How does your autism affect you or your loved one?

@Courtney_J For me I have a hard time interpreting and navigating social situations, I'm not good a social cues. I tend to miss jokes or speak at the wrong time, or misinterpret other people's emotions I also get overwhelmed in places that are crowded or loud or just over busy. And sometimes at work I tend to lose site of the big picture and focus too much on the small details of a project I'm working on. Since I was diagnosed I've been working with a therapist to help me strategize on how to cope when i'm overwhelmed and such and it's been very helpful.

I can’t see a face and know if someone is happy or sad. Which is bad because people assume I can, and they get angry when I don’t notice how they feel.

People often assume that my stimulative behaviors mean I am not as intellectually developed as them, which is wrong. Usually I rock, hum, or hand flap. Hand-flapping feels good. Sometimes I flap when I’m excited, but sometimes because I’m nervous. It’s different for each feeling. Excited flaps let off energy. I have so much inside me I have to let it out. But if I’m nervous, it draws in energy. In my head it feels as if I’m making a wall. The happy-flapping takes down the wall, giving my energy to other people. However, people don’t like when I do that and they may stop talking to me which is rude.