Contradictions within Autism

As Melanie Sykes said, she was a "walking contradiction" and I feel the same. Here are my examples. I'd love to know if you are the same or have any more to add!

1. Feel less need to follow social conventions but then am a heavy people pleaser.
2. Feel I have my own sense of identity but get easily swept along by others.
3. Not sure how I feel a lot of the time but feel very strongly when I do know. Feel strongly other people's emotions or completely miss them.
4. Feel like I can't read people in the moment but then pick up on micro expressions or feelings other people don't seem to notice.
5. Love being on my own but have a strong need for people interaction which is often a bit difficult and tiring.
6. Naturally introverted but love the energy when with the right people.
7. Get mixed up with left or right but have a good sense of direction.
8. A strong need to be on time but always running late.
9, Approachable as an ear for problems but seldom have my own listened to.
10. Communicate clearly in my job but can't explain problems to health professionals very well.
11. Am a natural organiser but actually not very organised.
12. A strong need for a tidy house but it's always a mess (to me).
13. An effort to have less stuff but feel its always cluttered.
14. A desire for a minimalist house but think they're boring.
15. Often really want to get going a lot of the time but don't know how..
16. Don't like loud noises but love loud music.
17. Can get up early of my own accord but not when my alarm goes off.
18. Hyper focus or inertia.
19. Like to be spontaneuous but don't like a change to a plan and need to know ahead what's happening.
20. Find sameness boring but don't like change.
21. Need routine to function but have difficulty forming them unless it's imposed.

22. Good long term memory but poor short term memory. 
23. Can see both sides of the discussion so have conflicting opinions.

Parents
  • Every time I think that my behaviour differs from the standard criteria, later on I realise that, in fact, it doesn't differ. Take stimming, for example: I was quite convinced that I don't stim and yet when I went for an interview session with some experts on autism, I panicked because I'd left my late mother's rosary bracelet at home...a bracelet I was used to repeatedly handling whenever I felt anxious. So instead I gripped and ungripped the table where I sat while being interviewed; I was in some discomfort afterwards because of this 'stimming'.

  • Stimming is something I've never been able to relate to but Ive noticed I like repeatedly playing with my hair bobble in a particular way. Or repeatedly moulding blu tac or chewing gum nto a cube then squashing it. I also like singing. These probably seem quite typical of anyone really.

Reply
  • Stimming is something I've never been able to relate to but Ive noticed I like repeatedly playing with my hair bobble in a particular way. Or repeatedly moulding blu tac or chewing gum nto a cube then squashing it. I also like singing. These probably seem quite typical of anyone really.

Children
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