The Truth of Autism

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*note- I'm talking about people who are high functioning mainly, please don't be offended, its my point of view. and it applies to low functioning also, referring to social/work skills, not physical problems, I know a lot of really smart kids, but they seemed stupid, then were treated stupid and then they acted stupid because of it.

Here's the truth of autism: its not a crutch! I know to many people that use it that way. its merely a lack of "The Rules" built in
"The Rules": what society has assumed to be normal and finds weird if you don't follow said rules.

If we don't see "The Rules", we "mess up" and need to learn, I learned these rules via being thrown in and forced to learn, sometime I wish people would just do that too, sometimes I did it to my self. It teaches you what you need to know the hard way, sometimes the only way we can learn sadly enough.

All autism is a lack of knowledge, that's it, nothing more, now there are more serous cases where people have bigger problems than lack of knowledge, don't get me wrong. we're wired to not have that info built in fully. so all we have to do now with this knowledge is to learn, find ways to teach our selves what to do, how to do it, it sucks, I know lol.

Classes can teach only so much, but it only goes so far, if we only use class lessons, we get now where. yes, we all do it to a point weather we know it or not. this is where the the "throw your self in and hope u swim" idea comes in, if you don't, u live life not truly knowing how to work in real-life.

One of my friends, hes 22, he hasn't realized the world sucks yet, he still thinks his robotics degree will get him a job, earn him respect no matter how he treats people, he doesn't admit it, but hes autistic. I can tell just by meeting people, its weird lol. Basically, he just sits at home on his video games, applying online all the time, doesn't like stepping out and hunting, or talking.
he has had the schooling(social and work wise), but doesn't use it is my main message here (anything further is not meant for this post).

basically, we are no different than them except by how we think, and react. beyond that, if we walk by without saying a thing, we are no different from joe shmow. and people need to realize this so we get less teachers and grown-ups in general who "are more mature" or "know better" (even if i disagree on those bits sometimes) and talk down to use because of a label that represents different wiring. I've had it done to me to many times, so I figure, if I share my point of view, it may help others in some way/shape/or form.

I'm quite not sure how to end this, so yeah, that's my view on it, what you think?

hi there,

So there seems to be some truth in your theory, but there are also things which it cant explain, for example most autistics have sensory issues or emotional intensive feelings.

i also always wonder how the others know things i dont know, for example that eye contact is such important and you cant find a girlfriend without it. I wonder how the others got to know the rules for dating and such.

I am not sure why i dont know the rules. Or do i really not know them? Maybe i always have to figure out my own way, while others have no problem to just do what others say? Or are they really born with more rules? I tend to think that they are not born with the rules, but that they learn differently.

But this could be an intersting discussion.

best wishes,
anton

I disagree. To me, autism isn't just about not knowing the rules. Autism isn't a lack of knowledge. No one knows the rules when they are born. Social rules are not innate. the diversity of cultures and socially acceptable behaviours in said cultures proves it I think. So everyone has to learn those rules as they grow up.

What autism is is the inability (partial or complete) to learn social skills. In other words, saying that "autism is just not knowing the rules, learn them and stop complaining" is not helpful, and just wrong. It would be like saying "blindness is just not knowing how to see, learn to see and stop complaining". It's just as nonsensical.

HFA can learn some social skills, and some are better than others. But we'll never be able to learn them at the same level as NT people, because we just don't have the "wiring" necessary for it. Just like a blind person cannot learn to see, and a deaf person cannot learn to hear. Autism is not a disease, but it's definitely a limiting factor, i.e. a handicap. Trying to compare it to a simple lack of knowledge is actually insulting.

Yes, and they often actually thought they were learning to act rightly while doing that ... and that is the difference: We are far from being stupid, yet we do not have any inherent ability to discern social interactions. My wife tells people I seldom make mistakes, but that the ones I do make are almost always very big ones.


I clearly remember sitting in class as a High-School sophomore and thinking the teacher was silly for trying to teach us how to prepare for and do adult things (civics, work and so on) that I was sure would automatically come once we had all become adults ... and here I am now, still waiting. I do not have entitlement thinking, yet I do still seem to think most of life should be "automatic" ... and that means I end up doing exactly like your friend.


Some things can be learned and later performed by rote, but that will never change our "different wiring" you have mentioned. You are correct in thinking we should not buy into the ignorance of those who do not understand us, but mere "social education" will not overcome our AS/HFA.

to antonblock: i find that being wired differently can cause differences and stability vs instability. for instance, i feel almost no pain in general, yet i hate certain textures. and emotional, that's just what makes you, you.

i think people got these things from how they were treated and what they saw was important. but from what i can tell, we dont work quite like that, we seem to see, then think, not see then do

I feel that these "rules" are none-existent ways of setting what normal is, i don't try to follow them, but there's some i have to learn in order to work well in general. these rules are there because people feel the need for support and "normality"...as we know, no one can define normal lol

to Tsela: i worded weirdly because I'm running on no sleep lol, sorry if i was rude sounding. basically, i see it as its harder to learn it, so jump in, sink or swim, what doesn't kill u makes u stronger i say

to leejosepho: in my sleep lacking state, heres my try at a reply: i didnt mean to make u think ur just like him, sorry, just a story of mine, and im not saying only those classes will help, im saying they have there place, but it requires more doing than learning

Yes.

Sounds like one sub-type of what you folks call the apie.

Paraplegia shouldn't be used as a crutch, but you don't judge a paraplegic for using a wheelchair when they're clearly not able to walk. If you're paraplegic, you know exactly what your limitations are compared to people who can walk. But when you're autistic, you can't really compare yourself to others the same way. Or can you? Sometimes I think I see a glimpse of the NT world. Like I'm usually watching a play but sometimes I feel I'm part of it, and then I wish I could always be part of it. But I can't.

I can't say for sure when someone's using autism as a crutch and when it's a genuine obstacle.

I had some crippling sensory sensitivities when I was a child. I was, for example, unable to flush the toilet. Now I only wear closed headphones or earplugs in the most difficult situations. Slowly learning to deal with sensitivities has greatly helped me adjust. Even low-functioning autistics can be taught to deal with sensory issues, and even NT's are sensitized if they avoid noise and light.