Published on 12, July, 2020
I was only recently diagnosed a few years ago, and I've been looking back and thinking about things I did when I was a child that were definitely signs of being on the spectrum.
I went through a very intense phase of eating everything with a spork, especially one meal in particular - rye bread with hummus on, topped with a little bit of green Tabasco sauce. This was after my enlightening experience of going to Leeds Festival for my birthday when I was 12 and camping over the weekend, having eaten everything using a spork.
That and eating any noodles or pasta with one of those spinning Pot Noodle forks.... good times. :-)
Looking back, I can realise why my mum definitely thought I was autistic.
I'd love to know if anyone has any similar things that they liked/did that looking back you realise were signs you were autistic.
Good question.
Loads actually (diagnosed at 60).
Similar to Judge, my mum (who I believe was autistic) had the TV or radio on LOUD constantly.
She couldn't bear silence.
So, I would stuff cotton wool in my ears and sleep with the pillow over my head.
I was constantly asking her to turn things down but she got annoyed - I think she had under sensitivity to sound.
I experienced a lot of Pica - I ate my toys regularly and my gloves and anything near my mouth - I chewed all my pencils and pens and swallowed the items until my 20s (when I realised it was probably rather bad for my health).
I remember the taste and smell of things intensely - including the taste of leather, woold and dirt.
Tiptoe walking into my twenties too.
With regard to noise, this has really haunted me, especially in shared flats.
I made myself unpopular by constantly asking for music to be turned down.
I still ask in restaurants for music to be turned down (only since my diagnosis though, as I feel I'm allowed!).
I remember once I'd got a job the chap I worked for saying afterwards that the reason he employed me was my extremely precise answers to questions.
There are lots of things that I realise now weren't 'normal' by allistic standards, and these are but a few.