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 was born in 1969, an only child and really didn't look at ASD until I was 50. I used the word 'nervous' as a child as I had never heard of anxiety. I felt nervous the entire time, was very clingy with my mum. I think my dad had ASD but my mum was deffinetley 'normal'. Mum made me play with other kids when I was little . We lived in flats and there were plenty of kids that I grew up with. I did fall out with many of them due to not understanding things and resorting to violence. There were 3 blocks of flats but I didn't go to the others as I tended to get bullied. I became a 'people pleaser' and was easily taken advantage of. I played lots on my own, had a massive bedroom, loved lego and building model kits.
At school I was seen as intelligent, was put up a year in primary school. I really struggled with the social side, particually with girls. I had no idea about them, they just didn't want to play what I did. Because I was not disruptive I never got flagged up as anything but normal. I did have health issues and there was talk of me attending a 'special ' school, I wonder if they would have found things had I gone there? We did not even have teaching assiants back then, just a teacher and 25-30 kids.
Got into my obsession around age 8. My dad was into planes and I used to get taken to airports alot. There were people he knew that were the same and they were all good adults who indulged me and didn't bully me. From then on I perfered adults to children and knew I never wanted kids myself.
Secondary school was hell! Gone from a year of 50 kids to a school of 1200! I was massivley overwhelmed, was split in many classes from my friends. Was good at science, history and geography but awful at maths and english. So ended up with the kids who wanted to learn for my good subjects my with the disruptive kids for maths and english. Hated that because I was a target of bullying in those classes . We had weak teachers and I was just told to suck it up or fight back by my parents. I blocked out most of secondary school. I thrived after I left school due to the lack of bullying in the workplace.
I have no kids but work in schools on the IT side and I see the support that SEN kids get and it makes me angry that I am fighting to even get diagnosed.
Rob
It's completely changed. The support SEN children get at school now is beyond comprehension compared to back in the 1980s. My child is one of them it's amazing that they have such an understanding and support structures in place.