Could someone let me know some facts about ASD?

[ShawnChan]

Hi guys, I have to say first I'm not a person on the spectrum. So basically, I am here is for know a bit more about ASD, coz I realize this has been a trend that so many people around me are in the spectrum. And personally, I am a designer currently doing a project targeting autistic users. The question that I want to ask is, do your guys feel challenged to apply the motor skills to a more complex level in life?

 

[tree]

Are you asking whether people *on the spectrum* are clumsy?

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

do your guys feel challenged to apply the motor skills to a more complex level in life?

No. I canoe and kayak, do woodworking and for some tasks am ambidextrous. My major dysfunction had been a lack of social maturity compounded by an inability to notice and understand social communication, including body language.

 

[Outdated]

The question that I want to ask is, do your guys feel challenged to apply the motor skills to a more complex level in life?

I think the way you view people and stereotype them is quite rude but probably caused by ignorance, by never associating with people outside the immediate social group you grew up with. You should get out more, people are just people.

There are probably some people on these forums that have issues with motor control but I'm not one of them. I'm ASD2 but I also have the dexterity, the agility, the balance and the fine motor control of someone like a circus acrobat. Well outside the range of what is considered normal.

 

[Nitro]

 

[Darkkin]

One might query as to the specifics of the vague concept 'query'. When one cannot even type out a because instead of a 'coz', it denotes a certain level of disinterest and poorly developed communication skills.

Be clear, be concise.

What are established parameters?

How do they effect the autistic community?

What is the purpose of your 'design'?

What actually is the 'design'? An app, a computer program, a social project plan, a T-shirt logo? You have given zero context as to what you actually design. And if your design skills are reflected by you communication style, there will be issues with the autistic community.

You have provided zero context on any workable criteria and have not articulated a quantifiable request. You have provided no parameters nor targeted bandwidth within the ASD spectrum.

Define complex levels of life. Define the parameters of motor skills. Define your medium, app, shoes, invention, what have you... Define and illustrate a legitimate scenario in which these areas overlap in everyday situations within the autistic community. Autism is a massive spectrum, not just the narrow band of 'visible' autism NTs are aware of through media stereotypes.

These are basics of any projects and none of said areas have been addressed. What does that say about this targeted 'design'?

Big thing about autistic communication, you need to be very, very specific about what you want. Exactingly specific would probably be the best way to describe the context required to be clearly understood.

From a writer's standpoint, you haven't even told readers if the work is fiction or nonfiction.

You have a nonspecified 'design' targeted to autistics, yet you have failed to define what the 'design' even is.

This is what is known as a vague concept and vague concept translates to an undeveloped idea.

If you are serious about learning about ASD and learning how to effectively help those on the spectrum, sit down and do some research. Outline your idea, establish parameters and desired outcomes. Treat it like a business plan and gather usable data people can make sense out of.

A key component: What observations have you made about the autistic community that give tangible veracity to the undefined 'design'?

How is this 'design' going to improve 'complex levels' of living for autistics?

 

[Nitro]

Hi guys, I have to say first I'm not a person on the spectrum. So basically, I am here is for know a bit more about ASD, coz I realize this has been a trend that so many people around me are in the spectrum. And personally, I am a designer currently doing a project targeting autistic users. The question that I want to ask is, do your guys feel challenged to apply the motor skills to a more complex level in life?

What exactly will you be outlining in this project?

 

[Judge]

The question that I want to ask is, do your guys feel challenged to apply the motor skills to a more complex level in life?

Depends on the context. I'm not formally diagnosed, though I have reason to believe I would be classified under the DSM-V's "ASD level 1". Challenged relative to fine motor skills? No, not at all. Gross motor skills relative to verbal communication in real time with others, like so many of us on the spectrum, yes. It can be challenging at times. Was I a shining star in sports in high school and college? No. I felt quite average in terms of my own physical agility.

As for fine motor skills, physically even at my age my hand-eye coordination is quite good. Proficient with handguns, build plastic models and have built my own personal computers since the late 80s. At one point in my life I was also a website designer for a major well-known corporation. Mentally speaking, I consider my executive functioning to be excellent. Something proved having been an insurance underwriter for nearly twenty years. The sort of job where executive functioning is an absolute must.

When I think about it, I suspect the distribution of motor skills for better or worse may collectively be no different than for those within the Neurotypical community. That to really focus on autism in this context, you must be far more concise.

 

[ShawnChan]

I think the way you view people and stereotype them is quite rude but probably caused by ignorance, by never associating with people outside the immediate social group you grew up with. You should get out more, people are just people.

There are probably some people on these forums that have issues with motor control but I'm not one of them. I'm ASD2 but I also have the dexterity, the agility, the balance and the fine motor control of someone like a circus acrobat. Well outside the range of what is considered normal.

Hi, yeah, to some extent you are right. I am sorry that my perspectives are so limited. But the bad news is that in my country (I'm from China), most people feel shame to tell others that they are autistic, and more seriously, some of them do not think they are on the spectrum. All of these only bcoz once you are diagnosed with ASD or other similar status, you will receive extremely bad effects due to the social stereotype. So, yeah, in fact, I "cannot" associate with people on the spectrum, typically in China. It's hard.

I am glad that you are so friendly and can tell me that "most autistic people have problems with motor control" is a stereotype (I guess this is what you mean). So, I'm curious if your skills of motor control are trained or just like you are born with that?

 

[Darkkin]

6% of the general population has some form of dyspraxia, or inherent clumsiness. About 2% of the general population has ASD. And only 10% of that 2% has measurable dyspraxia.

So stereotyping is based on 10% of 2% of 6%...

Inherent clumsiness and dexterity are traits like blue eyes or the shape of one's nose. It is not diagnostic criteria of ASD. And taking neuroplasticity into account can be altered through time and practice.

Check out books like:

Visual Thinking by Temple Grandin
The Violinist's Thumb by Sean Kean

Other factors that are much more directly linked to ASD are the sensory input issues of interopection. As well as the hyper and hypo awareness of certain input criteria like temperature, texture, motions, light, sounds, etc...

If you are targeting a market of those with impacted fined motor skills, look at those affected by dyspraxia or degenerative motor function (e.g. multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons, Huntington's, ALS, Alzhemeir's, etc...).

Something that is a measureable physical factor within the ND community (not just ASDers) is a fairly common comorbidity of hypermobile joints and skin. Traits of Ehlers-Danlo's Syndrome affect almost 20% of NDers, and NDer account for nearly 12% of the general population. And this is often a contributing factor to altered interoception (such has heightened pain tolerance and reflexive, hypertonic muscles with are a contributing factor to dexterity and other motor skills.)

I was in dance, gymnastics, and swimming. I excelled at all of them, especially swimming. I've also always been wickedly good at climbing trees, monkey bars, and balancing on swings. I never get a dog leash tangled (even when I am handling multiples), it is all about the context of the individual, not a stereotype.

My older sister is NT, but can't swim, turn a cartwheel, handle a dog leash without tangling it into a knot, or climb a tree, let alone stay on a swing...she is a complete klutz and meets all the criteria for dyspraxia.

I'm ASD1 with diagnosed EDS.

 

[Tom]

If you just look at a whole bunch of thread titles here you may get some insight into common problem areas for people on the spectrum. For example you will see many concerning noise/sounds causing distress. However many issues occur in the psychological domain, such as various difficulties socializing.

I have to admit I thought your first post humorous (unintentionally). It almost came accross something like 'Hey guys, I'm a fashion designer and this year's big trend is to be autistic...'

 

[Outdated]

So, I'm curious if your skills of motor control are trained or just like you are born with that?

It's a combination, I think. My balance is natural, something I was born with, but the rest is from practice and experience. From having a very active life, swimming, surfing, snow skiing, bike riding, etc. I'm also very good with my hands and good at manipulating small objects, but once again I think this is from practice. From tinkering with machines and computers.

 

[ShawnChan]

Are you asking whether people *on the spectrum* are clumsy?

Hi, I am an English learner, so I am not quite sure about is "clumsy" derogatory in English. But basically, without offense, yes, I want to know whether people with ASD are facing motor control troubles. And if yes, is that a normal situation or barely existed?

 

[ShawnChan]

It's a combination, I think. My balance is natural, something I was born with, but the rest is from practice and experience. From having a very active life, swimming, surfing, snow skiing, bike riding, etc. I'm also very good with my hands and good at manipulating small objects, but once again I think this is from practice. From tinkering with machines and computers.

Aha, so you think originally, the control of your body is not so perfect (I mean like normal people). But with some practice later, the situation is getting better and in some cases even stronger than normal people. Am I right?

 

[Storm Hess]

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/autism/what-is-autism/

 

[tree]

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/clumsy

 

[Outdated]

Yes, I think muscles and reflexes grew and adapted because the things I was interested in required it.

 

[ShawnChan]

If you just look at a whole bunch of thread titles here you may get some insight into common problem areas for people on the spectrum. For example you will see many concerning noise/sounds causing distress. However many issues occur in the psychological domain, such as various difficulties socializing.

I have to admit I thought your first post humorous (unintentionally). It almost came accross something like 'Hey guys, I'm a fashion designer and this year's big trend is to be autistic...'

lol COVID makes people love isolation. One interesting thing in Chinese is, the translation of Autism is the same as autistic, so people always say "I'm autistic" for fun. But personally, I don't think it's a good phenomenon. Especially in China, the public is lacking a basic understanding of the group. But they start joking before knowing... Aww btw, ill look through the posts, thanks for your suggestion!!!

 

[Human Avatar]

If you just look at a whole bunch of thread titles here you may get some insight into common problem areas for people on the spectrum. For example you will see many concerning noise/sounds causing distress. However many issues occur in the psychological domain, such as various difficulties socializing.

I have to admit I thought your first post humorous (unintentionally). It almost came accross something like 'Hey guys, I'm a fashion designer and this year's big trend is to be autistic...'

Same thing I was thinking , since when it it fashionable to be autistic? I don’t understand that . Does it mean to dress like an autistic person , I don’t even think this is possible since we are all individuals and dress the way we want .

 

[Human Avatar]

lol COVID makes people love isolation. One interesting thing in Chinese is, the translation of Autism is the same as autistic, so people always say "I'm autistic" for fun. But personally, I don't think it's a good phenomenon. Especially in China, the public is lacking a basic understanding of the group. But they start joking before knowing... Aww btw, ill look through the posts, thanks for your suggestion!!!

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