That is, the logical skills that Autistic people like me lack.
First of all, I would like to state that I know relatively little about anybody else's Brain-difference. I am speaking entirely from personal experience with myself.
Autistic people can do a lot of wonderful things.
I'm Autistic. Yesterday I wrote a 45-page book in a week. Autistic people can do a lot of wonderful things.
But there is a certain kind of practical logic that we are not good at.
Ducks are bad at running fast. Fish are bad at walking. And Autistic people are bad at what I now call Non-Autistic Logic.
The kind of logic that autistic people are bad at.
And one of my pet peeves is getting in minor trouble because I am not good at Non-Autistic Logic.
This is not about my pet peeves.
This is about pointing out what this is in hopes that it will help someone.
It's a certain kind of practical logic, less about scientific precision or emotional feeling (both of which I am good at), and more about handling common sense in messy practical situations.
For example, unlike most people, in practical situations I rely upon figuring it out mathematically and scientifically, rather than on common sense.
I rely on figuring it out mathematically, rather than the Non-Autistic Logic that I lack.
When I dust a table or clean the dishes, I do not use 'common sense'. I scientifically, mathematically describe it and figure it out that way.
The most noticeable place, however, is in social skills that involve trying to figure out what an average, 'normal' person would do.
For most people this is easy. Most people are not too far from 'normal'. You just start with what you would do in this situation.
Not me. I think very differently from most people. When I do this I guess wrong every time.
And the rest of it relies on Non-Autistic Logic.
For example, say I live in a house with about 6 other people. I come home, I see no one there. Maybe they are in their rooms, maybe they are at the store.
About 30 seconds later, someone comes knocking at the door, asking for Dan. I have no idea where anyone is. What do I do.
I can try to figure out where a typical person would be likely to be
But I can't. Because that is Non-Autistic Logic. That is simply a skill I lack.
I can try to think what I would do in that situation
And guess wrong. Because I do not think like most people.
What I will actually do is to assume that I will get it wrong, and take whatever action will get people least angry at me when I get it wrong.
This practice has served me real well over the years.
This is an illustration of Non-Autistic Logic.
I believe that Non-Autistic Logic is multilogic, that is, following several lines of logic at the same time. Like keeping several balls in the air at the same time.
*(a year later: I am absolutely sure now that this is what it is!)
I believe this because there is also a kind of logic that I, as an autistic person, am especially good at. Call it Autistic logic.
That is, the kind of logic that Autistics are especially good at.
Which is long-chain logic, that is, following a long chain of logic. Not several lines of logic at the same time. But a long chain, one leading to another.
This is what I am especially good at, and my theory is that all people on the autism spectrum are especially good at this.
I hope this helps someone. Because I am fine. I have my Autistic logic that I am especially good at.
I am only writing this in hopes that the knowledge of how autism works will help someone.
God loves you! Be happy! Enjoy life!
Sincerely,
David S. Annderson
P.S. One interesting thing that I have observed is that a lot of the Non-Autistic Logic that I normally lack, once I declare a subject matter in the title of a story, all of a sudden I now find that I no longer lack these skills! Simply by putting a title on a story or declaring a subject matter, just by adding that one extra point of logic, all of a sudden I am good at Non-Autistic Logic!
But not without that title! Not without that title or subject matter!
And that is remarkable- but true, at least for me!
But I can't just use this to become good at Non-Autistic Logic in real life! That title needs to contain a point of information in it, a declaration of a subject matter! The extra information needs to be there!
And this, I believe, is what is happening- that extra information in the title is reducing the number of logical balls I have to keep in the air, reducing the need to rely on Non-Autistic Logic, that is, the need to rely on keeping several lines of logic in my head at the same time.
P.P.S. There are three characteristics to Autism in my experience. One is lack of skill in Non-Autistic Logic, and in return being really, really good at Autistic Logic. Two is being Hypersensitive. My hypersensitivity is like having a racehorse as a pet. It's a great gift if you can handle it. Pain sometimes, great pain, but joy, all the joy of life, you really get to live. Life ain't never boring. And you never take it for granted. The third is our immense powers of concentration, our power to concentrate on something and even obsess about it, until in a short few weeks of obsession we become experts.
The fourth would be the hyperactivity in ADHD, but only in ADHD, not in the whole Autism Spectrum.
The benefit to the hypersensitivity? All the beautiful things you see in my writing. All my hypersensitivity. I may be more easily hurt. But I am never numb. I have really lived.
Autistic people are not withdrawn from the world. We feel it more vividly than you do. We feel every joy, every pain, every beauty, every love, every excitement more vividly.
This is the greatest benefit of my autism by far.
Far better than being able to write a 45 page book in a day when I have enough inspiration!
It is through my hypersensitivity that I know God! I feel Her around me deeply, everywhere I go! To me, Her existence is as obvious as the existence of the Sun in the sky!
(But then I got a lot of love as a child against the bad side of my hypersensitivity!)
P.P.P.S. I'm sure that there are people out there who are hypersensitive like an autistic, but are good at Non-autistic Logic instead. But then, these people are not socially akward and shy, because social skills relies on Non-autistic Logic, and that is what they are good at. I have a friend who is real great at multilogic, and he can read people like a book.
And so, because these people are not socially akward, their Brain-Difference stands out less and has not been noticed much yet. But I'm sure it must be out there.