What is the difference between autism and neurotypical behavior?

And when the autistic child protests, it gets called “extinction burst” or a meltdown and often the adult pushes even harder. Neurotypicals are in charge of their own bodies, while autistic people are not given that same autonomy.

Are autistic people social automatons?

Unfortunately, numerous individuals (autistic or not) have taken it upon themselves to imbue the term with neurotypical individuals as if they were prototypical social automatons produced by a Dr. Seuss Sneech machines in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World.

What does it mean to be neurotypical?

For a long time neurotypical (short for “neurologically typical”, which is a term originating in the autistic community as a label for people who are not on the autism spectrum) researchers have been desperate to know why children with autism usually do not to attend to faces or consider other people’s perspectives.

Why is normal behavior seen as normal by people with autism?

And the only reason that neurotypical people’s behavior is seen as normal is because there are more neurotypicals than there are autistics. So next time you are thinking about a typical autistic behavior being weird, unacceptable, or pathological, remember that neurotypicals probably do a version of that same exact behavior.

How do neuroatypical people differ from neurotypical people?

There are many ways to be neurotypical, so there is no one way neuroatypical people differ from neurotypicals. There’s a bit of debate about exactly what neuroatypical includes. Stuff people are “born with” such as ADHD and autism are pretty much always considered neuroatypical conditions.

Is the term ‘neurotypical’ offensive?

It is predicated on one person’s feeling that ‘neurotypical’ is an offensive term, similar to calling someone a ‘n*****’. That, to me, is taking the whole thing way out of context – akin to saying that ‘neurodiverse’ is synonymous with ‘spastic’. If you find the term ‘neurotypical’ offensive, then don’t use it. It’s as simple as that.

How do you deal with an Aspie and a neurotypical partner?

Sometimes the Neurotypical will have to break it down and explain where she is coming from. The Aspie partner may need time to process the information in order to “get” it. The need to deliberately explain things, rather than have your partner understand you immediately, can exacerbate an already frustrating situation.

What is the difference between a non-autistic and an autistic person?

People with autism are “details-before-the-concept” thinkers, while non-autistic people are “concept-before-the-details” thinkers. What this means is that the autistic mind approaches their environment—a bottom-up approach—while the non-autistic mind utilizes top-down thinking—drawing on prior learning and memories.

Do autistic children have “black and white thinking”?

The fact remains, my non-autistic son can stim in his own way to his heart’s delight without anyone saying anything, while my autistic son’s stims are seen as disruptive or annoying. Oftentimes it is said that autistic children and adults have “black and white thinking” because they prefer to have things a certain way.

What is a neurotypical personality?

Specifically, neurotypicals are assumed to: Have strong social and communication skills, making it easy for them to navigate new or socially complex situations Find it easy to make friends and establish romantic relationships and to understand the “hidden agenda” of expected behaviors that smooth interactions at work and in community situations

Is it possible to diverge from neurotypical norms?

Yet millions of people do, in fact, diverge from neurotypical norms, some radically and others just enough to find it impossible to fit in.