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Autistic stereotypes - movement and balance - "ministry of funny walks"!

Phased

I have come across a statement that one of the least considered and therefore addressed correlates with autism is problems with moving in a co-ordinated fashion, issues with balance and perhaps clumsiness.

This stereotype is somewhat played out in the media representation of the character of Astrid in the original version of the eponymous TV series.  The character walks with a somewhat "toe walking" fashion on their right leg...

I can personally remember that my movement skills as a young child didn't seem to quite match up with my peers - in very early gym classes for example.

As I've got older I have spent a lot of time thinking about and working on how to balance and move in a more effective way - I wonder therefore if this "special interest" has come about as a consequence of a perceived need to.

I am at an age when I want to give back and share more about this special interest and am contemplating whether aiming to share it specifically with adult autistic people would be a good and rewarding way to spend my energy and time.

In short, I wonder please if you good people reading this might like to discuss your autistic experiences on the topic of movement, balance, clumsiness and difficulty walking etc.?

Maybe some of you reading this are on the contrary especially gifted in this area and it is after all a stereotype that is made of autistic people?

Best Wishes

Parents

  • This was my problem since early childhood,  even when I finally started walking, I dudnt walk independently for long time, but held the furniture instead and walked in circles in the room. If I had nothing to hold, I would crawl on my knees even at age 3-4 and I myself have some memory of this. Later in kindergarten and school it was always the problem with balance, coordination,  inability to copy movements of a group (for example dancing) I was always the slowest, the worst balanced and the clumsy, I was also bullied and shout out by peers for this reason. And I always thought of myself to be inferior and the loser, fir various reasons, also because of my clumsiness. Even as an adult I still have these problems and I still hear that my walk is funny (like a terminator) or a soldier, I still hurt myself accidentally and notice it only when I see blood or bruises. 

    As far as I know, not all autistic people have problems with motor skills, but its very common. I have no problems with fine motor skills, my handwriting is considered ti be beautiful,  I do artworks with Details etc. But gross motor skills are a disaster. I remember having issues with tying my shoes, learning to drive a bicycle,  I finally managed it at the age of 10, I also had difficulty distinguishing left and right (I red that its common in synaesthesia, which I strongly suspect that I have - lexical gustatory).

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  • This was my problem since early childhood,  even when I finally started walking, I dudnt walk independently for long time, but held the furniture instead and walked in circles in the room. If I had nothing to hold, I would crawl on my knees even at age 3-4 and I myself have some memory of this. Later in kindergarten and school it was always the problem with balance, coordination,  inability to copy movements of a group (for example dancing) I was always the slowest, the worst balanced and the clumsy, I was also bullied and shout out by peers for this reason. And I always thought of myself to be inferior and the loser, fir various reasons, also because of my clumsiness. Even as an adult I still have these problems and I still hear that my walk is funny (like a terminator) or a soldier, I still hurt myself accidentally and notice it only when I see blood or bruises. 

    As far as I know, not all autistic people have problems with motor skills, but its very common. I have no problems with fine motor skills, my handwriting is considered ti be beautiful,  I do artworks with Details etc. But gross motor skills are a disaster. I remember having issues with tying my shoes, learning to drive a bicycle,  I finally managed it at the age of 10, I also had difficulty distinguishing left and right (I red that its common in synaesthesia, which I strongly suspect that I have - lexical gustatory).

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