Does anyone here think they're more self-sufficient than most NTs?

[Autisticool]

I've always felt more self-sufficient and independent than most people, and most people are NT. I was recently diagnosed with autism, and I'm finding it interesting that so few autistics seem to be REALLY self-sufficient, even though at the same time I've heard of autistics who have high-stress, high-powered jobs like veterinarian, doctor, therapist, retail sales, teacher, etc. My exec functioning is normal per my assessment. No ADHD or anything else. Maybe that's why, no ADHD? Maybe I'm a true Aspie/Little Professor? Level 1 is described as "minimal or low" support needs. I'm zero support needs. Wasn't afraid to go to college out of state at age 17. Am I a "super autistic" or some kind of anomaly? I don't get scared of things that frighten most people. Not afraid of the dark, being alone in a house at night, and though I hate crowds, I never feel overwhelm.

 

[Nitro]

I think the first step to understanding yourself is to take a step back and consider yourself just different, but not better

 

[Leo Zed]

I have been less self-sufficient, but I got a lot of other things going on as well. During grade school, I would score 98-99 percentile on the mathematics part and in the single digits percentile on the reading comprehension and verbal parts of the annual standardized testing. I still can’t figure it out why my brain is like that. Even though I did well after high school, I had to return home from college. I am surviving, but not without help. I would like to be 100% self-sufficient - I am still trying.

 

[1ForAll]

I've always felt more self-sufficient and independent than most people, and most people are NT. I was recently diagnosed with autism, and I'm finding it interesting that so few autistics seem to be REALLY self-sufficient, even though at the same time I've heard of autistics who have high-stress, high-powered jobs like veterinarian, doctor, therapist, retail sales, teacher, etc. My exec functioning is normal per my assessment. No ADHD or anything else. Maybe that's why, no ADHD? Maybe I'm a true Aspie/Little Professor? Level 1 is described as "minimal or low" support needs. I'm zero support needs. Wasn't afraid to go to college out of state at age 17. Am I a "super autistic" or some kind of anomaly? I don't get scared of things that frighten most people. Not afraid of the dark, being alone in a house at night, and though I hate crowds, I never feel overwhelm.

I am independent in terms of no difficulties performing nearly all of the practical life skills and daily living tasks, and as I lived alone for twenty years before marriage having to do everything myself there, and I can take on many responsibilities with our two children and wife, all with many needs, without much distress and complaint. But, I never could function at any traditional full time employment where there were persons, because of inability to concentrate there in sight of others and when in contact others. I obsessed about the people there and how I differed much from them. So, yes and no, regarding your question as I can tolerate more day to day non-employment duties and stress than most NT's I believe, but I am less functional and independent than most NTs for non-self employment type jobs.

 

[Tom]

Definition of self-sufficient​

1: able to maintain oneself or itself without outside aid : capable of providing for one's own needsa self-sufficient farm
2: having an extreme confidence in one's own ability or worth : HAUGHTY, OVERBEARING

(Websters)

 

[Luca]

Definition of self-sufficient​

1: able to maintain oneself or itself without outside aid : capable of providing for one's own needsa self-sufficient farm
2: having an extreme confidence in one's own ability or worth : HAUGHTY, OVERBEARING

(Websters)

I fit the first definition but definitely not the second one lol.

It’s not a good mindset for anyone to think they’re superior. Autistic people and NTs are just different from each other, not better. In most cases we’re even too different to make an accurate comparison anyway.

 

[Slim Jim]

In my opinion, NT's seem to have this knack of not caring much, blustering through things, not a second thought. Though my traits are not as numerous as maybe others, or svere, I have no sensory problems. I test very high functioning. The cusp of 'normal' even. But if you knew me, you know I'm anything but normal.

 

[Autisticool]

This is the OP, hope I didn't paint myself as having a superiority complex compared to other autistic people. I'm trying to find out if it's an anomaly that I'm zero support needs and am more self-sufficient than the very demographic (neurotypicals) who often see autistic people as "less than." I'm not afraid to make a cross-state road trip, but many NT women would be scared to do this. Maybe I don't get frazzled as much when adulting because I'm like a Vulcan?

 

[Tom]

I don't think it unusual to have zero support needs. As you know autistic support wasn't really even an option for older folks because hardly anyone knew ASD-1 existed. But even today many young folks on the spectrum do not seek or need it. Indeed in many, perhaps most places, on the planet there still is little or no autistic support. It's mainly a personal choice based on your unique situation and circumstances around you.

 

[Darkkin]

I'm not allowed to live alone due to a complex, chronic health condition, but I am hugely self-sufficient. I work full time, drive, pay bills, and adult well.

I don't ask for help even when I probably should. If I'm struggling with something I mask the emotions and/or pain. Something I have an uncanny knack for. Dealing with lifelong angina and poor interoception has given me a freaky high pain tolerance.

Hyper-independence is among the more common of autistic masking traits. One of the most basic mantras of self-preservation: Show no weakness.

Any chink in the mask and blood will scent tbe water, so the mask has to be maintained by its creator. Hence the self-sufficiency and hyper-independence. It is a protective mechanism.

 

[Luca]

I do everything myself except for some medical finances. My medical needs are extremely expensive.
Everything else I have gotten increasingly self-sufficient at, and I live 100% independently (no significant other, either.)

This is kind of silly but my other autistic friends often describe me as the most “normal” and the “least socially awkward” and “most personable” out of all of us lol. I don’t think that matters because, again, I don’t think I’m “better” than them or anything. But I am apparently really good at masking and I’m an extrovert.

I think I’ve mentioned before on here that special interests are my only really significant autistic “handicap.”
But behind closed doors, and with trusted people, I am very silly and childish

 

[Atrapa Almas]

I've always felt more self-sufficient and independent than most people, and most people are NT. I was recently diagnosed with autism, and I'm finding it interesting that so few autistics seem to be REALLY self-sufficient, even though at the same time I've heard of autistics who have high-stress, high-powered jobs like veterinarian, doctor, therapist, retail sales, teacher, etc. My exec functioning is normal per my assessment. No ADHD or anything else. Maybe that's why, no ADHD? Maybe I'm a true Aspie/Little Professor? Level 1 is described as "minimal or low" support needs. I'm zero support needs. Wasn't afraid to go to college out of state at age 17. Am I a "super autistic" or some kind of anomaly? I don't get scared of things that frighten most people. Not afraid of the dark, being alone in a house at night, and though I hate crowds, I never feel overwhelm.

I do have the same feeling as you do. When I first read about those function levels I thougth "I must be level 0 because I am the one helping this crazy NTs..."

Now that I have learned more I can see that all those function levels and DSM things are way outdated. Modern and up to date professionals nearly ignore the DSM and go for cognitive functions and other stuff. So they can see what parts of us work at normal, low or higher levels. Cognitively, sensory, socially, etc...

You cant find many "fully functional" autists because autism have been defined by un-funtionality. So following DSM its almost imposible to be autists and fully functional. You need to have problems to be autists by traditional measure methods. The more problems you have the more help you need the more autist you are.

My personal opinion on this is that if we are really a spectrum and the mayority of humans are NT, the further you go from the NT media, the less people you find. So this means that "level 3" autists are rarer than "level 2" who are rarest than "level 1" that are rarest that "level 0" people who are not autists but have some autists traits who are more rarests than NT.

So we must be the mayority, we just have actually no much reasons to ask or look for help, so we are invisible to the health system.

Autism is so linked to problems that studing fully functional people with Autists traits who may see the world autistically is not even in the radar.

Maybe in 20 or 30 years. Health system seems to ignore healthy people and just study those with problems.

So you are not alone...to sumarize it. My sumarize cognitive fuction may be not that good.

Edit: Also, you could be autist + high capabilities so your high capabilities could help you be more fuctional.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

I fit the first definition but definitely not the second one lol.

It’s not a good mindset for anyone to think they’re superior. Autistic people and NTs are just different from each other, not better. In most cases we’re even too different to make an accurate comparison anyway.

Same here. I had the humbling task to work with brilliant people. My task was to get them to talk together and problem solve by introducing concepts I produced. I had to run while they walked, but we were able to increase efficiency more than we missed as a team. People, later on, would give me much credit for something that wasn't new: you swallow your ego and find the technically adept, start asking them to solve problems, give them credit and keep them talking with each other, and listen, and guide them. I learned so much from them which helped me converse easily between technical disciplines. I did not want to take credit for using soft skills and an unwavering focus.

 

[Judge]

I'd think something like self-sufficiency is one of those things best measured by the individual rather than by any broad group of persons.

I just don't see any metric that could make such a determination on a neurological basis alone.

 

[Atrapa Almas]

I'd think something like self-sufficiency is one of those things best measured by the individual rather than by any broad group of persons.

I just don't see any metric that could make such a determination on a neurological basis alone.

If they ever decide someone is self sufficient, we could ask them "In which society and human historical time?"

I would like to see their faces.

 

[Judge]

If they ever decide someone is self sufficient, we could ask them "In which society and human historical time?"

I would like to see their faces.

Good point. The very term "self-sufficiency" can have very different implications depending on the era and society one is referring to. The further back in time you go, the more urgent self-sufficiency becomes as the concept of a "modern welfare state" diminishes to a point of non-existence.

 

[Darkkin]

While ASDers can be highly self-sufficient, there is still a huge gap between being effective for one's self and projecting that efficiency to others as a way of showing superiority.

How many of us are as independent as we are so we won't inconvenience or burden others with our shortcomings?

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

How many of us are as independent as we are so we won't inconvenience or burden others with our shortcomings?

BINGO! I thought that I would need to rely on myself, especially as I aged, so needed to have independent resources. Then I met and married a woman who was expecting the same. And, as we decided not to have children, we needed consistent income to cover the future. We worked for that and are enjoying retirement that denying our wants, when younger, made possible.

 

[Thinx]

People with autism don't only have autism, as for NTs we have other things going on, and some are part of developmental systems, such as the system whereby we develop attachment security.

Research has shown that we have similar developmental trajectories as NTs in that area, so same as for NTs, having say parents who are not able to be very available in childhood, may result in us becoming insecure in our attachment styles, either being overly independent so we don't easily ask for assistance when needed or feel able to rely on others, which also affects close relationships in the future, or else being more dependent than usual, feeling we can't cope unless others help, feeling emotionally vulnerable more easily than others.

So to become more secure in making and keeping attachments to others, many people end up working on this in later life. Being very independent can seem like a good thing for a child or young person, but then in trying to trust and make loving relationships, work on self becomes needed. Often this gradually happens over time in our close relationships, or it may not.

Similarly, an apparently emotionally open person whose carers were unavailable may seem like they have good functioning in relating, but both in youth or later in life may struggle to feel loved and needed, and may be insecure in that area, while also associating a less emotional approach with distance and rejection.

These systems that are developmental are running alongside our neurology, and will affect our experience of and in the world. The issues can be worked on, as many of us do over time, in therapy and in life. We are a mix of developmental and more static systems, I guess. So, the OP could be more secure, for example, and/ or might be more independent than some, due to adopting a more distant attachment style. Attachment styles are part of just one developmental system we have, plus other relevant issues here could be PTSD effects and social and basic needs or deficits in our lives, like nutrition, housing, income, educational opportunities etc.

 

[Luca]

How many of us are as independent as we are so we won't inconvenience or burden others with our shortcomings?

Me. The last thing I want is to inconvenience anyone or be a burden, seeing how I was treated for being that way growing up…

Even now, my parents feel like I’m kind of a burden even though they don’t have to help me with much. An emotional burden, maybe :/