the best interaction with a shop clerk
Person that had ever had in the last 10 years. Mutual compliments were exchanged , what’s priceless is that between certain persons ,when both persons have a understanding about each other’s differences and immediately can see it in each other . Even though having never met before . ( It is in the eyes and face that this acknowledgement has occurred between both parties . ) for lack of a better term it almost amounts to a knowing. . That is difficult to
Imitate. But will never swear it is a special ability.
A necessity is that you suspend judgement for the first few moments of interacting, (As a rule, if possible )
But if I had to look for these everyday. Or even thought too. My multitasking would simple not function . Too much overwhelmed.

Last edited by Jakki on 23 Jun 2022, 3:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Sometimes I spot it because of seeing how a person interacts with a group setting that I'm in, or how people react to them. It's easier for me to spot autists in a group of "normies" they might stand out from, though, such as middle class aspirationalist normie professional women, than in a group of computer enthusiasts or artists. Also, think about how you would find a black hole by its effect upon surrounding space/the matter it sucks in; you look for the accretion disk. (Possibly outdated science. Bear with the metaphor.) Sometimes I can tell by how normie-culture NTs treat them or talk about them.

Just years of the brain learning. When a certain person talks in excruciating detail about computer software, has certain other traits.then noticing someone who stands out and has similar.

There's several things that can look like autism (including "normal"), even with direct interaction, to actually know with any certainty without background information along with level of functioning to know if the person actually has it. It's why diagnosis tends to be so in-depth. Someone themselves may have an idea as they have that information and they learn of what autism is through somewhere else; they could be wrong too.

Throw me in the pile that had no idea Asperger's/HFA was a thing until brought up to me by psychiatric later in life.

I went to the Autism conference in my home city recently, and tried to spot the fellow Autistics. Apart from one person who had an emotional support dog with her I found it impossible to spot fellow Autists upon immediate observation. Without a person performing any traits or giving off any signals this would make sense . Many of the participants may have been friends / parents / carers / professionals/ as well as a likely high number of Autistic visitors. Presumably anyone too uncomfortable to attend such an event because their autism and attention this draws is so obvious or severe that they would not attend for this reason, so they rule themselves out, if that makes sense. One of the Autistic talkers did mention that he recognised that a great proportion of Autistics would not have been comfortable attending such an event.

After I began looking into many of the traits of Autism in my own research journey I began thinking about other people in my life. I believe that 3 of my work colleagues that I was working with at the time of my investigations also had definite Autism traits that are quite unusual and not as easily explained by any other framework. Things like hand flapping, an inclination not to respond to a simple "good morning" greeting from many colleagues. A huge focus and speed of working. Avoidance of eye contact. Strange unconscious mannerisms like constant throat clearing.

I know all of these things are recognised traits of Autism, I have read or heard of them during my research. The more of these traits that can be identified in any one person, then the more likely it is that the person is Autistic. I guess that there must come a point where after a certain number of traits have been observed then the conclusion drawn must become more and more apparent..