'We grew up not knowing we were autistic.'

This is a lot more worth reading than what I did order recently - and wish I hadn't. Asperger's and Girls, with this horrible, condescending essay in it from some 'expert' telling her benighted friends they have to conform to socially acceptable dress codes and fit in and smile and make sure they have washed today and brushed their hair if they stand any chance of improving their position in the social hierarchy. Nothing I have read recently had made my hackles rise as much as that one. The other essays just did not address what I was looking at, I guess. There was a lot in one essay about introducing the topic of the birds and the bees: namely don't tell other people when you are on and don't masturbate in public. I think on the whole I have never been on that level of functioning and probably none of the women on this BBC article, so once again, thanks for that. Glad to see modern ways of thinking stop banging on about the empathy thing too. 

More than 90 percent of nice, conscientious people would probably fail the Milgram test for example, and never mind the Boneli-Voigt.

As a child I got a diagnosis, at least one was considered, but it was not called autism or Asperger's back in the 60's, it was seen as a mental illness. No one was ever honest with me about what the difficulties were. But my parents were told I lack social intuition so everything about social niceties had to be explained to me in great detail - usually by what felt a lot more like being constantly lectured at and told off.

So, a rose by any other name.

Whatever 'it' was seemed to cling like poo to me after school anyway, as I kept on being criticised for not making eye contact, for example. It all still does raise a lot of painful feelings. 

Ugh! Thank you for posting THAT! I was considering ordering that book too as it was recommended to me but you've saved me from the same reaction you had.

Why oh Why is it so difficult to find decent information out there re. Asperger's? I keep hearing how autism is a continuum, the justification for phasing out the use of the term 'Asperger's', how we're all on the spectrum ... then every piece of information from the biggest autism organisations in the UK just goes right ahead and ignores us!! After a LONG phone call to one such organisation, where I truly felt I'd at last been listened to on this point, they sent me another useless pack regurgitating the same basic info. as all the rest but included the gem on toilet training adults.

musingsofanaspie.com 

Try the above link to this blog, it's a few years old now but there's a lot of relatable stuff on there about day to day life and concerns and, well, musings!   

Heads up Endymion, the link appears to be expired! It sounds interesting though. 

I mean, there have been quite a few luminaries 'coming out' recently: Anthony Hopkins, Eminem, for example. I am pretty sure they would not need to be reminded about the abc's of toilet training either.

This link works just fine, Endymion!

This link works just fine, Endymion!