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Jayo
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17 Sep 2021, 5:41 pm

I recall reading on another forum recently, something to the effect of: "There is a greater difference between NTs and autistics in the same (Western) country, then there is between NTs and people from other cultures."

I lost the source, and I don't know where the author was coming from on that... how do you objectively prove such a thing, when it's very qualitative and subjective.

As far as I'm concerned, it's highly questionable - I mean, if an adult from Ethiopia or Cambodia or Ecuador or some other far-away third-world country was to come to the U.S.A. or Canada or the U.K., I'm sure they'd stick out. I'm sure their differences would not go unnoticed, and I'm assuming here that they wouldn't be in a very large metropolis but a smaller city. I am certain that they'd bring with them a very different world-view, a different repertoire of "unwritten rules", and have different connotations of nonverbal communication. They would likely make a few faux-pas and have communication mishaps too.

Maybe it's b/c they have the same "NTOS" or neurotypical operating system, if you want to use a computer analogy...so their brains are more adept at picking up and integrating the hive-mind conventions of their new host country, whereas for US, it's more sluggish and entails more conscious observation, note taking, therapy, reading up, research and rehearsal, etc, etc.



MrsPeel
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17 Sep 2021, 6:09 pm

What I've noticed is that people around the world are surprisingly similar, when you get past the superficial cultural veneer.
So for example, your average 3rd world immigrant would definitely seem different at first, in speech and dress for example - but once they'd learnt the language and cultural expectations of the country they would learn to fit in.
An autistic, on the other hand, has limitations on the ability to fit in (to any human society, really), and so in some ways will always be an outsider.
So I would be inclined to agree with the statement.



Edna3362
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17 Sep 2021, 8:18 pm

Culture is programming.
In ways being an NT or ND directly affects how that programming is processed and run.

And programs... Can be rewriten or overwriten.


I came from a culture that is easily rewriten or that a lot of natives are willing to overwrite itself in favor of another.

And I've seen it's effects of what 'model minority' and 'willful assimilation' do to NTs, how quickly they change even.
So yes.


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Last edited by Edna3362 on 17 Sep 2021, 8:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.

IsabellaLinton
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17 Sep 2021, 8:28 pm

I'm inclined to agree with it, like Mrs Peel. People can learn to change their cultural behaviours if they so choose. They can adapt. Autistic people or even those with ADHD / other neurodiversities, can't change their sensitivities. They're innate and involuntary. We might be able to mask sometimes, but not without an overwhelming emotional and physical toll which leads to breakdown.

Studies called "Double Empathy projects" have proven that ND / NT people don't communicate or understand each other on the same wavelength. That can cause varying degrees of problems for their relationship, or for the ND person's overall functioning in society. NT people from different cultures can have the same challenges but for one thing, at least it's socially recognised. It's visible. It's understood. People notice when someone has a different accent, clothing from another country, different customs, or different beliefs (e.g., different religion). For the most part people see that, and understand or accommodate / accept the difference almost instantly.

With ND / NT, I think there's an uncanny valley where the NTs know we are different, but they don't know why. It's not visible. They can't label it or make sense of it, and this leads to a lot of confusion or alienation for both parties.



Joe90
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17 Sep 2021, 9:09 pm

IsabellaLinton wrote:
I'm inclined to agree with it, like Mrs Peel. People can learn to change their cultural behaviours if they so choose. They can adapt. Autistic people or even those with ADHD / other neurodiversities, can't change their sensitivities. They're innate and involuntary. We might be able to mask sometimes, but not without an overwhelming emotional and physical toll which leads to breakdown.

Studies called "Double Empathy projects" have proven that ND / NT people don't communicate or understand each other on the same wavelength. That can cause varying degrees of problems for their relationship, or for the ND person's overall functioning in society. NT people from different cultures can have the same challenges but for one thing, at least it's socially recognised. It's visible. It's understood. People notice when someone has a different accent, clothing from another country, different customs, or different beliefs (e.g., different religion). For the most part people see that, and understand or accommodate / accept the difference almost instantly.

With ND / NT, I think there's an uncanny valley where the NTs know we are different, but they don't know why. It's not visible. They can't label it or make sense of it, and this leads to a lot of confusion or alienation for both parties.


That's depressing. :cry:


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Dear_one
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17 Sep 2021, 9:12 pm

I agree with the statement if applied to some foreign/domestic comparisons and some NT/Aspie comparisons, but not others. If we include the full AS spectrum, it is probably true more often than not, but not by a large margin.