24. Perceptual disorders
Perception is crucial for allistic people; aligning perceptions into a shared vision is a real characteristic of social desire. The person with ASD rarely shares a common perception. They do not perceive things as you do, but with different characteristics. Their brain does not allow automatic perception or functional automatic associations.
When I photograph a white wall, my brain automatically convinces me it is immaculate and the light illuminating it is pure white. Yet when I examine the image afterwards, the wall turns out to be covered in marks and the light appears yellow-tinged. This phenomenon reveals a cerebral autocorrection, a subtle adaptation of our perception. Conversely, the AS person immediately perceives the light's temperature and unfailingly detects these imperfections. In other words, stripped of its automatic processes and autocorrection, the brain would offer a raw view, like that of the AS person.
Disturbed perception is the moment when the AS person's brain malfunctions and the construction of thought, memories and vision cannot harmonise properly.