I learned I don't hear correctly today b/c of my Autism

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IdahoAspie
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16 Feb 2008, 2:17 am

Just like we don't actually read words, but are able to read what they say, for example:

" You can raed tihs eevn tohguh it is bdlay msiseplld" because your brain only actually reads the first and last letters in order, I think we do the same thing with words and sight. We filter out, than"fill in" what we think is there so we don't have to concentrate on every single sound. I think are brains would be overwhelmed if we did. So our mind takes "short cuts" and cuts out the expected routine sounds and replaces them with common sounds.

The importance of this is because it illustrates that we, those with non-neurotypical minds, might very well hear, see, and feel everything differently then NT's in more meaningful ways that we might have not thought of before.

If we are more easily overwhelmed by sight, sound, and touch, our minds probably fliter out more and fill in a great deal more, meaning we probably miss a great of what is being said, seen, and felt by the general NT population. That might have something to do with why we miss nonverbal ques, we fill in things, instead of seeing what is really there or not there.

Am I going too deep, or is this making sense to you?



Mum2ASDboy
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16 Feb 2008, 2:25 am

I understood you. Maybe that is why my boy has been more difficult today. Too much noise around him :(
What about smell? Does that have some effect as well?



IdahoAspie
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16 Feb 2008, 2:33 am

Mum2ASDboy wrote:
I understood you. Maybe that is why my boy has been more difficult today. Too much noise around him :(
What about smell? Does that have some effect as well?


I would think it would impact all senses. It is known that people with Autism have unusual sensory input problems. Me, I have to have heavy clothes that feel a certain way on my body, otherwise I have problems.

They can get overwhelmed with sights, sounds, smells, touchs, and even tastes.

Children are naturally more sensative to everything, so I would imagine a child with Autism would super sensative to everything. They don't like certain foods, mostly because of the smell or feel in the mouth. I don't like seafood feelings in the my mouth, or the smell of sea salt, it makes me upset.

Noise is the biggest problem of all. Crying babies, random noise, and barking dogs are the worst for me. I call the cops on barking dogs because I just cannot handle it at all.
Consistant normal noises are not so bad once you get use to them. But new noises and random unpredicatable noises are bad, IMO



InSpades
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16 Feb 2008, 2:44 am

The problem is , we don't have a shield around our brains like NTs do. That is why the literal meaning of things hit us like a Mack truck, we have OCD, and are sensitive in every way.



IdahoAspie
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16 Feb 2008, 2:49 am

InSpades wrote:
The problem is , we don't have a shield around our brains like NTs do. That is why the literal meaning of things hit us like a Mack truck, we have OCD, and are sensitive in every way.


Did you mean to use a figurative metaphor to illustrate the literal? :lol:



whatamess
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16 Feb 2008, 2:56 am

Wow rather interesting...I know I have a much more sensitive sense of smell...When I wake up I will tell my husband if there are "termites" around because the smell in the house is different...(we have no central AC, so you can actually smell them) There are times when I will tell him..."I think the dog had an accident...", he'll say no...and then when I walk upstairs, the dog has had an accident...and we have a big house...

Also, because we don't have central air, I think that has greatly affected my peace here and my son's. I think when we lived in the US and it was much quieter, we both did much better...Here, I stay up all night because I just can't deal with all the noise during the day...and here it is 356AM and I am hearing car alarms go off...crazy! But it does put me in a bad mood and it does the same with our son.



Mum2ASDboy
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16 Feb 2008, 3:10 am

Thanks IdahoAspie.
He reacts BADLY to sudden noise, will scream, cover his ears or hit himself and I asked about smell because um his bum has been very stinky today. So I wondered if that could have been upsetting him.



IdahoAspie
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16 Feb 2008, 3:55 am

Mum2ASDboy wrote:
Thanks IdahoAspie.
He reacts BADLY to sudden noise, will scream, cover his ears or hit himself and I asked about smell because um his bum has been very stinky today. So I wondered if that could have been upsetting him.


That is what you call a meltdown. It is from overstimulas. He is being required to absorb and deal with more than he can handle at a given time.



Mum2ASDboy
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16 Feb 2008, 3:58 am

IdahoAspie wrote:
Mum2ASDboy wrote:
Thanks IdahoAspie.
He reacts BADLY to sudden noise, will scream, cover his ears or hit himself and I asked about smell because um his bum has been very stinky today. So I wondered if that could have been upsetting him.


That is what you call a meltdown. It is from overstimulas. He is being required to absorb and deal with more than he can handle at a given time.


Really??
I thought a meltdown was really full on :?
(touch wood) we haven't had one for AGES.



IdahoAspie
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16 Feb 2008, 4:07 am

Mum2ASDboy wrote:
IdahoAspie wrote:
Mum2ASDboy wrote:
Thanks IdahoAspie.
He reacts BADLY to sudden noise, will scream, cover his ears or hit himself and I asked about smell because um his bum has been very stinky today. So I wondered if that could have been upsetting him.


That is what you call a meltdown. It is from overstimulas. He is being required to absorb and deal with more than he can handle at a given time.


Really??
I thought a meltdown was really full on :?
(touch wood) we haven't had one for AGES.


I know I get really mad, and lose control, want to throw things, scream, etc, when I get really pushed emotionally, or mentally, or even in my environment, like being about too much noise and people. I need space, or I lose it.

I have seen my brother do it too, but he is more controlled, I think because his family keeps him in focus, I don't have anyone around me at home to keep me calmed down.

I think meltdown is a matter of degree.



Mum2ASDboy
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16 Feb 2008, 4:15 am

I can really lose the plot if I am pushed too much emotionally so I can sorta relate to you. Last time I 'lost it' I broke a cupboard door :oops: but I also had very bad PMS. I am pretty good at keeping my emotions under control.
But one can only take so much, autism or no autism. We are all human and everyone has a 'breaking point'



SilverProteus
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16 Feb 2008, 11:13 am

Makes sense...



Zwerfbeertje
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16 Feb 2008, 11:42 am

Actually it's more the other way around. We filter less and are less inclined to assign meaning and fill in the gaps mentally, we are less oriented to seeing 'gestalt' then we are to seeing the details. This also has us spending more energy on processing input and we are more likely to miss what is said indirectly



pakled
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16 Feb 2008, 10:38 pm

I discovered that I always stop listening when introduced to new people. Or don't remember 2 seconds later what it was. It's embarrasing.



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17 Feb 2008, 12:13 am

I've done that all my life, and been aware of it. It's why my spelling is horrible: I don't pick up on some sounds in the words. As well as that, I'm horrible at picking up lyrics in songs, and using phrases I will often get a subtle word wrong, then when I see it in writing years later I'll pick up on that fact.

I remember Mum used to test me on diferent words and then make me write them down how I had heard them.



IdahoAspie
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17 Feb 2008, 4:29 am

pakled wrote:
I discovered that I always stop listening when introduced to new people. Or don't remember 2 seconds later what it was. It's embarrasing.


Me Too! I have the short term memory of gold fish. 15 seconds later I cannot remember what just transpired.