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What is Autism exactly?

Looby Lou

Sorry to ask a dumb question - but I am none the wiser having read about it on the site - is it an actual physical thing to do with the braiin (a lady who is supporting me and my husband mentioned the hippocampus part of the brain is not so developed in people with autism).  

Its just I am unsure whether the condition is actually real for people like myself - maybe I am just an introvert, and mnay of the things mentioned in the obok I'm reading (Apsergirls) can be applied to a lot of women.

The term "neurodiverse" is used (as opposed to "neurotypical") - but what does this mean exactly?  Is it a neurological disease?

Thanks in advance.

Parents

  • I will just have to educate myself more about it I think.  It is more the HFA/Aspergers end I am interested in.  I don't dispute the LFA end - that is evident.

    I have not been diagnosed, but suspect I have some of the spectrum "disorders" - though to be frank a lot of NT people manifest the same quirks sometimes!  .....I guess though a venn diagram of NT and ND people would show areas where they overlap.

    My social isolation is the biggest key for me - I am not totally socally inadequate and can relate to people, but I've never been "one of the crowd" or ever had any close friends.  

    There are also other key areas I identify with (such as for females with ASD a strong "animus") and also looking back I can see how I often put my foot in it with inapppropriate conversation or social rules.  I can also be rather intense about what ever thing is a special interest to me.

    Church (which I have given up) was a nightmare for me - way too social.  and painful when I was left out of social things (though happily included when I was useful to them).

    However I am perfecly happy at a pianists lunch where we talk about nothing but pianos and piano playing - but a girls night out talking about this and that I woudl find difficult and depleting.

    Just recognising, then acknowledging that I have these weaknesses is liberating - I don't have to try and be different to what I am.

    I always thought it was because I was an introvert, but actually I have quite an extrovert side - I can happily stand up infront of a crowd of people and deliver a speech.  So I don't think it's that.  I'm not shy.

    I guess if it's a "spectrum" then it's multi-coloured and not black and white - also I guess as people we can be sometimes quite fluid and maybe slide around on the spectrum - sometimes manifesting more or less of the ASD traits depending on our circumstances.

    Thank you all for your replies :) 

Reply

  • I will just have to educate myself more about it I think.  It is more the HFA/Aspergers end I am interested in.  I don't dispute the LFA end - that is evident.

    I have not been diagnosed, but suspect I have some of the spectrum "disorders" - though to be frank a lot of NT people manifest the same quirks sometimes!  .....I guess though a venn diagram of NT and ND people would show areas where they overlap.

    My social isolation is the biggest key for me - I am not totally socally inadequate and can relate to people, but I've never been "one of the crowd" or ever had any close friends.  

    There are also other key areas I identify with (such as for females with ASD a strong "animus") and also looking back I can see how I often put my foot in it with inapppropriate conversation or social rules.  I can also be rather intense about what ever thing is a special interest to me.

    Church (which I have given up) was a nightmare for me - way too social.  and painful when I was left out of social things (though happily included when I was useful to them).

    However I am perfecly happy at a pianists lunch where we talk about nothing but pianos and piano playing - but a girls night out talking about this and that I woudl find difficult and depleting.

    Just recognising, then acknowledging that I have these weaknesses is liberating - I don't have to try and be different to what I am.

    I always thought it was because I was an introvert, but actually I have quite an extrovert side - I can happily stand up infront of a crowd of people and deliver a speech.  So I don't think it's that.  I'm not shy.

    I guess if it's a "spectrum" then it's multi-coloured and not black and white - also I guess as people we can be sometimes quite fluid and maybe slide around on the spectrum - sometimes manifesting more or less of the ASD traits depending on our circumstances.

    Thank you all for your replies :) 

Children
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