Executive function autism, non-typical types of autism?

[Jumpback]

The thing is that I had general autistic traits as a kid, I have learned to compensate for pretty severe social things resulting from just having no interest in what other kids are doing or any idea of how to deal with people to such a degree that I have even wondered about being a car salesman or stand up comic

But I identify very, very strongly with things like this, and have never been able to solve these things:

Executive function: what is it, and how do we support it in those with autism? Part I - Autism Awareness

“Executive function is a term that is widely used in autism circles to describe a broad array of skills that have to do with an individual’s cognitive function . Some sources say that up to 80% of those with autism suffer from executive function disorder, leading to difficulties managing time, completing tasks, and making what for many of us would be simple tasks – like cleaning our rooms – very complicated or seemingly impossible.

For some people with ASD, social and communication difficulties are not the primary issue. They are socially engaged and are doing their best to communicate frequently, but they are unable to respond in a timely and organized way to the requests of parents and teachers, or to organize and initiate sophisticated play because they have considerable difficulty with executive function.”

Like I have normal autistic traits but they are aren’t things that I haven’t been able to figure out how to compensate for much of the time, but this stupid part of things is so bad that I just can’t manage to solve it. Like cleaning and organizing and looking presentable because I have taken a shower and have clean clothes are such a massive struggle that I end up looking homeless. But then I am so good at being charming and understanding that, despite my crazy appearance, my neighbors seem to really like me.

I’m just kind of wondering if anyone else identifies with this. It’s very isolating because although I can like be charming to a neighbor, I can’t manage to have an organized apartment or plan social events or endless other things, and even drink and smoke to deal with anxiety to organize or appear normal, but I get a pass from people because I am so good at things like being funny and seeing others positions and frustrations

It’s like autism but not autism, it becomes very frustrating because I can even come across as almost the opposite of autistic, but then I also have a certain set of autistic traits pretty severely.

 

[Raggamuffin]

I can be social but it's exhausting. Socialising also introduced me to substances and then into substance abuse which I'm only recently clear of.

As for executive functioning - I struggle with organisation and prioritising. Which is tricky as my job requires it. So I get stressed, burn out and make frequent mistakes. Especially with the nature of the job being 2 fold. Answering calls and reacting to breakdowns and immediate requests. Then there's the admin and paperwork side of things.

Being in the middle of something requiring my concentration and then having to drop it all to do something else 20-30 times a day fries my brain.

Things like chores and tidying I tend to do it in short intense bursts, much like my socialising. After a while with chores or socialising I zone out and struggle to maintain focus. So I'm sat or stood still in silence whilst I try to figure out what needs doing next. Often I can spend too much time doing that and wind up so distracted that I stop the chore or socialising entirely and move onto something else.

A chore that should only take 30 minutes could easily take me several hours. Which may well be spread over several days. With socialising, apparently I'm good at it and make a good and strong impression on people. But I only really feel the need or desire to do it a handful of times a year outside of online conversations.

Ed

 

[AngelaS267]

Socializing is exhausting because I don't feel authentic when I'm socializing. I feel like I am reading a script and trying to convince the world that I am a normal person. People would always say that I was a nice person in high school or college, and I think people did that because they didn't really know how to categorize me. I felt weird about being considered nice because I never genuinely did anything "nice" per se, I was mostly quiet, and when I did socialize, it was tailored to the person I was speaking to in the moment. It's caused a lot of identity issues because I have to mask a lot to get by with people. I don't know what type of people I like or who I really am because I've programmed in my mind that whatever it is that I am, it is not acceptable. I'm trying to undo that, but until then, it's been so exhausting to communicate with people for this reason.

For executive functioning, I don't really consider my socializing as being apart of my executive function issues, but I do absolutely struggle in many ways with this. I am very forgetful, it takes a lot of energy for me to do simple things, I lose things a lot, and I struggle to do tasks when people are watching me. Like I forget how to do them. I've gotten a planner and it's helped a bit.

 

[Jumpback]

I can be social but it's exhausting. Socialising also introduced me to substances and then into substance abuse which I'm only recently clear of.

As for executive functioning - I struggle with organisation and prioritising. Which is tricky as my job requires it. So I get stressed, burn out and make frequent mistakes. Especially with the nature of the job being 2 fold. Answering calls and reacting to breakdowns and immediate requests. Then there's the admin and paperwork side of things.

Being in the middle of something requiring my concentration and then having to drop it all to do something else 20-30 times a day fries my brain.

Things like chores and tidying I tend to do it in short intense bursts, much like my socialising. After a while with chores or socialising I zone out and struggle to maintain focus. So I'm sat or stood still in silence whilst I try to figure out what needs doing next. Often I can spend too much time doing that and wind up so distracted that I stop the chore or socialising entirely and move onto something else.

A chore that should only take 30 minutes could easily take me several hours. Which may well be spread over several days. With socialising, apparently I'm good at it and make a good and strong impression on people. But I only really feel the need or desire to do it a handful of times a year outside of online conversations.

Ed

I think that I saw somewhere that you are a car guy. I really like the TV show “Fast N’ Loud”. Things like I struggle with are like I see all the great ideas Aaron has but then I overestimate my ability to organize all the parts for the build or clean the garage afterwards or kind of forget that in my desire to build a bad ass ‘57 Chevy, I just might lose my extreme motivation later to make this happen

Like I get that this engine and transmission and part and so on are the best solution, but just tell me where to put original and unneeded ‘57 Chevy parts. Like, on this shelf or in the dumpster, I don’t care. But stick me with an original 57 Chevy hood and ask me what to do with it and I might become a nervous wreck because I both see that it is s great thing that should not go in the dumpster, but then Indon’t know exactly what to do with it

 

[Jumpback]

I think that I saw somewhere that you are a car guy. I really like the TV show “Fast N’ Loud”. Things like I struggle with are like I see all the great ideas Aaron has but then I overestimate my ability to organize all the parts for the build or clean the garage afterwards or kind of forget that in my desire to build a bad ass ‘57 Chevy, I just might lose my extreme motivation later to make this happen

It’s like since I am smart and competent and am even really good at seeing all the possibilities and things others might miss, I start to think that because I am smart and visionary about this one thing, I can be smart and visionary about other things.

But I really am just not good at things like organizing parts that weren’t needed that don’t have a specific place to go. Sometimes I jump over the heads of others and am charming and so on, but I end up just not being able to do the most basic things like figuring out what to do with discarded or not not needed items after a build without becoming a nrervous wreck.

Like I get that this engine and transmission and part and so on are the best solution, but just tell me where to put original and unneeded ‘57 Chevy parts. Like,on this shelf or in the dumpster, I don’t care. But stick me with an original 57 Chevy hood and ask me what to do with it and I become a nervous wreck.

I see some people on here trying to solve some kind of basic things that aren’t normal concerns, like should I turn this 15 year old computer into a gaming powerhouse computer or should I start from scratch and just buy a new computer case and throw the 15 year old computer in the trash? Most people don’t do such things, they just throw the 15 year old computer away and stop thinking

 

[Thinx]

Well, I think the executive function issues absolutely are part of autism, the focus may have been on communication issues because that's more obvious and can be observed by others, but the executive function issues are less obvious but appear to be central to autism for many.

I agree that aspects of the communication issues can be obscured or got around with humour and our caring natures, by some, and equally the executive function issues can be somewhat worked around. You are who you are, I think it's anxiety about it that's tripping you up, perhaps that's the issue to tackle.

 

[Aeolienne]

I used to get into a lot of trouble at school for forgetting things or leaving things behind. Unfortunately the standard response from the teachers was to punish me for being deliberately disobedient, which led to futile attempts on my part to cover up my tracks, whilst my family resorted to taking the piss. My brother taunted me by singing a list of all the things I'd left on the train to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas. I'd like to think schools are more enlightened today.

 

[menander]

There are so many reasons for it to be off that you'd really have to be tested. The brain will never understand itself. It has built in mechanisms to prevent it. You need someone else to dig in and foil it! Then you can help it. Brains are so stupid. Why do zombies want them anyway?