Things You Did As A Kid

DepictDave

DepictDave

Active member
Was there anything you used to do as a kid that were probably autism-related, and if you were late-diagnosed that should have been indicators of your neurotype?

The reason I ask is because my son (he's 4 and I suspect he might be autistic) keeps doing headstands on the back of the sofa. He's been doing it for a while now and I didn't think much of it (other than telling him to stop) but when I look back I suddenly realise that I used to do the exact same thing. Made me wonder if it's some sort of sensory thing for both me and him...
 
I think I used to do handstands on the sofa as a kid, also span around a lot and got fairly obsessed with drawing spirals and making things spin, even now I still get fascinated by spinning.
 
I developed an early interest in business which my socialist father despised. So each one ended in tears, as he beat me for doing them. To be fair the first business was in hindsight a mistake, I found it easy to cadge cigarette packs off the USAF servicemen who operated from the airbase near my home, and I sold them. My primary school headmaster didn't approve and caned me in front of the whole school ( something I am reminded of from time to time by my old school Facebook group!) My second business was to rent out the American comics to local boys. I swopped the British ones with those of the American sons of the USAF personnel, and built up a good collection. I made some useful pocket money, but when my dad discovered my library, he burnt my collections and caned me, cos he was a socialist. I have been in business for myself all my working life. My dad became a Conservative when he started to make a lot of money.
 
As a toddler a fair bit of head banging. I like to move my toes in separate directions from each other. I enjoy spinning, swing for hours and preferred to sit under a shady tree and organize leaves rather than play with my peers.
 
I used to spend hours a day polishing one shoe out of every pair of shoes in the house so I could see the difference. I also had to stir spaghetti with my bare hands until I was in my late teens. I wore my socks and underwear inside out so I couldn't feel the seam. I keep ledgers of cost profit projections for potential company designs starting when I was very young. I had a disproportionate number of rescues of wild baby animals in desperate states. I had screaming fits and barely spoke. I tested in the 99th percentile in every subject but barely passed my classes. I started into nothing most of the time and didn't respond to my name for long stretches of time. DXed at 37.
 
Spinning seems to be theme here... I also used to enjoy sortogn random things in to order and logging them. I also like everyhting to be in place and in order, even if I keep changing the order. I used to play a lot of football (soccer) and got told on many occassions that I was tupid fearless and put my head where other people wouldn't put there feet. Many trips to hospital and suffering now!
 
Dai said:
I developed an early interest in business which my socialist father despised. So each one ended in tears, as he beat me for doing them. To be fair the first business was in hindsight a mistake, I found it easy to cadge cigarette packs off the USAF servicemen who operated from the airbase near my home, and I sold them. My primary school headmaster didn't approve and caned me in front of the whole school ( something I am reminded of from time to time by my old school Facebook group!) My second business was to rent out the American comics to local boys. I swopped the British ones with those of the American sons of the USAF personnel, and built up a good collection. I made some useful pocket money, but when my dad discovered my library, he burnt my collections and caned me, cos he was a socialist. I have been in business for myself all my working life. My dad became a Conservative when he started to make a lot of money.
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I rather think that confiscating your stuff was beyond mere 'socialism'. "Property is theft" is all very well, but the way you were treated is more about abuse than politics.
 
Sata1991 said:
I think I used to do handstands on the sofa as a kid, also span around a lot and got fairly obsessed with drawing spirals and making things spin, even now I still get fascinated by spinning.
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It's starting to sound like handstands are more than likely an autistic thing. I seem to remember a couple of specific occasions where I was spinning but not sure if it was just because that's how I was playing at the tube or whether I used to spin all the time.

ProfessorWorm said:
As a toddler a fair bit of head banging.
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He used to head bang a lot too! Especially when he was trying to sleep, he used to head bang on his pillow. He doesn't do it much any more but it was definitely a thing for him.