Hi, so basically what the title says. If it matters I’m (38F) officially diagnosed AuDD – I have ADD and what I consider “high functioning” autism. I wasn’t diagnosed until this year.
I’ve been told most of my adult life that I’m “good at explaining things, even if they are complicated and convoluted topics or concepts”.
But…. I also face the problem of not letting my knowledge come off in a way that doesn’t seem like I’m a know-it-all. I don’t want to come off that way.
It’s a combination of things… and 90% of the severity of my lack of emotional intelligence when I’m volunteering comes from where I am in my day.
I was told it’s my facial expressions, the tone of my voice, my lack of patience when I can’t get a word in, and I’m sure there’s other signs I’m not aware of.
I genuinely do not consciously do any of it and it seriously pisses me off! It goes against my values and my personality…
These are the things that end up biting me in the @ss…
I’m 5’ 11, confident, professional, passionate, empathetic, caring, an advocate, and most importantly- I’m not afraid to come forward when I find something wrong (fraud, waste, nepotism, etc). We have a zero retaliation policy for whistleblowers.
I’m a resourceful person and most of this stems from my “special interests.” It doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things (and I don’t tell people this unless it comes up in passing) but I have my masters in library and information science. It’s how I’ve managed to be someone who can find answers.
I also face the challenge of having less of a filter and it can come off as me being a “know-it-all” depending on the situation/context.
I’m usually NOT the type of person who butts into a conversation and says, “Actually….” when I’m directly involved in a conversation or even if I’m eavesdropping.
There are some exceptions to this, mainly when medical information is incorrect (and I’m looking out for that person’s health) or when I’m an instructor for my volunteer work and need to do so 🤓
What can I do to be better?