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How do you describe Autism?

Lotus

I identify with these points that Wendel1994 wrote:

"I can study how other people who are not on the spectrum live and compare it to my life and see what is different, and the fact, no matter how hard I try to get what they have, it never feels right, it feels like an awkward replica of what they have..... people with autism are different and mine is as far from who I am as possible! Autism is not my personality, my true personality cannot be let out as it is being weighed down"

I have recently come up with an idea of how to explain what autism is. I think of our brains as computers which are not connected to the mainframe of society, like NT brains are. I see NT brains as being part of an interconnected web, like the world wide web, but we don't have the correct software to connect to it. This means they can't read our "code" either and so often fail to understand us. I've often been frustrated by well meaning people who think they know me, when they really don't. And I'm a fairly well adapted female Aspie who is assumed to be an NT by most people.

But I think that autism may encourage individual thought and development, often giving us insights and skills which NTs don't have. (Star Trek fans - think of Seven of Nine and her struggles to become a free thinking individual). 

Maybe our society, in it's struggle to become less prejudiced against people who are a different colour, race, religion, etc has promoted an idea that we're really all the same under the outward appearance. Of course, treating people badly because they are different to "the norm" is totally wrong, but treating everyone as if they are the same seems to me to be the way to stifle individual development and creative thought. 

What do you think?

Parents

  • I have spent my life being thought of as 'awkward' and not giving straight answers, being long winded and pedantic and often going off on strange tangents and supposedly not getting to the point.

    I can misunderstand instructions, instantly forget what I am doing but have a very good long term memory, have great trouble with all the buttons on phones, remember verbatim a conversation I had last week but where I put my keys five seconds ago I have forgotten (oh, there they are, I had them in my hand all the time!)

    Although I can talk people to death, I'm sure it isn't an enjoyable experience for others.  But I came to the conclusion long ago that nothing can change how I am.  And I hate it when people try to change me.  I'm never going to like certain food, am never going to suddenly enjoy social occasions, and I am never going to change the way I think.  And if people can't accept that it is their problem.

    I think we are thought of as some sort of threat to the run of things.  We are thought of as some sort of anarchist, rebels, people who want to do things our own way in order to annoy others.  But nothing could be further from the truth. 

    All that I want is to be left alone to be the person I am.  And this person is trapped inside me most of the time, the person 'outside' is merely a rather poor actor trying his best to remember his lines.

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  • I have spent my life being thought of as 'awkward' and not giving straight answers, being long winded and pedantic and often going off on strange tangents and supposedly not getting to the point.

    I can misunderstand instructions, instantly forget what I am doing but have a very good long term memory, have great trouble with all the buttons on phones, remember verbatim a conversation I had last week but where I put my keys five seconds ago I have forgotten (oh, there they are, I had them in my hand all the time!)

    Although I can talk people to death, I'm sure it isn't an enjoyable experience for others.  But I came to the conclusion long ago that nothing can change how I am.  And I hate it when people try to change me.  I'm never going to like certain food, am never going to suddenly enjoy social occasions, and I am never going to change the way I think.  And if people can't accept that it is their problem.

    I think we are thought of as some sort of threat to the run of things.  We are thought of as some sort of anarchist, rebels, people who want to do things our own way in order to annoy others.  But nothing could be further from the truth. 

    All that I want is to be left alone to be the person I am.  And this person is trapped inside me most of the time, the person 'outside' is merely a rather poor actor trying his best to remember his lines.

Children
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