Published on 12, July, 2020
Do you generally read or write fiction and/or fanfiction?
I spend my life reading and writing stories of various types, and I wondered if this is normal for autistic people. I thought we were supposed to have very limited imaginations and interests and that was how we got diagnosed. But my imagination is vast, I tend to live in a fantasy world rather than the real world because it is nicer tbh!
What is your imagination like?
Harry potter is my favourite thing on earth, so i definitely love fiction. However, I remember when it came to mandatory reading in school I HATED 'biff and chip' books etc, and refused to read anything but non-fiction books.
It was 'Janet and John' books in my day. We had a lot of trouble with our daughters and prescribed reading. Long after they were both up and running, reading voraciously for their own pleasure, the schools were insisting they read books that were both below their proficiency and of no interest to them. A total waste of their time. In the end, as parents, we would just sign that they had read books that they hadn't touched. A farcical situation.
I remember Janet and John! I was reading long before I started school, my mum said I called them Stupid Janet and Silly John
I think I had the same thing- I had to read through all the boring books before I got to the interesting ones at school.
My daughter is the same. I don't know how she learned to read- one day she couldn't and the next day she could!
Whereas my husband struggled at school and still does struggle with reading.
Different types of brain I guess?
My Patronising English Teacher, from ages 11 to 14, sarcastically mentioned 'Peter and Jane went to the Park'. She was a right Moo!
Fortunately, I had a much nicer English Teacher for GCSE. I got a C, but REALLY learned English online.