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Confusing Job Instructions

I've been watching/listening to videos and reading books on job prep for Aspies. I watched one short documentary on an Australian Aspie who is trying to get into the workforce. It was fun to watch, and there were just a few parts that made me cringe:
  1. When the supervisor told him to "enjoy himself" in order to get him to smile, since people were to have fun in that environment and employees should project that. I realized all the rest of it would be explanatory, but the "enjoy yourself" part is what would confuse me (and I've heard this kind of thing before). I wouldn't be "enjoying myself" if trying to focus and get the job right in those initial stages - or possibly even after. I can't fake that. But I can certainly learn to project something - but that's different and a lot less complicated than being commanded to "enjoy myself", to generate something genuine inside.
  2. When the same supervisor says he needs to relax, "but that will come with time" - uh....not for me. There are always stressors at work, and some may be different different days, and some things get worse with time. Another expectation that I can't fulfill.
  3. The same supervisor explained they wanted him to smile because they wanted him to show "what was inside". But for me as an Aspie, I already am showing what is inside - concentration, confusion, stress, etc. The Aussie Aspie was showing what was inside, too - he was showing that he was trying to get the job done right, maybe he felt awkward, nervous, etc. - whether they like it or not, that is what he was feeling inside. I can understand we don't want to show that, and to try to act/cover up as part of the job - but claiming that by smiling we're showing what's inside is a very false claim/understanding. It makes me wonder if for NTs they are just used to this kind of double speak, or if they truly are expected to and manage to obey such internal commands/expecations like "relax, enjoy yourself". I'm guessing what for us Aspies it means is to showcase our best and prettiest potential inside - but at all times. Not showing what we are actually feeling inside. It's as though the pretty part is the only "real" inside, to NTs. All that other muck, that's note "really" us. Hogwash. But I'm trying to understand them and their funny use of language.
  4. How he gets confused about finding the internet cafe because the name is wrong. Other details are glaringly there, but the one he looks for, the name - which is HUGE, imho - was wrong, so he wasn't able to take in the rest of the situation. That is very much me.
  5. NTs claim we have a communication issue, but I think they are not clear enough and/or don't say what they really mean to say, and say stuff that isn't even really true. It's so weird. It really is like learning a different language - I think it will help me to really think of it as speaking a different language with them.
I do understand the NT perspective of wanting people to seem pleasant and relaxed at work. I prefer that myself as a customer - so I totally get that. But just explaining that as an important part of the job - smiling and projecting the image of pleasantness - and giving reminders, that would be fine - when they get into this weird territory of trying to control and project our innermost selves, telling us to make the transformation within - feelings I can't access and control on my own (at least that's how I would literally interpret their language), that's where I get annoyed and confused. Even if I come to *know* that's not what they mean by saying that - it's easy for me to get confused because they are going there with their language, so I have to stop and remember to ignore that part of it. Argh....why can't they just say what they really mean? Lol! I wonder if this is a form of what they mean by Aspies taking things too literally. I always thought they meant not understanding idioms like thinking "you're pulling my leg" meant someone was literally pulling on someone's leg - I've never had trouble with idioms. But it's other things like I've described above - and again, they seem to genuinely believe the things they are saying, so I think they are actually meaning what they say - it just doesn't work for us that way. They just have no understanding of how we work inside. Anyway, I am the one who sees the discrepancy, so I must be the one to bridge the gap, to learn the second language.

I liked how there was another woman with whom the Aspie was *naturally* relaxed and having fun - that woman didn't have to tell him, "smile more, relax more" etc, because she herself just created that environment by smiling and laughing, rather than commanding him to smile and relax :)

Any way, here is the video, for anyone who is interested. The whole youtube channel looks pretty interesting, there are more videos of people with ASD. If the link doesn't work, you can click on where it says "youtube" to get it via the youtube website.

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Ambi
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