Neocities.org

I added a new page to the UFO - Life Through Autism-Tinted Glasses, to provide insight on how some everyday events and experiences can feel to an autistic person.

I've not been diagnosed with it, but there are somethings on that list which I understand or can relate to. I've never liked eye contact with people. I don't know why that is. (With cats, if you blink at them a few times while looking them in the eye, they take that as a sign of friendliness and will follow you, etc...) Eye contact in general is just something I don't like doing.

Well written article, as usual. I recognise pretty much all of the things you write about in myself. (I really need to talk to a doctor about that.)

Until recently, I found texting/sending e-mails much more comfortable than using phones. I don't mind speaking to people if I know them, have a scheduled meeting with them, or if there aren't a lot of people around. If I'm not expecting it, I prefer to end the conversation quickly or move on. Noise in crowded places is a big problem for me. At uni, I avoided 'Freshers week because the design of the building amplified

the noise of the crowd. I had to go around to other entrances to avoid the crowds or eat outside. (Lecture theatres could be bad if they were full up and I was always glad when they ended.) Pubs, night clubs - nope. Can't stand being in them. I can tolerate pubs and restaurants if there aren't many people there, but if they are busy, I want to leave as soon as I can, or go really quiet.

I don't like visitors to my home that much, but that's come about having to deal with rude people when my partner's had to go to hospital, or had to deal with 'official' people who judge your home and make comments on it. Some people think they can police what your hobbies and interests are, which I find is just plain obnoxious.

I was diagnosed with autism years ago, but I was skeptical because I have no issues with eye contact or social cues, even though I hate face-to-face social interaction, period. Well, I learned there's more to autism, and most of what you've written is more relatable than anything. I hate it here!

Thank you for your comments, @bright-eyes! You might just be very introverted, and/or sensitive to stimuli and other things. I can totally relate to everything you said however. Judgmental/nosy people are the absolute worst.

Thank you for your kind praise, @nenko! While I obviously don't know you well enough to make any assumption, I have heard that autism in women is under-diagnosed because it's harder to detect. Just a thought. I'm pretty sure at least a number of the things I mentioned can apply to some non-autistic people as well.

Thank you for your perspective, @cyberwitch! I think autistic women are better at "camouflaging" their symptoms and can perhaps have less obvious social issues, which might explain that. Either way, autism is a very diverse spectrum (hence the rainbow infinity symbol) and no two autistic people are exactly alike! (:

I didn't think that I was - there would have been more symptoms and problems. I had a friend with autism at uni who was doing creative writing and I looked it up so I could understand him better and help him. I found it surprising how many of the traits that are present in introverted people are also present in autistic people, but some of the worst ones I don't have.