Why does autism steal symptoms of everything else?

[Aspychata]

It's nice to see it was worked out.

 

[Mikah]

What about sensory issues?

It can work both ways. Sensory issues might cause noticeably odd behaviour, screaming the school down when you hear the bell might well make people keep you at arms length. In the other direction social isolation might cause sensory (overload) issues through simple deprivation and lack of exposure.

Information processing?

Slow information processing in social situations - this could explained by lack of practice. Many also describe a sort of hyper-awareness in social situations. The thing is, so do shy people - their insecurity and lack of confidence make them worry excessively about every little detail of their own presentation. I suspect they are the same phenomenon. Other kinds of differing information processing, I am not sure. I could only guess if that processing were described to me. Though I am a bit skeptical in general when it comes to claims of "thinking differently".

Communication difficulties?

Can work both ways again. Obviously someone with brain damage or other physical communication difficulties is not going to be able to socialise properly and vice versa someone not socialising properly may never develop learned communication skills (and almost all of them are learned and practised, rather than innate). I think the "traditional" non-verbal autistics were a good example of the first, lacking the ability to speak would put rather a dampener on socialising.

Low dopamine and serotonin?

I don't know about those ones. Except that the serotonin theory of depression is nonsense through and though, it's been debunked and the world of medicine needs its traditional 20-years-to-catch-up-and-pretend-we-knew-all-along which it does whenever major mistakes come to light.

 

[Misty Avich]

I think it's also that because I am on the extremely high-functioning end of the spectrum (if my AS diagnosis was correct) I am supposed to have a high IQ and be able to indulge myself in a special interest and be capable of inventing a time machine due to my 'Spock-ness' or something.
That's never been true for me. While I reached all my milestones at the average stages in early childhood, I have always felt I had/have an intellectual learning difficulty. I don't think I've had an actual IQ test but it's been estimated at around 86-90.
And if there's any Simpsons characters I can identify with intellectually, it's Homer Simpson, not Lisa. Emotionally I can identify with Ned Flanders, even though I'm not religious.

 

[kenaij]

It can work both ways. Sensory issues might cause noticeably odd behaviour, screaming the school down when you hear the bell might well make people keep you at arms length. In the other direction social isolation might cause sensory (overload) issues through simple deprivation and lack of exposure.

Slow information processing in social situations - this could explained by lack of practice. Many also describe a sort of hyper-awareness in social situations. The thing is, so do shy people - their insecurity and lack of confidence make them worry excessively about every little detail of their own presentation. I suspect they are the same phenomenon. Other kinds of differing information processing, I am not sure. I could only guess if that processing were described to me. Though I am a bit skeptical in general when it comes to claims of "thinking differently".

Can work both ways again. Obviously someone with brain damage or other physical communication difficulties is not going to be able to socialise properly and vice versa someone not socialising properly may never develop learned communication skills (and almost all of them are learned and practised, rather than innate). I think the "traditional" non-verbal autistics were a good example of the first, lacking the ability to speak would put rather a dampener on socialising.

I don't know about those ones. Except that the serotonin theory of depression is nonsense through and though, it's been debunked and the world of medicine needs its traditional 20-years-to-catch-up-and-pretend-we-knew-all-along which it does whenever major mistakes come to light.

Your thoughts are very interesting. Eventhout I do not agree based on personal experience. I was never diagnosed as a child. I have always been in social situations. I talked early and often. I`m not shy, in fact. I`m pretty damn confident in myself. I was never treated autistic. The one obvious thing I did have was going to my room as soon as I got home and only come out for dinner. At school I socialised, I went to the pub etc. But the recharge I need after these things goes beyond being introverted (Which I also mostly am).

Eventhou I have always been exposed to social behaviour. I have never been isolated from it. I have always had trouble figuring it out. What seems to come naturally to others, baffles me. I can do it. Because I have observed how others do it. But it always feels like it is acted.

I get what you are trying to say. Or at least I think I do. And I also do think these points should be considered when assessing someone for autism. It could help people who 'present' as autistic. But instead have a deeper reason for doing so beyond autism.

 

[Rodafina]

It can work both ways. Sensory issues might cause noticeably odd behaviour, screaming the school down when you hear the bell might well make people keep you at arms length. In the other direction social isolation might cause sensory (overload) issues through simple deprivation and lack of exposure.

Slow information processing in social situations - this could explained by lack of practice. Many also describe a sort of hyper-awareness in social situations. The thing is, so do shy people - their insecurity and lack of confidence make them worry excessively about every little detail of their own presentation. I suspect they are the same phenomenon. Other kinds of differing information processing, I am not sure. I could only guess if that processing were described to me. Though I am a bit skeptical in general when it comes to claims of "thinking differently".

Can work both ways again. Obviously someone with brain damage or other physical communication difficulties is not going to be able to socialise properly and vice versa someone not socialising properly may never develop learned communication skills (and almost all of them are learned and practised, rather than innate). I think the "traditional" non-verbal autistics were a good example of the first, lacking the ability to speak would put rather a dampener on socialising.

I don't know about those ones. Except that the serotonin theory of depression is nonsense through and though, it's been debunked and the world of medicine needs its traditional 20-years-to-catch-up-and-pretend-we-knew-all-along which it does whenever major mistakes come to light.

My personal experience does not align with your thinking here, but thank you for sharing your thoughts and elaborating.