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38 here, and really started to make headway with my spectrum issues in my early 30s. And I think you are absolutely onto something about having “analog” activi

38 here, and really started to make headway with my spectrum issues in my early 30s. And I think you are absolutely onto something about having “analog” activities. I started playing sports in my 30s (oh god my joints), and learning to move through real 3D space and real the subtleties of other people’s body language and movement was a real breakthrough for me. Now…that does present a bit of a chicken/egg problem. Because I had just terrible proprioception growing up. Awful. Clumsy as all get-out. Which tends to go along with spectrum disorders.

fivre 5y ago
> Now…that does present a bit of a chicken/egg problem. Because I had just terrible proprioception growing up. Awful. Clumsy as all get-out. Which tends to go along with spectrum disorders. I was much the same way--absolutely abysmal at any sort of sport requiring the barest ounce of physical coordination. I semi-randomly ended up in ballet class in my early teens though, and started social dance in college because my friends did. I can't say I was amazing at those either, but not so awful as I was at youth sports, and it's developed into a great way to de-stress. My proprioception for dance is quite good now (even if I'm still shit at remembering specific steps), and while I can't compare it to others', I'd guess that sticking with it forced my brain to compensate for whatever normal proprioception pathways it lacks by building an alternate one. Neuroplasticity is great! It's hard to practice social basics when you're older because most of the adult population have mastered them and expect the same of others, but there are _plenty_ of people of any age who aren't any good at dancing and are trying to learn despite.