Do people with Autism / aspergers understand jokes - I hardly ever do??

[Candyfloss]

Do people with as understand jokes?

[ScienceGeek]

Mixed, sometimes I do and sometimes I don't.

[Gordie]

What ScienceGeek said. I'd say I probably understand fewer jokes than the average neurotypical person, but not too many fewer.

 

James

[zenemu]

I have AS and I have a pretty good sense of humour (I think). I even did stand up for a while, and although I wasn't the best in the world, I certainly got a few laughs.

 

Again I think this is one of those things that vary from person to person.

 

 

[mossgrove]

I have four children, two NT and Two on the spectrum.

 

They all tell me my jokes are awful and not funny!

 

 

Simon

[Kathryn]

Impossible to generalise - humour is such an individual thing and there are so many different kinds. And it's possible to understand a joke or brand of humour and still not find it particularly funny.

 

K x

 

 

[bettyhen]

My six year old AS son loves puns and often makes them himself. He also likes slapstick (which I hate). I'm not sure though that he understands when you laugh out loud and when you don't - he seems to be exploring it at the moment, explaining to me the other day that something was funny but not the sort of thing you'd laugh out loud to.

[sesley]

my ASD 10 year old keeps repeating, How do you catch a fish from Spongebob. With a net, and Knock knock, who is there. Orange.orange who Knock knock,who is there Orange. Knock knock,who is there. Orange Orange who,aren't you glad i didn't say banana. and he tries to make up jokes,because he does not fully understand the double meanings of words .

[Sally44]

My son tends to understand some jokes, but his logic or understanding is not right. For example he asked me "is a bucket of nails a rude word?" I said no, where have you heard that. He said "I heard it on Basil Brush, he said that xxx's face was like a bucket of nails." Then he laughs because he knows it is funny, but doesn't really understand why.

 

He also tries to tell jokes and misses out the most important bits of it. Or makes up a joke that isn't a joke at all! At other times he gets jokes. He also likes slapstick alot because that is very visual.

 

Having lived in another country myself, I also know how easy it is to misunderstand language and its meaning, which is something those on the spectrum can do even with their mother tongue. For example I was sitting with a group of people and one of them said "the mosquitos are not biting tonight" (apparently this is a saying which means there are not a lot of people out and about). I took it literally and said "I know, I think its because i've used a repellent spray". Of course everyone practically fell off their chairs laughing so much and I had no idea what I had said or done wrong.

 

That made me think about the saying that "those on the spectrum can be like a foreigner in their own land". I have heard that said in similar words by a number of autistic adults and also read it in a book. Humour by definition is tied to language, unless it is the slapstick variety. As those with a diagnosis have to have difficulties with language there are bound to be varying degrees of difficulty.

 

But what is the alternative?? I am sure that many on the spectrum try to second guess if something said was funny. Again, whilst living abroad I also did that to try to fit in. But you can find yourself laughing at something you thought was funny when everyone else is not laughing. Or you find everyone laughing and you don't because you don't understand what was funny - or you laugh along with everyone anyway and hope that no-one asks you a question because you really have no idea why you are laughing!!

[Gordie]

For example I was sitting with a group of people and one of them said "the mosquitos are not biting tonight" (apparently this is a saying which means there are not a lot of people out and about). I took it literally and said "I know, I think its because i've used a repellent spray". Of course everyone practically fell off their chairs laughing so much and I had no idea what I had said or done wrong.

The blokes there are that clingy, are they?

 

James