Published on 12, July, 2020
Below is a parody, with ideas taken from a reddit article. It is not meant to make any neurotypical people feel bad or inferior, it's to highlight that autistic thinking & behaviour is defined mostly by deficits, but NT thinking & behaviour can also be seen in terms of deficits.
(By the way, I know some very kind, caring neurotypical people, who I value highly)
If you compare the list below to the list of autistic Diagnostic criteria, it illustrates the real differences between the two types of minds. Autistic people find it difficult to understand the NT behaviour listed below, and NT people often find it hard to understand (due to masking) that autistic people are not thinking like this:
Diagnostic Criteria for Neurotypical Disorder (NTD)
obsession with social banter, interpersonal drama and politics, “playing the game,” fitting in with a specific social group, and/or social hierarchy.
Tendency to be easily influenced by their peers and to conform unquestioningly to societal expectations. Subsequent deficits in the cultivation of special interests and/or exploration of innovative, novel thoughts and feelings.
Difficulty engaging with, or seeing meaning in activities, thought-processes, or forms of interpersonal engagement that reflect individuality and personal creativity, unless they are widely adopted by one’s peers.
Inflexible adherence to social norms, or ritualized patterns of verbal or nonverbal behavior prescribed by society (e.g. greeting rituals, gestures and phrases
Tendency to use language to say one thing but mean something else (e.g. asking a question such as “how are you doing?” but not wanting an honest answer)
Highly predictable, restricted interests (e.g., career, normative activities, social rules, gossip, prescriptive banter)
Immediate and rigid opinions on various topics and subjects, without observable curiosity or motivation for in-depth research.
Inability to be aware of all aspects of one’s sensory environment simultaneously, with subsequent tendency to, for example, socialize in loud places with numerous competing sensory inputs (see A.2).
Diminished attention to detail (e.g. lack of awareness of such things as landscape, sky/lighting, background noises, ambient smells, personal space, or subtle changes in the environment).
Inability to get absorbed in a task or activity fully; deficits in depth of experience.
Diminished capacity for arranging information, systemizing, and seeing patterns and relations.
Deficits in “outside the box,” creative problem solving.
Paper said:Really shows how it's a matter of perspective
Absolutely!
Cool!
Thank you! I’m sure I will enjoy it!
This is brilliant. Really shows how it's a matter of perspective. To us, the behaviour of neurotypicals is baffling and pathological, but then I have to think, if all of that kind of behaviour is normal and expected to them then no wonder we seem weird by not conforming.
The problem is we have to expend a large amount of effort pretending to be like them, whereas they never have to pretend to be like us.
Pixiefox said:Also, neurotypical behaviour is often cultural, for example it is common for people in western countries to expect eye contact, and bodily contact (shaking hands if new acquaintances, often hugging and/or kissing on the cheek if known a little better) whereas in other countries, for example Japan, this is not a traditional social norm.
Absolutely, great point! There is an episode of the brilliant podcast ‘Neurotypicals Don’t Juggle Chainsaws’ specifically about this:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ExJFWIZ2U892swLJbnOmC?si=NPEKDfoLQ_moHHYy4rlCjA
I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you Catwoman, I agree.
In my recent thread I quoted from a book called "how to talk to anyone" the advice not to fidget when talking to someone, as they may see you as untrustworthy. However, it's often extremely difficult for autistic people not to fidget. But it's the fidgeting that is seen as "wrong", not the assumption that someone is untrustworthy. (I'm not making judgements here, just pointing out a fact)
Someone posted a video the other day of a young Scottish lady doing an interview on Australian radio about autism and how.It affects her, and she told them about having to ask a woman not to stroke her arm because she's autistic, and how she felt bad that she had upset the woman, who was doing something seen by the majority as kind and caring.
Also, neurotypical behaviour is often cultural, for example it is common for people in western countries to expect eye contact, and bodily contact (shaking hands if new acquaintances, often hugging and/or kissing on the cheek if known a little better) whereas in other countries, for example Japan, this is not a traditional social norm.
Pixiefox said:This was targeted at Autistic adults, on a forum for Autistic adults, and intended to be a sort of "what if?.." exercise, to get people thinking about diagnosis criteria and how it affects how people feel about themselves.
That’s exactly what it did, you achieved your intended purpose!
It would be great though if non autistic people could read this reframe and instead of becoming offended, recognise the harm that describing us in this way causes throughout our whole lives (unless we have the opportunity to transition to the neurodiversity paradigm, which thankfully some of us do including myself and you).
I'm sorry if any of this thread has upset anyone reading it. Please let me make it clear:
This was targeted at Autistic adults, on a forum for Autistic adults, and intended to be a sort of "what if?.." exercise, to get people thinking about diagnosis criteria and how it affects how people feel about themselves.
It was not meant to try to persuade anyone to be prejudiced against non autistic people (if I have persuaded anyone of anything, that would be a first, plus autistic adults are capable of making up their own mind about things)
I do have a couple of neurotypical friends, who I value greatly.
If you are a non autistic person reading this, please feel free to post your thoughts and feelings about it, so that I can learn from you.
Every one of you who have posted on this thread have given me something to think about or a glimpse into how you think and feel, so thank you for your input. You are all unique, you are all valid, you are all valued.
You are welcome! Glad you enjoy it too! New articles are added every day.
It is brilliant! Thanks for sharing that, Ausome.
If you like this, you may enjoy the autistic satirical comedy website, The Daily Tism:
https://thedailytism.com/
It’s very funny!
I absolutely love it! And it’s 100% accurate!
Completely agree with your point, very well put!
I agree with all of the above, I don't see it as divisive, but an interesting take on how people are pathologised. Obviously not all NT's are like this, but I think if we don't look at opposites then we lose the bigger picture of how we are judged. I think it could be a useful tool when teaching people, espcially NT's how it feels to have ones normal behaviour put under a microscope and examined for "wrongness".
Glad you appreciate this too!
tnx Debbie.
I know some white supremacists who say the exact same thing. replace the group with another but all this rhetoric amounts to the same. Just ask a person from your "target group". I challenge you to ask yourself if you would share this list with a person with an NT mind. there you will find your conscience, or not. I'm sure you know some if you have not already alienated them.
The problem is this isn't a parody. It's just that much of western culture have forgotten what "Neuroticism" is. Go back to Freud, read Jung and Adler. Society used to be obsessed with the everyday Typical 'neurotic', which the anti-psychiatry movement helped influence its polarity from autistic. But since differences were far less understood and not grouped as a 'Spectrum', much didn't come from it. However, enough research and the "Divergent umbrella" photo might prove incorrect (example: OCD is not actually a divergence but a trauma response), so read at your own risk!
Lol