Ability to read people or just maneuvering?

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Lately I've noticed I can almost seamlessly pick my way through clods of people. Like today at a big volunteering event I threaded my way through 100's of people ranging from pairs to dozens. When someone was about to cross my path from a few feet away I stopped or redirected my course.

From my 35 years of experience on bicycles and motorcycles hazard avoidance is a big part of what keeps me alive, so I seem to make many adjustments on auto-pilot but mentally I'm usually hyperalert to sudden movements. Every motorcycle safety lesson mentions making eye contact with other drivers but I've 'gotten by' on watching movements of the cars; something like seeing the car's wheels start to move as it's about to pull out from a side street

So am I really more in touch with social cues while on foot, or have my survival skills just translated over?

"So am I really more in touch with social cues while on foot, or have my survival skills just translated over?"

Very interesting question.

I observed once whilst I was on my bicycle and cycling around one of the most dangerous roundabouts in central London, that I could sneeze many times and yet keep my eyes open. I have heard this is impossible, yet when it comes to survival, we can often do incredible things.

Mystery and confusion surrounds the whole area of adaptive skills with people with AS and is a contributing factor in their neurological difference remaining below the autistic radar. Hense their greatest success (swimming against the tide amidst a sea of unknowing) proving their greatest barrier to being understood in many cases.

As a child, my adopted parents were cruel and violent to me. My mother was mentally ill and my father was alcoholic. To survive I acquired an antenna for my mothers mood swings, as if my life depended upon it........which it did.

As a direct result I acquired the ability to read my mums emotions more than any of my 'non-autistic' but emotionally stunted family.

Highly developed adaptive skills, acquired in adversity and refined in adversity can be very refined indeed.

Now, I know that I have learned the art of listening to others, and going through all the motions of feeling and conveying empathy, but it comes at a great cost.......I am easily overwhelmed and exhausted. Pre dx I just muddled through, post dx........well, I'm learning to live life more on lifes terms.

............back to your question,

"So am I really more in touch with social cues while on foot, or have my survival skills just translated over?"

Perhaps like me you have made great inroads into the human condition which you would not have made if it was not for the reasons you have outlined.

I am curious though if you find the type of maneuvering you mentioned above rather exhausting, and well............overwhelming?

I get similar effects, but it's definitely nothing social. It's awareness of potential threats for me.

Whether I can navigate my way through a crowd easily or with difficulty depends largely on the crowd. If it's really thick (like at a show) I'll wait till I see someone making their way through, and I'll follow right behind them, since they always make a path behind them - if you stay within a few feet you don't have to do anything but just follow that person.