DO people with ASD have poor self awareness?

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Joe90
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05 May 2011, 10:24 am

Although I was slightly behind with self-awareness from my peers when I was at school, I caught up with them eventually, which shows that my self-awareness had improved as the years went by when I was at school.
When I was 5, I still had temper tantrums, where I screamed at the top of my lungs and kicked my legs, which worried the other children. When I was 7, I grew out of screaming and just cried if I got anxious of anything at school. And by the time I was 9, I used to get anxious but never cried - just went to a teacher and told them whenever I felt anxious of uncomfortable about something. Then by the time I got up to high school, I just cried at normal things what most kids cried at, eg feeling isolated by other kids. I was a very emotional teenager, but most teenage girls are. Often when I went into the girls toilets there's been a girl sobbing her heart out at something with a pile of tissues next to her, usually caused by friendship issues, love issues, and bullying.

I just wish I didn't scream and kick when I was 5. I know other kids used to cry, but they never screamed and kicked. But I suppose you don't have to be Aspie to be emotionally behind your peers. When my brother's friend was 8, (he is very typical NT), he used to start bawling when he came out of school and his mum had to carry him home, with him crying all the way home. I know kids are kids, but I think for an 8-year-old that is not very common. I never got carried after I was about 6 or 7, especially if I was crying over nothing.


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syrella
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05 May 2011, 10:32 am

I have fairly poor spatial awareness. I bump into things quite constantly and frequently misjudge distances. I think it's more because my mind is "elsewhere", though. My spatial reasoning is otherwise just fine.


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CockneyRebel
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05 May 2011, 11:30 am

I'm constantly banging into things and I have near perfect vision. I bang into doorways, counters, tables and railings. If there's anything for me to bang in to, hances are that I will bang into it.


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AllieKat
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05 May 2011, 12:29 pm

Yep: I have been to be clumsy and bump into people in certain situations .g. the pushing a shopping cart around the grocery store with zillions of people navigating the aisles. Which is why I always do my grocery shopping at around 11PM to avoid having to push the shopping cart with so many people around.



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05 May 2011, 12:34 pm

Yes, I am well known to be unaware of my surroundings and my relation to them most of the time. So much so that til a few days ago I wasn't aware that I lack depth perception. Like most problems I have I'm sure my mother has been commenting on it since I was born but only just recently did I notice it myself and realize she's right. I always knew my vision was bad but I didn't know my depth perception was as bad as it is. I was also made more aware a few years ago that small cracks in the sidewalk that I can walk over during the day look like big steps at night, which further explains why I walk very slow feeling along a wall when in a dark room when other people can just walk through without nearly as much trouble.


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Joe90
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05 May 2011, 3:39 pm

It looks like I've been posting the wrong sort of replies in this thread. I thought self-awareness meant caring about yourself as in appearence, fashion, actions, and what other people think of you, ect.


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Alphawolf
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03 Sep 2016, 7:24 am

Wow this question sounds like something asked by a Neurotypical. The term poor suggests that autistic self awareness is somehow inferior if it does not parallel neurotypical self awareness. My counter question as an autistic person is what is the definition of poor self awareness. As an autistic man I am completely self aware but my sense of self awareness is definitely different than that of most NT's. I say all this because; if the question is really suggesting that "Good" self awareness must follow the NT example then everything else must be bad. Sounds a lot like a question steeped in autistic self hate if you ask me.

I have great self awareness even if it in no way alligns itself with the so called norms of NT Self Awareness. I use very elaborate and complex systems to both monitor and manage my self awareness. I am sure NT's don't use systems to monitor and manage their self awareness because they constantly tell me so. NT's have also on many occasions told me I am very much self aware better than the average NT so the consensus goes.

Autism is a spectrum disorder so the levels of self awareness runs the spectrum from not very NT like to very NT like self awareness. After years of pretending to be normal (autistic werewolf style) I have an almost NT like self awareness but how I engineer, manage and monitor what passes as self awareness is an entirely different process. I don't like this question because; the word bad suggests their is an ideal sense of self awareness and I don't think there is. Self awareness is a spectrum of outcomes that work for the individuals concerned. The selfi si the most personal aspect of human self expression. It is the height of huberis to suggest that someone is wrong at being their "Self!" Any individuals human self is what it is judging the self as good or bad just creates pain and conflict where there is none.

I'm self aware in ways that are good for me no matter what others think and that is the case for all autistic people. I can't speak for NT's because; I've never been one!



JVM23
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03 Sep 2016, 12:03 pm

Self-awareness isn't a problem for me. Problem is, I may have too much of it.



morugin
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03 Sep 2016, 12:43 pm

Well, people with asd have poor social awareness. That's like the defining characteristic.

Some of the things you mention (e.g., being told something multiple times and forgetting it) I experience as well.

I can't tease apart what is asd and what is adhd, and it seems like the two just merge into each other. I think asd and adhd often occur together.



Alphawolf
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03 Sep 2016, 4:28 pm

Yes but Social Awareness is way different from Self Awareness. I'm absolutely terrible at social awareness because; I'm clueless except for the Miss Manners scripted social skills. Things like Thank you... Your welcome. Please. Excuse me. Good Morning... etc. Those things are indicative of Social Awareness. Self Awareness is an autistic individuals own awareness of "self". Social awareness is the correct appreciation of where they fit in the NT human social dynamic and how to successfully navigate to achieve their goals while staying within the bounds of civility.



macandrui
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03 Sep 2016, 5:02 pm

my parents called me "Junebug" as a kid because of knocking into things, i put a tooth through my upper lip once when i failed to stop before hitting a wall, i like skateboarding, but couldn't manage to coordinate enough for an Ollie, i worked construction and was constantly knocking into things with my hard hat.

there is a hanging lamp in our living room that i knock into an average of once a month, since we moved in about 7 years ago.

and the list goes on and on :-P

and that's just the spatial awareness part.

i had to put a mirror next to my desk so i could be reminded what i look like :-D sometimes i still make faces at myself in the mirror like i did when i was a boy :-X

so, that's a big yes for me :-)



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03 Sep 2016, 5:25 pm

I used to have trouble walking like everyone else and maintaining proper posture. I've heard "quit slouching" more times than I care to admit and would get upset when my family pointed it out. I can walk normal now but it's only because I've spent much time watching my reflection and constant practice. Working out helped too, sore muscles made it easier to find the proper shoulder rotation and chest placement. I like walking past buildings with lots of windows to check my posture. My friends have notice how much I stare at my reflection and they tease me (in good humor) by calling me a bird.



Alphawolf
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03 Sep 2016, 7:30 pm

My spacial awareness sucks. I stim so I can remain aware of where I am in relation to everything else. I stim also because it lets me focus enough on reality to be aware of everything going on around me. I don't recognise faces, I bump into things but that is just part of who I am. I guess the things I do that are weird are so much a part of me I don't even think of them any more. I stopped caring.



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03 Sep 2016, 9:44 pm

Alphawolf wrote:
Things like Thank you... Your welcome. Please. Excuse me. Good Morning... etc. Those things are indicative of Social Awareness.

I learned these "social niceties" when I was very young. If the use of these are indicative of "good" Social Awareness, then I score quite highly in this category. Particularly since I tend to use these "social niceties" (especially, Please, Thank You, Excuse Me and Bless You) far more often than others.