Do females on the autism spectrum emulate other females?

[Magpie]

Interesting. Though in my own case, in classic autistic fashion I suppose, my masking had no particular identity based on any person I knew or liked.

More of a "what and how" than a "who".

Quite understood on the "what and how", name of the game right?

 

[Judge]

Quite understood on the "what and how", name of the game right?

I'm just thinking of how so much of my thought processes involve a priority of things over people. Which at times can stick out in the wrong way with Neurotypicals.

Yet even my masking wasn't about what any one person did. I just tended to mimic group reactions. Smile when someone made eye contact with me, laugh when someone said something allegedly funny, and feign interest even when I had no interest at all with what was being said. - Gestures without any particular identity.

It would never have occurred to me to mimic any one individual. Go figure.

 

[Magpie]

I'm just thinking of how so much of my thought processes involve a priority of things over people. Which at times can stick out in the wrong way with Neurotypicals.

Yet even my masking wasn't about what any one person did. I just tended to mimic group reactions. Smile when someone made eye contact with me, laugh when someone said something allegedly funny, and feign interest even when I had no interest at all with what was being said. - Gestures without any particular identity.

It would never have occurred to me to mimic any one individual. Go figure.

Oh my goodness, how fortunate to have understood the group that well. Context is a HUGE problem for me. Im far better one-on-one. I understand mimicking reactions in group very well, I often dont know whats going on so I just smile, its what girls are supposed to do, LOL. I also have an auditory processing disorder which doesnt help.

 

[Judge]

Oh my goodness, how fortunate to have understood the group that well. Context is a HUGE problem for me. Im far better one-on-one. I understand mimicking reactions in group very well, I often dont know whats going on so I just smile, its what girls are supposed to do, LOL. I also have an auditory processing disorder which doesnt help.

Oh, at times I didn't necessarily understand any particular group of people socially. In fact I found it quite amusing that it didn't seem to matter. Reflecting how mindless socialization seemed to be on a rather superficial level to begin with.

But then God forbid that I drop my mask and discuss much of anything with such intensity that it would have scared most of them into excusing themselves.

Fake it to make it- whether you are really in touch with what is going on or not.

Though in most cases that level of masking is long behind me. For the last eleven years I've lived more or less in relative isolation being self-employed and later retired. Though even with socializing with my cousin or brother, I still keep the mask on to some extent. I've tried taking and leaving it off, usually with consequences.

 

[Fade2black]

Autistic females are said to emulate other females to learn how to act socially.

I don't think it's limited to females. I think we all look at others who're socially inclined for ways to act and behave more normal.

 

[Aspychata]

Can't remember mimicking anyone because l was lost in my own pursuits of whatever held my interest. Was a loner for a long part of my life so l guess l don't feel the need to copy someone else. I could usually do okay just being me in most places.

 

[Totallysteff]

As I know it, autistic girls mimic from a young age, early development. It isn’t a conscious decision. We might mimic our parents, siblings, grocery clerks, and so on. This is one of the reasons girls aren’t diagnosed as early as their male counterparts. The mimicking may or may not stick with us as we grow up.

 

[Progster]

I never tried to emulate a specific person, but as some point I became aware of the fact that I needed to 'act normal' to fit in in social situations. So I would watch others in the social group, and then copy them. Social skills stuff, things like how to greet people, when to smile, what to say and when. I was never that good at it, though, and always disliked or didn't see the point of empty social gestures.

 

[Thinx]

As I know it, autistic girls mimic from a young age, early development. It isn’t a conscious decision. We might mimic our parents, siblings, grocery clerks, and so on. This is one of the reasons girls aren’t diagnosed as early as their male counterparts. The mimicking may or may not stick with us as we grow up.

Yes this I think refers to the gendered difference in socialisation, that girls, NT or ND, are socialised to fit in , to learn social norms, to learn how to facilitate others and to smile, be nice, be accommodating, etc, while for boys the emphasis is different, more rough and tumble, more strong silent brave and bold, big boys don't cry or indeed show emotions or make much small talk.

This is a root of the confusion about autism being more male, as historically it was thought to be, because girls socialisation both masked their lack of understanding of the NT norms, but possibly for some increased their relating potential, such as it was?

 

[Shamar]

Autistic females are said to emulate other females to learn how to act socially.

A lot of interesting replies here, but I have not as yet seen the obvious one -- Isn't this a subtype of masking?

 

[Mia]

Isn't this a subtype of masking?

Do you mean by subtype, falling under a general classification? Or as a subordinate subtype of a disorder. Or as a process in psychology where people who don't fit stereotypes are exceptions?

 

[Ylva]

The purpose of masking is social survival.

 

[Judge]

The purpose of masking is social survival.

Indeed. The "why" of it all being so much more important than how we achieve it.

 

[Aspychata]

I am starting to wonder how much masking is tied into insecurities in general. Do we mask more and better if incredibly insecure as females? Do we mask less if we fit in and pass as more socially acceptable?

 

[Pats]

You know they say we can be slow at understanding a joke and stuff, I was skimming down the thread titles and re-read this one and just realized the question was do we females emulate other FEMALES. That case my answer would be no, not at all.

 

[Aspychata]

Do we emulate more other females if we are incredibly insecure?

 

[Judge]

Do we emulate more other females if we are incredibly insecure?

Good question. Though this the same behavior that causes one to be so insecure the proximate cause that promotes one to emulate such behavior?

Sounds almost like an extension of "Stockholm Syndrome" in that regard.

Though there are numerous elements of "vicious cycles" when it comes to human behavior.

 

[Mia]

I don't think it's limited to females. I think we all look at others who're socially inclined for ways to act and behave more normal.

I don't believe it is either. I've asked this specific question as there is very little study or knowledge of autism in females. I know how I emulated other females, but I don't know much about how other females coped. You should start a thread specifically about males and how they grow up and who they emulate and look up to. I'd be curious myself to read it.

 

[Ylva]

It occurs to me that maybe this is one of the reasons why we don't like to look at people while communicating. We do mirror a lot, don't we? And to make sure our answers are ours, limitting input might be wise.

 

[tducey]

Masking is something I've very rarely done. More or less I am what I am and that's it.