The Aspie #1 – Explaining… Autism 101 (Part 1): Life on the Spectrum

The Basics of Autism

Let’s start with a long-winded dictionary definition from Merriam-Webster:

“a variable developmental disorder that appears by age three and is characterised especially by difficulties in forming and maintaining social relationships, by impairment of the ability to communicate verbally or nonverbally, and by repetitive behaviour patterns and restricted interests and activities.” [2]

To make sure we are thorough, here’s Merriam-Webster again with what a Developmental Disorder in general is:

“a condition (such as autism or dyslexia) that is typically marked by delayed development or impaired function especially in learning, language, communication, cognition, behaviour, socialization, or mobility.” [3]

Now I don’t believe in relying on one website to define something like autism so here is how a selection of other organisations define it, starting with Ireland’s current national autism charity, AsIAm:

“Autism is a lifelong developmental disability or difference which relates to how a person communicates and interacts with others, and how they experience the world around them.” [4]

The National Autistic Society from Ireland’s geographical next-door neighbours, the UK:

“Autism is a lifelong developmental disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world.” [5]

And finally, the World Health Organisation:

“Autism is characterised by some degree of difficulty with social interaction and communication. Other characteristics are atypical patterns of activities and behaviours, such as difficulty with transition from one activity to another, a focus on details and unusual reactions to sensations.” [6]

Now I personally find that some of the words and phrases used are quite vague and catch-all. Like, for example, how people communicate and restricted interests and activities. What’s wrong with the way some of us Aspies communicate? And what’s wrong with only being interested in specific activities? Isn’t that what makes each of us individual? I’ll probably scrutinise the design of definitions like these in more detail in a future post. But for now, here’s how I define Autism, at least based on my experience of it thus far.

When I think of Autism, I think of the following list of things I have experienced and / or demonstrated at various points in my life:

• Fearing surprises.
• Having a particular way of carrying out tasks.
• Misinterpreting the ways people speak and treating it like Latin.
• Often seen on the side lines both by choice and circumstance.
• Often lost by the noise of random chatter.
• Sometimes uninspired by conversations or small talk.
• Encountering experiences that throw me off balance; and
• Feeling thoughts I cannot express to others.

Yes, that is even more vague as hell but it all ties into the list of Hallmarks (not Symptoms) I know myself I have that I’ll give an insight into in the next post.