Published on 12, July, 2020
I am an 80 year old who has displayed some high performing ASD characteristics, since early childhood.
I try to avoid, crowds, shopping malls, Christmas celebrations, bright and flashing lights and social media. I do not understand emoticons and many icons or road signs. (Have you ever noticed that the icon for ‘weelchair accesibility’ may be more appropriate for ‘public convenience’, or wondered why the car is flying over the puddle?)
Despite having graduate level qualifications in Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Philosophy and Education, I have never stayed in a job for more than three years.
But I would not have it any other way – because until the last decade my wife and I have sought adventure ever few years. ( Walking 10s of miles from the nearest road, path or track in Newfoundland, or sailing a 22 foot yacht around the British coast, or working on mission stations in Africa or doing IT support in very undeveloped universities.)
My wife and I have been very happily married for 54 years and we are well aware that we have developed strategies to avoid difficult situations.
I can manage a few words or phrases in several languages, working across multicultural boundaries mutual coopereration to understand becomes the norm between differences between peers become trivial compared to the difficulties of language.
But now I have a problem socialising. I can no longer cycle long distances, I find it difficult to control my feelings or not to lecture in face to face discussion groups( As I always have ). I have caused offense by reporting discussion groups online, even with a purpose made and secure website. I live in a rural area with little mobile phone connectivity. I do not drive, the bus services have been stopped and there are no taxis.
What I would like to ease the isolation is an online discussion group which has the following characteristics.
1. It encourages longer monologues on particular topics. It discourages oneliners and expression of opinion wouthout reason.
2. It tolerates extended monolog on a particuar issue, even if it is ignored.
3. It does not have jarring designs, colours or animations in the way that some autism websites do.
4. Topics I would like to discuss include, for example.
‘Do the drawbacks of diagnosis for autistics sometimes outweigh the merits?’
‘Why is “getting a diagnosis” apparently regarded as a “Good Thing” for autistic people?’
‘Philosophical theories and discussion’
‘Mathematical interests for non specialists.’
‘Virtually any science interest’
‘Is autism nothing more than extreme male personality?’
If I thought I could find other enthusiasts I would set up a custom website myself. (Facebook is not acceptable to me as it encourages trivial comment.)
Can anyone make any suggestions?
NAS94150 said:‘Do the drawbacks of diagnosis for autistics sometimes outweigh the merits?’
I'm not aware of any drawbacks. Once you have a positive diagnosis then you can understand the mechanisms at work making you feel / sense / behave in the way you do and you can then learn ways to make these less of a problem for you if you choose to.
NAS94150 said:‘Is autism nothing more than extreme male personality?’
There are plenty of female autists who I would not consider to be male personalities.
I understand medical science has identified autism as a developemental divergence from "normal" people that kicks in or becomes evident between birth and around 5 years old (the exact mechanism is still being explored) .
A big part of it relates to how our brains filter information coming from our senses and we tend to process much more data than "normals" and it is this load which is the cause of many of our problems.
We are quite different creatures so the norms of comparing male and female minds is unlikely to work in the same way you can with "normals".
NAS94150 said:If I thought I could find other enthusiasts I would set up a custom website myself.
Unfortunately I think you will find websites are falling out of favour compared to social media. There will always be a need for them but the way people will get to them as society evolves will move more to social media as the starting point.
Old users (myself included) will remember the early days and how it grew, but it has now been superceded by something quite different and will only remain long term as an offshoot of a more integrated platform like Instagram.
I think sites like this one will also become an app on a mobile phone / tablet eventually.
This is just my view on the evolution of online life based on some interesting research over the last few years.