[links.Autism Spectrum]

[wispfox]

Via conuly, Girls' autism 'under-diagnosed'.

"Hyperactivity, and interests in technical hobbies have been seen as characteristics of the disorder.

But Christopher Gillberg, of the National Centre of Autism Studies, said girls were often passive and collected information on people, not things."


*pauses*


"collected information on people, not things." A-yup. My fascination, once I was in school and saw the need, was with people, and social interaction and trying to understand why the hell people did the things often very strange things they did. My fascination is with minds and social interaction and such, not machines.

I'm an awful lot less likely to be watching from the outside now, although sometimes I still do. Almost certainly due to the large number of people I know now whose behavior makes more sense to me, so is less likely to cause me to be distant while trying to figure things out. Instead, my investigations into friends' minds are part of my interaction with them.

Heh.

Comments

Part 2

[drwex]

If at this point you're bored and want to skip ahead to the end, she said yes. We went. We discovered we were seriously hot for each other. We did major smooching and stayed out on her porch talking and talking and cuddling and smooching as only teenagers can such that I got back home well after 1AM, to the overt displeasure of my parents. We date intensely, and polyamorously (though without knowing the word) throughout the summer. Then we go away to college. End of story.


If, however, you're not bored, try to cast yourself back into the mind of this poor girl. She's pissed, and rightfully so, at me. But she's suddenly caught out in the open. She's mousy, remember? She doesn't date much and certainly not at school - turns out she's dating another guy named Alan, from church. So right there, in the middle of a hallway, with lots of _people_ around, this guy has asked her out. And then, before she can even really answer much more than mumble, he asks her to sign his yearbook. What's she gonna do, write "no, asshole!" in it? Or worse, say that out loud? I really think not. Doing that would've required a tremendous amount of self-possession and lack of caring of what other people thought. Which, if she'd possessed in the first place, we wouldn't have found ourselves in this particular situation.

So she does the only thing she feels she can do. She agrees. She dresses nicely for the date, which makes me feel like a schlub because, well, I am and I haven't dressed properly. And I'm not going to tell you what movie it was because you'd laugh at how old I am, but the movie is silly and corny and we enjoy laughing at it so much we discover we have lots to talk about. I mean... lots. And that talking is somehow much better if it's repeatedly punctuated with kissing. And should I mention that, in those days, two teenagers doing the seriously kissing thing for the first time can literally empty a T car? My how times change.

A movie date turns into a late night turns into a summer turns into my first real love. That story has a sad and bitter ending, as do so many of its kind. But that story is not this one, which ends with us on her porch, watching the summer moon at midnight.

Re: Part 2

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Thank you for this story. It's quite lovely, and you write very well. :)

Re: Part 2

[drwex]

You're welcome, and thank you for the compliment. Of course, seeing it in print I want to change some of how I tell it. Which is part of the point.

As to your other question, yes, she did eventually tell me that she had been mad at me and why. But it's a wholly different discussion when the person is cuddled up in your lap than it would have been otherwise.

Re: Part 2

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

it's a wholly different discussion when the person is cuddled up in your lap than it would have been otherwise.

*chuckle* Indeed!

Re: Part 2

[desert-born.livejournal.com]

nifty! i never had that highschool romance thing, possibly because i was one of the B&B folks everyone was busily a) teasing or b) ignoring (depending on context).

but well told, and you ain't as old as you think you are :)

Re: Part 2

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

Now I wonder what movie it was, too.

Re: Part 2

[(Anonymous)]

(whoops. Helps to be logged in)

because you'd laugh at how old I am

Incidentally, no - I wouldn't. :)

At most, you might remind me of the fact that I am (and tend to be) younger than most of my friends, and get _that_ kind of reaction. ;)

Re: Part 2

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Really, those comments were me. I'm not repeating myself again, though. ;)