The podcast discusses whether Autism 'gets better' and explores sensory sensitivities, special interests, stress management, communication challenges, literal thinking, and the honesty of communication in autism.
20:55
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Quick takeaways
Autistic traits like sensory sensitivities may worsen over time, but acceptance and coping mechanisms are empowering.
Challenges in social interactions persist with age, making it difficult for autistic individuals to make friends.
Deep dives
Challenges in Relationships and Making Friends Persist
Despite efforts to improve areas like relationships and social interactions, the speaker continues to face challenges, especially in making friends. Opportunities to make friends diminish with age, and joining social groups is difficult due to the required in-person interactions, which the speaker, being autistic, struggles with.
Heightened Sensory Sensitivities Remain and Evolve
The speaker's sensory issues, particularly related to noise, have possibly worsened over time, with certain sounds causing physical pain due to sensory sensitivities. However, the speaker now recognizes these sensitivities, embracing that being sensitive to sound is a characteristic of being autistic. Similarly, the speaker's sensitivity to odors has remained constant, with a heightened awareness and acceptance of this sensory trait.
Navigating Daily Challenges with Autism
The speaker discusses various daily challenges such as tactile sensitivities, coordination difficulties, and short-term memory issues, all of which have persisted over time. While efforts to improve coordination through conscious training have shown some progress, the speaker continues to struggle with short-term memory problems and literal thinking. Despite these challenges, the speaker finds empowerment in understanding that certain traits may be hardwired and coping mechanisms play a crucial role in managing autism.