Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi There,
I am autistic and have an interest in the history of autism. I often wonder if autism has been around for hundreds of years but people never thought much of it back then. I think people back in the day would just look at us and think “oh he’s just quiet” or “oh she’s a bit shy but has a heart of gold” that kind of thing. I mean I never would have guessed I was autistic I really don’t feel disabled I just feel like a normal person who’s got a different mind.
is there anyone here from say the 40’s 50’s or 60’s that would like to share what being an autistic child was like back then when nobody knew what autism was? It must have been difficult feeling different but not knowing why.
I don’t think was different being autistic back then, because even if it was today, I would have the same experience. No one saw it then, and no one sees it now. I was classed as shy, and didn’t speak much. I was very clever. Very musical and artistic. Finished work before everyone else all day, everyday. Until I started high school! Then the communication issues came though. I still had friends, just felt awkward and my peers were boring. In my leisure time as a teen I was reading the encyclopaedia and thesaurus like you do lol. I was collecting stamps, drawing endlessly and learning all the flags and capital cities of the world. Stims were stopped in childhood by my father.
But, my uncle, who was about 8 years older than me did go into care, because his parents could no longer cope. I think he was 15 or 16 at the time. He was non verbal. Obvious stims and rocking. Violent outbursts. I didn’t actually find out until several years ago that was only diagnosed autistic as an adult!. All his life he’d been shut away in an institution for being ‘mentally retarded’…..