Autism and Slowness

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One of the things I've noticed over the years of work is that I am pretty slow compared to other people. I do try to work faster, but it is always a challenge to work at the speed of other people in the office. Is this kind of slowness common among people on the spectrum?

I work significantly faster than the other people where I work. I type very fast and remember the answers to all sorts of stuff or know exactly where to find stuff for my job.

I'm slow if I'm doing a task I'm not used to, but I think that's true for most people. When I know what I'm doing and start getting used to the task, I can be very quick but thorough.

When it comes to some tasks I can be slow due to Gross Motor Functions but there are some things I can do a lot faster but that is due to being used to things.

I've always been slow that way. It was more exaggerated when I was younger though. I tend to be fairly methodical and a perfectionist (again much more when I was younger) so these things take up time. It was a huge source of anxiety and stress as a kid. All my classmates would finish their projects, tests, or even eating before me and I'd start to panic about being "behind"

But I also believe I tend to process slower in general. Not that it's slow in my head, but there's like all these different options that I have to investigate but settling on something, of which I then launch a fuller process into. As an example:

Sometimes I'll read a thread or post here and then I will think about my thoughts and feelings about it. Think about how to make a good response, think about wording (that I don't always nail), think about what might be too short or too excessive, think if I'm being clear enough etc. Sometimes this can take a few minutes but for something more in depth it could take a day or more.

I don't know if this is a function of my aging or the disability or what but I've gotten progressively slower at basic personal care things like shaving and showering over the years. I used to be able to do either in 5-10 minutes but now they each take me around 25 minutes or so every day. I've always been slow at anything work related which is definitely linked to serious executive functioning issues I have which cost me my last job as a research assistant over 10 years ago. I've always been slow on test and with research papers for school something that got worse in college and grad school to the point where I was suspended for a year in college and barely finished one Masters program but did so so late that it wrecked my chances to ascend into my department's PhD program. And I haven't been able to get any coursework done in my second Master's program so I was kicked out of it. I'm not sure where the distinction between slow or tardy and never finishing something lies tbh.

I have been told that I am not the fastest one at work. I pointed out that I also only have to do the job once. The person who made the statement agreed and never brought it up again.

Society wants us to do everything as fast as possible. It really doesn't care if we do it properly or do it well, which in most cases the only way to do something that way is to take your time.

One boss fired me because ""the woman said you were learning too slowly"

But nobody measured the pace

And nobody else was in training

And that's just what one woman allegedly said


A man said that I was the fastest he had ever seen

I was slow in a regular college where I had to take more then one class at a time, but I benefited well and was able to graduate at a college that had a block system where I had only one class at a time

It seem that my own case is very inconsistent with this.


At best I'm truly fast.
As if I do have an actually executive functioning that is actually functioning. Everything seems organized in my mind -- if I need to recall an info or knowledge it just comes easy.
Nothing weighs me down from within and without, logic makes it more sense and intuition makes it more reliable. I was in control of everything and not just about myself, but to those I could perceive and process.

At worst I'm just as slow if not worse.
Nothing seem to be organized. I have to keep searching my memory if I do have the info needed, or that if I did found it I have to ask myself if it's relevant or it was what I needed.
I'm barely in control, I have to urge or hold back and do it harder. Logic barely helped, it just gave me a problem to solve is a more or less clear manner and intuition is near nonexistent and it's all gamble.
I have to tangle through every processing issues I have, everything is just uncertain.



I do think it's likely my health than just autism. There's a significant difference between the two and it's not just some 'feeling' or mere whim -- I could definitely bet it can go as far as physical or biochemical. That's how I conclude it's my sleep quality.
At the former, something is just 'awake' and 'alert', that *I* am in control, that I 'see' it, it's just everything seems so clear... Even if I feel lazy, I can definitely get things done, I can see things clearer. I just do.
The latter just couldn't 'wake up' and something felt 'heavier', something felt missing or lost in a fog, in an essence easy pray into procrastination. It mattered little how motivated I'm, only to fall into overwhelm and frustration.

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i seem to have to choose between slow and accurate, or quick and dirty.

Some idiots had the nerve to tell me to hurry up

Do not know if they were impatient or I was "wasting their time"

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Lil dipshits told me that I was taking too long to cross the street, go to the bathroom , count change




f**k those entitled ass holes