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The Autism Spectrum in the DSM-V

#neurodiversity #autism #dsmasd

What The DSM says

A. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple con­texts, as manifested by the following, currently or by history (examples are illustrative, not exhaustive; see text): 1. Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, ranging, for example, from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back-and-forth conversation; to reduced sharing of interests, emotions, or affect; to failure to initiate or respond to social interactions.”

What it can mean

• I have trouble processing social cues or hints, like understanding when somebody is flirting with me or doesn't want to talk to me
• I can't spontaneously react to what people say; I have to “script” interactions before they happen. Because of this, I might be better at interactions that don't require me to respond immediately, like e-mailing.
• I often do not know how to start a conversation, especially when I don't have a “script” for the specific situation
• I usually only interact with people when I need them for something. For example, I wouldn't play a card game with a person because I want to play a game with that person, but because I want to play the game and I need a second person for it.
• It's difficult for me to let people know when I haven't understood them. It disrupts the “flow” of the conversation, making it more difficult
• I don't know how to rephrase things when others don't understand me
• I don't know how to phrase things on my own, so I usually communicate through things I have heard before. This might be quotes from movies, or things I have heard other people say
• To communicate, I sometimes repeat what the other person just said
• In a conversation, it's often just the other person talking. I might respond, but not “add new things”. For example, when other people ask me how I'm doing, they expect me to ask the same question back, or otherwise keep the conversation going. I don't do that, or I have had to practise it
• In a conversation, it's often only me talking. I don't instinctively do things like taking breaks to let the other person respond.
• I might not notice, or pay attention to, whether the other person is uninterested in what I am talking about.
• In a conversation, I usually feel like I am the “object”, like the conversation is something done to me, rather than with me
• If people don't notice my difficulties in conversations, it's because I've spend my whole life practicing how they work
• I have a strong need for privacy. It often feels invasive when people ask me about my thoughts, feelings, or interests, as those things feel very private to me
• I don't feel a need to share my interests with others; when someone else is interested in the same things as me, it might even feel like they're invading a personal space
• Or: I am only interested in a conversation when it's about a topic that interests me
• When I see something interesting, I don't instinctively point it out to others. That might only come to my mind much later
• When I succeed at something, I prefer enjoying it on my own rather than by telling others about it. “Sharing” joy about something doesn't make me feel happier than enjoying it alone
• I don't know how to react to other people's feelings, like how to comfort them when they're sad
• I am uncomfortable with or indifferent to displays of affection (like hugs, or saying “I love you”)
• There are some feelings I can't show in a way others notice. For example, people sometimes tell me to “be more enthusiastic” but I don't know how to express that
• Sometimes my mouth is better at wording things than my brain is. It's like my brain mixes things I have heard before, to create a response that fit the context. It's usually unrelated to what I actually believe, but my actual thoughts take a much longer time to express. So I often rely on this “automatic” process. (To me, this often feels like my mouth “generates” appropriate responses)
• “Simple” questions like “what do you mean?” or “how do you feel?” sometimes catch me off-guard. I don't know how to answer them
• I don't know how to signal things like when I'm uncomfortable with or disinterested in a conversation
• Other people often tell me that I was rude, when I thought I was being friendly
• To cope with or hide my social difficulties, I might use multiple techniques mentioned here, like: scripting, delayed echolalia, or automatic speech
• Even when I understand that something is meant to be humorous or sarcastic, I don't know how to respond to it. So I just reply as if the person had been serious
• sometimes in conversations, i don't know what people expect from me / don't understand the rules or expectations of our conversation, and that tends to make me feel very anxious and confused and disoriented
• one of the primary reasons i struggle with conversation is because it feels like there's an unwritten set of rules/expectations that i'm unfamiliar with and so i get anxious and freeze up
• if I want to initiate conversation with someone, I jump right in with my question or comment, rather than doing small talk first. Sometimes this means people don't realise I'm talking to them specifically
• I am often surprised when people tell me I have been rude, which happens quite often
• Sometimes I offend others by saying what I am thinking, even if I don't mean to.

Continue to: Part 0 – Sources Part 1 – Introduction Part 2 – Social-emotional reciprocity Part 3 – Nonverbal communication Part 4 – Relationships Part 5 – Repetitive Behaviors