Both particularly difficult for autistic people...

The learning of social protocols etc. is like an actor learning a part. First comes “reading the script” (observation), then “practice readings” with critique by coach (parents) and other actors, then going “off book” (performing without having the script in hand) and getting one’s part “down”.

Autistic folks are variously mostly-off-book - to - polished part of the time but barely able to read/understand the script (as though it was in a foreign language, or was spoken to a deaf actor) at others.

In the circus-act metaphor, these are just two more of the plates that have to be kept spinning. And what isn’t getting attention when these are? I'm a lot better at depth of attention than breadth of attention.

Another consideration: as a child, I felt that management of voice and facial expression constituted emotional manipulation and was therefore unfair. The facts of the matter should be sufficient to demonstrate what I needed. When they didn’t, and I (typically) began to cry, I would hear people telling me they didn’t realize that whatever-it-was was that important to me. Weren’t they listening? I had to compete with others’ faces and voices using un-affected reason.

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