grassroot attempts to enhance awareness.

[hyke]

Today, I talked a lot with a support worker, not mine. And it was reveiling a lot.
Like he was telling a plan how to help someone, and I did not understand what he meant. He was using a metaphor and using the same metaphor to mean different things too.

So I said I had a slight idea what he could possibly mean, but that I did not really understand. And that I was sure that the person he was going to see would not understand it at all.

And he was stunned.
Said that anyone would be able to understand what he had just said.

I told him that I couldn't. That it made no sense what he said. That I did not know if he meant X or Z or maybe both with his metaphor about a fishingnet.

We had some more of those reveiling things today. Like he found it hard to accept that people could miss out on one or two skills in life. So I asked why he did not find it hard to accept that there are people that are considered low-functioning who have one or two exceptional skills.
Him not accepting that people can really miss out on one or two things, makes that he keeps on pushing people that they can do it, if they only put their mind to it.

So sad to think that this man is working with spectrumites for years and years now. And still does not realise that using vague language will not help.

There still is a lot to be done when it comes to awareness and knowledge and recognition.

I hope that this day will have changed a little bit for this support worker.

[Tigger_the_Wing]

Well done, Hyke, for widening this man's awareness.

It just goes to prove that failure of empathy goes both ways.

[hyke]

Well done, Hyke, for widening this man's awareness.

It just goes to prove that failure of empathy goes both ways.

Yes, And that is the beginning of communication,
realising both sides are at a loss in communication and empathy in a case like this.

The beginning is realising you don't understand the other automatically and vice versa.

That is such a hard concept for some professionals.

While lots of spectrumites have learned to accept that from childhood on.

[Tigger_the_Wing]

You put that so well, Hyke!

I wish you could get a well-paid job, travelling the world to explain this to professionals!

[Xale]

Yes, well done Hyke. Who better to teach the professionals (even if only one person at a time) then someone with lifelong experience.

I agree with Tigger!!

[Tigger_the_Wing]

I wish chat would work for me. I miss you guys!

[hyke]

I wish chat would work for me. I miss you guys!

Miss you too.

Wish I had that job you just invented for me. I especially like the secondary benefits of travelling the world.

[Tigger_the_Wing]

[Xale]

Wish I had that job you just invented for me. I especially like the secondary benefits of travelling the world.

Hyke, I think that you COULD work as a consultant for professionals and caretakers in the field who continue to learn the same limited information. So many people would benefit from the voice of experience.



Miss you Tigger!

[pup]

I've encountered the same problem and alerted a researcher of phrasing difficulties in one AS study.

Near the start of the questionnaire, it defined what it meant by the term "sex" in the questions that were to follow. However, later some questions used the phrase "make love". I am aware this is sometimes a euphemism for sex but I couldn't guess if in this case the question meant “sex” or if it meant to specify “love” as a qualifier in the question. If sex was meant, the survey was inconsistent because earlier the test had defined and used the term "sex".

My friend has a background in psychology. Since he has interacted with both NT and spectrum people for many years, he has been a valuable interpreter when I need help understanding people. However, even he was surprised that I had trouble understanding the survey wording. I was surprised that he was surprised.

I think there are a few reasons why this problem occurs with people who we assume would know better.

One problem is that, as people, we differ from each other. Writing questions that could not possibly be interpreted more than one way by different people is not easy

Also, a person gets an impression from cues during conversation that lead him to automatic assumptions about the listener. If that other person has uneven peaks and valleys of comprehension in different areas, then the speaker may not realize where the gaps in understanding are. Especially if the listener uses some slang expressions himself.

Another problem is what my friend describes as "shifting gears". My friend is capable of communicating with a wide range of people. He adjusts his style of communication based on who he is speaking to. Though he is capable of communicating quite well with me, he says he sometimes forgets to switch styles when speaking with me. He said it requires a little effort to remember. The need for recalibration causes him a moment of confusion.

I think that many people are not nearly as good at being able to see outside the framework of their own communication style, let alone be able to switch styles at need.