Late diagnosis and childhood memories

Oh Yeah!  I have memories from babyhood. 

The entirety of my first day at school is crystal clear in my mind and absolutely screaming autism from beginning to end.  My aunt had promised me they'd teach me to read and write at school and I was so excited about going.  In my head, from the TV images I'd seen, I imagined rows of tidy desks with lifty up lids and an ink well, facing a chalk board and that I would come home able to read the books I loved.

Well, what a disappointment!  First of all, my mother wanted to walk me to school.  "Why?" I asked.  "I know the way". My mother was completely superfluous to requirement and interfering in my independence - errrr, yeah, I was four.

When I got there, there were no desks! Two lads were running around the middle of the class room, some others were ferreting in a dressing up box and some others had play dough?  What?  How could this be school?  I sat there completely and totally disappointed and bewildered and spoke to no one and did nothing.  When was someone going to give me a book?

Then it was playtime, and I was instructed to put on my coat and go outside.  Why?  I didn't like that.  There was an older boy wandering about on his own in a duffle coat and a very scholarly looking scarf.  The scarf fascinated me.  It was a proper school scarf.  I followed him around a bit transfixed by the scarf.  He eventually got fed up with that and pointed out some little girls my own age and suggested I go play with them.  I didn't want to, I didn't understand what they were doing and it didn't look very interesting. So I hung about on my own in the cold until were let in doors again.

Then there was lunch time....and it stank and the texture was vile!  To the point of making me want to vomit. I didn't eat a thing.  that day triggered eating problems right through the rest of my childhood.

In the afternoon, there was more of the same and a teacher finally insisting that I do something with play dough - I rolled it about aimlessly for a bit next to a girl with a blue cardigan.

Then to top it all, my mother not only thought she should take me to school, but was there to pick me up again.  Why? I was proper irritated by that!

Now, I know my memories are absolutely correct as 50 odd years on when I spoke to my mother prior to my assessment she quoted back verbatum, exactly the words I remember saying to her when asked how my day had been:  "they didn't teach me to read and there were no desks, only tables and the children were playing with toys.  Well, I've got toys at home.  I went to school to read"

Oh dear, how many indicators in that one day, lol?

Yep, I can identify with this. I went to school to learn. I couldn’t wait for nursery at 4.
 Err, we sat in a circle and I was supposed to sing and join in, then hold hands ugh, and dance about. My god I hated every minute. Then we had some play outside with sand and water. Sensory issues much? That wasn’t school to me. 

Yep, I can identify with this. I went to school to learn. I couldn’t wait for nursery at 4.
 Err, we sat in a circle and I was supposed to sing and join in, then hold hands ugh, and dance about. My god I hated every minute. Then we had some play outside with sand and water. Sensory issues much? That wasn’t school to me.