Aspies For Freedom

There's some tricky things you can do with maths to help with social interactions - no idea if it's better or worse than any other way, since I generally only use the one technique all the time, but you can use maths as a method of understanding and influencing social situations.

For instance, I tend to try to work out what people will expect using a rough "social currency" measure - it's tricky, because you have to work out different rules for every person, but if you get it right it's a handy way to work out if someone feels you "owe" them something, or vice-versa.

A simpler one is body language - I count up "points of contact" (e.g. eye contact, direction feet or wrists are pointed, whether chest is uncovered and facing towards you, etc) periodically during conversation, then work out what they're thinking from whether the number increases or decreases. An increase can mean agreement, interest, or "like", and a decrease can mean disagreement, boredom, or irritation...

So yeah, it's a helpful tool for me. My guess is that people with different interests invent different tools based around those things...

Well, my point of view on this is that any gift at all would make social interactions easier--not by giving you any actual boost to social skills but by giving you a solid point of self-esteem to draw on, so you don't need the approval of other's so much.  It's easier to socialize when it's less important to you, particularly if you have anxiety problems; it's also good to have a fall back point that will let you brush off minor insults because you'll be secure in the knowledge that you're worth something because you're really good at maths, or at writing or at whatever.  This is, of course, a dangerous crutch because it can lead to falling hard if someone attacks what you're good at, but it's still a useful one (honestly this is why people tend to find me easygoing--they haven't found my two or three soft spots that would prompt me to snap at them.)

..man, I tried to type this yesterday off meds and it came out as total word salad.  Thank god for stimulants.

Also, it's algorithmic.  No y.

I think this theory is very interesting and I can understand where it's comming from even if its not necessarily right. I am very good at maths and I would also consider myself to have good social skills, although they do vary from day to day.

Comparing my social skills to a nt I would find them only just below average, however my theory and understanding is much higher than nt's, I just have problems putting them into practise because there is too much to think about at the exact moment it is required.

I can analyse situations and figure out exactly what people are thinking/ feeling. This is from what I have learnt from past experience.
Also I need to know the people well. When I first meet people I am very quite, this is because i'm busy analysing and studying them so I can then predict their behaviour and work mine around them to some extent.

Based on myself I would say this theory is correct, however I know that one person in a sample cannot be used for proof for a theory, I am very interested to see how this poll plays out.


My Aspie dad made some interesting points about this theory; an Autistic who is good at maths would only be good at socialising if they have learnt the information to then apply it in a mathmatical way.

So this theory could be true but results would not show it too be true because of external factors (lack of interest in social situations)

Also Could a Autistic who studies and learns social skills ever be as good as a nt to whom it comes naturally?

B"H

This is an interesting question.  I am intrigued by it!

All the best.