For some reason, I find it easier to react to people with (non-autistic) disabillities than so-called "Normal" (non-disabled) people. Especially people who are visually or hearing impaired. For example, one of my best friends is deaf, in junior high I was a "reading buddy" with a primary deaf/hard of hearing class, and I actually had a conversation on the bus home today with a blind woman (interestingly enough, it was about "normalcy" and "eccentricity"). Do any of you find you have an easier time interacting with deaf or blind people (or people with other disabillities) than non-disabled people?
My theory behind this is that deaf or blind people have different ways of communicating than sighted or hearing people, just as aspies communicate differently than NT's. Therefore, it's kind of common ground. What do you think of this?
No but I can tell when something is not right with someone, if they are dealing with something or going through something or i see certain traits in the way they are.
For some time I worked in Child care, supervising primary school children who's parents both worked.
I'd agree with the disabled people seeming to make more sense thing as I had the opportunity to work with non-disabled and disabled children. I didn't encounter many hearing or vision impaired children so I can't comment on those specifically.
I did, however work with Downs, Austic and physically disabled children and enjoyed doing so. Another that comes to mind was a child with Angelman's (?) syndrome. I'd been told by the supervisor, that at times he might grab you and hold hard enough that it hurt because he didn't know his own strength. I never had this problem once.
On another note, I find people with depression and similar disorders make more sense to me. I describe it as a 'ping'.. there's something that tells me 'this person isn't normal'.
I find some people with different disabilities are often ignored by most people. People pity them but do not really want to be their friend. They value my friendship more. Sometimes they are even more patience with me that most.
Me too but I went to a special education school for two years as a 'neighbourhood kid' so might have missed out on any prejudice people learn against disabled people in the first place. Everyone I've ever been close to by choice was either disabled or partly foreign.
On another note, I find people with depression and similar disorders make more sense to me. I describe it as a 'ping'.. there's something that tells me 'this person isn't normal'.
Agreed!
actually, ive always been teh firstto approach and befriend people who had mental retardation, behavior disorders (i.e. anger and violence problem classmates, i would beat up peopel who tried to piss them off), OCD, deff, mute, etc.
like the deff girl in my social studies class in 8th grade, i always used to draw with her, and i didnt have to talk to her, i just wrote stuff down. she had pretty drawings.
i hate talking to peopel who have suisidal-depression issues, actually, i mean i like dit when iw as younger, but now all it doe sit freak me out, give me anxiety attacks, i cant stand having freinds who talk about depressing stuff all the time :s
I describe it as a 'ping'.. there's something that tells me 'this person isn't normal'.
For me it's more that I feel them to be "similar" and then later analyse it and realise what it might have been that made me think this.
i hate talking to peopel who have suisidal-depression issues, actually, i mean i like dit when iw as younger, but now all it doe sit freak me out, give me anxiety attacks, i cant stand having freinds who talk about depressing stuff all the time :s
I feel the same when "emotional" demands are made on me and I cannot help with factual/practical advice alone. A friend from Uni used to call me in tears (I was in the UK she in Switzlerand) and threaten to kill herself over fights with her parents. It made me almost resent her, because she never really "meant" it (as she later explained) and I was terrified for her without having a clue what to do.