• Welcome to Autism Forums, a friendly forum to discuss Aspergers Syndrome, Autism, High Functioning Autism and related conditions.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Private Member only forums for more serious discussions that you may wish to not have guests or search engines access to.
    • Your very own blog. Write about anything you like on your own individual blog.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon! Please also check us out @ https://www.twitter.com/aspiescentral

Autism Simulation

Suzette

Well-Known Member
V.I.P Member
I found this video on YouTube that attempts to explain the autistic experience of one boy. To introduce this boys perspective to his friends they use a short VR clip.

I really like this video because it explains and demonstrates the experience some of us have, at least in part.

 
Thanks. This hit home to me especially now during the holidays with the influx of parties, gatherings, and crowded stores. Only just started to become aware of how these things overwhelm my senses. Now I know why I used to escape to quiet rooms as a kid (which I would get in trouble for) and still as an adult.

This past Thanksgiving was a rough one for the same reason. Still recovering...
 
I've watched some autism simulation videos on youtube and this one -->
is the most accurate to me. Of course things can fluctuate a bit from day to day. Plus you really need to FEEL all the internal sensory processing too, to completely understand what it feels like so a video though it does things some justice doesn't fully paint the picture. But maybe future virtual reality will be able to do this better soon with full sensory immersion.
 
I have seen a lot of video's attempting to illustrate what it is like being autistic, but I have never seen one quite as realistic as this one. I say "realistic"; I really mean like my experience. Most of the ones I have seen simply switched rapidly between scenes. Well, that is not what it is to me and I don't think the average NT really finds that to be problematic. So, they really won't get it.
I am very impressed with Alex's understanding of how people perceive things so differently. It took me more than 60 years to figure that one out!
 
- I just found an even better one, this is from a female perspective but wow this describes a event like a party very well. I like how they did the fade in and fade out effect with people interacting with the zoomed in audio that pops out when they interact with her. The part that really got me was the part where the person entered the room with all the distortion and people shouting, made my skin skin crawl just like the real thing with the sharp ring-y quality to the audio. Thr room part after the escape was really accurate too with the sad sort of vibe to it that slightly tinged with shame while not really wanting to be cooped up in there but it's the only refuge.
 
The streetwalk one was the most accurate for me in terms of how I experience a walk down the street, but I don't get the visual blurring that's in the party one (though sounds can be distorted). My brain sometimes get stuck though, or in a loop, where I can't process thoughts or speech, which seemed to be happening to the girl in the party. I can relate to how she feels about the socialising, feeling awkard/not knowing what to do, wanting to be alone.

I don't think I hear things louder or better than everyone else. I think that what happens is that I'm more sensitive to loud noise, so sudden loud noises like the bus passing by jar the system and then seem louder. My immediate reaction is to clap my hands over my ears to try to block the sound. NTs are generally better at filtering out unwanted noise and focussing only on that which is relevant, such as a person talking to them. So they don't process, or hear, the surrounding noise. I find it hard to do this, and then background noises become distracting and irritating, and then it becomes very hard work to have a conversation with someone in a noisy environment. It wears me down.
 
Last edited:
- I just found an even better one, this is from a female perspective but wow this describes a event like a party very well. I like how they did the fade in and fade out effect with people interacting with the zoomed in audio that pops out when they interact with her. The part that really got me was the part where the person entered the room with all the distortion and people shouting, made my skin skin crawl just like the real thing with the sharp ring-y quality to the audio. Thr room part after the escape was really accurate too with the sad sort of vibe to it that slightly tinged with shame while not really wanting to be cooped up in there but it's the only refuge.

This one is absolutely phenomenal too! I'm definitely keeping these on hand for later use.
 
The streetwalk one was the most accurate for me in terms of how I experience a walk down the street, but I don't get the visual blurring that's in the party one (though sounds can be distorted). My brain sometimes get stuck though, or in a loop, where I can't process thoughts or speech, which seemed to be happening to the girl in the party. I can relate to how she feels about the socialising, feeling awkard/not knowing what to do, wanting to be alone.

I don't think I hear things louder or better than everyone else. I think that what happens is that I'm more sensitive to loud noise, so sudden loud noises like the bus passing by jar the system and then seem louder. My immediate reaction is to clap my hands over my ears to try to block the sound. NTs are generally better at filtering out unwanted noise and focussing only on that which is relevant, such as a person talking to them. So they don't process, or hear, the surrounding noise. I find it hard to do this, and then background noises become distracting and irritating, and then it becomes very hard work to have a conversation with someone in a noisy environment. It wears me down.

I don't get actual literal visible blurring, but it's like...my eyes/brain stops focusing? I stop seeing what's in front of me even though I do physically see it. It's like it just doesn't process.

Sometimes it's like I'm in a movie, or maybe an aquarium, and everyone around me is on a screen/behind glass. I have to keep telling myself that those people ARE real and that I am supposed to interact with them.
 
I don't get actual literal visible blurring, but it's like...my eyes/brain stops focusing? I stop seeing what's in front of me even though I do physically see it. It's like it just doesn't process.

Sometimes it's like I'm in a movie, or maybe an aquarium, and everyone around me is on a screen/behind glass. I have to keep telling myself that those people ARE real and that I am supposed to interact with them.
Yes, these happen to me, too. I see things, but don't interpret them. I also get the feeling of being behind glass. I know they are real, but I don't process them. It's like watching TV. It's one of the reasons why I don't join in / speak at parties much, and I just kind of switch off.
I also sometimes get this derealisation (?) where things seem kind of alien / strange and not real - I get that when I enter a busy, unfamiliar place, or when I move from a low stimulation environment to a very stimulating one - when I go into a supermarket at night, for example. It doesn't seem normal.
 
- I just found an even better one, this is from a female perspective but wow this describes a event like a party very well. I like how they did the fade in and fade out effect with people interacting with the zoomed in audio that pops out when they interact with her. The part that really got me was the part where the person entered the room with all the distortion and people shouting, made my skin skin crawl just like the real thing with the sharp ring-y quality to the audio. Thr room part after the escape was really accurate too with the sad sort of vibe to it that slightly tinged with shame while not really wanting to be cooped up in there but it's the only refuge.

"The Party" was very good, not only for its portrayal of autistic sensory experience, but also how it touches on in inner narration on how to act even down to facial expressions, etc. Autistic people communicate cognitively whereas NTs communicate intuitively. Just like in the video, I have an actual running thought narrative on when to how to smile, appear interested, nod my head, act surprised or look empathetic, when to make eye contact, how long to make eye contact, when to look away, make a determination if I'm staring and if so when to look away. Every mechanical action is a cognitive (active thinking) decision otherwise it doesn't happen. NTs don't have to think about the mechanics of verbal and non-verbal communication; it's intuitive for them.

I also like how the video had the contrast from the sensory dense party to the quiet and calm room.
 
I found this video on YouTube that attempts to explain the autistic experience of one boy. To introduce this boys perspective to his friends they use a short VR clip.

I really like this video because it explains and demonstrates the experience some of us have, at least in part.

What an articulate young boy.
Thank God my autism doesn't affect me in the way the simulators did, but can't stand noises of certain decibels, I find I feel embarrassed for some strange reason when looking at certain random objects.
I struggle to get my words out, and there is a delay of varying lengths before I can process things, or realise that someone has tried to manipulate me.
I have Borderline Personality Disorder, and I am starting to learn that some of the BPD symptoms overwhelm me.
For example, I can be impatient in waiting for responses to texts, so I stand up to the part of me that wants to message the person again, saying "Where's my reply"
Maybe the BPD symptoms overwhelm me as I am sensitive.
Maybe, acting on the BPD symptoms, is not an option anymore, for example, send one message and wait for the other person to reply.
I am just eccentric and quirky but I wouldnt swap it for the world as I mean well and do not seem to upset anyone, unless someone is jealous of me.
There's another thing, I acted on jealousy with BPD, I no longer feel I can cope with acting on jealousy, I would rather be pleased for a person who has something I don't have as acting out the jealousy feels "not right" for me.
I am also training myself not to speak ill of people, even if they have verbally harmed or physically harmed me.
 
Thanks. This hit home to me especially now during the holidays with the influx of parties, gatherings, and crowded stores. Only just started to become aware of how these things overwhelm my senses. Now I know why I used to escape to quiet rooms as a kid (which I would get in trouble for) and still as an adult.

This past Thanksgiving was a rough one for the same reason. Still recovering...
My mum rolled her eyes at me for saying family christmases were overwhelming.
There was 15 of us.
I wouldn't be surprised if us Brits started having thanksgiving, as we copied "trick-or-treat" exchanging hollowed out turnips with candles in for pumpkins.
We used to have school discos, now we have proms.
Yeah, I went to town yesterday, it was manic, the Christmas lights were being turned on.
I was so grateful to get into the quiet oasis space of the arts centre away from the crowds.
Cold overwhelms me. So does heat.
 
I've watched some autism simulation videos on youtube and this one -->
is the most accurate to me. Of course things can fluctuate a bit from day to day. Plus you really need to FEEL all the internal sensory processing too, to completely understand what it feels like so a video though it does things some justice doesn't fully paint the picture. But maybe future virtual reality will be able to do this better soon with full sensory immersion.
That was intense, thankfully I don't get it that bad.
I wear clip on sunglasses lenses in summer for brightness as I wear specs.
I hate jackhammers.
I hate noisy motorbikes.
I hate freight trains.
I get overwhelmed by just feeling the energy of vehicles on the main road near where I live, if that makes sense.
 
My mum rolled her eyes at me for saying family christmases were overwhelming.
There was 15 of us.
I wouldn't be surprised if us Brits started having thanksgiving, as we copied "trick-or-treat" exchanging hollowed out turnips with candles in for pumpkins.
We used to have school discos, now we have proms.
Yeah, I went to town yesterday, it was manic, the Christmas lights were being turned on.
I was so grateful to get into the quiet oasis space of the arts centre away from the crowds.
Cold overwhelms me. So does heat.
I've currently got anxiety for a party I have to attend in a couple weeks to "reconnect" with old college mates. 11 adults and 11 kids & babies. Ugh. This Thanksgiving was only 6 adults and 4 kids and it was chaos. I'm praying I get sick or something so I can miss it.
 
I've currently got anxiety for a party I have to attend in a couple weeks to "reconnect" with old college mates. 11 adults and 11 kids & babies. Ugh. This Thanksgiving was only 6 adults and 4 kids and it was chaos. I'm praying I get sick or something so I can miss it.
Don't wish sickness on yourself, you deserve better.
It would be nice if the people at the party tried to put themselves in your shoes.
 
I get overwhelmed by competing demands. For example, two people trying to talk to me or someone interupting me when I am reading. Or someone talking during a t.v. show or movie.

Loud sounds act like distraction, taking my attention away from what I am already doing.

If you add another layer I am headed for meltdown.
 
I get overwhelmed by competing demands. For example, two people trying to talk to me or someone interupting me when I am reading. Or someone talking during a t.v. show or movie.

Loud sounds act like distraction, taking my attention away from what I am already doing.

Same. I am still amazed at how NTs can keep track of two conversations at the same time, even with background noise. How do you split your mind like that is beyond me.

Don't wish sickness on yourself, you deserve better.
It would be nice if the people at the party tried to put themselves in your shoes.

At this time no one but one friend (the one throwing the party) knows about me or my disdain for parties. And not planning on telling people who I haven't seen or talked to in years anyway. Luckily I have an excuse to leave early regardless..
 
I struggle to get my words out, and there is a delay of varying lengths before I can process things, or realise that someone has tried to manipulate me.
This happened to me just yesterday. It cost me about 70 euros. I'm still feeling annoyed!
I get overwhelmed by competing demands. For example, two people trying to talk to me or someone interupting me when I am reading. Or someone talking during a t.v. show or movie.
Exactly this. And when someone is trying to speak to me while I'm on the phone.
 

New Threads

Top Bottom