The Wired Differently Whisperer: Autism Discussion Page

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The gentleman that runs the Autism Discussion Facebook page linked below, is a humanitarian individual beyond anything I have seen on Facebook, per inspiring effort of passion and dedication to helping people on the spectrum and people who love them.

https://www.facebook.com/autismdiscussionpage

His advice is incredibly insightful, in bridging the communication among individuals who are wired differently both on the spectrum and off the spectrum.

I don't particularly care for all of the "social politics" of Facebook; however, this individual's page and advice is worth the effort in my opinion to sign up, if for no other reason than to view the helpful information, in more detail and to interact. He is a one of a kind human being and selfless person in helping others.

I have spent about 6 months on Facebook and pursued many avenues of information associated with Autism, and he stands clearly above everything I have come across, both for families of people on the spectrum and people on the spectrum. The site is identified to help Parents with children on the spectrum, but it is equally valuable in my opinion for adults on the spectrum. :)

Please check it out; his information in the last few days on communication differences between people on and off the spectrum is particularly enlightening and helpful.



5/17/13: Edited for additional information and clarification, per "WorldsEdge" valid concerns in response to this Op:

The person running the page, "Bill", has a list of all his topics organized off of Facebook at the link below.

https://sites.google.com/site/fragilewo ... espectrum/

Also my metaphor of the "Wired Differently Whisperer" was actually not meant to be humorous, in a "Ha Ha" way. It was meant to be an analogy of wit, directed more at people off the spectrum than on the spectrum as he is actually making the bridge to help people off the spectrum understand people on the spectrum better.

In other words he is "Whispering" both types of Communication where people are wired differently both on and off the spectrum.

It is in effect a "Whispering" of bridge in communication among two types of communication, not just one.

I find that without some type of emotional content in language that people generally do not pay attention to communication on the internet. I am not very good at the "emotional" stuff so I must rely on "Witty Words and Phrases" to gain attention for communication. I think Bill's overall message is worth the "Wit" of effort. :)

Last edited by aghogday on 17 May 2013, 6:09 pm, edited 2 times in total.

First impression: I'm afraid I don't really care for the layout. It seems rather disorganized. It may just be that while I do have a Facebook account, I almost never use it. Meaning I'm simply not all that "with it" in terms of operating within the whole FB structure. So, the applicability of this observation beyond me is probably limited. However, I think I would be a great deal less turned off if this material were posted on something like a generic web site or even a blog, where the whole article appeared and comments followed, not simply six lines with some "more" tag. Also, a landing page with an index would be preferable.

Second impression:

I'm afraid I'm not seeing what there is on the FB page (not properly a "site," is it?) that is helpful to adults on the Spectrum. Children, possibly, and adults trying to raise ASD children, probably. But ASD adults trying to navigate through the world we live in? That I'm afraid I don't see.

Also, the title to this thread:



I'm afraid I find something like what I bolded to be neither cute nor humorous. In fact, I find it both patronizing and borderline to being outright offensive. I am not a horse, cow, cat, dog or bacillus. If this is how the owner of that FB page refers to himself, I'd personally rather he keep his condescension to himself. Maybe something like this is appropriate in reference to children, though I have my doubts there, but it has no place at all in dealings with adults.

I don't expect people to like me or understand me, necessarily. (In fact, I've basically given up any hope at either.) But I do hope they would at least respect me and not tag me as some sort of animal in need of a trainer. Good grief.

However, I also did not see the phrase I bolded present anywhere on the FB Page. What am I missing here?

Third impression:



I tend not to go "grammar Nazi" on either myself or anyone else in the context of posting on discussion boards or in the comment section of blog or news articles. Yet if I were to hold myself out as offering advice, or as attempting to sway opinion via personal stories I'd also be sure to review everything I posted both before and after I posted it for obvious errors of fact or wording. So I do think criticizing the page here is within the bounds of the reasonable.

It simply does not seem like the individual behind this FB page is willing to go even as far as reviewing what is posted after it is posted. This makes me far less willing to take anything else said on the page seriously. Though this may simply be another personal foible of mine with no wider applicability, it was a rather unfortunate takeaway of mine while reviewing the page.

I like Bill's page. He's very much about "difference not defect," "presume competence," "if you want to understand autism, ask an autistic," and the like. IOW, he respects the people he works with.

He specializes in kids, professionally, so I find that some of his stuff is a bit too parent-oriented to "fit" adults.

That's the exception, though. Most of what he talks about can be adapted for adults pretty easily - especially since much of what he posts is advising NTs how to support an autistic person.

Even so, I prefer link>Karla's ASD Page<link. She's ALL about "neurodiversity," "difference not defect," "presume competence," "nothing about us without us," etc.

She is an autistic advocate/activist, not a clinical professional, so she approaches issues from a different perspective than a professional. I find a great deal of what she writes to be helpful.

Yeah, facebook's layout is horrible. Unfortunately, there are no options for changing it.


This is NOT anything the page author has said. It is aghogday's phrasing. I can see that he/she was trying to find a short, attention getting, funny title for the thread. While I also think his attempt at humour failed, I'm not going to beat him up about it.


While I also find errors like these rather jarring, I think that they are understandable on a page like this one.

He is a busy professional who is freely sharing his "take" on autism in an informal setting. At the time I write this, there are 4 posts - fairly lengthy ones - timestamped as being within the last 24 hours. He also participates actively in the discussions that the posts start, as well as commenting on other pages/blogs. That's a lot of writing!

That does seem a useful page, thanks for the heads up!

That said, I wonder if NTs find the long posts hard to get thru or is that just me?

And, yeah, the typos, bad grammar (more easier?! ack) are an irritant, but look past the superficials to the content. Sorta like looking past stimming to see the person.

English in general seems to be heading back into the non-standardization common in Chaucer's time & tho' I hate it, I just can't waste my limited energy fighting w/it.

I've been following this page for quite a while now. He seems very adept at describing symptoms/behaviors of autism in an understandable and relatable way for everyone.

OT...I finally replied to your message...

No worries, reply sent.

As an adult, I found his piece on finger picking helpful. If you go to the "about" section of this facebook site, the author has a webpage that is nicely organized.

Sorry, it took me so long to respond. I think the other comments in this thread adequately addressed your other general concerns about the page.

I would much rather see "Bill's" full content and interactive discussion page outside of the format of Facebook, too. However, Facebook does offer the potential to reach ten's of thousands of people.

He has a list of all his topics organized off of Facebook at the link below. I will edit my original comment to reflect this for people just noticing the thread.

https://sites.google.com/site/fragilewo ... espectrum/

Also my metaphor of the "Wired Differently Whisperer" was actually not meant to be humorous, in a "Ha Ha" way, it was meant to be an analogy of wit, directed more at people off the spectrum than on the spectrum as he is actually making the bridge to help people off the spectrum understand people on the spectrum better.

In other words he is "Whispering" both types of Communication where people are wired differently both on and off the spectrum.

It is in effect a "Whispering" of bridge in communication among two types of communication, not just one.

I find that without some type of emotional content in language that people generally do not pay attention to communication on the internet. I am not very good at the "emotional" stuff so I must rely on "Witty Words and Phrases" to gain attention for communication. I think Bill's overall message is worth the "Wit" of effort. :)

Thank you for the information in the about section of his Facebook site, where that link is available off of Facebook. That information allowed me to Edit and provide the link in the OP of this thread for people who may not feel comfortable clicking on a Facebook link.

You're welcome.

In our "Twitterverse", I think in general, society is falling away from deep thought and toward numerous short sound bytes to satiate appetite for communication.

Bill is from another time and place, approaching 60, living in the era, where great focus, time and effort was required for written communication.

Technology has added an element of stimulation to communication per the dopamine response, bright screens, colors, and graphic user interface that is changing communication, in general, to short sound bytes, and shorter attention span that is adverse to longer comments of thought and deeper thought, in general.

On the other hand, if it was not for that technology, it is highly unlikely that Bill could get this helpful advice out to so many people, free of charge, per his own selfless will of effort to help other people.

Karla does that on Karla's ASD page too, but it is additionally challenging for a person on the spectrum with reciprocal social communication challenges to moderate a social community full of differences in reciprocal social communication.

It usually takes a team of effort of moderation among people on the spectrum for effective moderation, to control dramas among people, as is seen on this Wrong Planet website.

Bill is a Soccer Coach style communicator both in real life and in his moderation technique. He keeps the dramas controlled like a Soccer Coach would to keep Cooperation among the team moving in a positive effort.

That requires what some people describe as a "NT" neurology, at least in part, to make that happen. I haven't seen anyone on the spectrum effectively accomplish that effort in an isolated effort. I certainly would not attempt it because I know it is beyond my reciprocal social communication capacity to effectively do it.

That said the positive effect of Karla's ASD page, outweighs the casualties of the Dramas, that made me uncomfortable on that page.

Bill does not fight against Autism, Society, "NT's, Parents, or Advocacy Organizations as generalities of groups in Society. He works with all of them. This is the most effective means of reaching a goal of increased Awareness and Acceptance for individuals on the Spectrum and among people who love and care about them.

And it does take a special type of skill in reciprocal social communication, which I used as a general metaphor per "Whisperer", to make this happen.

I haven't seen that happen anywhere else, effectively, per the real time results of reciprocal social communication in an avenue of Autism related advice in a large community page on Facebook.

In the link below Bill describes Scripts that are valuable in reciprocal social communication to successfully "Clarify and Verify" communication with other people.

It is a helpful link to have, for support in accommodation in communication for people who may have difficulty understanding this helpful concept.

https://www.facebook.com/autismdiscussi ... 2992674206

I have an issue with the above quote. I find it rather.....questionable to indicate that only "NT's" (from the context, I would assume you mean "non-Aspies") can succesfully moderate a web forum. I would hope that is not what you were indicating.

Part of the reason that you and I effectively communicate with each other is that we respectfully ask for clarification from each other, when we question whether or not we are clear on the other person's reciprocal social communication.

That part is required for effective communication among people on the spectrum. Add in the mix of social emotional contagion observed in large communities on Facebook pages, and it is an effective free-for-all in differences in reciprocal social communication.

I am not suggesting that individuals on the spectrum cannot successfully moderate forums. The website interface and team effort among individuals moderating this website is excellent and as good as I have seen on any other website.

However, it is a team effort, not an isolated one. If there were only one moderator on this site, it would be very uncomfortable for some people to communicate here. The site would likely still be up and running, and people would likely still be communicating, but success would be in the eye of the beholder, depending on if they could be comfortable communicating here.

In regard to what some describe as "NT" neurology, I do not see it as an analogy of completely cold and completely hot running water. There is often a mix of lukewarm or "lukecold" neurology per what might be described as "Aspie" vs "Neurotypical" traits measured on the "Aspie Quiz". There are people that score into the "NT Territory" of the "Aspie" Quiz and are currently diagnosed under DSMIV guidelines for an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

I score 195, which likely explains, at least in part, why I can't imagine moderating any forum, not even in a team effort. I do fine in one on one situations, but more than one is not a social environment I am comfortable in. That said, I dealt with the public at work among 100's of people a week for almost 2 decades. I adapted, but I would not last 5 minutes in that environment today, without "personal distress".

I exceeded my "Social Capacity" and at least for me, there is no turning back, and I accept that. During those two decades I might have scored somewhere in the 140 to 150 range on the Aspie Quiz, and maybe 28 on the Aspie Quiz as opposed to the mid 40's, currently.

Per my point on large Facebook Page communities, where people on and off the spectrum communicate. Not only, have I not seen effective isolated moderation among people on the spectrum; I have not found it among what some might describe as individuals having "NT" neurology, in isolated efforts, other than the "Autism Discussion" page. Bill is an enigma, not the rule, and it is also obvious that he shares strong Broader Autism Phenotype characteristics as a Systemizer. His effectiveness as an Admin, for his page, also has a required element of a mix of Autistic traits in systemizing information and communication.

I provide links in my blog post titled "Continuing Challenges in Online Autistic Communication", that exemplifies this well, I think, in one large Facebook Community Page that I recommend as a site in the regular website version.

It can be a tough place for a literal and logical communicator. It might work okay, if there was ample opportunity for people to clarify and verify communication with each other, but effectively that opportunity is not sufficiently provided, as the Facebook page format, without the new replies option, is not an effective interface.

In addition, some of the moderators do not show tolerance for people who need to clarify and verify reciprocal communication for effective communication. It is a complete volunteer effort, so there is no one to hold accountable per real life consequences, for offensive behavior in communication directed against people on and off the spectrum.

I think the real issue is there. There are no real social penalties for poor communication skills, and there is no social penalty for poor moderation.

It's an issue of priorities and processes, not the spectrum.

Wherever there are differences in reciprocal social communication there are going to be challenges. If there were effective accountability instead of strictly a volunteer effort the problem would likely be solved, as people who could not effectively moderate would not last in a position.

I suspect that the largest online Autism Community on Facebook, the one with 1.1M likes, employs individuals to moderate that page or holds volunteer moderators accountable for personally attacking people who visit the site. I don't often visit that site, but it is rare that I have ever seen moderation out of line. It is mostly oriented to parents of children on the spectrum, although I have seen some individuals on the spectrum who strongly support the organization and actively participate on the Facebook Page.

I don't list it on my Blog page as a recommended site for support as some people will likely ignore all of the other valuable resources I have come across, if I do; however, objectively speaking the Facebook Page now provides a message of Positive acceptance rather than negative leaning stories, more than any other site I have come across recently on Facebook except for Thautcast page.

The big organization has marketing experts that make "good money" to make sure that positive message is there, and to modify it on the the drop of a dime, if necessary, to meet the expectation of it's supporters.

Last edited by aghogday on 21 May 2013, 6:39 am, edited 1 time in total.