I recently overheard a colleague, whose child has been diagnosed with autism, explaining to our team that there are 'three levels of autism'. He was describing the difficulties that his child was experiencing. 

I know that these broad levels are used to refer to the amount of support that an autistic person will need. But I was concerned that this simplistic reference to 'levels of autism' risked leading those who don't know much about the subject to conclude that other 'levels' are somehow 'milder' - in other words, relating the extent of support to the subjective experience of the individual. 

I know that the debates around such language aren't new. But for me, they had an immediate relevance because I am new to this team and have been trying to explain my needs to my colleagues. These are difficult for t…

I saw a thread about this on another forum and I thought I'd post a similar one here, since I find the prevalence of pedantic speech in people with ASD very interesting.

Has anyone here been told, or noticed, that you have "pedantic speech" (basically overly formal speech, which can include an "inappropriate" use of academic speech and an extensive vocabulary)? Have you talked like that since you were a child? Why do you believe you talk like that?

I have been told by others that I often have an overly formal way of talking and have an extensive vocabulary. I have talked like that since maybe around mid-childhood, because I took a liking to the "accuracy" of it, and I think that accuracy + the extra vocabulary helps me explain my thoughts better. I am normally not great at that, so being able to use words that are "o…

I'm wondering what other people experience when they have to deal with sounds that they don't like.

My issue with them is that some sounds seem amplified for me, and when I have to hear them I can physically feel the sound vibrating through my ears/head, even if other people say they don't experience that. If the sound isn't of short duration it starts to hurt my ears and head, so I want to cover my ears or leave the area, which people sometimes make fun of me for because they say I'm being "dramatic". Due to that I try to not cover my ears or leave even though it physically pains me.

I am wondering if anyone else here has dyscalculia? How does it present for you, and what has helped you deal with it? Do you also have a career or want to go into one that uses a lot of math?

I recently was reading some things about it, and when something referred to it as "math learning disorder" it made me remember that I had that as a diagnosis as a kid. My dad made my doctor remove it from my current diagnoses though when I was around 11, because he didn't like me being diagnosed with it, so I forgot about it until now. 

I think if I had that in my records still and I actively knew about it as an adult + adolescent that it would have been very helpful, especially since I have always done terrible with math beyond basic multiplication (I never even learned how to divide properly, I just use a calculator).…

(I posted this discussion on WP last night, but I thought I'd also post it here.)

Do you info-dump when you talk to other people about your interests, and do you like when other people info-dump to you?

If you info-dump, does it cause issues for you? Do you let yourself info-dump or do you try not to?

I info-dump a lot and that's the main way I like to talk with people. I like sharing information about things that interest me, so if someone brings up a topic I like or know a lot about my first instinct is to start sharing any relevant information that I have about that topic.

I also like when people info-dump to me since I get to learn new things, and I like when people are comfortable enough to talk about their interests like that to me.

Info-dumping causes issues for me though since…

Looking back on my life and having read autism posts for four years now, I am considering more deeply how very long it takes to make significant changes in one's life. 

I can remember trying something one or twice...or even a week or two...and then saying, "Well, that doesn't work!"

Or I can try something for a period of time which seems to work and then one day it doesn't and I give up in disgust. 

There are certainly things that don't work. But many take much longer than we think to achieve noticeable differences in our lives. Years. Maybe even decades. 

When I was in my 20s and 30s, I participated in a 12 step program. One of the emphases was on gratitude. At the time, I barely thought of being thankful for anything in my life. One could even say I complained and whined a lot.&…

I saw this CNN article that said some types of autism are caused by "Kleefstra Syndrome"

I have heard of most developmental conditions like the Trisomy conditions like Downs,Edwards or Patau's and other things like Retts but had never ever heard of Kleestra Syndrome.

And certainly never heard it caused autism or  as the article phrased it,types of autism.

Anyone else ever hear of this?

I'm all for things that make life better for an autistic person, and that these have to fought for in a less than perfect world. That's where advocates can do good.

However there's also what I would call a 'thought police' element centring round use of language, and how things should be approached,  that  is sometimes more about  dominant people wanting to control the agenda than something that is useful in itself. For me it can come over as quite  anxiety provoking ,intimidating and puritanical.

I just watched a video on sociopathy and it referred to non sociopaths as "Nurotypical's"

Never heard this before,really never outside of non-autism really.

I could see  it used as non-ADD or non-schizophrenic maybe but non-sociopath?