Podcast Episode 0073, Season 5, Episode 4; 19 October 2021 How do Neurodiverse kiddos feel about homeschooling and virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic? For this episode, my daughters Leigh and Anne discuss what it has been like to study at home. They like it, but they also miss being…
Tag: friendships
As I mentioned in a recent podcast, I’m trying to engage more online and, once the pandemic passes, I hope to return to public speaking. (Virtual appearances are always an option, if your organization would like to hear my perspectives.) Some autistics are actively engaged in activism, with large numbers…
Podcast 0052; Season 04, Episode 16; January 5, 2021 I’ve been reflecting a lot on friendships, the connections I don’t have. Many autistics I know are more social than I am, especially online. Not every autistic is an introvert, especially in virtual communities. My autistic traits and introversion lead to personal…
People are uncomfortable around me. I know that since I was in kindergarten or first grade. Research suggesting people form impressions of autistics within half a second doesn’t surprise me. I’m going to prepare a podcast on this topic, because I’m realizing the pandemic has somewhat freed me from trying…
Autistics make other people uncomfortable, and we do this almost instantly upon meeting. In my communications classes, I teach about the 50 to 500 milliseconds during which most people develop first impressions. These impressions are difficult, nearly impossible, to counteract with evidence and familiarity. Knowing us doesn’t undo the initial…
Autistic traits can contribute to being abused and exploited by others, as the following survey data suggest: Half of [UK] autistic adults ‘abused by someone they trusted as a friend’ A startling 44% of those questioned admitted they stayed indoors as much as possible for fear of being harassed. Almost…
I recently spent some time studying microexpressions. The theory is that most humans, including some of the best liars and manipulators, briefly signal their true emotions via expressions that last only fractions of second. These microexpressions are involuntary. My interest in this was triggered by a special on the human…
My wife is the nicest person I know. Though she isn’t outwardly emotional, she is kind, caring, and definitely patient with the world. It takes a lot of energy to put up with what is becoming a tiring few months. I wish I could give her a nice, long, vacation…
I’m not sure if this is part of an atypical neurology or simply a personality quirk, but I definitely have problems reading people. The minor examples include not knowing when someone is initiating a conversation or ending one. I also don’t always notice what it is someone is really trying…
Over the last few months, I’ve been asked several times about friends. More precisely, the question has been if I have any friends. When I read online comments from autistic (“ASD” and “Aspie”) individuals, many are upset that they have no friends and seem to do everything “wrong” in a…