#autism and literal speech - a speculative thread. Please share.

Taking things literally is an extremely famous #autistic trait, suggesting that irony, sarcasm, metaphor is entirely beyond us. But these things often aren't, so what's really going on? /1

In my various communications with #autistic folk (quite a lot, considering how anti-social I am) I've found increasing evidence that #autistic people can recognise figurative, ironic language quite well, most of the time. I think the real story is a bit more complex. /2

Straightforward irony and sarcasm can be pretty clearly signposted in speech after all - the whole 'nudge nudge wink wink' thing. I think #autistic people can get pretty adept at spotting these signs and even use them themselves. /3

I'm going to basically think out loud now all the instances where I have taken things literally, to see if a pattern exists. Please join in. /4 #autism

So one type of implication that I *always* run the risk of missing is implied instruction. Such as, 'ooh its got dark' meaning 'put the light on' or 'well, someone has to do it' meaning 'I want you to do it'. I miss this kind of thing very frequently. /5 #autism

However, I don't tend to miss implied criticism at all. In fact, I'm liable to hear it even when it isn't there. All the time. So what's the difference? I think it's to do with interaction with other mental states. /6 #autism

The implicit instruction one is demanding some action as a result, and I think #autistic people have a great deal of inertia a lot of the time that slows us changing tasks. This makes picking up on and acting on implicit instructions even less likely? /7

Whereas picking up on criticism fits nicely with the sort of C-PTSD we often pick up from our endless failed interactions with NT people - we become very very sensitive to such things and have been conditioned to expect criticism - is that just me? /8 #autism

Similarly, I tend to totally misunderstand sarcastic criticism. Like if a friend says, jokingly, that something I did was crap, I'd unfailingly take this to heart. I've tended to avoid people who like using this sort of humour. /9 #autism

Whereas sarcastic praise is fine. I can handle that, even though it's critical. It's very confusing. /10 #autism

Another type of thing I'll misunderstand is exaggeration. I'll always take it at face value. If someone says they've had the worst day ever, I'll believe that and be horrified for them. Anyone else do this? It's like my brain doesn't accept exaggeration as an option /11 #autism

So many times I've been amazed that people have seemingly recovered so quickly from what they described as dreadful, terrible things. I just never picked up on the fact they were exaggerating for effect. /12 #autism

Whereas I'm actually very good at identifying when people aren't telling the truth, especially those little white avoidant lies like 'I'm fine' when they're not. This seems to fit an easy pattern I can handle. I dont know why. /13 #autism

I'm not sure whether there's a unifying pattern here, but I think that the issues around inference become more complicated when criticism is involved, due to the insidious effects of trauma in #autistic people. /14

Once again it seems possible that an old obvious identifier of #autism may actually be inextricably mixed up with the symptoms of trauma, like so many other traits. /15

We end up wondering what #autism would be like without the trauma - how would it present? Maybe one day we'll find out? /end