cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/12320962

Neurotypicals, what do autistic people look like to you?

Trying to get an idea of how NTs see us. I know that when I see autistic people, I see someone that’s like me. Obviously, that’s not how NTs perceive us, so what do we look like to yall??

  • jordanlund@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    There isn’t a single degree of “autism”. Some people have it way worse than others.

    One of my good friends has an autistic kid who is just one step away from having to wear a helmet to keep him from banging his head on walls. Pretty much non-verbal. Poor kid, I feel sorry for him and his own family.

    My kid is a high functioning computer programmer making more money than I do creating those AI systems everyone is freaking out over. You’d likely never guess he had been diagnosed.

    • Tippon@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      9 months ago

      This is the problem with questions like this - you won’t notice the people who ‘pass’. If you ask someone to point out a specific group, you’re only going to see the people who stand out.

      I’m in a similar situation to your kid, in that I’m a high functioning computer geek (in the best way :D ), and if it wasn’t for the fact that my kid was diagnosed, I would have thought that I was neurotypical, but with a few quirks. For the people answering questions like this, I probably wouldn’t be on their radar.

      • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        Exactly. Most people won’t notice my wife’s autism because she masks extremely well unless she’s very comfortable with someone. My gf on the other hand you may not notice her autism because she doesn’t look like what most people associate with autism, but she’s terrible at masking and just comes off as blunt, over focused, judgmental, and bad at or uncaring towards people.

            • TheGalacticVoid@lemm.ee
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              9 months ago

              Ah, didn’t know you were midwestern. Down here in Texas, our intimate relationships are only between ourselves and the sun.

              • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
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                9 months ago

                Up here you need to pack all the bodies you can together in the winter. Or at least you used to back when we had winters. Also it’s just far more frugal to make a casserole for several people.

                • TheGalacticVoid@lemm.ee
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                  9 months ago

                  Down here we’re legally obligated to have an acre to ourselves outside of the major cities. Since there’s no life around, the pnly thing that keeps my heart warm and healthy is my beloved star.