Comprehension works differently for me than it does for most people. I take in all the information, but it takes a conscious effort to take it in in the way that non-autistic people consider understanding. It takes work to understand what people are saying, otherwise they sound kind of like running water. I comprehend more reliably by noticing patterns of sensation than I do by engaging more traditional symbolic thought. My body does in fact respond to what is around me, but it’s not always the specific responses that others seem to expect.

In that case, yes. I often find I can sign something in ASL but when I try and enunciate it in english, I am literally at a loss for words.

But I am still curious as to whether or not ASL will allow me, a somewhat tinkertoy thinker inherently, to be a bit more succint and comfortable. I guess the only way I’ll know is to just keep going with it and find out.

Actually, Janis, I need to disagree with you in re: ASL users viewing the world. Dianerez explains it better: ASL and english are both substituting symbols, words, etc. for what happens in the environment. Autistics, according to Amanda, don’t natively think along those lines and language cannot capture their thinking processes sufficiently.

We need to get out of the mindset that communication requires face to face, English, symbol/word usage, following certain rules and orders. Amanda is showing us another form of communication that we all can take heart from. Thank you, Amanda.

It sure is a weird thing for any animal to be able to do, you have to admit. It takes a huge part of our brain metabolism, and it is honestly damned weird to convert meaning in the world to some sort of … aperiodic crystalline structure to be conveyed with mouth or hands. I think we all are sort of autists in a way, but similar ones. We share our savant skill, so it’s considered normal. Hm.

I can write very well because I can go back and poke and prod at things, rearrange them, edit, and then release the entire thing as opposed to having to cram the tinkertoy structures in my head through spoken language. I tend to repeat myself, approach things from a dozen angles, say the same thing many ways … I’m very much looking forward to learning a language that might structure things in a manner that’s more in line with my own native mental structuring.

I’m not autistic, but I do have some odd neurological things going on, and outside of savants, I’ve never met anyone who can do math or learn languages like I can, so there might be a connection.