Published on 12, July, 2020
Just musing more than anything, I’m two years into my autism journey and still learning how differently autistic people understand communication with neurotypical people. I would often get into trouble and still do, last weekend my wife was looking on the internet and said to me, “There’s a craft fair on tomorrow.” my answer was, “That’s nice.” I got told off on Monday for closing the conversation down because I didn’t want to go. I just said that she didn’t say she wanted for us to go. Last night, a silly thing, I nuked some Christmas pudding after dinner and used up some cream that was near its end. I was told that I had looked after myself. My wife told me she had mentioned earlier that she fancied rice pudding.
I know I most probably sound boring, it just made me realise how neurotypical people talk in riddles and don’t just say what they want.
My ideal would have been, “There’s a craft fair tomorrow, shall we go?”
”while your in the kitchen, can you nuke my rice pudding?”
Still just realising how differently we communicate.
As my mother excels at dropping hints, I feel I've become something of an expert at recognising them. This isn't to say that I respond to them though. Aside from me needing to be interested in whatever it is that she's dropping hints about, I am trying to get her to understand that she needs to express herself more clearly.
I'm in agreement with you Roy that it would have been helpful if your wife had been clearer with you, as opposed to assuming you would know what she meant.