What were you like as a child?

Aw, bless you. I love the pics, sorry you got so upset but completely understand why.

This was me trying not to be touched with the added bonus of a flashlight blinding me in a photo booth. This is the only photos of me in a booth and the last ones of me being held. Possibly one of my earliest documented meltdowns. Still hate being touched 50 years on.

I found adults interesting as well. Same with the nightmares, some were so vivid continued to scare me throughout the day. I had an imaginary friend as well, she was my best friend and I felt like I didn't need to mask with her. She was always there for me and I could be my normal quirky self. With others I was shy and quiet. I didn't eat anything new and different. And I did not like being touched by anyone except my mum.

I did this! Adults were also more interesting.

I had 2 imaginary friends. The way my mother tells stories of my 'acts of rebellion' around ONE to TWO make it sound like I was not only confused and clearly didn't trust her, but she shouldn't have been in charge of a toddler. But I survived! I was quiet in social situations, thought about matters of infinity, had incredibly vivid nightmares (which I still remember) and was so bored by 4, I started school early (my father taught me reading, maths and chess).

At home I would spend most of my time in my room alone, quietly reading. I loved to read factual things, like my dictionary and set of encyclopedia. I also liked Lego. I had a cuddly toy which I wouldn't be parted from. However I didn't do any imaginary play with it and I think I just liked the sensory aspect of the soft fur. If anyone tried to give me a doll I would show no interest whatsoever.

I could not tolerate having my photo taken. Any early photos of me I am crying and/or disappearing out of the picture. I think it may have been a sensory issue due to the flash.

When I started nursery school I encountered other children for the first time in my life. I thought they were like wild animals and could not understand why they did so much screaming and squealing in the playground. Playtimes were a complete nightmare for me and I would avoid going outside due to the overwhelming noise. If forced to it would result in a huge meltdown, behaviour for which I would be punished.

School dinners were also a complete nightmare for me. I experienced complete sensory overload from the noise, the smells and the textures. The dinner ladies could not get me to eat anything and could not cope with my meltdowns. I was excluded from the school at lunch times and had to go home.

I hated being hugged or touched. If my mum tried to hug me I would just stand there with my arms rigid by my sides. If anyone else tried to approach me it would result in a huge meltdown. My mum couldn't go out and leave me with anyone else, as I would scream the place down.

At school I was useless at sports or games. I have dyspraxia and that made me extremely clumsy and uncoordinated. The only time I was popular in PE lessons was when I ran into the PE teacher and knocked her over!

I too preferred to interact with adults, rather than children. I would go and visit several elderly neighbours and happily talk to them for hours about my special interest. I was obsessed with stamp collecting for most of my childhood.

I was diagnosed aged 50.

I was a quiet and shy child I spent a lot of time alone with my bears. I didn't like hugs and I trusted only mum I didn't trust anyone else in the house. I would only eat and drink if mum made it for me. 

For me, my memories weren’t quite the accurate picture of myself as I thought. It turns out, from the perspective of others, that I was very quiet and shy. I always stood and watched interactions, long before joining in on them. I always used to get upset if I was ever made to make a thank you phone call for presents from relatives. My use of formal language from a young age was interesting, as was my fascination with all things miniature and detailed. I would collect and display all the great examples of miniature things that I could find. My interests were described as ‘quirks’ and I used to try and eat everything. Except for dairy based things, they always made me sick due to a dislike of tastes, smell and textures. But it would include non edible things too. I was diagnosed in my 30s, but it wasn’t really looked into as a child- typical of the time I suppose.

I was a very quiet child and didn’t like being touched or hugged, loved biting my brother and  only cousin who was the only other child I would be in contact with up to pre school. my brother would love dressing up as a cowboy or policeman while I liked Lego and then my favourite Mechano. Never really understood other children and stayed mostly on my own, didn’t  understand why children wanted to pretend or play games. Loved TV of the 70’s and 80’s, don’t really watch Tv anymore. School was very lonely and found that the library was the place to hide at lunchtime, the bullies wouldn’t enter a library as they would have burst into flames! Didn’t like any team sport. Food was and still is a bit of a minefield. Teachers always said I was quiet and didn’t want to join in. I’m now 54 and on the waiting list for an autism assessment.

I was a "well behaved" child, as in I didn't do anything to bring attention to myself and avoided confrontation at all costs. I would be relaxed and noisy at home but become almost mute when we went out and wouldn't talk to anyone. I had a few family members that I would talk to and others I wouldn't. I've spent years trying to think why I did that, now as an adult I talk to all my family happily. I have a quiet appreciation of the ones who didn't push me to talk and just let me be. 

I struggled to make friends my own age. Often getting on better with either younger or older children. I was an only child and lived in a remote rural area so I was very content being on my own. I hated school, homework would make me cry out of frustration and the social aspect completely drained me every day. 

I used to love all "extreme" sports, ones that could be done on your own rather than the traditional team sports at school. I often changed between hobbies and had friends associated with each one. I.e skateboarding friends, bike friends, video game friends.

I was diagnosed at 27 and see a lot of the same behaviours in my own 3 year old boy. 

i dunno, id say i was probably more behaved than other kids, i just got told off more for no reason lol

other peoples parents let them run riot, my parents were very strict and controlled and i wasnt even allowed out. they didnt allow me a playstation at first until around highschool they finally allowed it. imagine the phase where your never allowed out and have to stay in but your not allowed a games console lol this is probably why today i can be happy doing nothing but staring at a wall all day and why id be ok in solitary prison lol

at school i never could socialise or get friends on my own but i did get a friend circle somehow by latching onto one guy who then made friends with some others which in turn became my friends, until ofcourse bit by bit the group split until the end of school there was only me and this one other. i was weirder back in school, always making noises, and yet despite the obvious strangeness no one ever diagnosed or refered me to any diagnosis for anything, thats just how *** they were at seeing anything even just in the recent past, now they diagnose so easily that if your not talking as soon as your born they claim your autistic now. id still have been making noises i guess if i didnt shut myself in my room for 10 years after school, i think the isolation stopped it and gave me that time to break it. ofcourse it still is around from time to time when i either get stressed or think too much, now mainly just a cat noise and swear words, one of them words very problematic and could get me jailed these days aha but yeah, school was aweful, and it brought out the most mentally ill of me for all to see and yet people still didnt see or didnt care. aside from bullies they saw for sure. maybe bullies need to become the mental health referrers seeing as they spot things better than teachers do.

I preferred the company other adults usually only female adults I didn't feel safe around others my own age.

According to my mother, I was a very well-behaved child. I disliked crowds, and being asked questions by adults I did not know well. I had a few friends who were children, but in general I distrusted other children and preferred the company of adults (they were more predictable). I reacted to starting school at four and a half years of age, by becoming selectively mute for three months. I didn't speak at all at school, but continued to be talkative at home.

I have never rocked or flapped my hands, but did I spin, or run round in tight circles, a lot as a child. I liked being in confined spaces, and would spend time in my wardrobe, cupboards or the linen basket. I preferred being swung or jiggled to being hugged.

I was diagnosed at 59 years of age.