End the Awkward

Hi Longman - commenting here is fine. I'm not sure what's going on with the links as it's not an issue I have. When I click on the Scope link, it opens a new window so it doesn't disrupt my use of the forum. 

That may reflect attitudes in the health profession. So often I encounter a know-it-all attitude, and that they've nothing to learn from anyone else, especially not patients.

An illustration of this mind-state is the attitude to cleaning staff in hospitals. People who clean are probably closer to and more likely to be aware of health hazards, contamination risks, health & safety issues, cost savings. But the attitude to cleaners in hospitals by hospital management is patronising and degrading.

There seems to be something fundamentally wrong with the training of health professionals, and it needs to be tackled at a fundamental level.

Unfortunately many of the "awkward" moments that I face seem to come from "professionals".  I've had a social worker say that they can come at any time to suit me when they actually meant any time between 9 and 5 Monday to Friday.  This, of course, doesn't suit me and when I said so I got the "Do you work?" type response.  The person in charge of a local Asperger Syndrome "support" organisation also had the nerve to ask me "Do you do anything during the day?"  

Interesting website. I didn't immediately register to me it was about non-disabled people's reactions to us - maybe needs clarification.

Do you want comments here, or for us to comment directly on their website?

It is a good idea, but while they are clearly trying to understand, I noticed very quickly that autism is not part of their vocabulary. Maybe they'd love to include some ASD perspectives, but they could make a start by demonstrating they know something about us already.

The obvious area I'd highlight is the need to have things repeated. Most people assume you need to ask because you are hard of hearing. I miss a lot of meanings in conversations and if there is background, people seem to be talking a foreign language.

However if I say I'm having difficulty following them or have to ask something to be repeated, immediately they start talking loudly and slowly right in my ear, which funnily enough makes no difference, other than it is uncomfortable.

Not showing enough eye contact or attention really seems to bug people. My eye contact is rubbish much of the time, and I find other people's reactions to this excessive and unneccessary, but maybe its that important to NTs.

Also stimming and nervous habits. Several other aspies I know do things like nose pick while talking, which I find hard to deal with, so I guess it must be all the harder for NTs. But a lot of stimming activities must be awkward for NTs and I don't know how it could be explained conveniently.

Another thing is, though they cover it to some extent, not to fuss too much. If you take too much interest in helping it can be seen as intrusive or paramount to stalking. It is about being construuctively helpful.

This might be a time to raise another issue....clicking on a link. I don't know if anyone else has this problem, but if I click on a link while signed on, when I disconnect the link I lose NAS as well, without signing off. There doesn't seem to be a way out of links. But maybe it is me acting dumb.