Little things that you're not great at doing
Hylian
Citizen, Mentor
in General ASD
I sometimes see autistic people mention having problems doing things that seem relatively simple to other people, like riding a bike or even just blowing a bubble with gum.
Are there certain things that it seems like everyone else around you can do, but you either struggle to do or can't do them at all?
I can technically ride a bike, but I'm bad at it and don't do it often. Playing video games is also actually pretty hard sometimes. They require good reaction time and being able to coordinate your fingers onto the right buttons at the right time, which I suck at. lol
Comments
1) Adulting. Pretty much all of it.
In terms of physical skills:
I can't throw a ball. It's weird because I can throw things into the trash from a distance, sink a basketball, or even throw a football with a spiral, but I can't throw a round ball.
I have a very hard time walking in a straight line without plowing into the wall.
I'll think of more. I am able to blow a bubble, whistle, and snap my fingers though. I've never really tried a video game.
This is hard to answer because describing or conceptualizing myself is a problem for me.My answer is ironic but non the less true
Good answer ^ . Very interesting, Statest.
That reminds me that I have a very hard time seeing patterns in my own life or my own behaviour. I can't generalise either. If someone asks me how I am, I can give 50 examples of what's happening in my life with micro-detail but I can't put the events together to generalise, see the big picture, or label how I am.
For the life of me, I just can't do "stupid".
So many people around me do it so well, and I am envious.
Damn!
It would be so great to be one of the mind zombies.
Embracing groupthink would give me such a feeling of community, but I'm just not a silly person.
Damn!
Well, yes, I am creatively silly, through my humour, but even my humorous silliness is very intellectual.
Damn!
I just can't seem to do the political partisanship thing.
My objectivity, rationality and critical thinking skills won't let me.
Damn!
I just can't do the emotionalism thing.
I have to always be objective, rational, a searcher of Truth, and the employer of scientific methodology.
Damn!
Let's face it.
I am an abject failure, in this life system.
Damn!
"One of these things are different. One of these things doesn't belong."
It seems I don't belong in this life system.
But at least I am very modest.
That counts for something, right?
Throwing anything is kind of hard. I have bad aim. When I was getting help with my motor skills in the 3rd/4th grade they had me catch and toss a ball to people since I couldn't do that. lol
I learned to snap my fingers when I was 11-12, but I can't whistle or blow a bubble with gum.
I also only put a couple examples for myself because I'm not that great at recalling things to describe myself either. I don't really know how good I am at generalizing things.
Yea,more factual than abstract,it's seems maybe were both that way a bit.
Dancing is an area that just isnt for me, I dont have that bodily/spatial intelligence.
Similarly I cant catch/throw with any accuracy, but when Im in stress response mode my coordination improves significantly.
I remember when I had Wii Fit, I couldn't balance on the step pad with both feet for more than a few seconds.
One foot was kind of difficult too, but that's more common for people.
I thought it was curious that I couldn't stand with both feet together without tipping over.
I can't whistle. Apparently this is an old-timey indicator for homosexuality. Can at least confim that bit isn't accurate.
Old-timey people when someone can't whistle, apparently:
https://youtu.be/u1f0MWuX55g
I can't pick up dog poo? I don't know why everyone is so surprised to hear this but apparently it's a thing people can easily do.
I don't understand time.
I have difficulty with balance and spatial awareness as well. Today I burned my fingers again when I was making grilled cheese.
I'm bad at anything competitive or requires prolonged attention, such as games. I'm also bad at tying my shoelaces, sewing, making knots...
I can't easily make myself want to take a shower...
Hi komamanga and welcome back!
I identify with pretty much everything on your list.
Here's something: I can't remember which knob controls which element on my cooktop. I always put the wrong one on. Always. And I always stand there and memorise it or try to make sense of it but then without failure I do it again. I read an autism thread somewhere where someone else said the same thing.
@Isabella thank you
I often forget the knobs as well.
I can't compute left, right, up or down. If I have to describe a place/direction, I'm slow. If I have to understand where something is/goes because someone has just described it to me, those words mean nothing.
Small talk, but that goes without saying I guess.
Me with my doctor:
Doctor: Hi! How can I help you? How are you?
Me: I'm fine thanks, how are you?
She always just looks at me weirdly when I say that, like I'm not supposed to ask about her health, and I shouldn't be "fine" if I'm at the doctor.
Isn't it manners for me to say that?
Friend: "Happy birthday, Isabella!"
Me: "Thanks! You too!"
I always get weird looks when I ask someone how they're doing right after they've asked me, since that's the polite thing to do. It's confusing, but I just try to ignore it so I don't dwell on it. lol
I will lose track and repeat it as well:
Me: Hi how are you?
Person: Good thanks, how are you?
Me: I'm good thanks, how are you?
I'm bad at regularly dusting/cleaning, these days.
I like doing it when I get around to it, but it is getting started that is the problem.
Lately, I have found a working solution.
There is a 2 hour show on Sunday that I always watch.
I put the TV on, and while listening to the current event show, I clean the area I am in, killing two birds with one stone.
I tried cleaning the kitchen and listening to TV today. Didn't work so well as the TV is in another room.
epic fail
I'm in a mega-huge room upstairs. Something akin to a Viking longhouse. I spend around 70% of my waking time there. I would need hiking boots and a backpack full of provisions to circumnavigate around it, but can still hear the TV in all areas.
I also have a TV in my bedroom which is connected, so I put that TV on if I clean there.
Two TVs going at the same time?
Hmmm. I hope the climate change police never hear about that.
Moral of the story:
Issy needs more TVs in different rooms.
No I don't!!! I don't love TV at all!! We have one TV that is very occasionally used, and one that is never used (it's not even a Smart TV). No TV's in the bedrooms.
I only put it on because it was a ghost story but then I missed it by running water and cleaning the kitchen.
Parking, driving and putting more worth social necessities over my health.
Today there was a person (without a mask) who wanted to hand out flyers to me. I didn't want to touch it obviously and was about to refuse saying "because of corona" but mom took it and later said it was bad manners.
If i was handing out flyers i would be worried since people wouldn't want to touch it, and make sure to disinfect them first. Better yet use gloves and of course a mask. And in the most negative consequence, i would be understanding if people refused since they are considering their health and its not my place to get offended.
I have trouble cutting up fruits and vegetables the correct way.
(Double post merged by mod)
Not being honest.
But I am working on that.
Getting rid of things.
I have made some progress this week and kept it going but I can lose that momentum.
I have lots of reasons to not get rid such as recycling or I could sell it. It can be difficult to fight against my instinct.
These aren't little things: but I'm not great at predictions, inference, or strategic thinking. I can't read other people's intentions or motivation. A perfect example is that I can't watch TV shows like Survivor. I can't understand those duplicitous alliances, the fake friendships, or how to calculate / evaluate other people. It's even more hopeless for me to watch that show because I'm face blind and I don't recognise contestants from one scene to the next. Just the thought of all that sunshine and choosing to eat bugs instead of being home with one's kids, loved ones, or pets does my head in.
I don't know if I have any amount of face blindness as I've never really thought about having that, but deciphering who is who on shows and even in real life can be hard.
If I met two brown haired, white women and saw both of them later I wouldn't be able to tell who is who unless I had picked out specific features to look for and identify them with. When I was a kid it was a lot harder and I rarely said anyone's name unless I knew them well, because I knew I'd get who they were wrong and upset them.
Yep face blindness is another.
Put a uniform on some people and I am really working hard to know who is who.
If they have same hair colour etc. I am knackered too.
Oddly enough, I use their gait or walking style to help me identify from afar.
Some neighbours of mine once said that my daughter and I walk exactly the same and have the same posture.
This really added to my agoraphobia.
MD and I weren't together when they said this so that means they study us and notice things and remember how we walk when we aren't even side by side? Also, what is so specific about our gait? Was that a subtle putdown? Now I won't leave the house if I see them outside. Some people have no clue how much anxiety they can provoke in others.
^Apparently i walk weird too, multiple people commented on that in the past.
They just can't imagine how saying that makes us feel.
^ yes
My grandmother who was a model used to make me walk with books on my head to correct what she said was bad posture and an unbecoming gait.
Gee thanks, lady.
I also quit the Track and Field team when I was ten, because someone said I had a weird posture when I was running. It was the only school team I ever joined, and this girl ruined it for me. People don't realise how much their words stick with us. I'm still worried about my posture / gait every time I leave the house. Then I feel like I overcorrect and end up looking stiff or unnatural in my movements.
Seriously, why do people care so much about meaningless stuff? I am sorry that girl ruined something that you enjoy.
I know what you mean about correcting your gait/posture too, there was a time when i didn't know what to do with my arms when standing. I was overly self conscious because i felt like people will understand i am weird if my posture was "wrong"
On to the topic, i am really bad with shopping for food.
When i go shopping i am never sure how much meat/ vegetables i should buy. I learned by listening to other customers and researching on the internet. I also can't cook without very specific recipes, i never know how much salt/pepper to add.