Life on the Spectrum

So you've seen the LIST of Autism traits, you're probably wondering what it really means.
Thanks to the user AlienunderATree, they created an incredible list of categories and breaks down how our minds struggle and differ beyond neuro-typicals.


1. Sensory-Motor Spectrum

Perceiving and interacting with the world physically

➤ Sensory Perception

• Exteroception: Sensitivity to light, sound, smell, touch, taste
• Interoception: Awareness of hunger, thirst, need to pee, pain, emotion
• Proprioception: Body awareness in space, balance, tiptoeing, coordination
• Sensory Seeking or Avoidance (stimming, pressure-seeking, etc.)
• Other tactile/auditory/visual processing differences

➤ Motor Skills

• Fine motor issues (writing, buttoning shirts, shoelaces)
• Gross motor differences (running, jumping)
• Dyspraxia (difficulty planning movements)
• Spatial navigation difficulties

2. Communication & Social Things
How we express, interpret, and connect with others
➤ Communication Style

• Literal interpretation of language (idioms, metaphors)
• Echolalia / idiosyncratic phrases / scripting
• Infodumping (sharing knowledge in intense bursts)
• Flat or unusual prosody (pitch, rhythm, intonation)
• Articulation challenges, vocabulary access
• Other language difficulties

➤ Social Interaction

• Difficulty with eye contact, facial expressions
• Reading non-verbal cues / body language
• Difficulty with small talk, initiating/ending conversations
• Preferring solitude or parallel play
• Rejection sensitivity or social anxiety
• Relationship differences: bonding through shared interests, not social norms

3. Executive & Emotional Spectrum

Internal regulation: managing self, interests, and time

➤ Executive Function

• Difficulty with planning, prioritizing, initiating
• Task-switching challenges (transitioning between things)
• Time blindness / estimating durations
• Multitasking strain
• Autistic inertia (difficulty starting or stopping activities)

➤ Emotional Regulation

• Meltdowns, shutdowns, situational mutism
• Hyperempathy or alexithymia (emotion identification issues)
• Difficulty with impulse control / frustration tolerance
• Self-monitoring challenges

➤ Identity & Self-Understanding

• Low self-esteem
• Difficulty with self-advocacy
• Self-awareness differences
• Masking/burnout cycle

➤ SPINs (Special Interests)

• Intense focus or passion for certain topics
• Deep research, collecting, pattern-seeking
• Joy and regulation through interests