Aspie Challenge #8

“You don’t act like you’re autistic”

Of course I don’t act like I’m autistic – that comes naturally to me. I work very hard to act like I’m not autistic. That can be very exhausting.

I would prefer to simply “act naturally”, but too many people vigorously object.

Aspie Challenge #7

Empathy

Contrary to popular myth, I do not lack empathy. It’s you who fails to recognise my way of experiencing and expressing it.

Autism Challenge #6

“You’re weird”

Aspie Challenge #5

Face Blindness

If you change your hairstyle; if you change your usual lipstick colour; if we cross paths in a different environment than where we usually meet; if I usually see you wearing a neck tie but today you are wearing an open necked shirt; if I usually see you in jeans but today you are wearing a dress, then

I WILL NOT RECOGNISE YOU!

You will need to provide me with some clues. I find women are particularly troublesome in this respect as even a change in eye lining or the wearing/not wearing of mascara can throw me.

Aspie Challenge #4

Eye Contact

When I say that direct eye contact is extremely unsettling, believe me, it really is.

Aspie Challenge #3

I’m not being rude

From time to time we all find ourselves in conversations that we find uninteresting. It’s just that I can’t fake being interested as well as you can.

Aspie Challenge #2

I’m not Rain Man

If I feel secure enough to tell you that I am on the autism spectrum, it doesn’t mean I have suddenly turned into Rain Man

Aspie Challenge #1

It’s always my fault

When I fail to understand what a neurotypical person means (which is quite often), it’s MY FAULT.
When a neurotypical person fails to understand what I mean (Which is quite often), it’s MY FAULT.