Here are 12 signs of the neurotypical spectrum disorder which affects a small percentage of people on the mostly autistic planet.
More and more adults are being diagnosed with NSD these days: neurotypical spectrum disorder.
It goes by other names such as hypersocial disorder and social status syndrome, and it’s almost always accompanied by some degree of sensory-blunting disorder.
Usually, when men and women strongly suspect that they probably have NSD, they’re almost always correct, as confirmed by an NSD assessment.
If you’ve been suspecting for sometime now that you fall somewhere on the neurotypical spectrum, take a look at the following 12 traits that are prevalent in those diagnosed with this neurotype.
NSD afflicts about 3% of the general population, while 95% of the population is of the high-level autistic neurotype (with or without ADHD), and 2% have a sole diagnosis of ADHD but are also neurotypical.
12 Signs Suspicious for Having Neurotypical Syndrome
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#1 Struggles to promptly engage in compelling, meaningful conversation upon meeting new people, and instead, requires an excessively long small-talk warmup in order to feel comfortable transitioning to deeper levels of talk.
#2 Impaired verbal communication such as being indirect, vague and expecting others to possess some kind of mind-reading ability; hemming and hawing on what they want to say (referred to as “dancing around a topic”) instead of getting directly to the point; and frequent lying due to fear of being truthful.
#3 Highly susceptible to following the crowd or having a herd mentality.
Tends to jump on the latest bandwagons and is easy prey for the latest fads and gimmicks.
Has an “If everyone jumps off a cliff, I will too” way of thinking.
Is easily manipulated into doing things they know aren’t right, such as smoking and drinking as a juvenile, car surfing, taking dangerous dares such as on TikTok, etc.
#4 Often has a depleted sense of justice and difficulty following simple rules.
NTs were suspected of comprising nearly 90% of all the people who violated face mask mandates during the Great Pandemic, even though they make up only 3% of the population.
#5 Prone to odd obsessions and hyperfixations such as with national and college sports teams, and with people who are famous for being famous.
- May talk endlessly about the “big Sunday game” when they return to work Monday.
- These restricted interests may manifest as hating on an opposing football team’s member, but then worshipping them when they transfer to the NSD sufferer’s favorite team.
- Screaming at rock and pop singers on stage, sometimes to the point of hysterics; this behavior is observed almost exclusively among NT women.
- Wanting to touch the hands of presidential candidates.
#6 Going for excessively long periods without engaging in repetitive body movements; no sense of how to self-regulate emotions and induce calm and well-being via stimming.
#7 Unawareness of sensory intrusions such as tags in clothing, bright lights, loud sounds and offensive or strong odors.
#8 Insistence on spontaneity in life with minimal planning; becomes distressed in the absence of variety.
Prefers disorganization over structure; prefers unpredictability over routine. May frequently seek out change.
#9 Difficulty recognizing patterns and sequences; impaired problem-solving skills. Struggles with remembering details and often misses them.
#10 Prone to severe anxiety or depression when by themselves for extended periods or when having to work from home away from people.
NTs were estimated to comprise 90% of people who sought mental health treatment due to social distancing mandates during the Great Pandemic.
#11 Easily gets their feelings hurt; emotions and feelings supersede logic, facts and science.
- Makes major decisions based on emotions and superficial elements, not logic, reasoning and facts.
- Impaired ability to analyze a situation without letting feelings interfere.
- Easily holds grudges.
#12 Illogical thought processes; logic easily escapes them.
- Believing your religion is the only one true religion because you were born into it.
- Believing you have the greatest, most amazing coworkers in the world because you just happen to end up working with them.
- Other examples too numerous to list.
“I suspect I have neurotypical syndrome; what next?”
©Lorra Garrick
So there you have it: Twelve traits that are extremely prevalent in those with neurotypical spectrum disorder.
This isn’t to say that the general population of autistic individuals can’t, on occasion, exhibit any of these signs.
For example, some autistics loudly cheer at sporting events; some autistic people don’t mind strong odors or noisy loud venues; some with the autistic mind may hold a grudge; some men and women with autism may refuse to follow a rule if they think it’s stupid.
And yes, autistic people have been known to lie or give hard eye contact.
Conversely, not every NT exhibits every one of these 12 traits.
For instance, someone with this neurodevelopmental disorder might also be intensely fascinated by a highly specialized topic and massively knowledgeable – such as being a leading authority on the pupping behaviors of great white sharks along the southern East Coastline.
They may also have a high IQ and be skilled at pattern recognition.
Remember, neurotypicality is a spectrum disorder.
However, if most, or even half, of these NT traits resonate with you, you’ll want to consider the possibility that you’re not actually autistic and, in fact, may have NSD.
Camouflaging NT Behavior
Many people with undiagnosed NT syndrome have masked their symptoms to blend into an autistic world.
So if you’re NT, you may have developed – even subconsciously – a habit of mimicking autism to fit in, such as stimming in public, toning down facial expression, subduing vocal animation, relaxing eye contact, avoiding small-talk, faking interest in deep, meaningful conversations, and wearing clothes for comfort rather than the “latest style.”
If you suspect you have NSD, it’s time to seek out a thorough assessment by a psychologist who specializes in NSD evaluations.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical and fitness topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer. In 2022 she received a diagnosis of Level 1 Autism Spectrum Disorder.
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