Any other autistic nurses out there?

[elizabethgrad09]

I went to an autism conference recently put on by a friend who has Asperger's, and I related very strongly to some of the things that the presenters were saying about people with autism. I don't have all of the characteristics they talked about, but some of the ones I do have are: difficulty picking up social cues such as body language, difficulty scanning the environment in order to find something, and difficulty knowing where my body is in space (problem with proprioceptors). Does anyone relate to this?

[sethmctenn]

I have a bro w/Asperger's and he benefited greatly from learning some social cues. When we are on the phone, he waits until he hears you take a deep breath. That's how he knows it's time for him to talk. Little clues like that helped him tremendously.

[Irishpsychintern]

Hmmmm , Maybe.... Im not sure. I thought I was mad until I became a psych nurse.

[Fiona59]

You self diagnosed Autism?

[Seas]

I wonder how someone with autism could be a nurse.

[SJerseygrle]

You can have autistic characteristics and not be autistic. I have many characteristics of autism also but that doesn't make me autistic.

[BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN]

I wonder how someone with autism could be a nurse.

I know I won't be popular in this thread, but I was thinking the same thing. I know there are varying degrees of autism, as well as different types. So much of what we do is dependent on picking up verbal cues (assessment). Also, proprioception issues could become an issue in practice.

[mazy]

You can have autistic characteristics and not be autistic. I have many characteristics of autism also but that doesn't make me autistic.

Agreed. Also, I've known many people in health care who freak themselves out because they see symptoms of every and any disease they encounter in themselves. It's kind of funny. I think I diagnosed myself with cancer for every twitch I had in nursing school, was sure I had heart disease when I was run down, was convinced I was having a stroke with every headache, and then ran through the gamut of psych diagnoses when I first started working.

Now I just leave the diagnosing to someone who isn't me.

[LoveMyBugs, BSN, CNA, RN]

Many people can have "traits" of autism, it takes meeting the criteria in the DSMV to actually be diagnosed with autism, it has to affect 5 areas language, social interactions,

http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevisions/Pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=94

"D. Symptoms together limit and impair everyday functioning."

my "neruo typical" son drives me up the wall with some of his of autistic traits, but he has no diagnosis other than being a pre-teen where with my autistic son I understand him better some times, because I have learned to understand how the disorder affects him.

There is a saying with children of autism, they are like snowflakes, each one looks similar yet each one very different in how the disorder affects them.

[greenfiremajick]

I went to an autism conference recently put on by a friend who has Asperger's, and I related very strongly to some of the things that the presenters were saying about people with autism. I don't have all of the characteristics they talked about, but some of the ones I do have are: difficulty picking up social cues such as body language, difficulty scanning the environment in order to find something, and difficulty knowing where my body is in space (problem with proprioceptors). Does anyone relate to this?

"difficulty knowing where my body is in space" could you pls provide a few concrete or hypothetical examples of this?

[whichone'spink, BSN, RN]

School officials tried to diagnose me when I was in kindergarten, but thankfully I got away from that school. Everybody has their quirks, but if it's not a pattern of clustered behaviors, then it's probably not autism.

[palemoon]

Hey, diagnosed autism spectrum since childhood here :).

As to some posters wondering if a person with autism could be a nurse, yes, they can. The condition "autism" encompasses a wide variety of characteristics, strengths, and difficulties.

I am considered autistic, however, you wouldn't know it from interacting with me. Women with autism tend to have a leg up on learning social rules than men with autism. I am fine with social rules, metaphorical language, and have no difficulty expressing emotions appropriately, however all of these things came later for me than other people (hence the term "developmental delay").

My disabilities are primarily sensory and motor. I cannot stand certain fabrics or textures. Being touched is a problem, but I get better all the time. I stim occasionally, but with deep breathing and being aware of my body, they can be almost unnoticeable. Around other people, I bounce my leg alot, which is a stim that won't make others uncomfortable.

In short, with work and dedication, an autistic person can definitely succeed as a nurse.

And don't believe that whole "has no empathy" thing. Autistic people have difficulty expressing their empathy in a way that most people recognize, but it is definitely there.

For the OP: Autism encompasses a lot of different things, as I mentioned above, but even if you are neurotypical (not autistic), all diversity in neurological makeup is wonderful and should be embraced :).