For NTs:
I mean, I'm just thinking that maybe WP attracts those at the more linguistically advanced and/or high-IQ end, and also, many are passionate in their denouncement of certain therapies and language used about autistics, which might clash with the NT specialist's education/training? With some members tending not to hold back for fear of hurting feelings, the NT might feel attacked.
Maybe we could have a specific forum intended to draw in NTs, where they might feel some safety in numbers? Perhaps with some specific rules in there to help stop us scaring them off? Just a thought.
At the moment I guess there wouldn't be enough NTs to make it work, but maybe of we targeted professionals like "Autism professionals discussion" or something, we might get the academics and researches and autism support workers come along. That would be cool.
The purpose of this discussion thread is to boost diversity of NTs (or NT-like adults on the Spectrum) here on WP.
As mentioned in original post, it's best that those new to WP are directed to the following WP sub-forums:
* In the 'Coping in Life' Forums - 'Social Skills & Making Friends.'
* In the 'Topical Discussion' - 'Art, Writing and Music' Forum is an example - that is the arts have proven to be "icebreakers of sorts" for the Autism Spectrum.
* In the 'Age/Gender' related discussions - the 'In-Depth Adult-Life Discussion' Forum provides important insights from older WP members.
The 'Active Discussions' list (at the right of the main WP page) can also appear confusing- hence discouraging that much needed diversity and dynamic here on WP.
The 'Active Discussions' list must be augmented with discussions reflecting those much needed proactive approaches proven helpful concerning HFA adults!
Included LINK to this discussion thread in the 'In-Depth Adult Life' Forum here on WP.
LINK: Anybody Familiar With The Term "A Private Person?"
viewtopic.php?t=394888
Where have all the NT's gone?
My guess is that most NT's prefer social media over old-fashioned message boards like Wrong Planet, whereas we autistic folks are the only ones likely to prefer old-fashioned message boards like Wrong Planet.
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- Autistic in NYC - Resources and new ideas for the autistic adult community in the New York City metro area.
- Autistic peer-led groups (via text-based chat, currently) led or facilitated by members of the Autistic Peer Leadership Group.
- My Twitter / "X" (new as of 2021)
I find the NT autism parents are more likely to land on Autism Forums. Autism Forums appears as more serious ASD discussion on first look. Whereas, a typical look at the WP "Active Discussions" will show a high percentage of other topics. WP still has more serious ASD discussion, but I think you have to dig a little deeper to find the serious discussion here.
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ND: 123/200, NT: 93/200, Aspie/NT results, AQ: 34
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My guess is that most NT's prefer social media over old-fashioned message boards like Wrong Planet, whereas we autistic folks are the only ones likely to prefer old-fashioned message boards like Wrong Planet.
Thank-you for chiming-in to this discussion thread.
Twitter has active hashtags: #wrongplanet, #autism, #aspergers, and #asperger - hence WrongPlanet.net has at least a reasonable presence on social-media!
Your location is listed as NYC - With New York City being an arts and cultural center, are there new arts programs for adults on the Autism Spectrum under consideration after the pandemic is brought under control?
Enclosed is a LINK to a WP discussion thread (that received a few responses - as of this writing). 'Can Creating Art "Break The Ice" - Encouraging Friendships?'
LINK: viewtopic.php?t=395602
I look forward to follow-up feedback here on WP!
I'm aware of two neurodiverse theater companies, EPIC Players and CO/LAB. I know people involved with both of these. Most likely there are similar groups for arts of various kinds, but I don't yet know the details.
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- Autistic in NYC - Resources and new ideas for the autistic adult community in the New York City metro area.
- Autistic peer-led groups (via text-based chat, currently) led or facilitated by members of the Autistic Peer Leadership Group.
- My Twitter / "X" (new as of 2021)
That's really interesting you say that. I used my old university modem/dial up internet connection in 1989 allowed me to join one of the world's first internet message boards run by Augsburg University in Minneapolis.
There were people from all over the world on the board and although it was slow (and crashed often) the experience I had 32 years ago on the Augsburg board was actually the same as what I'm having on WP. There was lots of talk about dating and girls
Another experimental discussion board was opened by the University of Tehran and I was able to communicate with Iranian students. I remember the exact year I logged in was 1995 because everyone on the board was talking about OJ Simpson and Nicole Brown At that point I realised American media infliltrated even the most closed societies.
NTs seeking to assist adults on the Autism Spectrum might have found and investigated WP; yet may have been discouraged out of confusion in understanding a rather well.......confusing WP environment.
It's natural for newer WP users/members to focus mainly on the 'General Autism Discussion Forum' - the main WP forum is an active, hectic forum on WP - "It is what it is!"
The WP subfourms are well slower paced, and hence might offer clearer insights for NTs seeking to help adults.
Scroll down the list of WP subforums (highlighted in blue), and investigate the following forums as examples:
* In the 'Coping in Life' Forums - 'Social Skills & Making Friends.'
* In the 'Topical Discussion' - 'Art, Writing and Music' Forum is an example - that is the arts have proven to be "icebreakers of sorts" for the Autism Spectrum.
* In the 'Age/Gender' related discussions - the 'In-Depth Adult-Life Discussion' Forum provides important insights from older Wp members.
Many of us here on WP look forward to perspectives from those awesome NTs wanting to better understand the Autism Spectrum.
The title of this discussion thread can also be 'To NT-like HFAs' - that is new WP membership of 'NT-like' members is encouraged!
Has anybody shared WP with relatives on the Autism Spectrum? - I sense that the original post (ABOVE) is a good orientation to WP.
The whole gambit of the Autism Spectrum; from classic Autism to High Functioning Autism (HFA) is hereditary in families.
Some people on WP think NT females all include love hearts and smiley faces in their posts here but I belong to Facebook groups that are full of mostly female NTs and they don't all use hearts and smiley faces all that much. And my Facebook groups aren't related to geeky things, they're related to common NT interests like fashion, pets and TV dramas.
I don't use many emoticons on WP because I like to keep my posts quite official here, but it doesn't mean I lack emotion. When I'm texting or talking to friends and family on Facebook I use lots of emoticons and kisses and slang like "lol", and I don't talk about myself so much like I do here.
I think NTs here like to use emoticons a lot because they want to show that they're supportive and understanding, as a lot of Aspies do think that NTs are all mean, judgemental bullies.
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Female
Last edited by Joe90 on 17 Apr 2021, 4:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I am also one of the NT people here. I just don't think I have much input on what to do in social situations. I feel every bit as lost as you. I don't think anyone really likes cold talk. That part of sitting in a room idling with the colleagues - I know exactly what you mean. And it's like you need to do allllll the heavy lifting yourself. The supposed NT colleague sits there just as lost. Oh well, they sure know how to talk if there's anybody else but me in the room. At least that's what I've been starting to think. It becomes social anxiety after a while. I've tried it all - serious talks, light talks, cold talks, not talk at all, act like everything is OK sitting quiet. It's never easy.
To summarize it all, I believe most of you aspies are doing every bit as good as me. Good posts all around. And you know what, that brings me down even more
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Du verkar ha både Aspie och neurotypiska drag
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NTs seeking to assist adults on the Autism Spectrum might have found and investigated WP; yet may have been discouraged out of confusion in understanding a rather well.......confusing WP environment.
It's natural for newer WP users/members to focus mainly on the 'General Autism Discussion Forum' - the main WP forum is an active, hectic forum on WP - "It is what it is!"
The WP subfourms are well slower paced, and hence might offer clearer insights for NTs seeking to help adults.
Scroll down the list of WP subforums (highlighted in blue), and investigate the following forums as examples:
* In the 'Coping in Life' Forums - 'Social Skills & Making Friends.'
* In the 'Topical Discussion' - 'Art, Writing and Music' Forum is an example - that is the arts have proven to be "icebreakers of sorts" for the Autism Spectrum.
* In the 'Age/Gender' related discussions - the 'In-Depth Adult-Life Discussion' Forum provides important insights from older Wp members.
Many of us here on WP look forward to perspectives from those awesome NTs wanting to better understand the Autism Spectrum.
The title of this discussion thread can also be 'To NT-like HFAs' - that is new WP membership of 'NT-like' members is encouraged!
Has anybody shared WP with relatives on the Autism Spectrum? - I sense that the original post (ABOVE) is a good orientation to WP.
The whole gambit of the Autism Spectrum; from classic Autism to High Functioning Autism (HFA) is hereditary in families.
As I'm advocating, let's boost new WP membership - whose experiences with successful AS/NT, AS/NT-like etc. etc. dynamics might just collectively prove helpful regarding people concerned with the Autism Spectrum e.g., HFA.
My concern is that doubt, ignorance, confusion etc. etc. too easily becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts - which too often can be of a disservice to not just those on the Autism Spectrum, but even to NTs, and NT-like people who otherwise would have made helpful contributions.
In a nutshell, it could be said that the best approaches are a reverse of a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts - but with........positive feedback cycles.
Where can we start? Right here............in this discussion thread - New (and even current) WP membership contributing those fresh insights!
To summarize it all, I believe most of you aspies are doing every bit as good as me. Good posts all around. And you know what, that brings me down even more
Hey Jono! how are you going
Hmmm emoticons you say
I think one commonality among NTs (if we are being brutally honest) is that our neurological predisposition makes us socially judgemental.
Humans evolved snap judgement as a way to survive in a hostile environment. This (I'm afraid) includes often volatile social environments.
We live in a relatively peaceful era in history where there is relatively good support for people on the spectrum compared to the past. If you were even slightly non-conformist in the past (even 50 years ago) you would be judged very very quickly as socially undesirable. In times of war/conflict having the ability to make snap judgements is the difference between living and getting killed.
But of course you are right, for female NTs that just makes them mean girls!
Has anybody shared WP with relatives on the Autism Spectrum? - I sense that the original post (ABOVE) is a good orientation to WP.
The whole gambit of the Autism Spectrum; from classic Autism to High Functioning Autism (HFA) is hereditary in families.
Again I don't want to be the only rep for NTs on WP but from what I've seen NTs with families are generally busy people. Raising an autistic child is time consuming and many NTs on the parent threads have more than one kid, an extended family, busy social lives etc. So even if you got them to post here they would only appear once in a blue moon.
NTs who work with autistic people and whom are advocates are also busy. The few I've met tend to be dynamic and prosocial but they are face-to face not online orientated. I've seen maybe 1-2 post on WP and they hang around for a week and then go back to social media which is what all NTs are addicted to these days.
Like Jono I'm a little different in that I'm introverted and always preferred not having lots of close friends. Infact since getting married and having my daughter both my wife and I have not socialised much at all and I can safetly say I personally have no friends (although have hundreds of acquaintances). This is why I can spend so much time on WP. Are there other NTs like me? (sure there are). But If they have a predilection for online surfing then (yes) its social media not discussion boards. I'm old fashioned and (as I mentioned before) have a predilection for this type of out dated discussion platform.
Has anybody shared WP with relatives on the Autism Spectrum? - I sense that the original post (ABOVE) is a good orientation to WP.
The whole gambit of the Autism Spectrum; from classic Autism to High Functioning Autism (HFA) is hereditary in families.
Again I don't want to be the only rep for NTs on WP but from what I've seen NTs with families are generally busy people. Raising an autistic child is time consuming and many NTs on the parent threads have more than one kid, an extended family, busy social lives etc. So even if you got them to post here they would only appear once in a blue moon.
NTs who work with autistic people and whom are advocates are also busy. The few I've met tend to be dynamic and prosocial but they are face-to face not online orientated. I've seen maybe 1-2 post on WP and they hang around for a week and then go back to social media which is what all NTs are addicted to these days.
Like Jono I'm a little different in that I'm introverted and always preferred not having lots of close friends. Infact since getting married and having my daughter both my wife and I have not socialised much at all and I can safetly say I personally have no friends (although have hundreds of acquaintances). This is why I can spend so much time on WP. Are there other NTs like me? (sure there are). But If they have a predilection for online surfing then (yes) its social media not discussion boards. I'm old fashioned and (as I mentioned before) have a predilection for this type of out dated discussion platform.
I had placed a LINK to this discussion thread in the 'In Depth Adult Life' Forum - again, adults with HFA are terribly under-represented, and even misrepresented!
Again the purpose of this discussion thread is to boost proactive, and proven action-plans to help adults with HFA
- examples involving AS, HFA, NTs and NT-like dynamics.
Ironically, too much awareness of the Autism Spectrum can often yield unfavorable outcomes - yes, you read this correctly!
Too much awareness of the Autism Spectrum from immediate family, and even thoughtful relatives, friends, advisors, etc. is living proof that family dynamics alone become increasingly inappropriate (and possibly harmful) for adults with HFA - it is what it is! -It's best to call-out these overlooked family concerns /dynamics concerns in writing!
From my own experiences, I've "talked myself blue" "spinning my wheels" reminding my family of the following (three of many examples):
* "Sometimes parents can do the wrong things for the right reasons!"
* "Never let our emotions get in the way (of that good solid awareness)" - or "unguided concerns can become a...well, self fulfilling prophecy!"
* And even, "haste makes waste!"
* And Oh Yes, lots of correcting of facts, information, plain-old misunderstandings, etc. etc.
Basically, my family is very informed about HFA - yet, sometimes, I'm left bewildered, and asking...."WHAT???"
Once again, it's best to follow-through with actual, concrete experiences proven helpful for adults with HFA -hence the purpose of this discussion thread!
GOT IT??
LINK: viewtopic.php?f=32&t=394888&p=8764837#p8764837