• Replies 10 replies
  • Subscribers 84 subscribers
  • Views 1050 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Autism and only children

TheCatWoman

I'm an only child and was the typical "lonely only", i only ever played wit one child before I went to school, where I was overwhelmed, obviously. But I wonder how being an only child affects autism? I think quite a few of things I really struggle with are made worse by being an only child, like my almost total lack of competitiveness, did I not learn competition because there was no one to compete with? I have an intellectual understanding of competitiveness, but it's not something I really feel, I'm far more likely to just walk away from competitive situations, I rarely have any sense of achievement either, more a feeling of 'oh well thats that then'. I think I'm also very highly affected by noise and other distractions, I know others are too.

It would be really good if there are any other only children here who are autistic?

Parents

  • I’m a middle child. However, I don’t think this hasn’t really affected me much at all in relation to my autism or any other areas in my life. I found that I was still a lonely child and struggled to form friendships and get on with my peers at school. I don’t think having siblings helped me as even though my brother was only 2 years older than me we didn’t really play together or get along much at all and my little sister is 6 years younger than me.

    As a person as well I’m not competitive whatsoever. I feel like this is because of how I was brought up with my parents never comparing academic accomplishments and achievements. My brother has ADHD and had lots of behaviour problems at school so that might have been part of it. Due to the age gap between my little sister and me and my brother we were never compared to each other. 

  • in reply to Wib

    So some of you have siblings who you didn't get on with, so far so normal, sorry but I feel that some of you are missing the point I was trying to make, which is how being an only child compounds autistic traits. Maybe I didn't word my OP very well? One of the things I notice about people with siblings they didn't get on with and maybe still don't, is an underlying feeling of aggression towards those of us who are only children, I've been told many times by people with siblings that having them isn't a guarantee of a happy childhood, I know that, but when I talk to other only children they do feel that there are things that they didn't learn as an only child, they also feel that those with siblings are often hostile towards onlies, I was particulalry asking about autism and being an only child. It's not that I'm uninterested in other people's childhoods, but I don't think that being an only and having siblings you don't get on with is the same. It feels a bit similar to the way that NT's talk to ND's, if that makes any sense. I know not all onlies will have the same experiences, although having parents who buy you loads of board games and then complain when you don't play with them seems quite common.

  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    Sorry that you didn’t want people who aren’t an only child replying. There are a few generalisations in your comments about people with siblings being aggressive. My intention was not one of aggression and I am sorry that you feel that way about people with siblings. 

Reply Children
No Data