@AlexPed Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder whose number 1 symptom, when you ask us and not the neurotypical psychiatrists who study us, is being oversensitive/overwhelmed in typically 1 or 2 of our senses: Everything is too loud, too bright, too uncomfortable to touch, too smelly or tasting terrible.
@AlexPed The number 1 above-average skill is music, by the way. Did you know that?
(It doesn't mean it's common among autistic people, but more common than among neurotypical people. And more common than unusual math skills.)
@AlexPed The impairment of "social communciation" (in contrast to antisocial communication?) could also be considered to be on the side of the neurotypicals. If they didn't insist on always *implying* stuff we could understand each other much better.
@GreenSkyOverMe @AlexPed Savantism is a special interest of mine, and I didn't know that. My partner is a blind Autistic woman who is musically gifted. My late undiagnosed neurodivergent uncle was a very gifted folk musician, and I have taught myself simple piano songs by ear.
@LilyoftheRally Managing to repeat piano songs by ear is very difficult! Some gifted autistic children can do it when they are really young. I can't at all (but I'm mathematically gifted).
@GreenSkyOverMe Have you read the autie-biography Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet? Tammet is an autistic author and low support needs savant. I empathize a lot with what he writes in that book about comparing himself to his younger NT siblings growing up and feeling bad that he couldn't befriend other kids like they could. Tammet was diagnosed autistic in adulthood. This was his first book, written in 2006. I was also gifted in math growing up, but wasn't interested in it.
@LilyoftheRally No, I haven’t heard of that book. I mostly read books in German.
@GreenSkyOverMe There's probably a German translation. Tammet is fluent in a number of languages himself.
Mélani (Melanie) Bjornsdottir (she, ŝi) @GreenSkyOverMe @AlexPed Or the clovers are too cute. (Don’t mock me!)