Do "autistic traits" in otherwise normal people exist?

[awoo]

I've read some theories that not only is autism a spectrum but that it could extend all the way through Asperger's to completely normal people, in that normal people could have "autistic traits" without fully displaying all the traits enough to be pathological. By autistic traits I mean a combination of lack of social understanding, physical clumsiness, and restricted and repetive behavior.

In my own observations, these can co-occur in mild ways in people who aren't pathological - that is, autistic-like but not fully autism. I wonder if this is true or it is just a symptom of trying to "medicalize" natural variation. I find my own hobbies to be somewhat repetitive and specialized/obscure, when I was younger I had social clumsiness that I have improved on significantly by observation of how others act, and I find parties mentally exhausting and overstimulating. However I believe I am able to read verbal and social cues at a normal level. So I think I may mildly express some traits but not enough to be diagnosed as anything.

 

[The Last Stand]

Sure. We're all weird in our own ways. That doesn't always mean we have a "disability."

 

[wtfNeedSignUp]

What the fuck is an autistic trait first?

 

[HarveyMCR]

We’re all a little bit autistic. Some of the most well developed, socially adept people I know will break down and spend hours talking about a niche thing they’re passionate about given the opportunity. The only difference is it usually tends to be about Basketball players instead of trains. Other guys I know will act completely unreasonable and like an autistic child if they’re put under too much pressure for too long. I would speak about my own experiences/traits, but given that I’m a regular poster on the Kiwifarms, I probably just have undiagnosed autism

 

[The Last Stand]

What the fuck is an autistic trait first?

This thread is autistic.

 

[Wheezy Asthmatic]

I know a guy who's otherwise completely normal but he can't remember a face to save his life. I think he said there's a name for it as it's some type of neural disorder. It's Prosopagnosia

 

[awoo]

What the fuck is an autistic trait first?

did you read my post? I listed the main ones that in my observation may co-occur

 

[HarveyMCR]

I know a guy who's otherwise completely normal but he can't remember a face to save his life. I think he said there's a name for it as it's some type of neural disorder. It's Prosopagnosia

I have that problem so bad. One of my friends who I've known for over a month now shaved over the weekend, and I legitimately thought he was another person when he sat down at the table opposite to me at the bar because he wasn't rocking the facial hair

 

[awoo]

I have that problem so bad. One of my friends who I've known for over a month now shaved over the weekend, and I legitimately thought he was another person when he sat down at the table opposite to me at the bar because he wasn't rocking the facial hair

that's normal though. Facial hair is very distinguishing

 

[Disheveled Human]

Yeah they apparently call it a spectrum.

 

[Pixy]

The fact that we're all here means that most, if not all, of KF's userbase is anything but 'normal'. Consider the fact that most ordinary people find KF's very raison d'etre to be pretty weird and 'autistic'.

 

[Daddy's Little Kitten]

The fact that we're all here means that most, if not all, of KF's userbase is anything but 'normal'. Consider the fact that most ordinary people find KF's very raison d'etre to be pretty weird and 'autistic'.

I'm normal

 

[Furret]

The fact that we're all here means that most, if not all, of KF's userbase is anything but 'normal'. Consider the fact that most ordinary people find KF's very raison d'etre to be pretty weird and 'autistic'.

Not everyone here is autistic, but using this website is an autistic trait.

 

[Blacklight]

I grimace when I drink soda, am I autistic?

 

[IAmNotAlpharius]

I grimace when I drink soda, am I autistic?

Me too. I occasionally start fires impulsively when doctors don't want to recognize my diagnosis.

 

[Lemmingwise]

I know a guy who's otherwise completely normal but he can't remember a face to save his life. I think he said there's a name for it as it's some type of neural disorder. It's Prosopagnosia

Look I don't have prosopagnosia, okay? Most cunts are just not worth remembering.

 

[Saint Alphonsus]

I wonder how much autism is diagnosed by strict criteria versus just a way of gaslighting people who think out of the ordinary.

 

[Jewelsmakerguy]

I grimace when I drink soda, am I autistic?

I do it when I eat pineapples.

 

[TFT-A9]

I know a guy who's otherwise completely normal but he can't remember a face to save his life. I think he said there's a name for it as it's some type of neural disorder. It's Prosopagnosia

I've honestly wondered for a while if I have face amnesia to some extent but I think I've just decided I really don't give enough of a damn about 99 percent of the people I meet to commit their faces to memory.

 

[Gravemind]

We’re all a little bit autistic. Some of the most well developed, socially adept people I know will break down and spend hours talking about a niche thing they’re passionate about given the opportunity. The only difference is it usually tends to be about Basketball players instead of trains.

Reading this just reminded me of how I was recently told that a therapist's husband had high functioning autism and his favorite hobby happened to be model trains.

For the sake of the topic, I'll throw a speculative question out there: Is it autistic in its own unique way to specialize in professionally identifying autism?