
The Social Group for Autistic Adults
The Autistic Experience

Autism is a hyper-connected brain. Autistic individuals have brains that hold on to synaptic connections longer and stronger. It is a fundamentally different experience of reality. This whole process is invisible. It is how our brains function and not something you can see by looking at a person.
Historically, people have been diagnosed as Autistic based on how other individuals perceive and experience them and their potentially disruptive behaviors. The difference in what autism actually is versus what the diagnostic criteria have been has lead to the particular situation we are in now.
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Many Autistic people have gone their whole lives knowing they were different and never finding an answer or a reason that could explain why. With advanced science and research into genetics, neuroscience and the causes of autism, combined with the help of the internet to share this information and our experiences, we are finding each other.
Some Autistic people were diagnosed as children. Others diagnosed as adults. Another portion still of Autistic adults are self-diagnosed rather than formally diagnosed. There remains a high level of stigma in the general population towards both the word autism and towards Autistic individuals for being visibly different.
We certainly are an odd bunch. All of us different from the general population, and different from each other, even. Each of us has a uniquely human experience. People carry multiple identities; we are women, we are men, sometimes we are both or neither, we are white, black and brown, we are queer, we are immigrants, we are all those things, and sometimes we are also Autistic.
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As Autistic people, we have many common experiences in the world that are not shared by non-autistic people. Of course, neurotypicals will experience some of these things some of the time. But they will do so at a different rate and intensity than we do.
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The following is an explanation of some of the most common parts of the Autistic experience.

Masking is the process of hiding and suppressing one's internal experience in order to project a socially acceptable external experience. Many Autistic people feel rejected by society for being different and learn to mask their Autistic traits.
Autistic Masking

Autistic people prefer conversations that follow an information sharing style where the leading purpose is to share information and facts about the world. We like to be direct, literal, accurate and compassionate with our words, and expect others to do the same.
Communication Style

Many Autistic people have an elevated ability to recognize patterns and solve puzzles. Many enjoy sorting, collecting and categorizing stuff and information, and problem solving.
Pattern recognition

Autistic people often have one or more special interests. These are topics that they can possess an impressively detailed level of knowledge about, and which bring them joy to spend time learning about and discussing with others.
Special Interests

Many Autistic people find it helpful to do some things the same way every time because it is familiar and reduces uncertainty. This helps us have more energy overall to deal with the things that we cannot control.
Routines

Because our brains are hyperconnected, we can experience certain physical sensations, sounds, smells, and feelings very intensely, sometimes to the point where they become overwhelming.
Sensory Challenges

Stimming is a self-regulatory behaviour involving movements or vocalizations. These can be calming, or they can assist with focusing on a task.
Stimming

A significant portion of Autistic people also have ADHD. There are also genetic links and frequent diagnoses for a long list of other co-occurring conditions in the Autistic community. This includes but is not limited to Epilepsy, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, sleep disorders, IBS and gastrointestinal issues, learning disabilities, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Muscle disorders, etc.