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Most surprising thing you learned about ASD

I'm curious, for those who found out as adults, or are wondering if they are autistic, what was the most surprising common experience or symptom you learned about and didn't know was associated with ASD?

For me it's eyes. There was a test on a site that I will need to find again and it had pictures cropped to just the eyes and you were supposed to pick an emotion and I've looked back at it a bunch bc I can't figure it out and I like solving puzzles so it's like a game now. Also, I didn't realize it wasn't normal to find eye contact so unnerving.
 
irritable bowel syndrome and the connection with autism. An abnormal gut flora's main symptom is irritable bowel syndrome and it can be connected to many other conditions, like alzheimer and multiple sclerosis- or autism.
 
irritable bowel syndrome and the connection with autism. An abnormal gut flora's main symptom is irritable bowel syndrome and it can be connected to many other conditions, like alzheimer and multiple sclerosis- or autism.

In related news. Posted in July, 2021. Some evidence to suggest that there are specific bacteria strains missing in the intestinal tracts of folks with an ASD that may be contributing to alterations in the neurotransmitter milieu. In fact, they go so far as to leap to the suggestion that studying the microbiome of suspected individuals may contribute to the confirmation of the diagnosis of autism. This is the article about the findings, but was unable to find the original journal article posted on-line. Take it for what it is worth, but found it quite interesting.

Gut Microbiome Features Unrelated to Diet Linked to Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children
 
Some evidence to suggest that there are specific bacteria strains missing in the intestinal tracts of folks with an ASD that may be contributing to alterations in the neurotransmitter milieu.

Working backward from this makes me ask some questions.

1. Is there something in the intestinal tract of an autistic that inhibits the reproduction of these specific bacteria strains? A natural, endogenous anti-biotic? Is there something in common with these specific bacterial strains that can be identified that makes them stop producing in the autistic intestinal tract?

2. Would regular replacement of these bacteria strains,...a probiotic specifically formulated for autistics be of benefit? OR,...would these bacteria simply be killed off upon entry into the intestinal tract, if indeed, the autistic intestinal tract is producing a specific type of endogenous antibiotic?

I may be way off base here, but there are also people who are genetically resistant to certain viruses,...likely bacteria, as well. My wife's grandmother never had a childhood illness, a cold, or the flu. Didn't pass those genes on to her children though.
 
That for other people, being around crowds can be painful. And it can cause you to lose your job. I thought it was just me.

I generally do not feel physical pain from crowds. It's more like my sensory system is overwhelmed. I just want to get away. Usually, it's my hearing that bothers me most,...certain frequencies of sound,...doesn't have to be particularly loud. The best way to describe it is like a damaged subwoofer speaker with all the horrible vibrations and crunching sounds,...makes me wince, and I've got to get out of there. My ear drums feel like they are tearing apart. I hear a bit too well,...up past 25,000Hz,...normal adults its more like up to 15,000Hz. I don't filter well, either, so I have a difficult time focusing when it gets too chaotic with sounds.

Certainly, if a particular job is one that doesn't allow for frequent and quick little "mini breaks" (5-10) minutes to collect yourself,...that's not going to work out well.
 
Today I watched a documentary and it was about the gut-brain-axis. Really interesting, look it up. I'm a bit too lazy to translate everything right now, my English is a bit rusty.

Short summary: Exchange of information through the spinal cord and nervus vagus between brain and gut. More information from gut to brain than the other way (90%)!! Gut bacteria play an important role in synthesizing diverse neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonine -direct influence on our thoughts and feelings, even brain development.

Also, there are three different types of gut microbiota in humans (enterotypes). Each type is characterized by the prevalence of a different bacterium )Prevotella, Bacteroides, and Ruminococcus). Each type has its advantages and disadvantages. People with different enterotypes even have different food cravings and diet habits.

The first gut bacteria get introduced into a baby's system through vaginal delivery.(cesarian section means less gut bacteria and a higher risk for heart disease, adipositas and diabetes in later life)

I believe the role of genetics in the development of the gut flora would be an interesting research topic as well. Do these types exist because of genetic markers? Or because of diet habits?
 
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That for other people, being around crowds can be painful. And it can cause you to lose your job. I thought it was just me.
I enjoy some social gatherings for short periods. Small gatherings where I know most of the people, or something like a work gathering where I atlest know of the people even if I haven't met them. Even these kinds of things eventually get overwhelming. I start to have anxiety and I withdraw.
I hate large crowds. I dont like concerts or bars that are loud. Those kinds of situations I feel like I need to run away instantly.
I have to interact with customers in small groups daily. That's ok because everyone is generally quite and on task. I also have to do these dinners once a month where I am expected to "host" customers. They do drink and get loud. I've only had to do one so far and it was in a crowded restaurant. I was incredibly uncomfortable and nervous the entire time and I am dreading the day I have to do it again.
Hopefully you have a job where you are comfortable and you don't have to be in any situations that cause you too much stress.
 
I enjoy some social gatherings for short periods. Small gatherings where I know most of the people, or something like a work gathering where I atlest know of the people even if I haven't met them. Even these kinds of things eventually get overwhelming. I start to have anxiety and I withdraw.
I hate large crowds. I dont like concerts or bars that are loud. Those kinds of situations I feel like I need to run away instantly.
I have to interact with customers in small groups daily. That's ok because everyone is generally quite and on task. I also have to do these dinners once a month where I am expected to "host" customers. They do drink and get loud. I've only had to do one so far and it was in a crowded restaurant. I was incredibly uncomfortable and nervous the entire time and I am dreading the day I have to do it again.
Hopefully you have a job where you are comfortable and you don't have to be in any situations that cause you too much stress.

I agree! Though I don't mind concerts cause there is less of a focus on socialization and more of just focus on getting lost in the music, at least for me anyways. For me it's not loudness itself that is bad its certain tones/frequencies but sometimes I have episodes of being much more sound sensitive that I can't really pin down to anything. One of the most painful things for me example is being in the care with someone on their cell phone. It's somehow piercing and even may cause my to twitch a bit.

I've worked ina restaurant/bar environment before and being on the back end is one of my favorite jobs, I wish I could go back there stably with hours and money. I also had one job where I was put in the waiter position at a restaurant though and I utterly failed. It was extremely overwhelming to me and everyone could tell. I had no idea how to look at people or where to put my eyes (often I would get complaints that I was making them uncomfortable with my stares), when to do what thing when it came to interacting with customers and doing things for them, how to make social interactions more fluid under the pressure, and my bodily coordination went down the drain too in general. And I though working in a fast food kitchen was bad for me, this couldn't have been worse of a job for me as it feels like it was grating against the very mechanics of how my body and mind functions.
 
A.s.d, in general, is a new discovery for me. When I first started reading about it I was excited to be able to relate to others experiences. The most suprising thing though is being able to see my autie traits in action now that I know what they are.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Hyper joint flexibility! I have always had very flexible joints and have been able to pretzel my body into odd contortions. @ForestGumpett mentioned that Ehlers Danos syndrome has been linked to a.s.d. so I investigated a bit and found this article.
https://www.autism.org/researchers-...addition, a 2016 study,a major feature of EDS.
 
YES!!!!

You are so right! It is weird how I can meet someone several times, and every time be like "Oh wow! That's what they look like?" I learned to memorize a key feature of their face that makes them unique, and then I can remember very well what they look like. I'll do self talk in my head like "They are the one with the dimples (or high cheekbones, or big blue eyes, or whatever).

This is so me too, it takes a while before I actually recognize someone by their face depending on how often I interact with them on a personal level. I run into this issue at work where people will come in on a day they aren't working or get changed right after and I won't be able to recognize them immediately.
 
Regarding face blindness, my husband, whom I suspect is on the spectrum (he is happy not to know) has a degree of face blindness. He can't identify people he has not seen many multiple times. When he meets new people he can only identify them in context. He is horrible with actors, unless they are a favorite or played a favorite character.
 
That thing: getting a little too excited by a topic, interrupting people in the process, going on and on, and this being all mixed up with adhd….

I guess the surprise was in realizing I’m not alone.
 
The most surprising thing I've learned:
1. Other people do not see, hear, feel, taste, and smell like I do.
2. Other people do not communicate like I do.
3. Other people do not think like I do.

I am now far more aware of perspective and context. It still doesn't make things easier. It still is frustrating, and can cause some anger at times, but at least I have a better understanding.
 
I'm not totally faceblind, and don't necessarily have a problem recognizing people in general, so long as it's in context or they're someone I meet frequently. But if, for example, I see a coworker in their regular clothes at the store, then I can have a very hard time remembering who they are. Or It will take me a minute to recognize someone because they changed their appearance (like they got a haircut, for example).

Sometimes I'll see a total stranger who I think looks just like someone I know, even if I know it can't possibly be them.

Regarding face blindness, my husband, whom I suspect is on the spectrum (he is happy not to know) has a degree of face blindness. He can't identify people he has not seen many multiple times. When he meets new people he can only identify them in context. He is horrible with actors, unless they are a favorite or played a favorite character.
I sometimes have trouble recognizing someone just because the lighting changed. I pretty much have to go by context and guess whom that's most likely to be.
 
I'm not totally faceblind, and don't necessarily have a problem recognizing people in general, so long as it's in context or they're someone I meet frequently. But if, for example, I see a coworker in their regular clothes at the store, then I can have a very hard time remembering who they are. Or It will take me a minute to recognize someone because they changed their appearance (like they got a haircut, for example).

Sometimes I'll see a total stranger who I think looks just like someone I know, even if I know it can't possibly be them.


I sometimes have trouble recognizing someone just because the lighting changed. I pretty much have to go by context and guess whom that's most likely to be.
Regarding the face blindness, I struggle with this so much at work where I have to work with a group that is made up of older (late 40s-60s) white men. They all look so similar I can not remember what each one looks like. I meet with each of them a few times a year when they visit from other states. A different one each week. And of course they all recognize me, which makes me feel bad.
 
The most surprising thing I've learned:
1. Other people do not see, hear, feel, taste, and smell like I do.
2. Other people do not communicate like I do.
3. Other people do not think like I do.

I am now far more aware of perspective and context. It still doesn't make things easier. It still is frustrating, and can cause some anger at times, but at least I have a better understanding.
Taste? That's interesting and I have never thought someone could taste differently from me.
Thinking and communicating definitely. Its hard to wrap my brain around how other people tick sometimes.
 

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