Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi, I have my assessment in about a month, and I'm worried as most descriptions of ASD include having a rigid routine. I don't and never really have had a particular routine. I'm not working at the moment, which means I don't have to have a routine, and I pretty much eat, sleep, go out, do chores etc whenever I feel like it. I can be very organised in some respects, and very chaotic in others. In an ideal world I would like to have more routine in my life (nothing too rigid though), in order to get things done, but never seem to be able to make this happen.
I don't like it when someone/something interrupts my plans, or when sudden changes are thrust upon me, but I'm not sure if that's the same thing.
Has anyone else been diagnosed with ASD who hasn't got a strict routine?
Poppy71 said:I don't like it when someone/something interrupts my plans, or when sudden changes are thrust upon me
That's a 'marker'... also, routines can be subtle e.g. for me:
There a fine line between 'this is what I usually/prefer to do' and 'if I can't follow my usual approach it makes me anxious' - the former is 'habit' the latter is a likely 'autistic trait'
Yes, I can relate to Poppy71's statement too. One of my equivalents to the supermarket sweep is that if I want to go to a shop after work I have a very strong need to go home first, even if the shop is on the way home or nearer to work than home; like I need to complete my commute before I can say "Yep, that's work over, here's leisure time, let's go to the shop & get that thing I wanted.". I *can* go on the way home, but it takes determination and mental effort. Likewise when I first met my second wife, I used to have to go to *my* rented place "to check my emails" before going to hers. What I know now is that I was going to mine to become grounded and "home" before venturing out again & avoid the plain weirdness of going straight to hers.
I used to hate things at school that interrupted the routine - even "good" things like "bring your toys in day" or sports day. I would sigh inwardly when lunchtime came, because then I'd be bored.