Slow mental processing

[Judge]

Just wondering but, is part time work or partly working from home possible for autistic people in the US as an accomodation?

Not any more. Enough time has lapsed since the pandemic that the corporate world is now requiring nearly everyone to work in the office as opposed to home. Making things quite difficult for those with more domestic responsibilities. Regardless of considerations of "accommodations" for much of anyone.

 

[FayetheADHDsquirrel]

There are still some things that can be done from home (like if you have an Etsy shop or something).

 

[Outdated]

Not any more.

Strange. Here they encourage people on a disability pension to work any way they can because the more money they earn the less benefits they get paid. We're not forced to work in any way but they'll give us every encouragement if we sound eager.

Here a political party that wanted to end work from home just lost the election by a landslide, that's not the biggest reason they lost but it's certainly one of the reasons.

 

[Crossbreed]

Here they encourage people on a disability pension to work any way they can because the more money they earn the less benefits they get paid.

Our food assistance program works in a similar fashion. For every countable dollar you make, you lose $0.50 of benefit. So, it is still an improvement --as long as you remember put $0.50 of each dollar back into food.*

*My ASD2 son sees earned money as unrestricted money and starves himself by not making that adjustment. (He has executive dysfunction issues.)

 

[Judge]

Strange. Here they encourage people on a disability pension to work any way they can because the more money they earn the less benefits they get paid. We're not forced to work in any way but they'll give us every encouragement if we sound eager.

Here a political party that wanted to end work from home just lost the election by a landslide, that's not the biggest reason they lost but it's certainly one of the reasons.

Not so strange when you consider that this isn't about government policy, but rather a shift of the private sector. Not about revenue enhancement, but rather corporate control. That they want their people where they can see them at all times, rather than contemplate a perception of potential lost productivity.

Starting with Elon Musk some time ago telling his own employees to return to the workplace or be terminated.

 

[Chonebox]

My processing speed is slow. With time to think things through I might make 100% on a math test but then turn around and look like a bumbling idiot at a cash register when trying to count out my money because I need time to process and you are typically supposed to do that quickly. I can't keep up with register work because if someone changes what they gave me I can't just smoothly recalculate it in my mind. Because of my typically high test scores, it is hard to get some people to realize that this is a genuine struggle for me. Then people who only see that aspect tend to think I'm quite low IQ when I'm not, I just need longer processing time.

I know what you mean. This lady called me stupid because I had difficulty making correct change. This was more than 20 years ago btw.

 

[Ken]

Sure, I can relate to that. I think my brain is trying to process too much most of the time and it can take awhile to sort through everything. I need the right conditions to “think straight” and the presence of other humans, lights, sounds, and smells can be disruptive to that.

During a conversation, for example, I frequently put pieces together and figure out what I want to say after the conversation has ended. It’s as if I am spending my mental energy recording the conversation so that I can slowly process it over time. Most things take awhile for me to mull over before I figure out my thoughts on it.

All of this contributes to why I can communicate far better here on the forum than I can in face to face interactions.

That's me exactly.

 

[Ken]

Yes. There's always a slight delay. I think the first time that I really noticed it was with some of these fast-moving card games my wife's family likes to play. I just have to sit out. I can do well with a one-on-one conversation, but add in a third person, and I cannot keep up with the proper timing of when to jump in and jump out of the conversation without it being clumsy. In retrospect, I was always a slow test taker in school, but I also did well. On the other hand, things that require more time for processing strategy, I do very well at. I am good at analyzing situations, primarily because I do take the time to understand multiple variables and perspectives. I am one to have 5, 10, 20 year life plans, constantly making micro-adjustments, can pivot from plans A, B, and C, whilst moving forward. I process patterns very quickly. I do well with understanding the traffic patterns ahead of me while driving.

What I cannot predict, and this is primarily due to autism-related "mind blindness", is how other people are going to emotionally react or interpret what I say and do. I say and do something, most often with good intent, then sometimes, I step on a "landmine" I was not expecting, at all.

I can't do games at all. Any game. Just too much stress and anxiety. I can't keep up. Not worth the effort.

 

[Ken]

Sure, I can relate to that. I think my brain is trying to process too much most of the time and it can take awhile to sort through everything. I need the right conditions to “think straight” and the presence of other humans, lights, sounds, and smells can be disruptive to that.

During a conversation, for example, I frequently put pieces together and figure out what I want to say after the conversation has ended. It’s as if I am spending my mental energy recording the conversation so that I can slowly process it over time. Most things take awhile for me to mull over before I figure out my thoughts on it.

All of this contributes to why I can communicate far better here on the forum than I can in face to face interactions.

This was / is a major problem for me in any kind of situation where I need to remember or take notes when someone is speaking, giving a lecture, etc. Just listening to them requires all of my brains resources, leaving nothing left for the action of taking notes. If I try to take notes, then I miss what they are saying. Totally loosing battle. This was a killer for me in school.

Just in casual conversation, anyone talking to me has to speak slowly. Anyone speaking fast overwhelms my brain and I get nothing. It sounds like they are speaking a foreign language.

 

[Jonn]

“Slow mental processing refers to taking longer to focus on, accurately interpret, and respond to information.” A description I found of this on the internet, because I could not be bothered to write a proper explanation of it myself.

Dare I say, you had difficulty focusing on the job.

Anyway, I have this somewhat, only slightly, but I think it’s noticeable. I’m not sure if it’s to do with my autism or something else, but, does anyone else here have this?

I am a very slow thinker when it comes to processing new information.
I have memory recall issues that are genetic and were inherited through my mother.
I also have a poor working memory.

I have difficulty with adjusting to a new task.
I understand that many on the spectrum have this problem, hence the desire for routines.

Contemporary thinking would suggest I lack intelligence due to my slowness in mental processing, since quickness seems to be a major component of IQ testing.
Clearly, this is not the case in some contexts.
A rational mind that chugs along at its own pace can do well.

Part of the problem with slow mental processing can be attributed to faulty learning and environmental influences.
"Intelligence" in a general sense can be improved if certain inhibitors can be removed.
Emotional instability is one such example.

The wise old sage has spoken.

 

[RemyZee]

Yes. There's always a slight delay. I think the first time that I really noticed it was with some of these fast-moving card games my wife's family likes to play. I just have to sit out. I can do well with a one-on-one conversation, but add in a third person, and I cannot keep up with the proper timing of when to jump in and jump out of the conversation without it being clumsy. In retrospect, I was always a slow test taker in school, but I also did well. On the other hand, things that require more time for processing strategy, I do very well at. I am good at analyzing situations, primarily because I do take the time to understand multiple variables and perspectives. I am one to have 5, 10, 20 year life plans, constantly making micro-adjustments, can pivot from plans A, B, and C, whilst moving forward. I process patterns very quickly. I do well with understanding the traffic patterns ahead of me while driving.

What I cannot predict, and this is primarily due to autism-related "mind blindness", is how other people are going to emotionally react or interpret what I say and do. I say and do something, most often with good intent, then sometimes, I step on a "landmine" I was not expecting, at all.

I have been realizing I may experience mind blindness. Do you find that you misread what people need or how they are experiencing you and what you are doing, even to the point where the interpretation of what you have done is completely different from what you meant.--such that what you are trying to do has the opposite effect, because people are basically inaccessible to you, what they need and want from you.

 

[Jonn]

I have been realizing I may experience mind blindness.

Isn't 'mind blindness' having a lack of "Theory of Mind"?

Do you find that you misread what people need or how they are experiencing you and what you are doing, even to the point where the interpretation of what you have done is completely different from what you meant.--such that what you are trying to do has the opposite effect, because people are basically inaccessible to you, what they need and want from you.

People on the spectrum are constantly misunderstood.
It has been the bane of my life.

Spoiler: music clip

 

[RemyZee]

Isn't 'mind blindness' having a lack of "Theory of Mind"?


People on the spectrum are constantly misunderstood.
It has been the bane of my life.

Spoiler: music clip

video blocked because of copyright

 

[Jonn]

video blocked because of copyright

Interesting.
Not for me.
Maybe geoblocked?

Try this:

Spoiler

 

[tree]