Autistic traits which are less spoken about - a thread. /1

Face blindness is the struggle to recognise people's faces. This can be really frustrating. People walk up to me and started talking as if I know them, but I can't work out who they are. Seeing someone in a different context, or someone I don't know well makes this harder. /2

Having no filter. Many autistic people find they say exactly what they are thinking and exactly what they mean. This would be fine if we lived in a society which respected blunt truths. But we don't, so unfortunately this often means we can be perceived as rude. /3

The 'autism accent'. Professionals would describe this as abnormal speech patterns. Some autistic people find they are often asked about their voice or accent. Many have adopted the term 'autism accent' to describe this. I quite like this! /4

Difficulty with motor skills. I couldn't catch a ball in PE. Sports can be difficult for this reason, as can simple things like carrying stuff. We may have slower reaction times than people expect of us. We may lack co-ordination. We may be clumsy or have 'awkward' movements. /5

Talking too fast or too loudly. I have difficulty regulating the volume and speed of my voice. When I was little I was constantly told to take breaths in between sentences as it would seem like I wasn't breathing when talking, and to use my 'indoor voice'. /6

Being extremely obedient, even when this is detrimental to the person's physical or mental health. For example, following an instruction even if you're in pain because you believe you have to obey and do what you are told. I was very much like this throughout my childhood. /7

Lack of fear towards danger. This can seem contradictory when we may be anxious around seemingly harmless things yet impulsively put ourselves in danger in different situations. This is thought to be due to higher impulsivity and our focus being fixated on something else. /8

A better connection with animals than with people. Many autistic people love animals. This is a common special interest for autistic girls. We can find animals easier to connect to and understand than other people, and they give us unconditional love. /9

Gastrointestinal problems are very common in autistic people. A 2014 study suggests autistic children are 4 times more likely to experience constipation, diarrhoea, or abdominal discomfort. Many other studies support this too in both autistic children and adults. /10