Are You "Active, But Odd?"

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"The third group however may be seem to attempt to initiate interaction and to approach other individuals but may do so in peculiar and inappropriate manners.


The purpose of such attempts may be less to do with developing relationships with others and more to do with indulging specific, often stereotyped, interests or activities. For example member of this group may talk incessantly on a topic of their own interest without regard for the listener.

Speech may be in the form of long, complex sentences and phrases which have been memorised (probably in response to hearing someone else use it in conversation).

Many of the conversational skills and etiquette that most people develop to some degree or another is lacking.

Other skills of communication such as tone of voice and use of eye contact are obviously different from what is considered normal


Clumsiness and poor general motor co-ordination may be common. So too is a higher level of general functioning and higher I.Q. scores.

Problematic behaviour can result from inappropriate topics of discussion or questioning and individuals are often seen as being persistent and pestering and this can result in criticism.

...As sensitivity is often higher then usual temper tantrums and aggression may be a consequence.

...diagnosis of an autistic spectrum disorder is often delayed in this group, relative to the more typical aloof group.

Haha. I can identify with some of this to some extent. (Though assessing oneself is not ideal).

Problematic behaviour can result from inappropriate topics of discussion or questioning and individuals are often seen as being persistent and pestering and this can result in criticism...

"My cultivated interests in serial killers, obscure sexual practices, and right wing philosophy did not go over as well as I had imagined. Why, I wonder?"

I was just creating a zany example of what a certain type of Aspie might go on (and on, and on...) about, oblivious to the aghast reactions she is getting, until it is too late.

There are always unwritten "NT" rules to discourse that Aspies cannot pick up on. The "active but odd" type may blast away verbally, thinking she is doing well, while planting the seeds of her social demise.

Even among Aspies, such rules exist. On this board, for example, one cannot enthusiastically embrace Trump, be openly proud of one's ethnic heritage, or not approve of the LGBTQ lifestyle, and be embraced.
A certain type of Aspie might do all three, and wonder why she got grief.

Depends on my mood which social type I ended up with.

All I can say is that I can be.

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"Active but odd" describes me as a child up until the age of 5, when my will was repeatedly broken during my year of Kindergarten by all the other kids in my class. I slowly learned that behaving and thinking different than the other kids in a small town's public elementary school was a good way to get yourself teased, bullied, and physically attacked.

Although I learned to mask as a way to deflect attention, and grew to be a teenager who was quiet and passive, I think I kept more of my active but odd demeanor when I was away from school and around adults who were always way nicer to me than my classmates.

I slowly learned that behaving and thinking different than the other kids in a small town's public elementary school was a good way to get yourself teased, bullied, and physically attacked.

That brings back memories. My family moved from London into the middle of the Baltimore 'hood when I was a tyke. Can you imagine a fat black boy skipping and singing British songs on the set of 'The Wire'?

That was me, for a hot minute, before it all got chased beaten and bullied out of me.

Probably not “active,” since I rarely initiate any sort of social interaction and usually say little (unless a topicc of particular interest comes up, and then I don’t stop talking I seem to have no in-between setting.), but I’m plenty “odd” to make up for it.

I'm sure I've done bits of that kind of thing in my time. I guess the problem owes a lot to an Aspie not realising the limitations of their social competence. My father (undiagnosed) would often try to be very social, and in the process would act rather strangely and (from the perspective of others) embarrassingly. I suppose another strand of it is that it can be very hard to avoid talking at length about a special interest even when we're experienced enough to know better. These things can be so fascinating to us that in the passion of the moment one can get carried away.

Eventually I started to realise that I could really mess up by not knowing my limits, that my behaviour could hack people off, and I became more reclusive and prone to going very quiet in company. I was already on that track before my diagnosis, and finding out I'm part of a group who are notorious for making a pig's ear of social stuff increased my inhibitions and reduced my social confidence, as logically it might be expected to. It's not absolute though. I know people I can be quite active with socially, and they seem to like me for it. But if it's new people or some event that I'm not familiar with or confident about, I play a very defensive game.

I think that may have described me in part when I was younger, until I got tired of being ignored or beaten up