ASD

[delta_mike]

This interview with Ari Ne'eman was good reading on the subject of providing support for people with Autism-spectrum conditions. For a chap of 22 years, he's surprisingly articulate, and rather good at explaining things in ways that my brain can synthesize rapidly.

In particular, I read the line, There are a lot of social rules that we don’t

Comments

[rjw76]

Um. Yes. I could basically have written that post myself.

The interesting thing to me is that every time I see an "Autistic people do weird things" post/news article/whatever, the things *aren't weird* to me. Almost like I can... ummm.. translate?

Am I making any sense?

[delta_mike]

Yes.

We both have mental models of both neurotypical and autistic-spectrum persons, and this is unusual.

There's a chap I know, a former PsiPhi member now off working in the wider world, who had a reputation for being intensely arrogant and very difficult to get on with.

So, I got on with him really well. In fact, I think I'd only been speaking with him on [subject-du-jour] for about 90 seconds, whereupon he asked me whether I was gainfully employed and wouldn't mind working in the same place he was..

In this conversation, other neurotypical (but geeky!) people were getting riled that they were being told to change their ways, because their modus operandi was inferior, and that -- for their own good -- they should clearly use Browser X instead (or whatever the topic was), they got miffed and were not in any way appreciative of the advice.

Because I could see, not explicitly stated, that this was the chap's expert, considered, researched position, and that he was trying to help them benefit from his depth of understanding and

[kozue]

I didn't know you were undiagnosed :S

[delta_mike]

Well, I've never been diagnosed with any specific mental condition; whether or not I would be if I went to talk to a doctor on the subject is another matter entirely. (Though given that I've learned to cope in various ways, I suspect that attempting some sort of diagnosis now would be rather more difficult.)

Insensitivity is something I generally accept and happily ignore if I can see that there's no malice or hostility behind it; I certainly don't recall you ever being anything other than lovely and friendly. Feel free to speak plainly to me whenever you feel the need. :-)

(Indeed, when I was less socially skilled than I am now, direct, clear explanations of why and how I've made a faux pas were welcome -- they gave me clear, unambiguous feedback of how and where I've made an error, and told me how I could do better next time

[kozue]

I don't really have much faith in doctors; my mother is one, so I'm acutely aware of how little they know about anything. Especially things which cannot be seen or prodded. Ultimately what 'they' say is AS today might be seen as quaintly extreme eccentricity tomorrow or an evil invisible mind-eating cancer which people should zap on sight next week, so I prefer to judge people by their own merits and my own rules

[delta_mike]

I find it hard to think of Autism as a brain-eating cancer. Rather, I see AS conditions as simply a set of.. unusual specializations, where different parts of a person's mind develop with more or less emphasis on different layers.

There isn't an 'autistic' part of me -- instead, I think of having relatively under-developed bits of the brain that deals with social awareness, abstraction of sensory inputs and introspection, while the bits that deal with spacial visualization, rational thought and sensory processing being comparatively super-developed.

(In particular, this combination results in at least one of my super-powers: the ability to sustain, under the right conditions, epic levels of concentration.)

In my head, I think of 'introversion/extroversion' as a measure of how cognitively expensive it is to project a mask/persona/fascade when interacting with other people

[kurenai_tenka]

Somehow, somewhere along the way -- perhaps through brute force trial and error -- I've developed a better model of people, meaning that I'm now typically as good as most neurotypical people at understanding and inferring other people's mental state. I have social skills!

Though with ASD, it will always be only an intellectual understanding, not the same ingrained, instinctual one.

I've never been diagnosed with an Autism-spectrum disorder, and thinking about the concept now, I'd be worried about acquiring that particular label. I wouldn't even call it a disorder; merely a specialization.

It's both costy and... distressing to be diagnosed as an adult. If you have the skills to function normally now, then does it even matter? Odds are, it really is just something you have in common with people on the spectrum, rather than that you actually have it.

Aaand late reply is late. I had this bookmarked to reply to, I was just being slow. :P

[delta_mike]

That's okay, I've been slow replying to this one, too. :-)

I think you're right that they are merely traits I have in common. In various ways I have aged slowly -- mostly mentally, though given people tend to underestimate my age, possibly physically, too.

In particular, I believe the mental faculties that deal with social interaction have developed much later in me than might be typical -- resulting in AS-typical behaviours.

However, as various LARPers and others can attest, they're now present. And it does now feel somewhat instinctual; it doesn't require a lot of effort to try to piece together how someone's feeling. But I don't know if this is atypical for those with AS qualities; it's quite possible that it might just be practice.

[kurenai_tenka]

I think you're right that they are merely traits I have in common. In various ways I have aged slowly -- mostly mentally, though given people tend to underestimate my age, possibly physically, too.

Heh, well that could be good old 'guy' syndrome. :)

Seriously though... if they weren't so present before and are now, it could have something to do with your younger years. Obviously without knowing anything about your childhood/teenage years I can't really comment further, but it could be as simple as an 'environmental' issue. It's all speculation though, surely alls that matters is that you function normally now? :)