No Sense of Humor
What has four legs and flies? A picnic table! What has many leaves but no branches? A book! ☺ Many of my friends with autism would respond to these riddles and other jokes with a stone face. It is as if autism robs a person of their sense of humor. Why is that?
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REALISM RULES. Some individuals with autism do not find jokes and riddles funny because they see the world in realistic terms. For example, a first-grader was asked this riddle at school: “Why didn’t the hippopotamus want to play basketball?” He did not understand the humorous answer to the riddle, “Because the hippo didn’t look good in shorts,” so he did not laugh with his classmates. Instead, he responded with a rationale observation, saying, “A hippo only has four legs and no arms, so he cannot catch or bounce or throw a basketball.” This first-grader with autism is very bright and he communicates well with others, but he often misses the point of jokes and riddles because he views the world in black and white. His realistic viewpoint stands in the way of his sense of humor.
LITERAL LANGUAGE. The humor of many jokes and riddles depends on a play on words. For example, a corny joke in our family goes like this, “A man had two sons and he named them both Ed. Why? Because two Eds are better than one!” Some people with autism will not catch the humor because they take the word “Ed” literally, without naturally translating it to “head.” Knock-knock jokes cause the same problem. Here’s an example that can make us giggle, UNLESS we take each word literally.
Knock-knock.
Who’s there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you gonna open the door?
TIP FOR THE DAY: Sometimes it seems that our friends with autism do not have a sense of humor, or that they are not smart enough to catch the humor in jokes and riddles. In many cases, literal language and a realistic interpretation of the world can keep folks from laughing with everyone else.
NOTE TO READERS AND LISTENERS: I am Cathy Knoll, a board certified music therapist and long-time friend of many folks with autism. At FAQautism.com we are committed to providing free, practical, everyday tips for making life better for people with autism. Feel free to send me a confidential email at talk@FAQautism.com with your thoughts or challenging situations or innovative solution. And don’t forget to check out our website for a wealth of ideas and a glimpse into the world of autism. http://FAQautism.com
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