ch 2 reciprocity: "I don’t like small talk. Does that make me autistic? No. Many people don’t enjoy small talk, which is different from a situation where even basic conversations are incredibly effortful and exhausting. Additionally, there are people who aren’t particularly socially skilled but are not autistic." i do actually like small talk and especially appreciate when it is done skillfully with warmth - i really admire and am grateful for the strangers who can make a small random interaction into a playful moment of connection.
ch 3 nonverbal comms: "When an autistic person verbally conveys physical or emotional pain to a healthcare practitioner without pairing their words with the expected facial expressions, body language, and voice intonation, the healthcare practitioner is less likely to take the complaints seriously or even to believe them." reminds me of recent psych appt, when i started describing recent anxiety and panic attacks i could feel myself getting upset just by recalling the memory... i could feel my psych getting uncomfy with the emotional tone in my voice etc, so i intentionally tensed to control my emotion and looked away from him to avoid the feedback loop of noticing his discomfort and feeling worse and emoting more and making him MORE uncomfortable... is this an example of avoiding eye contact that might be a sign of autism?
ch 4, friendship... complex question, i got switched between 4 elementary schools and dropped out of high school after a year to go to college instead, which made it more difficult to maintain close friendships; i wasn't bullied and had friendly relationships with classmates wherever i went, but mostly boys - i liked to play soccer at recess and do engineering activities, never felt as connected with the other girls in girl scouts