Published on 12, July, 2020
I read on this website that "Other people appear to know, intuitively, how to communicate and interact with each other, but Autistics do not", but believe this statement to be completely untrue in so many ways.
I do not believe that there is any one way to interact and communicate and nor do i believe anyone, even non autistic could possibly be thought of as someone that "knows" how to act and communicate in every given situation.
I believe making wrong statements like this just causes confusion.
Would do you think?
Do you think there are people out there that just intuitively "know" how to act and communicate? In that case, what happens when they come across someone that has more experience and is more intelligent than them?
You'll find a lot of stuff talking about the 'sixth sense' - Theory of Mind - which autistic people are supposed to lack. I don't think we do completely lack it. Maybe we just use it differently. For myself, I'm fully aware that other people have thoughts, feelings and points of view. I just struggle to understand some of it.
Unfortunately, there's a lot of nonsense and misunderstanding out there, even in these so-called more 'enlightened' times. We lack empathy, we're unfriendly, etc.
Theory of Mind
I've a feeling this thread could attract a lot of interesting responses.
Tom
Thank you for taking the time to reply.
(a) Psychic fraudsters claim to have all sorts of "sixth senses".. I have never been diagnosed Autistic personally, but i do not claim to have a sixth sense.
(b) I also do not think even people that have not been diagnosed with Autism always understand other peoples points of view. I certainly do not.
(c) And i do not see this empathy and friendliness from non autistics either. I also do not claim to have vast amounts of empathy and i am only as friendly as i can bring myself to be.
Also it cannot be a very understanding person that thinks "non autistics just magically and instinctively know how to communicate with people"!
They should not be telling this to Autistic people either as it is simply not true!
Personally i think a lot of the people that write that stuff are just taking their own hang-ups on people in general that they believe have treated them badly. "Maybe their ex used to be a bit insensitive or lacked understanding so try label him autistic".
Not sure exactly where you are coming from or going to with this. If you are not on the autistic spectrum you are speaking from a totally different angle to mine. I wouldn’t label all non autistic people as all the same either. Life is much more interesting and varied than that. You are unique, I am unique and so is the next person. We all have different personalities. Not everyone socialises easily. Somebody has to be the listener in every conversation. Are you concerned about your own situation?
So far i see nothing Autistic about you.
I have had Autistic people in my taxi, they do not speak, they appear extremely anxious and if they do speak it is just to tell me "Football is a good game eh"? and "do you like mimicking"?
You are not in the same bracket as the individuals i have had in my taxi and delivered and collected from groups for Autistics and as far as i am concerned you cannot claim to suffer from the same condition as those individuals.