What percent of your autism struggles relate to social interaction?

[Poppy98]

(Sorry for the awkward intervals.)
What percent of your autism-related-struggles relate to social interaction?

 

[Outdated]

I never had any problem relating to social interactions. When I was younger I had a very active social life. I was still only very young when I decided I was never going to own my own home and marriage wasn't on the cards either so it was time to kick back and party. I had a trade and was well paid and could afford to do pretty much anything that took my interest so that's what I did, until I started burning out in my late 30s anyway.

For the most part I enjoy socialising with others but it's not something I actually need. I can and often do go for weeks without speaking to another human and I don't miss them but when I go out I'm not anxious or shy, I'm one of those people that starts conversations with random strangers.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

As a teen and young adult I had desires to belong and to enter a relationship with absolutely no ability to understand social communication. It was a time when autism was rarely diagnosed. Consequently I felt socially isolated and my mind, to explain my failures, internalized a lot of negative stuff about myself.

 

[Poppy98]

As a teen and young adult I had desires to belong and to enter a relationship with absolutely no ability to understand social communication. It was a time when autism was rarely diagnosed. Consequently I felt socially isolated and my mind, to explain my failures, internalized a lot of negative stuff about myself.

I'm sorry to hear that. If it helps commiseration-wise I was very misunderstood when younger and am a bit envious of people who got this sort of stuff addressed beneficially in childhood. It sucks to be misrepresented even accidentally, even to yourself.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Never had any issues from my perspective as I had no idea, just noticed People seen me as strange, did not bother me I was who I was.

 

[the_tortoise]

Pretty much all of them, even the ones that don't directly impact social interaction - just because they aren't understood or affect my overall state of being and ability to function...

The ones that directly impact social interaction include language and speech difficulties, odd nonverbals, different cognitive style.

The ones that impact social interaction in indirect ways include things like:

People don't understand why I have to do things in a certain way (it is not OCD, it is not stubborness, it is working memory and issues with set shifting, so my cuing systems and the chain of actions have to be consistent or I can't sequence anything let alone remember all the pieces - change one thing and it all falls apart)

People have no understanding of severe sensory processing disorder...which is a primary cause of overload states and meltdowns. The hyperacusis part of this also affects my auditory processing and makes verbal communication harder.

Stimming for self-regulation is misunderstood in all kinds of ways.

 

[velociraptor]

Probably half. Can do it when I need to, but it comes with a heavy price later.

 

[Jumpinbare]

I ditched social interaction as much as I could get by with while still in jr high. That became a lifelong habit. So in one sense, I have had next to zero social interaction struggles due to autism. In another sense, the fact that I have been mostly asocial most of my life is in itself an impact/struggle.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

90-99% of it.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

I'm sorry to hear that. If it helps commiseration-wise I was very misunderstood when younger and am a bit envious of people who got this sort of stuff addressed beneficially in childhood. It s*cks to be misrepresented even accidentally, even to yourself.

Those struggles certainly impacted us. I am happy that my parents taught me life skills; independence, finances, cooking, self sufficiency, so that I had the breathing space when out on my own to focus on transcending the social difficulties.

 

[the_tortoise]

I'm sorry to hear that. If it helps commiseration-wise I was very misunderstood when younger and am a bit envious of people who got this sort of stuff addressed beneficially in childhood. It sucks to be misrepresented even accidentally, even to yourself.

Those struggles certainly impacted us. I am happy that my parents taught me life skills; independence, finances, cooking, self sufficiency, so that I had the breathing space when out on my own to focus on transcending the social difficulties.

I had intervention and some positive support (quite a lot actually, compared to most people) starting in very early childhood -- no diagnosis of autism until young adulthood but developmental issues were recognized (impossible to ignore).

Early intervention doesn't necessarily mean you grow up without struggles related to disability, nor does it guarantee that in your adulthood you will "overcome" it.

In fact some early intervention does more harm than good, or only harm and no good (particularly ABA, for many people -- not all but many).

And when I think about my own life, I suspect there would have been some major and horrific trade-offs had I been labelled autistic as a toddler, instead of my issues remaining an acknowledged but mysterious unlabelled thing until I was a young man -- I suspect I'm better off having not been diagnosed much, much earlier, in many ways.

Very little, if anything, about any life is simple and straightforward, and I share these thoughts not be contrarian but in case anyone can take comfort in the thought that nothing is guaranteed or find potential silver linings in unfortunate (or maybe actually fortunate, so not merely "silver linings", depending on what might have actually happened had things been different in a specific way that seems all bad) realities of their own lives.

 

[Shamar]

(Sorry for the awkward intervals.)
What percent of your autism-related-struggles relate to social interaction?

Most are social, but a good chunk is related to misinterpreting spoken words, some social, some not. Then there is also not understanding what is gong on, again, some social and some not social.

 

[RemyZee]

I don't necessarily think of autism as my "disability,"--except for the social part. It is painful, confusing, and isolating. What I get in exchange is the ability to think and see deeply.

 

[Judge]

Just a wild guess...probably around 75%.

Though only up to my last job in which I became self employed and really didn't have to seriously interact with much of anyone as a personal investor. The last career I held where I really didn't have to depend upon anyone but myself. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times".

And having recently removed my NT brother and cousin from my social orbit, that number is quite low now...if at all.

 

[Matthias]

I never had any problem relating to social interactions. When I was younger I had a very active social life. I was still only very young when I decided I was never going to own my own home and marriage wasn't on the cards either so it was time to kick back and party. I had a trade and was well paid and could afford to do pretty much anything that took my interest so that's what I did, until I started burning out in my late 30s anyway.

For the most part I enjoy socialising with others but it's not something I actually need. I can and often do go for weeks without speaking to another human and I don't miss them but when I go out I'm not anxious or shy, I'm one of those people that starts conversations with random strangers.

If you don't have any social deficits, how are you autistic? I'm certain the criteria requires both social deficits and repetitive behaviors.

 

[Brian39WV]

I am not sure what percentage of my problems are social I guess to an extent all my problems are social. If I am alone, I do not have a ton of problems. It is when I am with people that I struggle.

I have isolated a great deal in the past few years. I joined this site because I want to try dating again. I realize I have perhaps isolated myself a bit too much since my diagnosis. I would really like to try and get back into dating again.

 

[Masked Man]

Probably half. Can do it when I need to, but it comes with a heavy price later.

This is basically me too. I can do it fairly well, although I think people in general feel there is something "off" about me. I'm definitely not an extrovert and I can't sustain social interaction for long. Luckily I am now in a place where people are, for the most part, accepting. It wasn't that way when I was growing up.

 

[velociraptor]

I think people in general feel there is something "off" about me.

I cultivate a reputation for eccentricity. I'll show up wearing a sport jacket, a dockworker cap, and mismatched running shoes. I use a pocket watch when in formal dress, not a wrist timepiece. If they expect odd they overlook a bit more oddness.

 

[RemyZee]

Social things that get in my way: similar to Tortoise it is difficult if not impossible in many circumstances to figure out what people are saying and what they mean, almost in a physical way. It's like conversations get all mushed up in my head and I can't get into them, figure them out or hear them, so it is like being left out of everything people do, since we are language oriented beings. Also, I do things differently from other people, and at times that has made me a bit of a target, but I can't seem to NOT do things differently. If I am not doing things differently, then that is when I'm not ok. And also, it is like never quite being comfortable wherever I go. But thing is NT's also have hangups and social difficulties and social tragedies....they just tend to be different from mine.

 

[Outdated]

If you don't have any social deficits, how are you autistic? I'm certain the criteria requires both social deficits and repetitive behaviors.

I never said I don't have any social deficits, but I'm not shy and don't suffer social anxiety.