I read a few times, here and there, that neurotypicals have instinct that they use to talk to people, to connect with them and to manage social situations in general. That did sound a lot like we’re, autistics, are hopeless in those area. I accepted it like that when I read it. It even made sense to me. And possibly that is actually true.

Yet, in other places I can read about the importance of experience in managing people and influencing them. I remember how a head accountant from one of my work places told me that when she just started a job she thought she could be bossing people around, and then she found out they don’t want to listen to her and are getting upset. I doubt she was autistic, and yet she didn’t know how to handle new situation at work.

I just had a look at a book about becoming a radio presenter – it’s too general for me, more like an essay really, but it mentions that best radio presenters study other presenters and try to learn from them. What about their instinct then? I thought copying people is what autistics do.

And what about the fact that the book advises to be authentic on a different page. How can the same person be authentic and copying other people at the same time?

I am confused. The sentence about neurotypical people’s instinct certainly wasn’t very helpful. It seems to imply that they don’t make mistakes. If it turns out that they do, it can make us, autistics, really frightened – it is certainly really frightening for me.

I’m trying to work out if I could be a good radio presenter, but it seems like my diagnosis makes me think that I won’t manage, that I possibly shouldn’t even try. I don’t have the same instict that neurotypicals have and they still fail sometimes, so let alone me.