If you have an NT asking how is to be autistic

I've worked on reception, on advice lines, constantly answering the phone, in classrooms dealing with children, in libraries at the desk... many, many jobs in customer facing roles. My health was horrendous during those times though.

I couldn't do any of them now though! I'm either getting more autistic as I get older or less tolerant.

Like having a radio constantly switched on to LOUD in my head.

My first model was a plane RWD-5

Lots of lovely imagery that gave me a smile in the posts above ↑↑↑, but a bit too abstract in my opinion without concrete examples.

I've only had to explain my flavour of autism to a handful of people, but I feel the most understanding I've imparted has been with an email where I painstakingly tried to transcript what goes on behind my mask for even the most trivial (for a NT) event (like picking up my nephew & niece after school, or going out for a meal).

I am fairly proficient with chopsticks. For the 'ship in a bottle', the masts are  made to swivel. The ship is fully constructed outside the bottle, with the masts folded flat, lying with their tops towards the stern of ship. The ship is slid stern-first into the bottle where it is glued down. There is one thread that connects all the masts and it is threaded through the bowsprit which faces the neck of the bottle. The thread is pulled, and all the masts (with their yards, sails and other rigging) are pulled upright, Then the lifting thread is glued at the bowsprit and cut short. Put the cork in and it is finished.

None of us should work in customer service unless it's Tech Support or a Genius Bar where we're allowed a little eccentricity. Humans are accustomed to NT transmissions not autistic ones. We aren't on the same wave frequency.

I work alone at home now, which is lonely but more restful than dealing with weird atmospheres and office politics.

As I became a stay at home mum, it even happened with the playground mummies though. When my daughter went to nursery and school, I tried to be pleasant and friendly to the other mums. Yet again, I must have said or done the wrong thing and ended up being stared at and ostracised. The fact that it was a mostly female group made it worse. I must have overstepped some boundary of theirs? I don't know.

I find men much easier to deal with because they just take things at face value, they aren't looking for hidden meanings and don't take offence at the tiniest comment or expression. I find I only have to make the wrong expression and women get offended. I'm not making any expression, I'm usually just thinking about something else and my face just happens to look a certain way ♀️ 

exactly like that, probably for everyone of us, though I am developing my Own way, which I am imposing on all co-workers so they don't do their weirdness :p

The autistic professional does not have a hidden agenda (may get angry in the moment but will never hold a grudge or follow a plot to “get ahead”)

The autistic professional is not interested in exerting power over other people (but will tend to use direct language which can be interpreted as authoritarian)

These are so true, Mariusz! I think these apply to autistic people in general.

I do not have a hidden agenda, I get angry but don't do those other things. I am not interested in exerting power, I'm just doing my best.

All these behaviours are misunderstood, aren't they? I've noticed that many, many times in a job, I start out okay, then do some mysterious thing that my colleagues don't like (I've no idea what it is). They challenge me by being difficult, I don't understand and just stare at them in confusion. They subside in confusion. Then everyone avoids me. It's like they were expecting me to do something else, but I don't know what, so I just continue with my work.

I am constantly being challenged by people in jobs and life, but I don't know why. People seem to be intimidated by me, but I don't know why. I just spend my life being confused. It's so tiring and lonely.

what about those inside the bottle? you have to assemble them inside, I tried using chopsticks to eat but my fingers don't want to cooperqate. I would say eating is relatively easy compared  to building a model inside the bottle

Rigging a sailing ship might be challenging.

so true, except what can we do about it? Standing up? coming out of the shadow? that terrifies me. I'm avoiding confrontations if it is up to me, I would even admit it's my fault if it meant ending it

Iliked that part most:

The key differences between an autistic professional and a professional bully:

1. The autistic professional does not have a hidden agenda (may get angry in the moment but will never hold a grudge or follow a plot to “get ahead”)
2. The autistic professional is highly competent in her / his core areas of expertise (which can easily be interpreted as arrogance)
3. The autistic professional does not exaggerate (or brush inconvenient things under the carpet) and will openly talk about uncertainties, risks, and mistakes made (a good indicator to clear up any perception of arrogance)
4. The autistic professional is not interested in exerting power over other people (but will tend to use direct language which can be interpreted as authoritarian)
5. The autistic professional cares a lot about and goes to great lengths to achieve optimal work results (this again may involve asking for appropriate actions from others in direct language)

I will save it for further reference, I was accused few times by a customer, that I am arrogant, rude, patronising, next time I will give that to read.

you forgot to add for the first time

I was making WW2 plane models from Airfix kits as a teenager and after first few I no longer needed instructions.

Straight questions and direct answers. I used to get furious before I knew anything about these neurotypes! One of the last conversations I had with someone who I didn't realise was not actually a friend (she ghosted me after), was about this. Her response was that it was some form of competition. Which I thought was purely absurd. At the time I wanted to give others the benefit of the doubt as what if they were just incurably unintelligent! But goodness, it was remarkable how many people couldn't simply follow a basic sentence hahahahaha. I laugh at myself now. Sigh

Like making an Airfix kit, a really complicated one, without any instructions, or even a picture of what it should look like.

This is one of my favourites: https://autcollab.org/2020/04/30/autism-the-cultural-immune-system-of-human-societies/?fbclid=IwAR37xumHkRga0hADICA80wxaWycn7_Kr9Oc6uZhcs2zJ0QzamXOI4qwU2bQ

I'd love to hear your thoughts as well!

Look forward to it.

I have entirely crazy theory about origins of autistics, I am going to write about it soon :P

Yes...annoying isn't it. Generally my logical, sensible statements make them laugh and I never know why. ♀️ 

What a brilliant idea! An autistic community living together! We could ask for help with things we can't manage, but mainly just work it out ourselves.

I have been wondering if we're just a different species. Are we homo sapien (something else)? We're so different to the others. Apparently Neanderthals functioned totally differently to Homo Sapiens, they were logical and sensible whereas Homo Sapiens were risk takers and erratic. Maybe we're just a different type of human.