For those unfamiliar, “allistic” refers to people who are not on the autism spectrum, and has become an increasingly popular term to help distinguish people from their autistic peers without using judgmental terms like “normal” in contrast to “autistic”.
Persons with allism tend to suffer from a lack of empathy, or mind blindness, in that they have difficulty understanding or intuiting the needs and thoughts of others.
Allistic. Also referred to as nypical, the term refers to all non-autistic people, which comprises both neurotypicals and non-autistic neurodivergent people. This is what was originally referred to as neurotypical.
People with ADHD are allistic, but not neurotypical.
Tip Sheet: Workplace Communication for Autistic Employees. For those unfamiliar, “allistic” refers to people who are not on the autism spectrum, and has become an increasingly popular term to help distinguish people from their autistic peers without using judgmental terms like “normal” in contrast to “autistic”.
The term 'allistic' is a synonym for 'non-autistic'. The term 'neurotypical' is used to describe individuals with typical neurological development or functioning.
Special interests are frequently developed by individuals with autism spectrum disorder, expressed as an intense focus on specific topics. Neurotypical individuals also develop special interests, often in the form of hobbies.
Autistic parents often do things differently from their neurotypical counterparts. They might have to keep a strict schedule or not have a lot of kids over for playtime. Autistic parents might need to take quiet time away from the kids for a while in the afternoons.
Etymology. From allo- + -istic, by analogy with autistic; compare allism.
What is hyperfixation? Autistic brains are often really good at focusing deeply on one thing at a time; they may struggle to split attention between topics. 'Hyperfixation' is being completely immersed in something to the exclusion of everything else. It's more common in autistic people and can be a great asset.
Autism is considered a spectrum because it's different for every autistic person – some autistic people might need more support than others to live the lives they want to lead. The way autism affects you can change as you grow and develop, and experience different environments.
Some of the conditions that are most common among those who describe themselves as neurodivergent include: Autism spectrum disorder (this includes what was once known as Asperger's syndrome).
But in fact, autism and ADHD often coincide. An estimated 30 to 80 percent of children with autism also meet the criteria for ADHD and, conversely, 20 to 50 percent of children with ADHD for autism.
We want to stress that autistic people are just as capable of having loving and successful relationships as non-autistic people. You can read some of our stories here. However, there may be adjustments that you need to make, such as thinking about the way you communicate with your autistic partner.
Many autistic people have intense and highly-focused interests, often from a fairly young age. These can change over time or be lifelong. It can be art, music, gardening, animals, postcodes or numbers. For many younger children it's Thomas the Tank Engine, dinosaurs or particular cartoon characters.
We can date people who aren't on the autism spectrum.
Often a misconception is that people on the spectrum want to only date others who are on the spectrum. This couldn't be farther from the truth. We just want to find someone we connect with and can be ourselves with.
Social withdrawal and isolation. Anxiety disorders with extreme shyness and social withdrawal can be mistaken for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Social anxiety disorder can cause children to be "shut down" with regard to social interactions.
Inheritance. ASD has a tendency to run in families, but the inheritance pattern is usually unknown. People with gene changes associated with ASD generally inherit an increased risk of developing the condition, rather than the condition itself.