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What would you want NTs and NT children to know about autism?

I've been considering making short, lighthearted, animated videos about autism.
If you guys have any topic suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

Comments

  • IsabellaIsabella Citizen
    edited November 2020

    Very cool! Good luck with that!

    Off the top of my head:

    • It doesn't necessarily represent a learning disability or lower IQ
    • It doesn't necessarily mean the person is a genius or a savant
    • We do have empathy, often too much --- but often have trouble expressing it
    • Sensory issues: I don't think most people have a clue how bad they can be
    • We get energised by being alone (but this doesn't mean we never want to see people)
    • Don't assume everyone is "High Functioning" based on your perceptions
    • Everyone is NOT on the spectrum!! (It's an autism spectrum, not a people spectrum)
    • "High Functioning" doesn't mean a person has no challenges, or that their HFA doesn't matter
    • Meltdowns are not tantrums
    • Men mask their autism just as much as women (and some people don't / can't mask at all)
  • AmityAmity Administrator, Citizen

    Nice idea Komanga ☺ A good use of your talents and time spent practicing!!

    For me I have more of a theme than specific ideas.

    How different we all are and that it takes time to understand the Autism Spectrum on a deeper level.

    That coming to ASD virtual communities and speaking with actual autistics is perhaps the best way to understand the spectrum. It helps people to develop an accurate understanding of the ways we are similar, but different.

    Once this is done in an enquiring but respectful way people, these people are best placed to be a friend to the Autism Community.

    My reasoning/ramblings lol

    There are plenty of people who want to do good over harm, if they get their information from books (they will likely not be written by autistics) the authors are likely influenced by the medical model of disability and this first impression like all other first impressions sticks like mud in the enquiring mind.

    If there were a way to challenge established first impressions that could work too, but no one ever likes being told they are wrong, so I'm not sure how you could go about that effectively.

  • @Amity

    I have a similar outlook actually! That's basically why I wanted to ask you all. I'm just a small part of the spectrum and I think my opinions alone aren't enough to represent the whole community.

    Like @Isabella said (Thank you so much btw for so many ideas. They are awesome.) 'We do have empathy, often too much --- but often have trouble expressing it'. I don't think I'm a very emphatic person myself. So I need someone to help me understand how this works for them.
    I think when I decide on a list of topics, I may ask you guys to tell me how each topic manifests itself in you.

    I don't want this to be one of those symptom-explaining, scientific-in-an-NT-way type of thing. I'm not a professional anyway. I want to reveal autistic terms in a casual way, people should get what things mean from the context, which I want to keep as clear as possible.
    I want to write 'attractive' titles in order to lure in as many people as possible, without lying of course.

    I've got an idea about how to challenge first impressions. I don't know how to put it in words yet though so I still have to think about it.

  • I don't know whether these apply to everyone but:

    In communication, we are often dedicated to truth. Even if the truth is not always nice or won't solve anything. I believe in putting my thoughts out there so i can analyze and possibly change them.
    When i am being blunt i am not really acting on emotion or trying to annoy anyone. I just think i owe it to people i care about to be as genuine as possible.
    When someone is upset and i am trying to help them i often tell what i did in a similar situation. I have no other thought in my head than helping the other person when i do that and i am not trying to make the convo about me at all. I just don't know any other way to help. To me solving the situation is more important than letting them cry on my shoulder.

  • I often run into that kind of situations too, April, I think asking for clarification (especially of intention or need) should be destigmatised. In my house, we're encouraged to ask: do you need to vent? are you looking for solutions? etc. Or directly what can I do? What do you need? To the point that the person looking for support often just volunteers the information themselves and starts with "rant incoming" or "help me sort this out" or whatever.

    It helps a lot but many people don't seem to feel comfortable with it or maybe it's just unusual for them 😕

  • @Aprilr said:
    I don't know whether these apply to everyone but:

    In communication, we are often dedicated to truth. Even if the truth is not always nice or won't solve anything. I believe in putting my thoughts out there so i can analyze and possibly change them.

    When i am being blunt i am not really acting on emotion or trying to annoy anyone. I just think i owe it to people i care about to be as genuine as possible.

    When someone is upset and i am trying to help them i often tell what i did in a similar situation. I have no other thought in my head than helping the other person when i do that and i am not trying to make the convo about me at all.

    I just don't know any other way to help. To me solving the situation is more important than letting them cry on my shoulder.

    May I be bluntly honest?
    No?
    I'm not going to take "no" for an answer, here. 🙃

    I find it easier to read a person's post when it is broken up in paragraphs.
    A lot of people agree. 😎

    Your emotions are irrelevant.
    The Truth must prevail. 🐨

  • Of course, i am sorry if it is uncomfortable to read.

    For some reason i am always worried that my post will get too long and will have to be split to two. I am too used to twitter lol.

    I will adhere to the Truth from now on.

  • SheldonSheldon Citizen
    edited November 2020

    @Aprilr said:
    Of course, i am sorry if it is uncomfortable to read.

    For some reason i am always worried that my post will get too long and will have to be split to two. I am too used to twitter lol.

    I will adhere to the Truth from now on.

    One down.
    6 billion to go. ;)

    So, is it a glitch, or have the emojis been disabled because the emoji bug has to be fixed? 🐨

  • Teach51Teach51 Citizen
    edited November 2020

    Hmmmmm. Seeing Tony Attwood's YouTube videos was the first step in me understanding that neurological diversity does not equate with less or inferior. When I was training in Cross Cultural Communication I was taught that in Asia looking directly in a person's eyes is disrespectful and confrontational. In the west it is a sign of sincerity and honesty, "Look me in the eyes and say that!" People are highly motivated to learn to communicate with Asians in order to form commercial collaborations and deals.

    What would motivate people to gain a deeper understanding into what it feels like to be autistic? My motivation to understanding autism was initially because of good friends who needed my help, then, fate brought me an aspie lover and also a newly diagnosed grandson. I would emphasize the remarkable positive traits, integrity, honesty, loyalty and the cognitive and creative talents some autistics possess. That's on the HFA end of the spectrum at least and not globally representational I know. Ted Talks and YouTube videos by autistics are great for NT's to get some sense of what it feels like to be autistic. In my country there is no stigma relating to autism and I was truly surprised to discover that stigma exists.

    Note: I am in no way negating or minimizing the existence of bullying and negative experiences that people on the spectrum have dealt with, just talking about my own personal perspective and experience.

  • HylianHylian Citizen, Mentor

    That autistic people don't have sensory issues and stim to be disruptive or annoying to others, and that stimming isn't just fidgeting. One of the things that makes me feel bad is when I'm doing something stim wise that isn't overly noticeable or distracting, and people, including family members, go out of their way to point it out and tell me to stop because I'm trying to be distracting.

    Also, that sensory issues and stimming don't just manifest from anxiety, and a lot of autistic people still have to stim when they're not stressed/overwhelmed. A lot of people in my life assume that the things I do to stim are just from anxiety and interrogate me about "what's wrong" when nothing is wrong, and won't take me saying things are fine for an answer and ask me to stop doing what I'm doing because it's not a "good way to deal with anxiety."

  • IsabellaIsabella Citizen
    edited November 2020

    @Hylian said:

    Also, that sensory issues and stimming don't just manifest from anxiety, and a lot of autistic people still have to stim when they're not stressed/overwhelmed. A lot of people in my life assume that the things I do to stim are just from anxiety and interrogate me about "what's wrong" when nothing is wrong, and won't take me saying things are fine for an answer and ask me to stop doing what I'm doing because it's not a "good way to deal with anxiety."

    I agree 100%, @Hylian

    You and I have so much in common.

    Stimming is a way of regulating our senses. It isn't triggered by anxiety, although it may feel comforting to balance a dysregulated nervous system or release endorphins.

    When I'm highly anxious I shut down and don't stim at all, because I can't tolerate any sensory input.
    I struggle with BFRB and self-harm when I'm stressed, but they aren't stims.

    There are many misconceptions about autism and neurodivergence.

    I hope your project is going well, @komamanga.
    Feel free to post more questions or message me, if you're still looking for ideas or personal examples.

    Empathy is certainly a complex topic but I have lots of insight to share.

  • Hi guys! I've had very little time to apply myself to this project but I really appreciate your comments. Feel free to share more and I'll get to it as soon as I can.
    Also, I'm struggling these days with my ability to express myself. So even writing this simple message has taken me ages. I'm going to come with more questions to ask you... as soon as I get my brain working again.

  • Some minor disagreements:


    Isabella said:
    • We do have empathy, often too much --- but often have trouble expressing it

    The empathy question is more complex than this.  It's a matter on which we vary widely.  In general, many of us are (to one degree or another) lacking in "cognitive empathy" but not "emotional empathy."


    Isabella said:
    • Men mask their autism just as much as women (and some people don't / can't mask at all)

    I wouldn't say "just as much."  I would say that both men and women vary widely in terms of how much we mask.  For example, I mask a lot less than many autistic women apparently do.  However, on average, it seems that most autistic women tend to mask more than most autistic men.




  • Thanks Mona.  You have done a lot more research on the topic, and you know autistic people "in real life".  I base my opinion on the fact that I don't (can't?) mask very well, and I know a lot of men on autism sites who say that they do.    My main point is that many autistic women aren't skilled at masking, and haven't developed many coping strategies, in contrast with the stereotype often presented about autistic women. 


  • Statest16Statest16 Citizen, Mentor
    My thought is I don't care,stopped caring long ago and don't see myself caring in the future.
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