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Defining what is AS and what isn't

longman

A widely reported problem on here is the common reaction to someone explaining their autism is "oh i get that too".....etc.

I think because people on the spectrum are relatively isolated, there's little opportunity to chat experiences and get feedback. So people on the spectrum don't know what problems are fairly common in the NT world, and may not be autism specific.

I've just posted on the question of hearing sensitivity/filtering sound on another thread. I've found that the problems I've had are reported by others not on the spectrum, including people with dyslexia.

I wondered if others had found that some things they associate with autism are more widely present in the general population (but not just a matter of degree as with spectrum - tailing off into the general population - but similar levels of difficulty experienced by people not having autism which is otherwise assumed to be an autism characteristic).

If that makes sense.......

  • I must be having an off day Longman, I still am flummoxed by what it is you are asking.

  • Of course lack of empathy is a trait we are supposed to have, and not being able to conceive that some problems experienced by people on the spectrum may not be unique to AS, could, I guess be down to lack of empathy......

  • No I was trying to avoid reference to AS traits tailing off into the general population.

    But many aspects of AS are not addressed by the Triad of Impairments. People with AS experience a whole lot of things. Without external points of reference (which NTs have because they are socially active), it isn't easy to assess whether a difficulty someone with AS encounters as part of the condition, or something in the general population they perceive as part of the condition - which isn't.

    So to repeat, I'm not asking about degrees of presence.  I'm askling about perceived traits which people on the spectrum see as a problem, which are not autism/asperger's related, but in fact they are difficulties common with a larger population.

  • I'm a bit confused by your question Longman.  Are you asking if we are aware whether AS traits are present in the general population?  I don't think we would be able to judge that without having asked everyone!

    All the traits of Asperger's are physically possible human traits, but they are present to a degree and collectively so in what has been judged to make it this syndrome, to be Asperger's.