| Autism, Sensing and Intuition | | | | and/or absorbing the meaning and words of the |
| Sensing shifts in the environment and people, and | | | | interaction you are attempting to have with them. This |
| intuitively ‘reading' the emotions, personality, | | | | can also be because an autistic person can be |
| temperament (in the moment) and mood of people in | | | | monotropic (able to focus one action or activity at a |
| close proximity, can be an innate skill, ever-present in | | | | time) by nature. |
| an autistic individual. | | | | Their lack of eye contact may be because to do so |
| Some people believe that children on the spectrum, | | | | they may feel personally invaded and sensorally |
| who perhaps aren't responding immediately or don't | | | | overloaded. For some autistic persons, the demand for |
| verbally communicate, and who may seem absorbed | | | | eye contact can produce an assault on their senses, |
| in their own ‘world', are perhaps devoid of feeling | | | | and processing the efforts to maintain eye contact |
| and sensing what is going on around them or are | | | | and gaining meaning from the information (words, |
| unaware of or non-receptive to the emotions, | | | | intentions, requests etc.) of the other person, can be |
| disposition, verbal or physical expressions and requests | | | | psychologically taxing. |
| of another person. | | | | An element of sensing is the ability to empathize with |
| A traditional upbringing and education may have taught | | | | another person. Again, some people believe that many |
| us that one who doesn't respond to a verbal or | | | | autistic individuals aren't capable of empathy because |
| physical request, question or action, may not have the | | | | of their differing, lack of and sometimes unexpected |
| capacity to comprehend or understand such. They | | | | alternative responses to a person who wishes to be |
| may presume that this person is not capable of | | | | the recipient of an empathetic response. Many autistic |
| interaction with another and there is some tremendous | | | | persons I personally know and those whose writings |
| intellectual ‘wall' between the two. When one | | | | (on empathy) I have read, keenly challenge that notion |
| perhaps has misinterpreted the non-response or | | | | (an autistic person's presumed inability to empathize |
| aversion of the autistic child and not recognized the | | | | with another). |
| reality of a different style of communication. | | | | I have seen some autistic children (and adults), including |
| Intuition and sensing are age-old natural abilities inherent | | | | my own, display an empathetic response to another |
| in humans and the animal kingdom. Throughout our | | | | who may be injured, feeling sad, happy and so on. The |
| lives, we are taught how to act, think and behave. We | | | | ways they may show this response can differ, |
| are told the rules regarding many of the environments | | | | depending on the individual. Such responses can range |
| we find ourselves in. We are conditioned, somewhat, | | | | from being subtle gestures (verbal and/or physical) to |
| to behave similarly to the next person, so that our | | | | downright bone-crunching hugs ? |
| communities can function on hopefully a peaceful level | | | | (Soon I will write an article on Autism and Empathy) |
| and in a law abiding way. Which essentially are | | | | When we discover how and when our autistic children |
| reasonable and practical expectations. But, along the | | | | and adults are receiving and interpreting information |
| way, our natural innate intuition and sensing abilities can | | | | from their environment (including the people around |
| be somewhat overridden or suppressed by the need | | | | them) via their sensing and intuition, we are provided |
| to conform to the norm. | | | | with a unique, deeply personal and invaluable |
| An autistic child may not look you in the eyes to | | | | opportunity to further understand, respect and honor |
| reassure you that they are tuning into your | | | | the personhood of all of the wonderful souls on the |
| conversation with them and focusing on your words. | | | | spectrum. We are also allowing the autistic person to |
| But they may be sensing and intuitively ‘feeling' | | | | "be", and in doing so, we also honor their dignity. |
| your tone of voice, ‘reading' your body language, | | | | Donna Williams, an internationally renowned Autism |
| gauging your intention of interacting with them and | | | | consultant, is believed to be the first published writer |
| assessing whether they wish to engage, in their own | | | | to write on the connection between Autism and |
| way, with you. Whilst focusing on these elements, the | | | | sensing in her book, "Autism and Sensing - The Unlost |
| autistic person may be distracted from ‘hearing' | | | | Instinct". |