maybe one explanation for autistic people being gaslighted by neurotypicals

"Gaslighting is the manipulation by psychological means of a person (or group) which causes them to doubt themselves, their capabilities or their sense of reality. "

I recently came across this article Cognitive Dissonance and Autism | The Neurodivergent Brain

I came out of it understanding that according to the article...

Memories of events stay the same however interpretation of why things happened as they did can change, this is a more "autistic way" of how to settle mental confusion. 

Neurotypical people on the other hand are more likely to change their memories of things to settle the confusion.

So when a neurotypical person gives a version of events that completely is at odds with what autistic people recall happening which consequently "gaslights" the autistic person this might explain it.

I have to say that for myself this has a sense of authenticity about it.

Or am I just deluding myself as much as the article accuses neurotypical people of doing to themselves?

Thought anyone please?

Parents
  • I find myself being able to hold a memory and visualise it from different facets, this helps me learn from unhelpful situations as I have diferent perspectives on it. I think NT often come up with an idea of how will happen and remember that, rather than what actually did happen and they seem to do it collectively too.

  • I can sometimes remember extra sensory details too (that aren't always relevent), like the sounds of the playground or the feel of a tree trunk or a certain smell. I'm curious now whether that's a trait of our memory recollcation, or something that everyone has.
    I can imagine being able to exam all the details and then work it out, rather than just remembering a feeling helps to rebuild ideas behind memories, if that's what you mean? (I could have got that wrong, in case do say!)

Reply
  • I can sometimes remember extra sensory details too (that aren't always relevent), like the sounds of the playground or the feel of a tree trunk or a certain smell. I'm curious now whether that's a trait of our memory recollcation, or something that everyone has.
    I can imagine being able to exam all the details and then work it out, rather than just remembering a feeling helps to rebuild ideas behind memories, if that's what you mean? (I could have got that wrong, in case do say!)

Children