Hello :)

funny :)

:)

Hi , I wear numerous pairs of sun glasses got a pair for in the bath / shower lol , plus same as everyone else earplugs , headphones , I cycle for miles every day I have a old railway near me 15 miles so just heaven , keep up your running sounds amazing . 

Hi Sophie! The diagnosis also made me go over many situations in my past that I now realise are due to Autism. I’m sorry to hear about your eating disorder, my eldest who is 22 now and I highly suspect is also on the spectrum, suffered from ED very badly about 5/6 years ago. Luckily she’s in remission now and a lot more aware of her thought processes regarding ED. How is yours now? 
I mostly socialise with other autistic people now, it’s so much easier! I’ve also found that I’m able to forgive myself or ‘let myself off the hook’ for being different rather than worrying about it, since diagnosis. It certainly helps to know ‘why’.

Hi :) I'm in my 20s and awaiting diagnosis. I also struggle with sensory issues (airports and public transport are the worst!). I love dogs too - I memorised all the breeds as a child and still enjoy learning about them.

I'm not great with running, but use other coping mechanisms (like music and reading) to help me relax.

Hope you find the forum helpful :)

Thanks for this! I have Bose on ear for work and the Flare earplugs that sort of muffle things. Will look into the sunglasses too.

Running IS the best!

I'm known for taking batteries out of clocks when I stay with friends or in hotels but I LOVE the sound of my self-winding wristwatch but then the fast 'chkchckchkchk...' noise it makes is lovely vs. the heavy 'CHK CHK CHK' or labourious  'TIK TOK' most clocks make.

You could try getting some regular in-ear type headphones - like people use to listen to music on their mobile phone, they usually block sound quite well and if you get corded ones in a visible colour but just put the end of the wire in your pocket i.e. not connected, you:

- block external sound to a good degree

- people can see they may need to wave or something to get your attention as they'll assume you are listening to music

I'm also quite light-sensitive but only when trying to sleep and will go round unplugging devices in the bedroom if they have an LED that shows they are powered up or putting underwear over them if I can't turn them off for some reason!

 I read a little about ultra running because i watched a video on YT  about the american woman who fell whilst training somewhere remote. I think her Dog saved her life in the end.

I think i can only swim a length so i'm a pretty bad swimmer too.  I always liked hiking and jogging though.  On a very basic level . Think i've walked about ten miles . I'm not very fit currently as i'm poorly.

sounds : have about 7 pairs of headphones + numerous sets of earbud phone + sets of earplugs  that i use in combination within headphones playing music.

I recommend these

- set of headphones (proTear) are ear defenders that have a built in radio.  used by chainsaw workers 

eardefenders protear

and these

beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO Studio Headphones - 32 Ohm

to cut out noise even more wear ear plugs or earbud headphones ( plugged in as well to same music) under these headphones

light: I generally wear wrap around sunglasses as in link below, over my glasses, quite a bit especially when driving/cycling/in the office. They help reduce the stress received in a typical day.

tinted wrap around

there are darker versions i use as well. i use these because they are cheap so am not afraid to use them working in gardening and cycling. i break them regularly.

just to correct myself, SOUND is my main sensory issue, hence the mention of earplugs!

I don't do triathlon, but I did do a team one (where I ran the running leg) and my all-female team beat all the men's teams :) I'm not a fast swimmer so wouldn't have a chance of a podium if I had to do the swimming bit. I would also spend way too long getting changed in transition...

Hey Sophie! Nice to meet you.

Amazing that you're an ultra runner. Have you ever done a triathlon?  I love sport but as an obsessive watcher rather than an active participant.

I was diagnosed at what seems like  quite a young age for that particular era. Aged 18 in 2000. I had extreme difficulties from the age of 13 and that included being misdiagnosed as Schizophrenic for a period in my teenage years.

I live at the moment reclusively in my Mum's back bedroom. Exceptionally hip and happening guy hehehe

I have many varied interests. I secretly love the world and many many aspects of it. The only thing i don't love are my own attempts to interact with it.

Welcome. I cycle to work as I won't do public transport, although all the noise and traffic can be an overload on the senses and sometimes gets me quite anxious. I'm most affected by noise. Earphones when cycling and a little Amazon Dot near my pillow for night time playing natural sounds.

(I like what you said-  'not a broken NT' )

The diagnostic process made me quite sad as it felt like going over all the times I messed up in the past.

Autism was mentioned in passing when I was in an eating disorder unit 15 years ago, and over the last year or so I came to realise it was extremely likely. When I moved from the country to a city things became really difficult (so much noise, all the time!) so I had to start making adjustments (I run everywhere instead of using public transport, go to the supermarket when Google says it's quiet, do all my other shopping online) and that's when I decided to ask my GP for an assessment. 

I also now don't make myself do "normal" social things. I rarely go "out" but do socialise through running. I was lonely when I was trying to be social, now I'm not trying and I'm perfectly happy, which seems weird. 

Despite the process of getting diagnosed feeling a bit traumatic (I felt a bit low for a  few weeks afterwards) I'm now getting better at "forgiving" myself for all the things (social faux pas mostly) I did in the past that were the result of trying to be someone I'm not. That has been quite liberating.

Cool. Running is the best.

I have problems with sounds (small irritating ones like people tapping, sniffing, or clocks ticking (I've taken the batteries out of so many clocks...), loud unexpected ones, people talking at once; loud televisions or TV shows/films where the volume suddenly changes (I watch Star Trek and the BBC Merlin over and over because I know when the volume changes and can prepare for it); and with lights - too bright usually; and with textures: I can only wear very soft clothes and either very loose or precisely tight (only my running tights) but not in between, I won't eat glutinous foods or ones where there are too many different textures (I have never eaten a doughnut after biting into one as a child - wet, dry, doughy and granulated [inserts vomit emoji]). I was diagnosed with anorexia at 13 but think it was probably more an autism thing (I was at boarding school so had limited choice and if the things I was expecting/could eat weren't available I didn't eat something else). 

I have the Flare ones too! I like them.

we have some runners in here eg Original Prankster.

what sensory difficulties do you experience ?  

oh yea, welcome to the forum : 

Hello and welcome! I’m female, just turned 39 but I was diagnosed mid December 2018 when I was 37. How are you finding the post diagnosis adjustment process so far?

hello and welcome! I'm F, 40s, diagnosed last year. Have lots of sensory issues, esp sight and smell. Have just bought some very good earplugs which even made a trip to Poundland bearable today! They are Flare Isolate Mini ones