Jamesy
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11 Jan 2011, 10:17 am
leejosepho
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11 Jan 2011, 10:22 am
11 Jan 2011, 10:23 am
Jamesy
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11 Jan 2011, 10:37 am
11 Jan 2011, 11:09 am
11 Jan 2011, 11:12 am
11 Jan 2011, 11:12 am
I agree.
Sometimes people mistake certain autistic traits as immaturity, childishness, poor cognitive understanding or something else, even when those have nothing to do with it. They may misjudge our ability to understand what they say or our understanding of other things and therefore treat us like children or talk to us below our age level.
This used to happen to me all the time. People would treat me like a child or talk to me like I was a child. When I was 20 and had to quit music school the principal even asked me to have my mother phone them to confirm that I could quit, as if that was something I wasn't allowed to decide on my own like any other adult.
Meltdowns are one of the things that many neurotypicals mistake for childishness, because they resemble tantrums. Tantrums and meltdowns appear very similar on the outside, but on the inside they are two completely different things. Autistic meltdowns are out of our control and happen when we get overwhelmed, while normal tantrums are intentional and often used by children to get their way or manipulate people. Maybe your brother doesn't realize that your meltdowns are not regular tantrums like the ones he sees children throw. Maybe if you or your parents explained this to him he'd understand better and start talking to you at a more age appropriate level.
Jamesy
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11 Jan 2011, 11:30 am
i do kinda throw tantrums like a child intentionally to manipulate my parents as well 
11 Jan 2011, 11:43 am
That would make you an ass at these times.
It's interesting how those on the spectrum are not immune to using subtle dishonesty to manipulate others. It would appear that we are more human than not, in spite of our neurological make up.
Jamesy
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11 Jan 2011, 11:48 am
oh come on wavefreak we are humans 
11 Jan 2011, 11:49 am
Yes, but if a 21 year old human acts like a child then he cannot be upset that he is being treated like a child.
11 Jan 2011, 11:51 am
I have been told regularly "act as you want to be treated", it serves me well in many ways.
Jamesy
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11 Jan 2011, 11:56 am
11 Jan 2011, 11:57 am
Of course we are. Autism is is only a different mind, not a different species.
11 Jan 2011, 12:14 pm
Jamesy
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11 Jan 2011, 12:30 pm
