Met a fellow ASD-1 over the weekend.

[Jumpinbare]

Was visiting friends in Tennessee this weekend and because I knew there was going to be a small crowd there, I wore one of my "please don't touch me. I'm autistic" shirts so I wouldn't have to keep explaining that I don't shake hands. Anyway, I heard the wife of my friend couple tell her husband "we should get one of those for Josh", then she asked me where I got mine. I asked her if Josh didn't like being touched, and at first she answered "he's autistic". Then I guess she realized what I had asked and she said "Josh doesn't like being touched unless he initiates it." Josh is 4 or 5 years old and he has a twin sister who is not autistic. I don't know if the mom or dad told Josh about me or not, but several times over the weekend I noticed Josh staring at me. He didn't say anything to me, but I only saw him speak with his parents and sister - no one else that was there.

 

[All-Rounder]

Interesting or maybe he's just observing. Staring into other ppls eyes freaked me out because if they'd stare back I couldn't stop lol I just got scared of myself and the other person and none would stop staring maybe due to anxiety

 

[Jumpinbare]

He didn't seem disturbed when I caught him staring. He just kept looking, so after brief eye contact to acknowledge him, I looked elsewhere. I guess he doesn't realize yet that it's considered rude to stare at someone.

 

[WhitewaterWoman]

Or your appearance was so compelling it overran parental programming.

Think about it. You’re a kid. You have autism and no one else is like you. Suddenly, there is a big human being, an adult, who is like you. You can aspire to grow up. You’ve now seen a goal post. Something to strive for.

I bet in 20 years, he will be posting on whatever forum equivalent exists then his memory of when he first realized he can grow up and be a successful adult.

 

[Rachie]

Looked at your post several days ago but only posting now. I am level 2 in a lot of areas mixed with level 1. Probably gone up to level 3 as in some.
However, when I did my test in ADOS this question wasn't listed about hand shaking. Small crowds I can understand. But handshaking does it have anything to do with Autism if so how. I don't mind it at church the handshaking in a small group it makes me feel safe with my kin and I also prefer smaller crowds but feel ashamed to admit to that about church as the purpose is to fill in the church.
Autism is about social interaction
Stereotyped behaviours
Imagination and creativity

Perhaps hand shaking is an anxiety or OCD condition fear of contamination.
Wearing t shirts is not Autism as well. Seems more tribal to me or just normal.

 

[Jumpinbare]

Looked at your post several days ago but only posting now. I am level 2 in a lot of areas mixed with level 1. Probably gone up to level 3 as in some.
However, when I did my test in ADOS this question wasn't listed about hand shaking. Small crowds I can understand. But handshaking does it have anything to do with Autism if so how. I don't mind it at church the handshaking in a small group it makes me feel safe with my kin and I also prefer smaller crowds but feel ashamed to admit to that about church as the purpose is to fill in the church.
Autism is about social interaction
Stereotyped behaviours
Imagination and creativity

Perhaps hand shaking is an anxiety or OCD condition fear of contamination.
Wearing t shirts is not Autism as well. Seems more tribal to me or just normal.

Many of us do not like being touched, or touching other people (obviously not all autistic people are this way, but many are). Not because of contamination but because of the way it feels.

People who meet someone new often like to shake hands. I knew there would be several people there that I did not know and who did not know me, so I thought they would want to shake hands. It is awkward explaining to people that I don't want to shake hands when they are holding out their hand to shake. It seemed to me if I had on the shirt asking "please don't touch me, I'm autistic" would let the strangers know that I don't want to shake hands so that I would not have to keep explaining.

As I learned, the son of my friends, Josh, also does not like being touched, so my friends asked where I got my shirt (Amazon).

 

[Rachie]

Many of us do not like being touched, or touching other people (obviously not all autistic people are this way, but many are). Not because of contamination but because of the way it feels.

Thank you for for explaining how it can be connected to Autism as well.

 

[Rachie]

Yesterday I was looking at the symptoms of level 3 sensory sensitivity symptoms and I came across Autism Speaks and this website mentioned that hypersensitivity can make some autistic people dislike touch, so that seems to be where it clearly comes in where symptoms go. Also, there is hyposensitivity as well that makes some autistic people crave touch. I definitely have had issues around being touched when in hospital particularly. It was interesting but a bit overwhelming as well for me to read around this topic. I have a combination of hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity.

 

[Aspergers_Aspie]

I may stop shaking with people as I read this article. This being a key point, 'On the other hand (pun intended), research also shows a vast number of infections are passed from person to person via the hands'Link here to story

 

[Jumpinbare]

I actually had another unexpected encounter yesterday. I run an AirBnB primitive campground behind my house. Yesterday a camper parked just as I was going outside. We had a short conversation about where things were located, etc. We had a communication glitch (misunderstanding) and I commented that I was autistic and didn't always pick up on things. He replied that he was also autistic, and I responded "Oh cool!" and we sat and talked some more. Belatedly, it dawned on me that "Oh cool!" probably wasn't the best response to someone revealing that they were autistic, so I apologized for having said it.
His response was that no, it was cool to meet another autistic person unexpectedly. We walked to where he set up his camp and continued talking for probably 1 1/2 hours! It turns out he only lives about 2 miles away and plans to camp here often because he is just getting started with camping, and going so close to home is great because he can go back for things he forgot, or get home quickly if severe weather is approaching. He still lives with his parents and an ASD3 brother, and none of them have any interest in camping. In fact, they thought he was crazy for buying a tent.
We seem to have a lot of interests in common, and he wants to get any camping and outdoor information he can. I have become a de facto camping guru after all my decades of camping, and most of it has been in Central Florida, so he's looking forward to 'picking my brain' for camping knowledge. So maybe a new ND friend.

 

[stevens]

Or your appearance was so compelling it overran parental programming.

Think about it. You’re a kid. You have autism and no one else is like you. Suddenly, there is a big human being, an adult, who is like you. You can aspire to grow up. You’ve now seen a goal post. Something to strive for.

I bet in 20 years, he will be posting on whatever forum equivalent exists then his memory of when he first realized he can grow up and be a successful adult.

That's happened to me as well. I was working at a charity once and one of the people who came in with his parent was so clearly autistic that I finally just asked, "Aspie, huh?" His face lit up and he started talking with me and we ended up having a very pleasant conversation for half an hour. At that moment I was kind of sick of talking with the neurotypical old ladies around the place, and it was a welcome relief to talk to someone who was like me (maybe like I was 25-30 years before). His parent was apparently thrilled that someone actually engaged with him instead of ignoring him.

 

[WhitewaterWoman]

I actually had another unexpected encounter yesterday. I run an AirBnB primitive campground behind my house. Yesterday a camper parked just as I was going outside....

Just FYI, I recently found Hipcamp, which is an AirBnB-like organization for campsites. Thought this might interest you.

 

[Jumpinbare]

Just FYI, I recently found Hipcamp, which is an AirBnB-like organization for campsites. Thought this might interest you.

I recently found it as well. I'm going to look at the feasibility of dual listing my camp area with them.

 

[Jumpinbare]

Was wearing one of my autism shirts today at Publix supermarket, and a female cashier pointed to the shirt and asked if I was autistic. I said I was and she said that she was as well. She was wearing a covid style mask which, combined with general store noise made it hard for me to understand what she was saying, so there was a fair amount of "what did you say?", but she said she had Asperger's. My ASD1 would have been considered Asperger's back in the day, so I said "Me too."
That is the second female cashier at that store that has told me they are autistic.

 

[All-Rounder]

I may stop shaking with people as I read this article. This being a key point, 'On the other hand (pun intended), research also shows a vast number of infections are passed from person to person via the hands'Link here to story

Okay, I don't like touching people anyway. Self preservation But if you talk about the reason why who knows what happens.

I remember that politicians invented the elbow shake instead of hand shake in covid times. It seemed odd til then no one had concerns whatsoever for health regardless of really dangerous contagious disease, people were so eager to swap sweat and drool lol.

And now with people denying covid exists and the vaxx scandal you'll get mistreated if you even as much as wear a mask. I'm sick and out I go with my mask, nevermind the sacrifice I make for them they would rather just mistreat me. Stupid arrogant people think disease is never gonna find them and when it does they say it hasn't like my idiot mom.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

I have never had real issue with touching, but have noticed others think I do sons hug their mother after visits sons sort of ignore me. Am I giving off the wrong signals without realizing it. Covid does not bother me, my back ground informs me about bacteria and viruses, I have a very strong immune system, formal education in microbiology.

 

[All-Rounder]

I thought we'd be better at body signals compared to verbal communication but we have to act them out which can be annoying or tiring. A mind reading device would be nice.