Social interaction sure seems consensus-based... a shared definition of the situation, some kind of shared script...and within a person a consensus of perception among several “channels” like tone of voice, facial expression, posture, etc. - this could be illustrated with multimedia, in a simulated “analysis routine”.

These are a constant (ever-present) hazard/risk for autistic folks. Somewhere else in the notes, I think, is the example of drone instruments - like the sitar or bagpipes - where certain background sound is constant. When playing music written for this, these instruments do wonderfully in practiced hands, but even a reasonably-faithful bagpipe rendition of Vivaldi would not likely be welcomed at a recital. There can be exceptions - in the classical-music field, P.D.Q.Bach comes to mind (a rather frightening example is "George on my Mind" from this page)- but such performances are well-delineated affairs where everyone going into them knows what the “game” is. They are packaged in standard wrappers so as to be sanitary to handle.

Or maybe the problem is with the priorities-of-expectation. A live jazz show isn’t expected to be virtuoso-perfect with every note in place - the “roughness around the edges” is unimportant as long as the energy is good. Doing by rote something meant to be spontaneous can be dreary indeed. No unmeant gestures, no inopportune intrusions, no faux pas, and no life. To a person on the autism spectrum, this path may seem very unappealing, and since there are many other options not on the “approved menu”, we just may take them instead...

Last revised: June 18, 2007
(c)2007 Dave Spicer
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