Morning commute for someone with autism...

[renaeden]

Link to a video:

http://www.videojug.com/film/a-morning- ... ith-autism

I find that sometimes it is like this for me.....and sometimes a lot worse or negligible.

[SomethingElse]

I've seen that before but... I don't think I ever see anything like that. All fuzzy and out of focus and the noises don't literally sound like they do on that video, they just bother me?

So, is that just exaggerated so that NT people can understand how overwhelming an autistic person finds things, or are we really supposed to see the world like that?

I only just thought of the first example just now, and think that makes more sense, but before this point in time I was taking it extremely literally.

[Noctivagus]

Interesting video attempt to approximate what it is like. It would have been better to have been made without the visual effects and sound effects that were chosen for it. I recognise what the film-makers attempted, but also recognise that the reality I experience is quite different. It is trying to approximate what it feels like, rather than the reality of how it is experienced.

I would not have chosen to sit next to somebody, had I been the Autistic passenger. I would have stood.

[SomethingElse]

Ah, so it wasn't meant to be a literal interpretation? If that's the right term, anyway. See, I feel I should have known that.

I stand on the bus, too, Noc. Although... I don't get on the bus on my own as a rule, anyway. But on the train I either stand or I sit in the single seats so that no one can sit next to me.

[adhocisadirtyword]

I would have stood as far away from anyone as possible.

I think they were just trying to exaggerate it so others would understand.

How a non-autie would feel in that situation is how we might feel in a real-life similar situation I guess. At least I think that's the point they were trying to make.

I at least liked the fact that he was an adult and wearing a suit -- rather than assuming that all auties are kids or can't hold down jobs.

That was kind of nice.

[SomethingElse]

Yes, that's a good point. I was quite surprised when I watched it the first time, because I expected it to be someone more... hmm... 'obviously autistic'?

[Noctivagus]

I stand on the bus, too, Noc. Although... I don't get on the bus on my own as a rule, anyway. But on the train I either stand or I sit in the single seats so that no one can sit next to me.

I sit if there are seats completely free... I'm not bright enough to choose single seats, but I have a wife to take up the second seat... and I do not mind sitting in contact with her.

[Civet]

I think that video was a strange exaggeration. Oddly enough I found a fairly good example of how things start to seem on the verge of overload in a TV show I watch that wasn't about portraying autism at all. Here is a clip, the scene takes place in the first 40 seconds or so of the video.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq9P9ZzMnTM

I would not say I experience those strange reverb effects on speech but as far as sounds becoming piercing and invasive, and blending together so that speech becomes difficult to understand, it seems to fit there.

[Noctivagus]

Welcome Back Civet

[Sophist]

Welcome Back Civet

Ditto.

***waves***

[adhocisadirtyword]

Civet - Welcome back.

I really enjoy the show KyleXY. And I remember thinking something similar about that scene when I first saw it.

Speech takes on a strange painful tinniness for me during times like that, but I don't get the reverb either. It definitely becomes difficult to understand though.

This happened very recently when I found myself in a Wal-Mart for an extended period of time. I tend to avoid that store as much as possible - it's much too long of a story of how I ended up there.

[Civet]

Thanks for the welcome backs, everyone

Adhoc- I think I understand what you mean about tinniness. Sometimes when I was on the verge of overload and my mother would come speak to me I felt like she was sort of buzzing her speech into my ear, if that makes any sense. It could be physically very uncomfortable, as though she were blowing straight into my ear. She has a habit of standing closer than I prefer when speaking to me.

Wal-Mart also causes me problems, I know what you mean . It's kind of funny you mention it specifically because there's just something about Wal-Marts that makes me feel more overloaded and disassociated than most other retail locations (except perhaps other "warehouse" type stores like BJs or Sam's). The lighting makes me feel rather strange, I think.

About Kyle XY, yes, it's quite an enjoyable show. I can relate a bit to Kyle's cluelessness about the world around him, especially in the earlier episodes, haha.

[ArchVile]

Thats a really great video - and a good approximation that an NT could understand. I agree with the others here in that the sounds do not reverberate, but they are loud and painful. Sounds are not that distorted, just lound and never ending. The autistic guy sat down in the seat near the aisle to avoid making much conversation. Smart move. I guess he brought his watch to time the commute so he could quickly exit. Although personally I cant stand the feeling of a watch on my skin. eww.

[adhocisadirtyword]

Although personally I cant stand the feeling of a watch on my skin. eww.

Yeah - I feel you on that one.

[Sophist]

I don't mind watches, except for the fact that nowadays I tend to break out when I wear one. Right on the underside of the wrist area. And no matter how often I clean the watch, it still does that to me.