Does my profile picture make me look Autistic?

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Friendly teasing: Some of yours definitely do!! !

Secondary question: Is my profile picture masking or differentiating?

Why are you asking a bunch of nonsensical questions?

I think your profile picture probably singles you out as being relatively old (at least 40) and probably a woman. It doesn’t say anything about whether you are autistic.

I don’t think this constitutes masking, because profile pictures are not coded autistic. It is just as easy for you to choose a butterfly on a flower as it is for you to choose something explicitly autistic.

It’s also not differentiating, because it’s probably also roughly what you’d choose if you were allistic.

I admit that I was a bit confused.

When I saw the title of the thread I assumed that you had a selfie as your profile pic, and were afraid that you had an "autistic look" to your face in that particular pic.

I was all set to answer your question by saying that "autistics don't have any particular look".

Was surprised to see that your profile pic isn't your face at all. It's a nice sorta generic meadow scene with butterflies and flowers as your profile pic. And not your face.

So you're not asking what I originally thought you were asking.

So what you ARE asking is "does this meadow scene look like something an autistic person would like, and something than a NT would not like?".

The answer is what Walrus said above. That its just a generic pretty pic that anyone might pic. Just wallpaper.

Is it "masking"?

Well...why don't you tell us?

Did you yearn to have some other picture, and did you choose that pic we see , over the one the you preferred because you felt that the one we see now was a more "normal" thing to have as a profile pic?

It looks like an idealized vision of “nature” to me.

What does my profile picture say about me?

It says you like trains.

It SCREAMS out at the top of it's lungs that "this bloke is ten pounds of autistic in a five pound bag!! !! !"


Tell it to "shut up already!" because we all get it ! !! !



Just kidding.

But seriously

I cant even imagine how a profile pic could make a person "look autistic".

Your's implies that you are into old fashioned trains, and it kinda implies that you're a Brit (because its a British type locomotive I believe). And are probably male. And maybe you grew up on Thomas the Tank Engine.

To be honest - a person who watches the Big Bang Theory- might be reminded of Sheldon Leonard who is famously obsessed with trains. And that character has aspie/autistic characteristics. But I wouldn't go far as to say that it "makes you look autistic". And even if it did I don't know why you would give a darn anyway.

I (kindly) thought of your picture when I posted - the special interest pictures and usernames. There are far more profile pics with people and characters than I would have expected, and there are sci-fi pictures. But then NTs also have interests, favorite people and enjoy sci-fi etc.


I considered posting this in Random stuff, but it is directly related to ASD. It spun off from my larger concern: How do traits show, or how are they hidden? This morning I was thinking a lot on whether my BFF is ASD or not ---- she neither confirms nor denies the possibility.

I know that I couldn't or wouldn't come up with a creative username... I didn't want to make a "mistake" or be judged, or attract comments - so I went with a generic name (which supports The Walrus' theory about my age, gender, and indicates culture). So, then I chose a relatively generic picture, albeit something that pleases me. I would say I don't have much of a sense of self.


I have read ASD folks (especially women?) are often attracted to nature. I am optimistic. I can feel that picture, like a good song.


Ding, ding, ding. But I immediately stopped using double spaces after typographical periods years ago when I heard that marked a person as over 40.

Many non-ASD folks are attracted to Nature, too.

If there was a picture of a puzzle piece.....then maybe......

In fact, a rendition of the outside world argues AGAINST autism.

Sharon B - Doesn't suggest autism or masking to me. It's neither particularly nerdy nor obviously non-nerdy. Introvert rather than extrovert but that covers a lot of NTs too.
I like it, by the way. It has a happy look without being in your face.

Mountain Goat - Yours says nerdy but steam trains are both the poster child of nerdiness and popular at the same time.

What does mine suggest? (other than that I'm a piggy )

That you’re an odd duck

^Quack quack!

It says "in your face!" in the cutest way.

Which reminds me of a picture I had for a long time: a rabbit with tiger stripes. Interesting my AS-like daughter just chose a similar picture for herself. Genetic? Gentle, but fierce!!

What does mine suggest?

Yes, that. My special interest is puzzles --- and yet I would not put it up, b/c I don't want to be "selfish". I was always accused of being "selfish". So I am accustomed to presenting what I think the world wants from me. It's all roses and butterflies over here (which is sarcasm BTW). And I do like them, but it's not what's inside. As you said, it's outside.

Last edited by SharonB on 28 Mar 2020, 5:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.