Things done because of Autism
There are things many people on the autism spectrum experience, including children and adults, such as stimming/self-soothing behavior, a variety of sensory needs (i.e. sensory seeking and hypersensitivity), social skills challenges, overload, meltdowns and more. Sometimes, when someone like me doesn’t realize they have autism until later in life, it can be more challenging to make a connection to autism.
Stimming/Self-Soothing Behavior
1. “Rocking back and forth. I did it as a kid and still do it as an adult when I am overly stressed. He/she doesn’t even realize doing it unless someone points it out.”
2. “Stims… Rocking, finger-snapping/popping, fidgeting, picking, spinning, chewing.” .
Sensory Needs
3. “Small sensory issues like not being willing to dress cute if it was itchy or uncomfortable.”
4. “Had trouble taking showers/brushing teeth. Always figured it might have been out of depression .”
5. “Chewing on the drawstrings on sweatshirt.”
6. “I don’t like foods that are colored blue. Like cake frosting, like cake, ice cream. Usually in same pattern and rejected in plate .
Routine
7. “Eating the same things for meals or at restaurants. Wearing the same outfit in junior high (white long sleeve shirt, black track pants and a blue vest).”
Overload and Meltdowns
8. Nervous breakdown, Triggered by store lighting especially., never realized what was ‘wrong’ , Same with being triggered by certain sounds.”
9. “Constant burnouts and meltdowns.”
Crowds
10. “Trouble with malls and big box stores. If I don’t have a buddy, I might never make it out.
Social Skills
11. “Not being able to relate to friends. Like if a friend was upset, I wouldn’t know what to do.”
12. “I was an extreme loner, just couldn’t relate to kids my age, only adults. At the time I was just called a stuck-up introvert.”
13. “I would say my lack of social skills!!”
14. “Why I have difficulties with making friends .”
15. “Trusted everyone was a good person with bad consequences.”
Being Misunderstood and Bullied
16. “I was in my 40s and it was like having a spotlight on my entire life; I understood so much: whys we’re answered, and I sobbed for days as the humiliations and cruelties and misunderstandings were revealed.” — Lesley R.
17. “I got singled out and bullied by roughly 70% of my peers throughout grade school. It began to taper down as I started subconsciously masking my behaviors and consciously masking my appearance.”
Communication
18. “Prepared conversations in my head before I went anywhere.”
19. “The main one that sticks out was my lack of being able to communicate with certain people, ask for help, something as simple as asking to use the restroom in school.
Special Interests
20. “Highly intelligent, socially awkward and highly into special interests, from horse showjumping to Dungeons and Dragons, to high-level mathematics.”
