School Project

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I'm just posting this here, so more people can see it. For my research class I am investigating common factors that among those with Autism that impede or affect their social abilities. In the coming weeks I will be posting a survey, and I would greatly appreciate it if you'd be willing to participate. I need at minimum 25 responses.

Sensory Hypersensitivity that distracts from social interaction. For example, missing what's being said because making eye contact is so visually intense and uncomfortable; or one's focus is repeatedly drawn to a small, insignificant sound coming from another direction.

Slow processing, due to that Sensory Hypersensitvity, making it difficult to keep up with the pace of conversation, so that by the time the autistic brain thinks of a response to what was just said and begins to verbalize it, the conversation has already moved on to a different subject and the moment to "jump in" is lost.

Inability to recognize or interpret Body Language or facial expressions, or to know how to respond to them appropriately. Are you expecting a pat on the back? A hug? Or will a smile suffice? We can't tell what you want or need unless you verbalize it.

Selective Mutism: A form of Panic Attack, in which the brain's ability to process and/or respond to social signals is overwhelmed by being thrown into a social interaction unexpectedly and shuts down, leaving one momentarily unable to think or speak.

The tendency to take a statement at face value and assume that what was said was literally what was meant. Especially problematic when one is young, but even as an adult it can mislead one to false conclusions and assumptions, when neurotypical people think they have communicated their intentions accurately, but have not, because they assume everyone understands their verbal 'shorthand' and will simply "know" what they mean.

The tendency for neurotypical people to ignore or even bully us, because we don't function as smoothly as they do. We are often treated as 'stupid,' 'uncooperative,' 'stubborn' or 'intentionally obtuse' because our responses to common social situations are not automatic and instinctive. As a result, we tend to suffer from "Beaten Dog Syndrome" and become even more hesitant and reticent to step forward and engage in social interactions of any kind.