Communication.
I’m sure you have heard the comment that only 7% of communication is done with the voice? Well for people with autism – thats what makes everything so much harder. Voice tone, body language, subtle hints – all lost on us.
That’s why we often hate phones. We can understand words but struggle to put them into context without having all the other signals to look out for. It’s like constantly doing a wasgij ! We have all the pieces but have no clue how to put them together to get meaning.
Because understanding is a mechanical, calculated thing, we often need a bit longer to understand what’s being said / asked of us. Hence the wee ‘autistic delay’ while our brain does a massive detour via all the extra things we need to do to figure out meaning and work out a response.
Sound exhausting? That’s because it is.
I’m all peopled out for today is a real thing that struggle with often.
Melanie Magowan 