its all made a kinda sense to me, where for a millisecond I've wondered if I actually am autistic (I'm not. Too much awareness of feelings and other people)


Sorry just had to butt in here: People (particularly females) on the spectrum, are *often* highly sensitive to recognising their own and other's feelings but they need to process it (and the situation/causes/how to react/what to say) all cognitively rather than intuitively. So much goes on cognitively for people with ASDs to try to keep up with other people and the things they say, and feel. my psychologist spoke about this a lot. People sometimes mistakenly think that all autistic people have limited empathy and an impairment in perceiving emotional states in others. And i guess sometimes that can be true to varying degrees. But quite often it's not. There are Aspies who are counsellors, aspies who are teachers, aspies who are working directly alongside other people and they can be well liked. But the one defining thingo is that they will reach an understanding of other's emotions through their intellect rather than an innate intuition.

eg: I absolutely know when someone is feeling something, but often can't pinpoint what on earth might have caused it or contributed to it and exactly what that feeling could be. I constantly attribute it to something I may have said, simply because my perspective is slightly limited to one channel (my own) and experience after experience of foot in mouth, affects my schema's i guess. But that isn't a deliberate selfish act, it's neurological hard-wiring. but the awareness is there, that something is up (in another person), that there is a feeling state going on. I may not be sure exactly what it is (face to face). Autistics, believe it or not, can be some of the most aware people on the planet.

The most interesting and i believe (i know i know i'm biased) exciting and wonderful thing about being on the spectrum is that it makes a person hugely more energetically sensitive. This can take any form. Sensitivity to environments, sensitivity to chemicals (not so great i guess), sensitivity to other people... there's research just about to start on this 6th sense thing that autistic people seem to corner the market on. Not to say nt's aren't energetically sensitive of course, but the autistic person seems to take it to a whole new level and notice EVERY single thing, things that nt's would miss. The autistic person will see as glaringly right there. and significant. they are like microscopes, seeing finer smaller details.

anyway, i'm rambling about one of my favourite topics.

I guess i do see overlap with HSP and ASD in the sensory realm, but like you Anne, i think it probably stops there because there are other things that define ASDs.