Just do jazz hands...!!!

Oh yes. Of course. It's one of those afflictions commonly experienced by the super-intelligent amongst us.

Everyone on the spectrum is different of course. Hypersensitivities vary a lot depending on anxiety levels but of course are interrelated. There's a lot of work going on regarding designing buildings to take this into consideration. Good sound deadening helps (carpets, soft furnishings etc)
jings an Oxford conference is highly likely to be attended by women with ASD! As I said its largely invisible as are this group of people sadly.

Sometimes, perhaps, saying someone "doesn't mince his words" could mean that they themselves are on some kind of spectrum. Or just need anger management.

Greenfinch I think your DH was very rude. Unnecessarily so.

Very well put Bags.

Are we really expected to pander to every little abnormality known to man? Especially when so many seem to be determined to winkle more and more out of us. Heaven help us.

Thanks for the info, jane10, and thumbs down to the reporter. It's going to be difficult to stop people clapping even with awareness of this problem. How on earth have people managed so far? When you say "literally painful", how painful is my first thought? Painful enough to prevent them going to places where clapping might take place? Or painful but put-uppable-with?

(I have a hyper-sensitivity hearing problem myself so I'm not speaking from total ignorance of such problems with sound).

Thanks Jane.Because these conditions are not visible they are not catered for. A ramp is provided for a wheelchair user and also a disabled toilet as they should be but someone who looks normal can have severe disabilities and no consideration is given. In fact it is the opposite and they are considered odd.

A little incident not really relevant. We were in a shop the other day with someone we know who has a seven year old daughter on the autistic spectrum. She was being a bit noisy and the woman behind in the queue said "You're a very naughty girl". My DH who doesn't mince his words turned to her and said "and you're a very rude woman."

Going by the previous post, 'jazz hands' sounds ridiculous. Clapping is good. I don't think anyone with real autism would be there anyway.

I hate 'whooping'. Sounds pathetic. Almost animalistic.

Don't know what 'jazz hands' is.

First thought....What rubbish....followed immediate with the thought, it must be to do with autism.

Jazz hands... hands up at shoulder level, palms facing out, spread fingers, and wave, I think.

Jazz hands!!?? - who they?

Thank you so much for that,Jane. My DGS suffers from a mild form of Sensory Hypersensitivity. We knew that something was wrong from him being about 3. It wasn't until he went to school that it escalated.
The school kept banging on to get him assed for ADHD. We knew this wasn't the case. It took us 2 years of reading up on this, phoning differant departments etc etc until we FINALLY got an assessment for this condition.
It is fully recognised in the USA.

Trust me for some people coughing and sneezing is literally painful to hear. I might as well come clean -one of my theses is in sensory hypersensitivity in ASD. It was written after years of working with people with these ,now well recognised, problems. ASD affects more than 1:100 of the normal population and there are 4 times as many adults as children. The vast majority have average or above average IQs. You probably all know people on the spectrum. Most are not officially diagnosed because there's no need to. I suspect the conference organisers were aware of this but the journalst writing it up wasn't. Sermon over!

Gosh one of my serious loud allergy sneezes of a morning would frighten someone to death if they where that sensitive gillybob

People have used "clapping" as a sign of appreciation, acknowledgement etc. for ever. It is one of the first thing we teach our babies to do for goodness sake. I don't mean to be insensitive but do we have to stop speaking, shouting, looking,singing,clapping coughing,sneezing....... Just incase someone, somewhere is effected by it?

I wasn't aware that ASD speakers were involved, nothing in OP mentions that. Were that the case then obviously I agree Jane10.

For God's sake everyone! This has been misreported. Many people on the autism spectrum have auditory hypersensitivity. The sound of hands clapping is literally painful for them. There are some very good presenters with ASD who talk very well about their lives at conferences and training events. It is now fairly conventional to express appreciation in this way. Sensory hypersensitivity is one of those invisible but VERY real disabilities.

Claptrap, piffle and pathetic
Poor little precious souls, they clearly need to stay at home in a darkened room.....

This is the kind of stupidity that puts people off feminism.

Whooping super inaccessible? What on earth does that even mean?

This has (rightly, in my view) been the subject of international mockery.
My favourite twitter response?
"If you're happy and you know it, trigger my anxiety."