I'm reading on an online support group about a mother asking what she should do with her son. He is PDD NOS, in college, studying to be an engineer, loves gaming and doesn't socialize much. It sounds like he is AST, Autism Spectrum Typical. In our world, he's normal. But she wants him to be NT normal, so she's asking how to get him out to socialize more.
Many people on the spectrum have a much lower need for social interaction to be satisfied. NTs don't understand this and always ask what they can do to encourage more socialization.
Nothing. We just don't need it.
I work in customer service, I talk on the phone 8 hours a day to people, I also have to deal with social interaction in the break room, walking down the hall, at the grocery store and various other places throughout the day.
People are everywhere! I have to step outside what is normal for me and interact with them every day, all day. I am more than maxed out on social interaction. Being alone at home is RELAXING, it's not a bad thing.
NTs really need to understand that when we say we're different, we really are different. Maybe because it's because NTs are so used to their words not meaning what they say, but when autistics speak, we say exactly what we mean.
We are different. We have different needs. Different things give us pleasure and different things cause us stress.
When we say we are different that isn't code for "we're pathetically waiting around for you to come save us and teach us how to be NT."
We are wired differently. Literally, the way the connections are formed in our brains is different from NT people. It will always be that way. Forcing me to go make small talk to someone doesn't make me NT, it makes me annoyed.
Would you be so eager to change your child if they were born blue eyed instead of brown eyed? Would you be so concerned about 'fixing' their blond hair if you felt they really should have been brunette?
Why the obsession with 'fixing' autistics?
We're not broke; we're different.
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