One Defining Autistic Characteristic

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I'm a little confused about this idea. I know it's a spectrum so we all have different degrees of symptoms, but it seems like there is not one trait that is shared by all Autistics. Some are good at social skills, some don't have sensory overload. Am I wrong, is there one thing we all share?

Social deficits

Many traits vary, but I don't see how someone is autistic without social deficits.

I've never heard of an autistic who had smooth social skills. Some are very socially gregarious, but they aren't good at it. They're just unaware of how annoying they are.

And I do believe it's possible to have grown up with autism and be so used to your own hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli that you aren't consciously aware of it, or don't recognize it for what it is (if it's all you've ever known, it would seem 'normal' to you), but it's essentially the definition of the disorder, the one quality that causes all the others, for instance, eye contact becomes uncomfortable because looking into someone's eyes is too intense a sensation, it feels bad and increases anxiety.

Eye contact is not too intense for all autistic people. Too intense is not the one thing that accounts for all behaviors. Some autistic people can hold eye contact for so long that it is the other people who become uncomfortable, while others don't feel uncomfortable making eye contact, but still don't make normal types or amounts of eye contact due to other factors like attention to things in the field of view other than people's eyes, while others may lack social instinct to orient to people/faces/eyes, as I do, but I can do it on purpose most of the time now.

<--- Lacking in all the social graces. Prone to saying the wrong things. Better off if he just kept his mouth shut at social gatherings.

In this interview with Lorna Wing she says it is the "lack of a social instinct" (starting around 3:22)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_4loBEg9kw

She also mentions the need to concentrate on one single thing at a time, whereas NTs are able to bring together a lot of different information in a few seconds.

The interviewer then goes on to talk about slow processing speeds, he says: "Many problems tend to be overcome, but speed isn't one of them. Even in those who appear to be quick, and even impulsive, processing speed of some of the things you were talking about is very very slow. They need so much more time to solve the problem. It's not that they can't do it, but it takes an enormous amount of time. And even in social matters, when you get the impression that this person does have the full understanding of the social situation, in order to process it and to react appropriately in the here and now situation, it takes a long time."

I think "anxiety" is mostly universal.

But more likely is the social deficit, to be universal.

ok, i think you may think this, because some people change the criteria on their own so they can fit it. i hope no one thinks badly of me for this but all the Aspies i have met have alll the same traits i do, just on different degrees. if an aspie doesnt have sensory issues, they probably dont have autism.

This is definitely one of them. And like btbnnyr said, I think that there are a few things that are common, and the DSM is most likely a great place to start to identify them. But we all feel these things in different degrees but I think we all have them.

This is a very good point. When we have spent our entire lives trying to fit in and have learned some skills to do it, we can become very unaware of how we really are. People will make comments to me sometimes and I am really shocked because they tell me that I come across in ways that I had no idea that I did.

And eye contact for me is a funny thing. It can be inconsistent. Sometimes I have no problem with it and can keep it for a very long time. I have also been told that I need to soften my gaze. Other times I find it much easier to concentrate on what the person is saying if I don't look at them so it can vary depending on my energy levels or how much sensory stimulus is going on in the room or if I am feeling particularly anxious or nervous.

I would say

Communication impairments - either verbal or non verbal trouble speaking or trouble reading or producing body language and any mix of this

Social skills

A also I'm pretty sure most autistics share have a special intrest

I had virtually no sensory sensitivities in childhood.

I'm with Lorna Wing on this one, and I guess I can blame my autism on my slow processing style. Sorry about that, ADHD.
It seemed to make sense to blame it on ADHD but then again people with ADHD said it was an issue with motivation and not processing, when it came to reading at least.

Sorry to go off topic for just a quick moment but ASdogGeek. I just noticed your avatar. Is that your dog? SO CUTE!! !! Sorry, we can get back to topic, I just had to ask.

Last edited by skibum on 20 Jan 2014, 9:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I would tend to agree with you, that without sensory issues or social deficits there is no Autism, but I've been told by many people here that they have neither and they are diagnosed! So you think they're just in denial or something?

I would also add executive function problems.

That dog is really cute!

I definitely have issues with executive function.

German Shepherds are gorgeous!

Ahem, back to the issue at hand.

For me it's repetitive routines and fixed narrow interests even though I know not all people with autism have these, for me personally they are defining characteristics of my autism. Also, fear of change but this is connected to repetition and fixed narrow interests.

I was more hypo sensitive as a child. I literally could not feel physical pain. Oh how I miss those days. And yes, communication deficits definitely.

I would put executive dysfunction too but I experience the ADHD version.