Do you intuitively know when other people are not NT either?

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Cyonce
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16 Apr 2012, 7:47 pm

I've noticed for most of my life I've been very aware when someone else was significantly not NT. They really stand out to me, these days its almost like they glow, its really weird.

It used to really scare the crap out of me when i was younger. I didn't even really understand NTs very well, when someone was different than that it was like all bets were off and I had no idea how I was supposed to interact with them or what they might do.

Nowadays I'm more curious than frightened, I like watching people with other kinds of neurological differences and trying to figure out how they see things (well, I'm curious long as they're not trying to touch me, I almost went ballistic a few weeks ago when some woman on the street who appeared to be schizophrenic suddenly turned and put her hand on my face). Anything unpredictable happening around me tends to put me in high alert/awareness mode although it seems to produce less anxiety and more focus these days..

I have a few gay friends that talk about having gaydar (gay radar) and usually intuitively knowing when someone else is gay, this feels a little like what they describe. Actually, come to think of it this happens with other people who are culturally significantly different as well as not NT.



Keyman
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16 Apr 2012, 10:54 pm

I noticed that gay men tend to respond to eye contact in a way hetero men just won't do. That might be cue.



Kinme
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16 Apr 2012, 11:45 pm

On some occasions I can spot it. Most of the time, however, I can't or don't care enough.



biribiri20
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17 Apr 2012, 12:19 am

No. I try not to stare at people too much for fear of unintentionally making eye contact with them.


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izzeme
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17 Apr 2012, 5:58 am

yeah, they do kind of stand out, but it is mainly a matter of knowing what to look for, more then a 'glow' or whatever.
becouse of how i look around me, and due to knowing what ASD looks like, i am able to spot natural toe-walkers and shifty, broad vision, like my own, where most normal people wont even realise that that person is acting different



glider18
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17 Apr 2012, 6:02 am

I can often pick out people who are on the autism spectrum. I believe that with all the research I have done on austism after I was diagnosed, that I have learned how to recognize it in others. I also believe that I have some instinct in being able to pick out others like me.


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Joe90
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17 Apr 2012, 6:16 am

I don't notice other people's neurology, unless they are doing something signifficantly different. Otherwise, I don't notice. A stranger's a stranger to me. The man standing with me at the bus stop yesterday could be Aspie for all I know. Most probably he wasn't, but I don't know. You don't have to be flapping your arms about or standing crookedly to be an Aspie. I'm an Aspie and I don't do any of those things.

I have a friend who has a disability, but I don't know what it is. I don't like to ask, because she might be the sort to not want to bring it up, but she did say she has a learning disability, and she finds it extremely hard to make friends, and she only seems to get along best with other non-NTs like myself and our other friend, who has Autism. But I still don't jump to conclusions because there are lots of other conditions besides Autism.

One of my bus-drivers had a learning disability, and after having her as my driver for almost 2 years, I've only recently found out she has a learning disability (one of the other bus-drivers told me, one who I speak to). I was surprised, but after I found out, I kind of thought, ''yeah, it makes sense now'', even though before I wouldn't have even guessed she had anything wrong with her.

There was a picture of a young family in the newspaper the other day, a mum, a dad, a 5-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl. I looked at the children and thought, ''oh, they're sweet'', then as I read the article it mentioned ''....but I believe our son may have Autism''. The article wasn't about that, it was about something else about the family, but they just mentioned it in the article, and when I first looked at the little boy in the picture I didn't think ''oh he looks Autistic''. I didn't know until I read in the article. He looked just like a typical 5-year-old boy to me, his mum had her arm round him and he was smiling happily to the camera, like any 5-year-old would.

So, no, I don't seem to notice people with mild conditions, only if they are severe.


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Mdyar
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17 Apr 2012, 11:11 am

Yes

I've seen BPD in public.

* PD in general.

* I can tell if someone is intellectually gifted.

* ADHD

Amazingly, I know many people with ADHD. I don't have enough fingers and toes to count them all. Paradoxically, they can be so annoying to be around. :lol:

I guessed an Aspie. I learned his late wife was autistic, and one day I steered the conversation that way and I was right about him. He's very mild and he said his only trouble is with understanding the intentions of others or " theory of mind."



Cyonce
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17 Apr 2012, 1:07 pm

I dont mean at a glance, but my experience has usually been from overhearing conversations or from interacting with someone a few times.



Ai_Ling
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17 Apr 2012, 1:46 pm

I kinda know but I often dont have enough evidence to prove that there not NT. I know that several of my coworkers are not NT. There's a guy whos got ADHD and some motor control problems. There's a guy I suspect is PDD-NOS possibly, he has something. This women who has some aspie symptoms but Im not sure. She monologues and she has facial blindness problems. There's a guy whos clearly disabled, he has a job coach, he might be autistic but I'm not sure.

But in most cases I assume NT until proven otherwise.



ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo
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17 Apr 2012, 1:49 pm

Significantly yes. Generally? No.



lostgirl1986
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17 Apr 2012, 1:55 pm

I usually don't realize it right off the bat but when I reflect back, especially once I get to know the person more I usually assume that they're not neurotypical. Sometimes it can be blatantly obvious but sometimes you question people whether they are or aren't.



little_black_sheep
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17 Apr 2012, 2:11 pm

Not at all. I usually am the last person to notice. However, whenever I am the only one to find a certain person nice and normal while everyone else thinks he or she is somehow weired, then it is not unlikely that this person is not NT. Happened before. Being considered nice by me never is a good sign :wink: Because I see nothing wrong with many people who are somehow different and sometimes even dangerous, I tend to draw in a lot of ... strange persons.


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League_Girl
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17 Apr 2012, 2:32 pm

I can tell when someone is different. I can even pick up that someone is crazy. But sometimes NTs are different too. I call them quirky NTs or weird NTs but I don't think I would actually know if they have a condition and sometimes I wonder if they have something. So that would mean they may not be NT after all. But at my work, almost everyone there seems NT except for this one guy because he has cerebral palsy. I talk to one girl there sometimes and she has emotional issues and PTSD and back problems. I couldn't tell she had problems when I met her. Would she still be considered NT?



Lynners
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18 Apr 2012, 12:40 am

I think I can.

Maybe off topic, but has anyone had a random kid smile at them? Every time I'm out in public I will get smiled at by kids. Usually they're very young kids like 3-4 years old or even younger. It's kind of creepy. I do love kids though, so maybe they can sense that?



Mayel
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18 Apr 2012, 1:55 am

Intuitively.....I don't think so. But if people do certain things or other people find them weird,....then a probability arises.

E.g. there was one guy in my class who ...before class started pacing really quickly, chewed on his scarf, always wore the same things (almost), talked in a monotone voice with an intonation that fell into a mumbling sound at the end of every sentence, knew a lot about the subject, talked in a formal way,......
He looked different to others in his mannerisms and some people made fun of him (and he tried to talk to me....I guess....).

And another person in another class: everybody had to present something in front of class and people had to tell us at the end whether we need to improve our presenting skills.....he presented his subject with utmost accuracy, talked incredibly fast, his (pp)presentation was just informations with no colors or shapes, didn't make eye contact...at the end where criticism was allowed: he defended himself (you weren't supposed to do that) and was blatantly frank without any kind of filter so people were laughing a lot and quiet perplexed. But more importantly, he said he couldn't stand eye contact, he's a very rational person and doesn't like superficialities and only content over anything else, he said he'd excercised everything in his head before several times.....other people remarked his presentation showed no sign that he tried to think himself as an audience and this way make his presentation of the subject understandable for everyone......etc.

To the point, .....for me, people have to do and say things....just looking at them, I couldn't tell if they're NT or have a PD or what else you've got.........


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