Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi,
I’ve recently had my first autism assessment (online) and towards the end of it I was asked to tell a story with 5 objects I’d chosen. I chose the first 5 things that happened to be on the sofa next to me. I was asked to tell a story with them & I just couldn’t. I told the assessor this & she said it was ok. Has anyone else had a similar experience?
I think that it is a very outdated type of test, based on the myth that autistic people do not have imaginations and also, as a consequence, do not enjoy fiction. So many autistics, me included, have wonderful imaginations and create their own worlds - a notable method of escaping the real world that is so often inimical to them. This form of escapism is found documented in autism studies, how it can be squared with a supposed inability to make up a short story about objects, defies logic. Not all autistics, of course, have particularly vivid imaginations, but some certainly do.
I agree about the myth! That needs dispelling considering one of the first kids noted as autistic had imaginary friends.
If I could guess what they're looking for it's the sort of thing that I would classify as a mildly acceptable socio-pathology with improv. Something we might see as telling a lie, or selling a fantasy.