Published on 12, July, 2020
I thought it might be a good idea, for people who are looking for some advice, to explore the difference between being shy and being autistic.
There may be some individuals who suspect that they might be somewhere on the spectrum because they have difficulties with socialising and are not clear about the real differences between simply being timid and having autistic traits.
What are the key differences between someone who feels shy around groups of people and autistic people who have communication issues? How can you tell the difference?
What I was really trying to pin down, Aspergerix, was how does the experience of a person who is merely shy, qualitatively differ from someone who is on the AS in a social situation, such as a party, for example?
There are probably people who struggle in social situations who assume they are just shy but may, in fact, be on the AS and I just thought it would be a good idea to provide some information as a guide to self-diagnosis.
Problems with eye contact alone aren't enough to indicate deeper problems, it's true, so what else should someone look for that could point to something other than shyness? Yes, we all know the theory, but it would be nice to actually get some feedback from real autistics.