people looking down on you

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Have you ever had anyone think you shouldn't be able to do what you do or do less?

For example, while trying to repair my cars engine, and with a lot of hoses and wires disconnected, i began talking with someone who was in the area.. we had a good chat, and when i mentioned i was autistic, the next thing out of his mouth was "i should help you with this, you shouldn't be doing this yourself" (he was referring to the engine with all the hoses and wires disconnected.

i felt offended, because i had autism, he felt i shouldn't be touching anything under the hood of my car..

so, was he looking down on me, or what? has this happened to anyone else too?

i mean, i knew EXACTLY what i was doing, and if i hadn't mentioned i was autistic, he wouldn't have said anything.

not to mention, i was shocked he didn't question about me obviously being able to drive.

Sound like a perfect chance to do your part to educate a NT. Let him know that your spectrum characteristics give you visual capabilities significantly above that of a NT. You saw how it looked before you took it apart so you know what it should look like when it is back together and probably all the steps in-between (the I have the manual’s pictures in my head thing).

bookwormde

I don't know if he was an NT. He might have, just not sure.. I don't know how to tell.

For example, my car is a 350 LT1 V8 Caprice.. I had spark plug wires disconnected because I was replacing the OptiSpark (i call it OptiCrap) distributor, and was replacing plugs at the same time.

I knew exactly how the cylinders were wired..

Back of engine
8, 7
6, 5
4, 3
2, 1
Front of engine

for some reason, i remembered this, and remembered exactly which order, and where the wires go on the cap and rotor. along with ALL the hoeses for the water pump..

He seemed to think this would all be too complicated for me, yet it's just a piece of cake, like i've done this million times before..

I don't like people negatively looking down on me, but I also tire of people overestimating my abilities.

I've had that happen. Once, I had a fairly new friend. I had started college, and was overjoyed to learn that I had dyscalcula, because it explained so much. She immediately started talking down to me, and treating me like a ret*d. I called her out on it, and she had the grace to apologize.

If he did not know the visual "thing" then he is and NT

bookwormde