Showtunes I Relate To As An Autistic Person
Since I was a little girl Ive loved musicals. My parents are both big musical fans, so I was exposed to them a lot. I also happen to live just outside the Twin Cities, one of the best areas in the country for musical theater. The amount of small local theaters here is ridiculous and it gives me a chance to see so many shows, including ones few people have even heard of . Just a couple weeks ago I saw The Toxic Avenger, and by the time this is published Ill have seen Assassins.
Now, Im not the type of musical fan wholl gush about actors or whats new on Broadway. What I love most about musicals are the songs. I love words. I love lyrics. I always have. And one thing musicals have going for them is great lyrics. Unlike some other genres, where lyrics are just thrown together to sound good , musicals need good lyrics. Oftentimes the lyrics are necessary to keep the plot moving, or at least to add to the plot. Because of this, and the sheer number of musicals out there, I firmly believe there are showtunes out there for everyone. Everyone has a song that could become their personal anthem if they give musicals a chance. Below Im sharing a few songs that I love and relate to, and why.
1. Why Not Me? from Carrie: The Musical
Oh I anticipate the snickers,And I expect the kids will stareBut they wont rattle meNo matter what they do
I know I may not be welcomeBut at least I will be thereAnd if other girls belong then I do too
2. What Would You Do? from Cabaret
How To Relate To People With Autism
Being able to relate to people with autism requires effective communication including listening and being open-minded. In this article, well discuss a few basic concepts you should understand, tips for smoother communication, and a few things you should avoid if you want to succeed in relating to those with autism.
They May Struggle To Understand Body Language Facial Expressions And Gestures
They may not realise that being in a certain proximity means people are trying to be friendly. Also, they may find it difficult to understand why people act friendly towards them, but their body language or gestures to someone else may be different. A lot of people with autism may find it hard to tell a fake friend from a true friend.
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How To Relate To An Autistic Boyfriend
This article was co-authored by Tasha Rube, LMSW. Tasha Rube is a Licensed Social Worker based in Kansas City, Kansas. Tasha is affiliated with the Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center in Leavenworth, Kansas. She received her Masters of Social Work from the University of Missouri in 2014.There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 13 testimonials and 89% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 367,191 times.
Autism, known clinically as Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD, is also sometimes referred to as Asperger Syndrome or PDD-NOS. It affects people in different ways. Some autistic people face extra challenges in romantic relationships, while others eschew them altogether. If you are in a relationship with an autistic person, you may be wondering how to deal with some of the things you have encountered. Then, you can begin looking for ways to improve your communication with your boyfriend, such as by anticipating social challenges, accepting repetitive behaviors, staying calm when you are upset, and listening when your boyfriend wants to talk.
Treatments For People With Autism
There is no known cure for autism. For young children with autism, it is best to get help early. Ask about local early intervention and preschool programs. Adolescents and adults with autism also benefit from treatment to help them communicate better in school, at work, and in the community.
A variety of specialists might work with a person with autism throughout their lifetime. These can include SLPs, audiologists, psychologists, special educators, vocational counselors, and job coaches.
SLPs play an important role in autism treatment. They can help the person with autism build communication and social skills in various settings like home, school, and work. SLPs can also help the person learn to use AAC if they need help communicating. SLPs may work with the person alone or in small groups. Groups can help the person practice their skills with others.
Depending on the persons needs, SLPs may work on some of the following skills:
- Getting along with others in a variety of settings
- Using appropriate communication behaviors
- Transitioning from one task or setting to another
- Accepting change and expanding interests, including trying new foods
- Improving reading and writing skills
For people with autism who are transitioning to work, SLPs can also
- help them write cover letters;
- practice interview skills; and
- learn strategies to communicate better at work.
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Vaccines Don’t Cause Autism
No link has been found between vaccines and autism, despite many scientific studies. Researchers have scrutinized the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine since a 1998 British report raised concerns. That report has been retracted by the Lancet medical journal for poor science and fraud. Thimerosol, a form of mercury, was removed from childhood vaccines in 2001 as a precaution — though no good evidence ever linked it to autism.
They May Appear To Be Too Over
People with autism may get easily attached to people, leading them to become over-friendly. It can be difficult to understand other peoples perceptions of situations, therefore what they feel is appropriate, may be considered as socially unacceptable. This misunderstanding can lead to a difficulty in establishing friendships.
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An Explanation Of Asd
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability that can cause severe communication, social, and behavioral changes. Autism is a complex neurological disorder that effects each person differently. There are some common traits such as repetitive or restricted activities, abnormal sensory responses, and poor social skills. Autistic people like routines and may become anxious or angry when their routines are disrupted.Social interaction and conversation are among the numerous challenges faced by autistic people. People with autism spectrum disorder have several deficits when it comes to social communication and relating to others.
- a lack of awareness of the presence of other people
- does not maintain eye contact
- difficulty starting and sustaining conversations
- a tendency to repeat phrases over and over
- problems in reading body language correctly and picking up communication cues
- overly focussed on specific areas that interest them
- a lack of motivation to relate to peers or to become involved in social activities
- Difficulty in understanding other people’s viewpoints
- Do not like to be touched
When people with autism are growing up, these deficits can interfere with their ability to interact and relate to others. They may experience this issues:
Sometimes People With Aspergers Would Like To Stop Accommodating You And Relax
To present even a reasonable appearance of normality, many people with any degree of autism at all, even those of us who are labeled as high functioning, must memorize hundreds of social rules. We aren’t done even then; we still have to memorize what expressions on your faces mean what and practice in front of mirrors so we can put them on our faces when we communicate with you. We Aspies also have to try to decipher the hints, innuendos, subtext, and passive-aggressive attempts at behavior modification many people use instead of plain speech.
While we are doing all of that, we may also be attempting to simulate normal eye contact to make other people comfortable and to insure they don’t think we are sneaky, lying, or undependable based on what we look at or don’t look at on their faces and how we go about it. All the while, we’re worrying about whether people are going to misinterpret what we’re saying. Many Aspies are worrying so much it makes the concentration necessary to do all that other stuff somewhat elusive.
Many people with high-functioning autism or Asperger’s Syndrome are spending most of their time in your presence doing difficult and tiring things to accommodate you. Most people only notice the slips, when our memories fail us and we forget how to make an expression correctly or perhaps choose the wrong one or when we react to what they’ve said rather than what they’ve meant.
Learn to be a better friend to someone with autism.
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August 4, 2020Mental Health, Primary Care
Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disorder, and according to the latest Center for Disease Control research, 1 in 59 children in the United States are diagnosed with autism. Autism is also four times more common in boys than girls. It’s challenging to acquire exact statistics about autism in children because many adults not diagnosed with autism in early childhood go undiagnosed into adulthood. It’s estimated that there are about 3.5 million Americans living with a type of autism, but all ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups worldwide are impacted.
Given these statistics, there’s a high likelihood that you know someone that has autism or a family that is caring for someone with autism. Autism is a complex condition with a variety of signs, symptoms, and severity levels. Currently, there is no blood test or cure for autism, so early detection and intervention with treatment and services are key to improve a persons development and functionality for a lifetime. Given the prevalence and complexity of autism, it’s important to be aware of ways you can support people that dealing with the condition.
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How To Talk To An Autistic Person
wikiHow is a wiki, similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 38 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time.There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 11 testimonials and 90% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 127,160 times.
Autistic people may appear strange or intimidating to others, but they can be quite fun and charming once you get to know them. This guide will help explain how to talk to them.
What’s It Like To Have Autism Spectrum Disorder
ASD affects different people in different ways. Some people can’t speak or learn. Their behavior may seem strange; they may avoid other people; they may pace and move their bodies in unusual ways, like flapping their hands. They may repeat lines from TV shows or movies.
People with less severe ASD are able to talk and learn. But they may have trouble:
- expressing feelings. They may seem cold and distant.
- understanding the feelings of others.;They may ignore or misunderstand how other people might feel or behave in a situation.
- reading social cues. They might not understand body language or facial expression; they stand too close; they ignore signs of boredom or frustration.
- handling sensory information. Loud noises, bright lights, or crowds may bother them.
- handling a new routine. It might be hard for them to sit in a different seat or having a substitute teacher.
Some might get get super-focused on a single topic or hobby, some of which may be unusual .
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Signs And Symptoms Of Autism Spectrum Disorders
Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. Some people with ASD have a known difference, such as a genetic condition. Other causes are not yet known. Scientists believe there are multiple causes of ASD that act together to change the most common ways people develop. We still have much to learn about these causes and how they impact people with ASD.
There is often nothing about how people with ASD look that sets them apart from other people. They may behave, communicate, interact, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. The abilities of people with ASD can vary significantly. For example, some people with ASD may have advanced conversation skills whereas others may be nonverbal. Some people with ASD need a lot of help in their daily lives; others can work and live with little to no support.
ASD begins before the age of 3 years and can last throughout a persons life, although symptoms may improve over time. Some children show ASD symptoms within the first 12 months of life. In others, symptoms may not show up until 24 months or later. Some children with ASD gain new skills and meet developmental milestones, until around 18 to 24 months of age and then they stop gaining new skills, or they lose the skills they once had.
Act On How Your Friend Or Family Member Says She Feels Not On How You Think She Ought To Feel
This seems kind of obvious and I think it’s good advice to apply to everyone you know, whether on the autistic spectrum or not. If your family member says doing a certain thing makes him uncomfortable, it makes him feel uncomfortable even if you think it shouldn’t. If your friend or family member says she is fine with something, she is probably fine with it even if you think she ought not to feel fine with whatever it is. However, many people learn to say they are fine with things they are not fine with because they’ve learned that they can avoid the much more painful embarrassment of other people dramatically overreacting and making a scene.
With very little effort, you can choose to be polite and act like the autistic person means exactly what he or she says.
Please do not make a scene or attract attention in public when you decide to not believe what your friend with Aspergers says about how he or she feels. Insisting that that person act offended or acting loudly offended on his or her behalf will probably only make your friend or family member intensely uncomfortable, embarrassed, and ashamed. The more often you make scenes in public, the less he or she will want to do with you.
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Remember They Are Just Kids
Autistic kids may not act a lot like neurotypical children, but remember youre still talking to someone whose thoughts and attitudes are being formed in an immature brain.
With a little practice, you may find that you can talk to autistic kids just as easily as any kid. The results, for both you and the child, can be both positive in terms of their development of communication skills and enjoyable as you make an interpersonal connection.
Early Screening For Autism
Many children arenât diagnosed with an autism disorder until preschool or even kindergarten, and may miss getting the help they need in the early years. That’s why guidelines call for screening all children at nine months old for delays in basic skills. Special ASD checkups are needed at:
- 18 months
- As needed for children with worrisome behaviors or a family history of autism
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As A Neurotypical Dating Someone With Autism You May Need To Play The Role Of An Interpreter
Does this mean people with autism cant become better partners? No, thats not the case, they can grow a lot. But, as a neurotypical partner, its important to acknowledge you can grow, too. Your autistic partner is spending most of their waking hours in a world biased for neurotypical people and trying to interpret your neurotypical messages. However, their brain was not wired to process neurotypical messages easily. So as a neurotypical partner, you can help by playing the role of interpreter and explain what youre trying to tell them by saying what you mean.