tenlittlebullets | (no subject)

Autism meme, stolen from

rainbow_goddess

Physical issues

avoids eye contact in conversations
wears an inexpressive face or far-away look
appears stiff in stance or posture
gestures awkwardly
makes few meaningful nonverbal gestures
sits awkwardly
exhibits poor gross motor coordination
rocks in seated position or flaps hands when nervous or distressed
fails to swing arms normally when walking
experiences sensitivity to certain types of clothing
is hypersensitive to selected dissonant sounds and/or light and odors
tolerates some loud noises
neglects grooming needs
requires calming pressure at times
seems excessively fearful of harmless objects
lacks fear of actual danger
appears to be insensitive to low pain levels
suffers frequent headaches in youth and adulthood
experiences eating or sleeping problems commonly
tends to suffer bouts of diarrhea
paces back and forth in circles when distressed
shows occasional signs of hyperactivity
seems at times to have low energy level
develops tics or odd mannerisms
speaks at times in strangely "swallowed" tone of voice
stammers when nervous or has trouble starting conversation
reacts exaggeratedly to sudden pain or physical sensation
grimaces inappropriately
reacts to some disappointments as if in seizure
inflicts self-injury when distressed
is compulsive about hand washing
exhibits ambidexterity
resists any touching that he or she did not initiate or invite

Social issues

inclines toward being a loner and is regarded as shy
interacts poorly with peers
fails to recognize social cues
seems unable to sense others' feelings
is aggressive and ill-tempered in childhood
lacks empathy when others disclose problems
often rejects hugging or being touched affectionately
cultivates those who are somewhat emotionally detached
indicates low self-esteem and depression frequently
lacks interest in group play
lacks understanding of play rules
when confused in conversation, changes the subject
seems indifferent to peer pressures
intrudes or interrupts in social situations (Maybe. I find it hard to tell if I'm interrupting, so I'll often stay on the fringes of a converation for fear of doing it. Somehow, though, I always manage to do so anyway.)
shares favorite topics by telling others more than they want to know
displays a one-sidedness or lack of interest in others
shows impatience with others' mistakes
engages at times in socially inappropriate behavior
exhibits emotionally inappropriate behavior or seems aloof
in childhood appears deaf to cheery greetings
assumes his or her unshared thoughts and experiences are known to others
tends to be vulnerably naive
shows impatience over waiting for others
takes steps to avoid being teased
in youth prefers company of adults who may tolerate odd behavior
seeks company of persons with similar traits
carries air of reserve that seems to attract others (Eh, how should I know if I'm 'attracting' others?)
approaches others too closely
adheres rigidly to rules of right and wrong
ignores middle ground for resolving conflict
is overly sensitive to criticism or imagined displeasure
responds childishly in joy, anger, or grief
lacks patience with social hierarchies
laughs or giggles inappropriately

Language and learning issues

talks too little most of the time
speaks or writes pedantically
tends toward perfectionism and is impatient with own mistakes
learns by seeing rather than hearing (Screw that, I learn by reading.)
shows a talent for art or visual representations (Possibly. People tell me I'm a good artist, but I never believe them.)
lacks understanding of abstract concepts
fails to recognize or understand irony
has trouble with words having multiple meanings
customarily takes comments literally
fails often to recognize subtleties
believes some fiction to be real
often views reality differently from others
lacks artifice and fails to understand it
tends to be deficient in what nonautistics call "common sense"
exhibits remarkable memory (If you call memorizing every bit of trivia that comes my way "remarkable.")
exhibits somewhat rigid sense of logic
adheres faithfully to routines, functional or not
ignores need to adjust speech for others' understanding
engages in repetitive speech patterns
sometimes talks too much
loves to tinker and improvise
prefers to read directories, catalogs, data-based materials
has a conspicuous talent for mathematics (HA. Had one as a kid, but after algebra everything went pfffffft.)
copies what he or she has enjoyed reading (Song lyrics, anyone?)
commonly has poor handwriting
examines environment or objects by sniffing
is detail oriented in the extreme

Issues of restricted interests

fixates on selected topics or data
resists change in environment, preferring familiar place and routines
has difficulty shifting to new tasks
resists changes in everyday activity
makes poor use of unstructured time
observes moving, spinning, patterned or shiny objects closely
forms attachments to objects
watches some videos repeatedly
aligns or arranges books, work materials, or toys