Apparently doing things these ways are not normal

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People With Autism Are Sharing The Things They Thought Were "Normal" Until A Neurotypical Person Told Them Otherwise, And It's Illuminating

No. 11 drives me crazier than ever now, thanks to something called social media. You tell people something that is the truth because you just can't stand to continue seeing them wallow in their blind, mindlessly faithful ignorance, and they act like you're the worst human being in the world.

Seriously, I once read a story about someone who ordered half a dozen Chicken McNuggets, and the adolescent cashier told them, "We only sell them in boxes of 6, 8 and 10". The customer asked, "You have boxes of 6 McNuggets but not half a dozen McNuggets?", and the cashier said "That's right." the customer said said "I'll have 6 McNuggets, please".

You see, I could never do that without telling the cashier that half a dozen and 6 ARE THE SAME NUMBER.

As an 8 year old, I already knew I'm not "normal".

And, just to happened to double it down -- i.e. not masking, going to a different trajectory in understanding humans and humanity, etc.

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1. Mostly true if I'm young or don't bother processing words.

2. I make the same mistake whenever I'm trying to sympathize in an impulsive sense -- I call it an attempt to resonate.
I stopped trying because I figured I'd rather not be impulsive about anything emotional.

3. I cannot relate to this.
Probably because I don't think in words and conversations. I never even plan anything to talk or ever socialize.

4. My tone is that way all because I really am not in a mood. And that's most of the time.
It won't be an issue to me if I can switch from 1 to 100.

5. I just don't do this either. Regardless, it's just as unnatural as one says it is if I tried.

6. I don't even count or ever be conscious of what eye contact is, let alone even cared.
But sure, if I voluntarily do eye contact, it's to predate them or ignore their words in favor of something else. And they mistook it for interest...

7. This was untrue to me until I had a burnout around the age of 24 when auditory processing starts to happen.
Had evidence that I do not have this particular trait or issue in earlier years.

8. Really, I cannot relate to eye contact stories. Likely because no one's forcing me to and more about my own terms than others'. Also maybe because this is culturally relative.

9. Yeah. I figured that one out too. Except in my case, I managed to overcome mine for good -- since last year. Never seen another account who ever did, too.

10. I do get the gist of this. Because NTs runs on whatever allistic based assumptions and whatever interpretation than a detailed type in communications.

11. I already figured this out by the time I was 10 or so. Likely because I'm that "lenient", wanting to be beyond right and wrong, and somehow find the typical rigid being right all the time as exhausting.

12. Being literal, yes. Being polite -- I just assume everyone is being polite and not truly intentionally good.
Especially knowing I have connections, of course I figured.

13. I figured this out when I was 14; when I figured that people don't normally focus as intensely.

14. I developed hyperindependence as a kid. So my concept of consent had been through much, much earlier than an average kid even. Thus I'm quite upfront about it, defensive about it even.

15. I don't do this either. I understand the impact and implications but not the appeal.
Again, unless I have the affective flexibility to pull it off and just do it naturally -- which tend to happen because I have the prerequisites of not having dyspraxia/dyssemia/etc ..

16. I think this is more of a self esteem issue. Something I couldn't relate well even amongst autistics.

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#1 I tend to be distrusting of others because I'm used to others talking sh!t, BS bragging, & downright lying including by authority figures while in school. I'm also used to others assuming I'm lying when I'm telling the truth & others tending to believe me when I lie.


#2 I do this one aLOT. It's the main way I know how to have conversations. Otherwise I'll usually say very little.


#3 I never rehearse conversations. However I daydream a lot & while daydreaming it's common for me to replay various conversations in my head thinking of things I should/could have said or said differently or not said at all sometimes even decades later.


#4 I've always had problems with others misreading my tone & me misreading others tone so I knew it wasn't normal but I didn't know why till I researched autism a bit.


#5 I never consciously focus on facial expressions & other nonverbal body language. I actually didn't even know NTs noticed that in others till I started researching autism. I'm very used to others misreading me but I did not know how they were doing it or where that was coming from. I figured out the cause after I researched autism some but I never think I should focus on that


#6 I did not know eye contact was a thing with NTs till I started researching autism. I do have a rare low vision disorder & a visual processing disorder though. I often don't look at people while talking to them but I've met more than a few completely blind people & they almost always turn their heads to talk with others even though they cant see them so there's def something else going on with me besides the vision & visual processing disorder.


#7 I probably do have a bit of an authority processing disorder & background noise can make it harder for me to hear but I also sometimes hear/process things wrong in quiet environments. My hearing was teased periodically at my schools & I always tested perfectly which is a bit above normal except one time it was during recess & other kids were outside making noise & I scored a little below average. I was retested when it wasn't during recess & I scored perfectly. I do have ADD & I probably got distracted by the noise from outside instead of focusing on the noise from the headphones. The three jobs I had were in loud environments like dish-washing & custodial stuff in retail while the stores were open & I heard others & the intercom pages while being around or using machines just as well as most anyone else if not better. I kind of just tuned the background noise out though I usually listened to the songs the radios were playing over the PA system while working even when I was by a loud machine. I'm not really sure if it's auditory processing disorder, ADD, or a combo.


#8 I never tried telling myself to make eye contact after learning about it's importance with NTs. I'm too focused on being social, the environment, what the person is saying, & thinking about how I should respond to it.


#9 I likely have maladaptive daydreaming. I knew it's not normal since I was little but I associated it with my ADD which has been diagnosed since kindergarten.


#10 I have NO experience with teaching kids or adults but I do find it tends to be easier for me to get along with others who have various mental issues & learning issues but that could be due to me having dyslexia & being majorly abnormal myself


#11 I relate to this one. However as a kid I learned others do not take me seriously & assume I don't have a clue what I'm taking about or they believe that I'm lying so I don't really try to correct others much since they won't listen anyway & will not consider what I have to say & I'd get in trouble or be teased or bullied more.


#12 I def relate to this one.


#13 I never thought it was normal to obsessively research interests. I didn't get the internet at home till after I graduated high-school in 2001 so I never had the option to research as a kid or teen. The main things my peers talked about using the internet for were music, gaming, email, chatting, & adult stuff. My peers never talked about obsessively researching anything. After getting the net at home I assumed my researching was due to having OCD before I learned about Aspie special interests.


#14 I relate to this. Others quickly learned not to touch me but occasionally adults(usually extended family I didn't see much) pressured me into it. When other kids touched me I would tell on them &/or hit them. My teachers told me they were just being friendly & I got punished for being a bully.


#15 I never paid attention to human behavior or actions. I was too overwhelmed when being social to process it & when I was home I mostly wanted time to myself to wind down & relax. I researched a lot of psychology stuff but I never paid attention nor cared about all the nonverbal body language stuff. I was focused on various disorders & why people have them & how they could better manage them.


#16 As a kid I knew others wanted to be liked & fit in but I just wanted others to leave me alone & let me do my own thing in peace.

I remember being maybe around 15 and asking my mom why I was so different and back then nobody seemed to know the reason. But it was only because I was told it wasn't normal and therefor "wrong".

When I was in my early 20s I once asked at the group home why someone couldn't just teach me how to have better social skills, and they said that wasn't something normally taught, you're just able to or you're not.

It seemed when I was a teenager it was only not normal if I did certain things but with other kids it was normal. I'd get harassed constantly for my interest in Garfield comics but I'd see other kids walking around wearing Garfield shirts and no one seemed to bother them.

Number 16. Her husband pointed out "the fact that I don't try to make people like me." Makes me curious how she got married.