If you are NT

[Ohwhatusernamethough]

Do you instantly recognise a ND person?

Sort of related to a thread on here currently, I find it quite fascinating.
I suspect I’m probably ND and wonder if NT people recognise an ND person pretty much immediately? If so, how, what do you see?

No, I can't recognise an ND person. I am not trained to. Have usually noticed only when they tell me. Tbh, I don't think about it much.

I think if you work in the field then there is probably a higher chance of you guessing it than the layman… but the OP is asking ALL NT people if they reckon they can spot an ND person and if they say yes, they’re like to be doing it on the back of a TikTok video they watched once.

It wouldn’t occur to me to even try and guess someone’s neuro’status’ if I was talking to them.

Not what you asked but I'm autistic and can spot another autistic person from 100 paces.

You really don't see how rude you are?

In answer to the OP, sometimes yes, some people are very obviously ND. I am never surprised when I find out people have a diagnosis, but I probably wouldn't have spotted their NDity.

@Hercisback1 - exactly what I was thinking!

If you had to be trained to spot signs nobody would be diagnosed as nobody would come forward for diagnosis. You either dont know any ND people or you're oblivious to others. What about mental illness would you recognise if someone was depressed, bipolar, had an anxiety disorder. Its natural to notice things in others especially people you are close to or spend a significant amount of time with

I have ADHD and can do the same with fellow ADHD people!

I’m really curious, how do you know they are NT? From the boringness you assume they are, or do you ask everyone directly?

fwiw I’m ND and one of the things people (NT and ND) find annoying about me is how boring I can be to them!

No idea. I am not sure if I’m NT (suspect adhd) and keep googling ‘is my child ND?’ every other week…
Also, I have recently been paying more attention to a particular distant friend - listening more and saying very little - and have concluded she is probably ND… Of course, I have no idea and she is not one to consider it for herself, let alone seek diagnosis.

Why would she notice any of those things in anyone
Unless you’re talking about a close friend suddenly withdrawing and you’re worried about them, or your own children behaving differently to how you would expect… most people don’t go around trying to spot signs of ND in random people.

Sometimes...
My DS has ADHD and I had experience of ND DCs before we had him. DD may well have it too.
I met another SEN mum in person who I knew from a FB group, she has a DC who's autistic, it was fairly plain she is too as soon as I met her. Same for two of DD friends, one ADHD one ASD. The latter's dad is also likely autistic but it's much more obvious in the DD.
But a few other mums I know who have autistic DCs and then went on to be diagnosed, I only think after I know this "oh yes, ok, that makes sense".
But with the mum I met recently, the two classmates of DD and a few other young adults I've been I've clocked it immediately.

With a long background in education I can recognise traits in people personalities that may (or may not) suggest ASD. I recognise some in myself ( for instance, I like straight lines, I don't manage the unpredictable well) and one of my DC’s ( literal, difficulty in reading peoples’ expressions). Neither of us are ASD.

We are all different, with strengths, differences and uniqueness in our personalities. It doesn't mean these add up to ASD.

I also know, because I've been part of it professionally, that a diagnosis is made by a team of professionals, based on extensive research and reporting.

Where did I write random people i said people you're close to or people you spend a significant amount of time with. Of course I notice issues and changes in people im close to id be pretty self involved not to

It someone is very severely autistic in their mannerisms and speech and movements, it’s easily identifiable but for 95% of people who are ND, I wouldn’t be able to tell at all. There are colleagues and acquaintances I’ve known for ages who I had no idea were diagnosed ND until they told me they were.

Oh, well we are in agreement then. Someone you know very well, yes of course you’d notice a significant change in them.

If i’m being brutally honest, 9/10 they lack real passion and engage in boring, surface-level topics. Thats in my HUMBLE opinion.

Sometimes it’s obvious - other times it isn’t.

No, they just know there’s something off about us and think we’re weird so they just avoid us

I work in a school and when we get new families look.around l can usually tell within 5 mins if the child has send without being told.

Probably no more or less than someone who is ND? Different people notice different things in others. It’s not really a one rule for one and another for another.

I don’t agree with this at all. I don’t know anyone who is ND, personally. And all the people I know range from very interesting to extremely boring. What one person finds interesting, another will not.

When ND people outnumber NT people, which seems imminent, do they then switch labels?

Yes, I would recognise if someone close to me was depressed or excessively anxious.
I am confused by your response. Isn't it better if I don't go around putting people into categories when I am not qualified to do so?

I don't know if I'm NT. Although, I always feel socially anxious and generally think lots of people are arseholes. I'm well like. I maintain friendships and have have friends as long as 35 years.

My daughter is absolutely ND. i have always suspected that she is. You wouldn't know. Her classroom teacher only started to suspect something after she had done 2 terms in her class. She absolutely has autism. She masks well. Is super academic and loves to learn. You wouldn't know unless you saw her dysregulated. She generally will hold everything in until she gets home.

Yes 😂