What's an autistic walk?

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I lost a job due to my autistic posture. The person who sacked me said that I slumped in my chair and walked timidly, and therefore lacked the confidence and drive to be a successful part of their team.

Sounds like discrimination to me.. If you can prove that your posture is due to a medical condition (autism or otherwise) you could have a case for it.

You're absolutely right, but I think the statute of limitations has run out by now - that was 21 years ago. I didn't know any better back then. However, I've been enjoying my "new" job for 21 years now, while the sacker is manager of a business that picks up dog poo from rich people's yards. I believe I've been adequately compensated . . . Yay me!

Oh!

Sounds like a myth to me. As for my walk a few people have seen me and called it "power-walking". I move decisively but carefully, wasting no time because I rarely want to be out there in the first place and want to get it over with. I do swing my arms, but never loosely, and I tend to look at the ground or straight-ahead, rarely at people.

What sounds like a myth?

Stiff and bouncy is what I think of as an autistic walk. At least with me, the bouncing is a thousand times worse when running. Woe unto any animals that have the misfortune of being in a situation where I have to run while holding them. One actually threw up.

The way I used to walk was kind of robotic, I didn't swing my arms or if I did, it was not natural looking. I still feel more comfortable with my arms either straight down and not swinging, or with my elbows bent 90 degrees and arms close to my side, still not swinging. For some reason it feels right. Though usually to avoid getting comments about it I try to consciously shift my weight to each leg as I walk, and swing my arms as well. I learned to look normal by copying the way a friend walked. I still have to consciously think about it though, and it's not too difficult but it doesn't feel entirely natural for me.

Aw Poor pup/kitty!

I'm not sure. I have been told that my gait is strange and I've never swung my arms while walking because it requires conscious effort to do so. Hold my arms beside my sides with my elbows bent backwards because it feels more natural that way. One teacher at a school I used to go to told me that my gait was "bouncy". It's a very different walk from my non-autistic peers.

I have a bouncy walk. Whenever I have a medical checkup they always get me to do the walking part twice because the first time is too bouncy.

Also I wear through the soles of my shoes from the inside, which is apparently pretty rare.

I toe walked when I was little. I don't think it's myth. It has to do with difficulty with large motor skills which is a Spectrum thing.

The idea that there's a particular way all autistic people walk. Just from this thread we can see that's not really the case. It's like saying someone breathes like a schizophrenic. Some people just have an odd gait and are otherwise quite normal, kind of like the woman Jerry dated on 'Seinfield' who "walked like a caveman."

Ahhhh . . . thanks for clarifying! Since your post appears directly below Little Blue Jay's reply to mine and also begins with "Sounds like _______ to me" I thought you were implying that my story was a myth. My apologies!

No problem.

Heh, reminds me something that happened about 10 years ago; I was walking along a fairly remote road and this car drives past, STOOOOOPS, reverses, and my friend's at the wheel going 'Bungle! Get in!'

He said when I got in the car that he recognised me from the way I was walking. Most likely unrelated but hey, I found it funny