#mimcry

Asian dead leaf mantids in the genus Deroplatys

Found in Southeast Asia

There could be a number of reasons for this (I’ve noted the use of mimicry by quite a lot of Autistics)

It could be an adaptive response, a way of assimilating ourselves into groups or ‘with the crowd’. Evolutionarily speaking, it’s dangerous to be the outsider, so as a group of people who often have difficulty in social engagement and communication (important attributes in group bonding), it may be we have adapted to use mimicry as a way to help us fit in better.

It could also be that we have less confidence in our social skills and so have learned to copy others to better know what to do and how to behave in a way that is socially acceptable, which is again linked to avoiding being the outsider. Autistics with a more atypical presentation, such as some female Autistics, are particularly often noted as displaying mimicry as a way to fit in with their peers. They watch what others do instinctually and copy it as to not stand out. It’s one of the key reasons Autism is initially ‘missed’ in some individuals, or not professionally diagnosed.

In addition though, mimicry often elicits empathy for the mimicked by the mimicker. As some Autistics have difficulty in empathising, it might be away to be in a better position to do so and understand others as we are also experiencing similar.

 Phyllodesmium jakobsenae mimics Xenia coral