Mild Autism + Highly Sensitive Person

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people say that being on the schizoid spectrum precludes ASD but I am living proof that is bollocks.

That's not true at all (to what those people said), it has been noted in the literature they can be co-morbid. The HSP profile I don't like at all. It sounds hokey. And many people are trying to claim they have the same sensory problems as autistic people, but of course none of the social ones. It's a label for people who want to feel they are more in tune with art, creativity, and empathy.

It doesn't need a label, as these people are just normal. And many aspects of the criteria directly contradict autism. Autism being a condition that affects social cognition.

Also these people have an extremely one-dimensional view of autism, simply thinking it's just primarily a sensory problem. But I can guarantee that their sensory issues aren't even the same at all. I've noticed this trend of linking vague psychological hypotheses with neurodevelopmental disabilities, autism being the usual target. Is this in the hope it will give some validity to the concept?

Another thing as well is they subscribe to such kooky ideas. The HSP concept is useful perhaps as a very loosely defined personality type. But it has nothing to do with autism, and isn't any more related to autism than being introverted/extroverted, people fond of the outdoors and so on...

Can people in the general population ever just be happy with who they are instead of having to mock other conditions with their almost new-age ideas?

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. Yes, it is a normal trait. No, it doesn't contradict autism. No, they don't have the same sensory problems as autistics. Aron herself made a point that hsps are normal human variation and made a topic on her book specially to tell it apart from aspergers.
that said, they are not mocking other conditions and this is not a new-age concept. It is about a trait that is found in many animal species at around the same percentage, that is the trait to observe before acting. Then in humans this trait is usually found together with other personality traits commonly called high-sensitivity.
there is a point in identifying hsp's not because it is a disorder or something, but because it is often misunderstood. Like loner introverts are misunderstood, many hsp's hear they have to be "normal", "not too sensitive", that they are exaggerating, dramatic, need to just do things etc specially the sensitive boys are misunderstood. And parents don't know how to raise them because punishing doesn't work, quite the opposite.
also there may be a relation to autism because there are many hsp autistics, just like there are much more introvert autistics than in average population, just to cite something you mentioned. Also I never read a research about it but there seems to be a relation of liking nature and outdoors to autism. Those relations do exist. Autistics are diverse but some characteristics are more commonly found among us than in average population.

Why do you say they are "trying" to claim something, and "want" to feel a certain way? Maybe they really are that way. It isn't necessarily just something to brag about. It's possible to wind up extremely unhappy if you do feel more sensitive than others but wind up being shut down and invalidated by insensitive types around you.


I don't think autism should be defined based on problems with social cognition. My problems fitting in have little to do with "cognition" and a lot to do with feeling very very different and finding it hard to relate to people. My biggest problems are more emotional than cognitive. My drive is different. I'm more driven to think than to socialize.


I don't see those things being claimed anywhere.


They are not the same, but they can overlap. People who experience the overlap have unique problems. Being sensitive is a problem in a culture that mainly values assertiveness and "sucking it up". Add autism on top of that and you're in for a rough time in life.


Nobody mocked anything. You sound bitter. A lot of people who identify with the HSP thing seem pretty normal, but there are some on the more extreme end who struggle a lot with mental illness because they wind up traumatized by the whole "such it up" and "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" mentality of our society.

Do you have any of the other symptoms or is just simply emotional problems and feeling different?



I'm not saying they want to feel that way, but that it's attached to those kinds of notions. It's a bit horoscope-y.



People in general are not insensitive. If anything it sounds like you're the bitter one. Is it any surprise I feel that the HSP profile is quite frankly pretentious??



I made a general rant to what I've read elsewhere.



Being assertive doesn't equal to being insensitive.



Mentioning autism all the time and relating this personality type to it is just silly, and reduces autism to some kind of Myers-Briggs-like personality. Autism is still a neurodevelopmental disability right?

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no one is equating high-sensitivity to autism
highly-sensitive is not the opposite of insensitive!
I think you have been reading erroneous things about high-sensitivity. I don't blame you since it is one of those concepts people use anywhere. I suggest you do some research about it. Go straight to the sources. It is not what you believe it is.
it has nothing to do with horoscope, by the way.

I was diagnosed with PDD-NOS a long time ago, when I was a child.

Not necessarily. I don't subscribe to "new age" beliefs. I'm a highly skeptical person.


Calling something people legitimately identify with "pretentious" is an example of being insensitive. It's called invalidation. Is that your goal? I think I know myself better than you do. If anything you seem bitter. Are you worried people will tell you your autism diagnosis is "fake"?


Sensitivity often goes against assertiveness. It's harder to be assertive when conflict makes you anxious and you don't like having to rattle people or demand things you need from them. It's often hard to get through red tape when you don't like having to nag or bend the rules to get things. In life, people who are passive and don't push others to get what they want tend to lose. People who aren't afraid to drive a hard bargain and even be rude tend to get the best deals in life. Sensitive people don't like hustling, and hustling is what capitalism is generally all about (it's not about working hard, it's about getting the best deal and not being a chump).


You're not even being logical. I never even indirectly implied autism and HSP are the same. This thread is about people who have both. You seem to think people can't have both, or if they do they don't have "real" autism. What is threatening to you?

I'm referring to what I've read elsewhere, I just mentioned that. Also let's just agree we disagree. I feel it's getting too heated over an innocuous subject.



Calling everyone else insensitive is a generalisation, and I disagree. And yes, it's pretentious. I'm allowed to criticise, you can't just call everyone you happen to disagree with an insensitive person. I think over-sensitivity to criticism is your real problem.



I'm worried that 25% of people out there are going to patronisingly tell me they know exactly what it feels like to be autistic, or at least autistic-like.



I mentioned that aspects of HSP conflict with autism, like being good at socialising?? But where did I say that?

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I didn't call everyone else insensitive. Feel free to disagree all you want, but at least try to be logical about it.


"pretentious" is opinion, not fact.


Maybe you're just being pretentious if you're so easily insulted. Pot... Kettle? Hmmm....


Being good at socializing isn't part of HSP. Some are, some aren't.