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Earliest Memory

Sporadic Sparkly

Having now been a member of the NAS Community for approximately a fortnight, I thought it was about time I got around to starting a discussion, as opposed to simply commenting on discussions started by other members.

The following is an event that happened more than 40 years ago (before anyone knew I was autistic), which I remember in full technicolour glory...

As I had no siblings, my mother had been keen to socialise me with other children before I started nursery school, so had taken me to a playgroup. I guess this means that I would have been aged about 3 or 4 years old.

The playgroup was in a room at the town's rugby club, and the rugby club was located in the town's large park, where there was also a leisure centre and outdoor ski slope.

I remember walking into this room (the playgroup), and my senses being hit by an overwhelming and unpleasant smell of plasticine, along with other smells/odours that I considered equally as unpleasant.

Some of the children were playing together, whilst others were playing on their own. My mother was keen for me to join them, but I didn't want to and refused to leave her side. The more she and the playgroup staff attempted to persuade me to join the other children, the more I protested and insisted that I wanted to be taken back home. Being in this strange and unfamiliar environment was just too traumatic for me. In hindsight, I guess I'd displayed all the hallmarks of an autistic meltdown.

Fortunately (for me), I had caused my mother so much stress that day that she never attempted to take me back to that playgroup.

If you are on the spectrum, do you have any vivid memories of early childhood?

Edited to add: I thought I would ask this question because I sometimes wonder if those of us who are on the Spectrum are better at remembering events from our early childhood.

Also, if your memories are traumatic, please don't feel obliged to share them unless you feel comfortable doing so.

Parents

  • I'm in the rare position of being able to put an exact(ish) time and precise date to my earliest memory. 18th Oct 1980, a fraction after 6 pm. Watching the penultimate scene of the 1980 Doctor Who story Meglos in the house I lived in until I was seven. I was five days past my third birthday. I'm a lifelong DW fan, so there's something comforting looking back to my earliest memory and the Doctor already being there for me.  

  • in reply to Shardovan

    I've just had the most extroardinary revelation, quite by chance. On the small Discord community I'm on for Doctor Who fans, someone mentioned a tenant who they are replacing in a flat they're moving to. This person's behaviour had been quite out of control and an example given was that she'd often roller-skate around inside the shared flat. I said offhandedly 'That sounds ridiculous. The only time I've seen living room roller skating was in an episode of Rentaghost in 1981.'

    Then, me being me, I thought... best check the accuracy of that memory/statement. The whole episode - Roller Disco-  is on YouTube and is from March 14 1980, with no evidence of a repeat having occurred. So my earliest memory of life is somewhat earlier that October of that same year, and no longer involves Doctor Who, now relegated to second-earliest! Also, I'd have been two years 5 months old in March, which seems early for a retained memory. But how else to explain? Anyway, maybe Rentaghost not Doctor Who kicking off my stored conscious memories  explains just as readily or moreso why I'm not quite right in the head.

    P.S. There is no skating in the house in it, it's all at Christopher Biggins' roller-disco, though there is one bit where Mr Claypole ends up out in the street going past residential housing so maybe the two got conflated. Shows how the memory cheats even as it persists.  

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  • in reply to Shardovan

    I've just had the most extroardinary revelation, quite by chance. On the small Discord community I'm on for Doctor Who fans, someone mentioned a tenant who they are replacing in a flat they're moving to. This person's behaviour had been quite out of control and an example given was that she'd often roller-skate around inside the shared flat. I said offhandedly 'That sounds ridiculous. The only time I've seen living room roller skating was in an episode of Rentaghost in 1981.'

    Then, me being me, I thought... best check the accuracy of that memory/statement. The whole episode - Roller Disco-  is on YouTube and is from March 14 1980, with no evidence of a repeat having occurred. So my earliest memory of life is somewhat earlier that October of that same year, and no longer involves Doctor Who, now relegated to second-earliest! Also, I'd have been two years 5 months old in March, which seems early for a retained memory. But how else to explain? Anyway, maybe Rentaghost not Doctor Who kicking off my stored conscious memories  explains just as readily or moreso why I'm not quite right in the head.

    P.S. There is no skating in the house in it, it's all at Christopher Biggins' roller-disco, though there is one bit where Mr Claypole ends up out in the street going past residential housing so maybe the two got conflated. Shows how the memory cheats even as it persists.  

Children
  • in reply to Shardovan

    Just finished rewatching the episode. It was a very silly and funny but at that age slightly unsettling show. There’s a scene in that ep where they’re all at the roller disco and Mrs Meaker starts belting out a number like she’s the new Olivia Newton John or something and then Dobbin the disturbing ghost pantomime horse comes bounding in just pure hobbyhorsing around, cutting some capers while Timothy Claypole the jester ghost hangs off the back of him on his skates, then goes flying off like Todd Carty on an ice rink. And I thought, that’s it… that’s the moment. This is what I remember! And it’s 7 months earlier than what I thought my earliest memory was. 
    While that’s kind of cool, I was almost sad to loose the ‘Doctor Who is my earliest memory’ thing that’s been an article of faith to me. Except… near the end of the ep something vaguely rang a bell again. A scene where the Meakers’ lift gets ejected through a roof and into the night sky. They hover up there for a moment in this levitating lift, the doors open to space. And it’s quite a TARDIS like image. And wonderful for the imagination- that incongruity. It even looks like how they do the TARDIS in hover mode now, doors open to take in the splendour of space. 
     
    Anyway, I know this is all very silly - overtalking a disposable bit of telly from 43 years and one month ago. But it was strange and rather lovely to have that adjustment handed to me via a chance remark today that needn’t have happened. My life is no different and yet where memory starts… is. How strange. How wonderful. And what a fabulously ridiculous first thing for the brain to say ‘I’m keeping that’ - panto horse assorted eccentrics at a roller disco just being freewheeling and fun. 

  • in reply to Sporadic Sparkly

    I probably gave the impression that I had remembered it was March 1980 when in fact I just discovered that today. But it means I have a memory earlier than what I thought was my first one, and by 215 days! 

  • in reply to Shardovan

    I'm amazed by your ability to remember things like this. If I think back to programmes I enjoyed watching as a child, I would be incapable of remembering the details of what had happened in a particular episode, or the date a particular episode had been broadcast.