Is there a difference between NTs and us?

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I have read that we have troubles seeing other people point of views, lack empathy, only want to talk about what we want to talk about and not want to hear what others want to talk about and we have narrow or special interests.

But I have seen the same with people not on the spectrum. People have had troubles seeing my point of views. My mother has even told me she and dad had to learn to see my point of view, I notice lot of people lack empathy and doctors say we lack it?

Also I have realized others certainly don't like to hear what I want to talk about so why should I hear what they want to talk about if they won't hear mine. I have noticed it with other aspies too experiencing this with none ASDs and the doctors say we're the ones who wants to talk about our own interests?

Oh and I heard none ASDs have special interests and narrow interests. Even my own brother had a special interest alright. He was into stars when he was in first grade, then it was planets, his uncles even bought him a telescope one year. Then he was into space, now it's math. He just loves it.

I have started to think maybe there is just like there is a difference between us not liking surprises vs none ASDs not liking them either. (I'm talking about bad ones like a national disaster happening or an incident occurring like your car breaking down). I was surprised how well I handled my car accident. I usually go all in panic and get anxiety while others act all calm when something unexpected happens and it's hard for me to relax and do something and enjoy it without being bothered by what happened. That must have been me making an accomplishment of how much I have improved over the past few years. Luckily my car wasn't totaled.

One of my online friends told me everyone has obsessions but with us it has to do with us getting detailed about them. I am thinking it has to do with how much we spend time with them. I do not spend so much time with my obsessions like I did when I was a kid. But I still did other things



So does anyone else think there is a difference between us and none ASDs having these symptoms? If so, in what way?

I think it would depend on the extent that someone has an ASD.

What world is this? Mine..
There is a difference.

I feel like another species. I do not think at all in the same way that NTs do. I cannot relate to NTs, or understand them even academically. For me, there is an ocean of difference.

An aspie once told me that everyone has aspie traits.. it's just a difference of the degree.

Also, I think it's like a lot of 'disorders' and 'conditions'.. a lot of people can have parts of them, like a lot of normal people will get depressed once in awhile, or have obsessive compulsive tendencies, but it's only considered actually clinical when it's severe enough to affect your life. So people with AS are the extreme of the lack of empathy and so on.

Spokane Girl is definitely correct. The lack of empathy thing is definitely a two way street sometimes.

I think average NTs have more of a sense of cultural conditioning for interests than I do. I can't make myself like something just because everyone else likes that particular thing. NT's are just as obsessive in their interests. It's just that their interests are usually things that fall under a category of "culturally accepted" while our interests don't and are thus considered "odd".

For example, NT's seem to obsessively like following particular sports athletes or celebrities. It seems weird to me that so many are interested in the same thing. Why is it okay for NT's to bore me with their talk of athletes and/or celebrities yet I'm not allowed to talk about what I like?

We’re only supposed to be interested in what the majority is interested in. That’s all there is to it. I say bah humbug to them. Screw em.

If you step back and look at the "set of all NTs" and the "set of all AS" they really seem quite similar. Similar hopes, desires, problems, etc. Obviously not everyone is that same, but I think you could take most people with AS and find a very similar NT somewhere in the world.

I think the difference is:

Being significantly impaired by the traits in ways the average society can't help with.

Unless a non-autistic will be impaired by their obsessions, routines and communication issues, they're not autistic.

After all, autism is a medical diagnosis consistent of various traits at the moment.

Maybe in the future, we'll have another 10 to 30 categories and all of us well get into one that is clearly defined by inherited genetics, spontaneous mutations, biochemical abnormalities, structural brain abnormalities and brain damage etc.

Then we might realise how much everyone's a bit autistic... or non-autistic, depending on viewpoint.

NTs have better empathy. I don't think so. I think a lot of them don't have mind reading abilities either. I don't agree that all people with ASDs lack empathy, nor do I believe all NTs are adept at empathy. If they all were, then we might as well say none of the NTs are jerks either.

Spokane Girl I have asked myself the same questions. One of the complaints I've noticed about telling NT's or others you have AS or one of the other spectrum disorders is the response a lot of times is "Oh I do that to." But when I stop and look at the whole picture then I start seeing differences.

Like NT's don't have the difficulties with social interaction. If I go to a room full of people I feel so awkward. It's like everyone else can connect but I can't. I still feel alone just as I do when I really am alone. Then there are the responses to the noises, the lights...all the sensory overload I have to deal with that noone else seems to notice or even care about. I'm thinking how can they stand this? I've learned to deal with it and come across just as normal as anyone else but it's a battle. And once I'm alone again and by myself I feel so relieved. Like "whew, I made it." To me, that's the difference between NT's and us. They don't struggle like we do and they don't have the sensory issues we do.