You Might Not Be Autistic If… A Guide to Understanding Essential Neurotypical Traits

Friday, October 25, 2024.

Navigating the world of neurodiversity can be a bit like walking through a very specific museum—some rooms make total sense, while others leave you scratching your head.

Autism, with its unique traits, is one of those beautifully complex rooms. So, how do you know if you’re more of a neurotypical visitor in this museum?

This post explores some everyday experiences that might suggest you aren’t autistic. Let’s dive in!

Interruptions Don’t Send You Into a Tailspin

Picture this: you’re in the zone, working on a project, and someone suddenly asks, “Hey, can you look at this real quick?”

If you can shift gears easily without a surge of irritation, you might be neurotypical. For many autistic folks, the sudden jolt out of a focused activity can feel like a small internal earthquake.

According to research by White et al. (2019), autistic folks often find it challenging to switch attention, thanks to that mono-tropic focus. Interruptions? They’re more like turbulence in the flight of concentration.

Social Gatherings Don’t Feel Like a Circus

You know those big parties or office happy hours?

If you can navigate these social arenas without feeling like you’ve been thrown into a chaotic three-ring circus, there’s a good chance you’re neurotypical.

For many on the autism spectrum, social events can feel like sensory overload and a puzzle where every piece is a different facial expression or tone of voice (Milton, 2017). Neurotypicals tend to have an easier time reading social cues, making small talk, and even enjoying these settings (imagine that!).

You Don’t Tend to Monologue About Your Favorite Things

Autistic people often have a passion for their interests that’s akin to an unbreakable Wi-Fi connection—strong, steady, and ready to share all the data.

If you’re the type who’s able to chat about your interests but can easily sense when your audience’s eyes are glazing over, you might not be autistic.

Neurotypicals often pick up on subtle social signals that say, “Hey, maybe wrap this up,” while many autistic folks find joy in sharing all the details, regardless of whether the other person is fully on board (Heasman & Gillespie, 2018).

You Don’t Mind a Little Background Noise

Busy café? No problem. Chatter in the office? You’re good.

If a bit of noise is just part of the ambiance for you, this is a sign you might be more neurotypical.

Autistic folks often have heightened sensory sensitivities, making everyday noise feel more like an assault than a gentle hum. Kern et al. (2007) found that many autistic people experience increased sensitivity to sounds, which can make crowded or noisy environments feel like the auditory equivalent of nails on a chalkboard.

Flexibility Is Your Middle Name

Change of plans? No sweat! If you can easily adjust your routine without feeling like the world has been turned upside down, that’s a hallmark of neurotypicality.

Autistic folks often thrive on structure and routine, using predictability as a tool to navigate an unpredictable world.

This preference isn’t just about comfort—it’s a way to reduce the anxiety that comes with change (South et al., 2014).

So, if a last-minute dinner plan or a change in schedule doesn’t throw you for a loop, you might be more of a flexible friend.

Saying One Thing and Meaning Another Is Your Specialty

We all know that person who says, “Oh, I’m fine,” when they’re absolutely not fine.

If you can use and understand these social niceties, you’re probably more neurotypical.

Autistic folks tend to value directness—saying what they mean and meaning what they say. This often makes social interactions more straightforward but can also lead to some awkward moments in the neurotypical world where reading between the lines is practically an Olympic sport (Geurts et al., 2020).

You Don’t Get Stuck in a Thought Loop

You know that moment when a thought pops into your head, but you’re able to push it aside and move on?

If that’s you, then you might be neurotypical.

Autistic folks often experience what some might call a “mental loop,” where a thought, worry, or idea keeps playing on repeat like a song stuck in their head (Willey, 2014). This can make it tough to shift focus, especially when something is bothering them. But if your thoughts are more like passing clouds than a constant downpour, you might just be in the neurotypical camp.

Details? You’re More of a Big-Picture Thinker

If you’re the type who tends to see the forest rather than every individual tree, you might lean more toward the neurotypical side.

Autistic folks often excel at noticing small details that others might overlook—like that one star in a sea of constellations. This can be a superpower, but it can also be overwhelming in environments where a big-picture perspective is more practical (Happe & Frith, 2006).

You Don’t Fidget

Many autistic people use stimming—repetitive movements or sounds—to help regulate sensory input and manage stress.

It’s like the nervous energy has to go somewhere, and stimming is its release valve. If you’re generally still and don’t find yourself needing to fidget in stressful situations, that’s more in line with neurotypical behavior (Kapp et al., 2019). Neurotypicals might fidget occasionally, but it’s less likely to be a go-to strategy for emotional regulation.

Embracing Neurodiversity

Whether you identify with these traits or find that your experience aligns more with autistic characteristics, the goal of the post was to help you better understand the unique ways people interact with the world.

By exploring these differences, we can create spaces that respect and accommodate everyone’s needs. So, next time you meet someone who just has to finish telling you about their favorite hobby or who struggles to find the right words at a noisy party, you’ll know that it’s just part of the beautiful diversity of the human mind.

Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed.

REFERENCES:

Geurts, H. M., & Embrechts, M. (2020). Pragmatic language in adults with autism spectrum disorders: A linguistic and computational analysis. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(4), 1128-1140.

Happe, F., & Frith, U. (2006). The weak coherence account: Detail-focused cognitive style in autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(1), 5-25.

Heasman, B., & Gillespie, A. (2018). Perspective-taking is two-sided: Misunderstandings between people with Asperger's syndrome and their family members. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(7), 2200-2212.

Kern, J. K., Trivedi, M. H., Garver, C. R., et al. (2007). The pattern of sensory processing abnormalities in autism. Autism, 11(2), 123-134.

Kapp, S. K., Steward, R., Crane, L., et al. (2019). 'People should be allowed to do what they like': Autistic adults' views and experiences of stimming. Autism, 23(7), 1782-1792.

Milton, D. (2017). A mismatch of salience: Explorations of the nature of autism from theory to practice. Autism, 21(2), 123-129.

South, M., Ozonoff, S., & McMahon, W. M. (2014). Repetitive behavior profiles in Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 35(2), 145-156.

White, E. I., & Hill, E. L. (2019). Executive functioning in autism spectrum disorder. Autism Research, 12(6), 843-857.

Willey, L. H. (2014). Pretending to Be Normal: Living with Asperger’s Syndrome. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.