If you all could answer some questions!

[Mommabear16]

Looking for some insight on those living on the spectrum. I got diagnosed with add as an adult and I wish I was diagnosed as a child.
Which leads me to my first question ...

1.) Do you wish you were formally diagnosed as a young child?

2.) Do you think early “intervention” (therapy sessions that involve sensory intergration/ social skills/ play therapy) or access to services would of been greatly beneficial?

3.) What are some things you wish your parents did for you as a child?

4.) Do you require aids to sleep ?

5.) What are some of your biggest struggles / what are some of your greatest strengths?

6.) What do you wish the world understood about your condition?

7.) Is connecting and empathizing with people really a challenge for you, or is that a misunderstanding/ generalization?

I would greatly appreciate your imput and of course only answer what you feel comfortable sharing . Thanks !!

 

[Isadoorian]

I believe I was, since I've had various assessments throughout my life. My last one I got in Grade 12 the guy said in his notes that "due to my parents great parenting skills I was no longer to be considered special needs". I'm going to get another assessment done and thankfully the organisation doesn't recognise the guy as being official, so they're basically waiving that assessment making it unofficial if that makes sense.


I've been on a IEP (Individualized Education Plan) throughout my school years. So I had an aide, and could do school work outside the classroom if needed, and also in High School had my tests modified. Also, thankfully I didn't have to do the Provincial Exams near the end of the year. Those would have ruined me (too much information to try and remember lol)


They did everything they could for me, and that's all I need.


No, however since I stay up quite late which interferes with my sleeping from time to time I'll take a bit of meletonin.


Definitely Math and Measuring (be it on a Tape Measure or converting Cups/Teaspoons/Tablespoons to mL and vice versa). Always had a problem with more advanced Math (like Long Division); did most of that in a Resource Room and have only ever done a single little worksheet on Algebra, never touched on Calculus at all. And I've always liked to Read and I've always tried to do my work on a Computer when able since it's quicker and also doesn't murder my hand (eventually my hand will get sore and finger will chafe I think against my pen/pencil; used to use a rubber grip as well when I was a lot younger, along with a slant board since I have a tendency to bend over my desk; I have an odd way of holding my writing utensils using my thumb and middle finger with index for support rather than solely the index finger like everyone else)

I'm sure many others will agree with me when I say this, and that'd be Everything Not every Aspie is Rainman or a savant of any kind.


Connecting with others can be a challenge for me; I've never had many IRL friends in life thus far due to me being a social hermit and my interests being too few and/or geeky/nerdy Also I hate it when people expect you to browse through their internet profile on places like dating sites to have a look at what they like and what they're hobbies/interests are, when all that can come naturally through conversation. It's the lazy way to get to know someone imo.

 

[Mommabear16]

Don't know about intervention of any sort, unless you are referring to things such as school aids, for learning differently and at a different pace. Was quite advanced in reading and writing at the age of four. Yet struggled with math early on in school. If it had been taught in a different manner may have done far better.



It was a different era, and I came from a large family. Wish they had emphasized and encouraged some of my abilities, things I excelled at. Rather than a generalized focus and a kind of discouraging control of independent thought.



Not when I was a child. Much later as an adult with the stress and anxiety of school and work and the responsibilities of everyday life. I've used natural sleep aids like camomile tea, valerian and melatonin solely. As sleep medication works far too strongly and lasts far longer than it should.



Understanding people, getting along with people I worked or went to school with.
Growing up with a controlling, over protective biological family who made me afraid to be independent. Learning to keep going when I made mistakes and learning from those mistakes, not giving up when I failed. Not giving in to perfectionism, and using it as it related to jobs and study.

My focus. My memory for some things. The ability to consider anything, from many points of view rather than one. Loyalty, honesty, ethics.



That it's hidden and not always evident. That 'different' is not something to be feared.



It's not a challenge anymore, as I'm high-functioning and have worked a good portion of my life. But it is fatiguing to be social as I've gotten older.

Interesting ! I assumed many of these points you made . As for the services/ intervention it might be a new thing? but they take young children (typically toddlers) and place them in therapy. In therapy they can learn tools and social skills while the brain is still like a sponge (building many new connections).

 

[Misery]

1. Meh, it wouldnt have changed much, really. I was in school, and generally school sucks no matter how you go through it. I mean, really, all those years of it and all I got out of it was learning how to type. Thanks, I guess?

2. Not to me. Sensory training would accomplish nothing (those issues dont go away or change, not in my case anyway), social skills meant nothing to me since I hated everyone at school anyway, and I have no idea what play therapy is.

3. Sometimes they tried too hard to make me "normal" or get me to do things to fit in, thinking that this would help me get friends or whatever. Like the time my mom tried forcing me to wear jeans to school. Not because there's anything resembling a practical reason to, but just because that's what everyone else does. I *hate* jeans. I wear sweatpants instead, because I bloody well could. Her plan didnt work at all. I smuggled the sweatpants to school and simply changed into those every day. Hah! I tended to do stuff like that to get around the occaisional odd idea that she'd have. She meant well, but could be overbearing at times.

4. Yeah, I use a noise maker. I dont deal with silence well, but I also dont need sudden sounds waking me up or anything. So I have my iPad just make this really loud waterfall sound constantly while I'm in bed. Keeps the silence away and drowns out anything else.

5. I have alot of sensory issues, paranoia, and a terrible memory, and I also space out really often. But I'm also extremely coordinated, and my reaction & mental processing speed is pretty ridiculous... I am *fast* (though not in terms of like, physical running or something... good grief no). Useful in the things I do. I can also focus on a great many things at once. However I seem incapable of focusing on only one thing at a time. Just leads to more spacing out, as if I dont already do that enough. Also, I cant keep to a schedule... never could. Doesnt help that my sleep schedule keeps "rotating".

6. I wish they grasped the idea that I'm not going to fit in their convenient and stupid little box. No, I dont care that other people do such-and-such thing. I'm not those people. Fortunately my family and friends have all grasped this idea at this point.

7. Not so much a "challenge", moreso that I seriously just cant be bothered to give a crap. School taught me that people can sometimes be jerks. Watching people engage in certain common activities (like ANYTHING political) just cemented that, and showed me that most people *are* jerks, but that they hide it in some situations. Not to mention that I tired quickly of the "hivemind" behavior, as I call it. I admit that I've become a bit of a misanthrope. I do not apologize for this. I dont take part in general society, and probably never will, and would rather fling a stapler at someone than talk to them.

 

[Sarah S]

"Mommabear16, post: 595355, member: 21861"]"Looking for some insight on those living on the spectrum. I got diagnosed with add as an adult and I wish I was diagnosed as a child.
Which leads me to my first question ...

1.) Do you wish you were formally diagnosed as a young child?"

With my ASD ? YES I obviously had it since birth as all my other diagnosis but they dident find it until i was 30 my latest evaluation

"2.) Do you think early “intervention” (therapy sessions that involve sensory intergration/ social skills/ play therapy) or access to services would of been greatly beneficial?"

Ive been seing the so called professionals since i was 4 and back then they dident know diddly about this cind of diagnosis so no

"3.) What are some things you wish your parents did for you as a child?"

Nothing My mom was the BEST mom EVER and she has been behind me from day one

"4.) Do you require aids to sleep ?"

NO meds but i slept with a nite lamp up to adult age But managed to get that part finally solved say 5 years back and i need my radio on low as i HATE silence. I do have Severe sleeping disorders but i have learnt to deal with it as best i can without meds

"5.) What are some of your biggest struggles / what are some of your greatest strengths?"

EVERYTHING , My stubbornness id say

"6.) What do you wish the world understood about your condition?"

What is actually means & having to deal with and against this diagnosis and the problems that comes with it for us with this cind of diagnosis

"7.) Is connecting and empathizing with people really a challenge for you, or is that a misunderstanding/ generalization?"

In my case i obviously SUCK on socialization but i apparently have Average EQ

I would greatly appreciate your imput and of course only answer what you feel comfortable sharing . Thanks !!

 

[invisibility003]

Looking for some insight on those living on the spectrum. I got diagnosed with add as an adult and I wish I was diagnosed as a child.
Which leads me to my first question ...

1.) Do you wish you were formally diagnosed as a young child?

2.) Do you think early “intervention” (therapy sessions that involve sensory intergration/ social skills/ play therapy) or access to services would of been greatly beneficial?

3.) What are some things you wish your parents did for you as a child?

4.) Do you require aids to sleep ?

5.) What are some of your biggest struggles / what are some of your greatest strengths?

6.) What do you wish the world understood about your condition?

7.) Is connecting and empathizing with people really a challenge for you, or is that a misunderstanding/ generalization?

I would greatly appreciate your imput and of course only answer what you feel comfortable sharing . Thanks !!

1) I don't really wish I was formally diagnosed as a young child. I got diagnosed at 14, and it was a good age for me, I was just starting to wonder why I was so different and couldn't do social stuff as well as others.

2) The social skills stuff would have been very helpful - like conversation skills and confidence and stuff. But I'm slowly getting better at it with setting myself small challenges each day now.

3) Not sure....I have great parents and they have always been very supportive all my life.

4) I've been on Olanzapine to help with my sleep for a couple of years now. And recently I've been listening to some sleep stories audio, to help me get relaxed, they work pretty well.

5) Biggest Struggles: Confidence socially, conversation skills, anxiety around social stuff, concentration at school (i may have ADD and my psychiatrist is investigating that and considering medication), mental illness (though I'm much better than I used to be), sensory struggles especially noise.

Greatest Strengths: The ability to concentrate very well and excel in areas that grab my interest. Lots of detail in my art and people get surprised when they see how detailed it is (who have never seen my art).

6) Many people on the spectrum are very intelligent, clever and interesting people, despite our difficulties socially, sensory wise and others. No need to treat us as if we are stupid or like we aren't people. Many of us are the people who change the world and excel greatly in our interests, so don't forget that!

7) I don't really think I have troubles empathizing with others. I just have very little confidence socially and that is whats holding me back from making friends and connections in real life. For me, I know how to make conversation (mostly), but I just don't have the confidence and courage to actually make the conversations and reach out to others. I get pretty nervous in social situations, but I'm working on that.

 

[SusanLR]

1.) Do you wish you were formally diagnosed as a young child?

Yes.

2.) Do you think early “intervention” (therapy sessions that involve sensory intergration/ social skills/ play therapy) or access to services would of been greatly beneficial?

Maybe.
Hard to know. Perhaps the social skills and play therapy would have been beneficial
because I was not interested in other children or playing with them.

3.) What are some things you wish your parents did for you as a child?

Can't think of anything. I was so strong willed I would never pay attention to anything they
said anyway.


4.) Do you require aids to sleep ?

Yes. I need soft night lights and just the right amount of sound all night to sleep.
Like ambient music.
I can't stand total darkness or total silence.

5.) What are some of your biggest struggles / what are some of your greatest strengths?

Struggles have been mainly anxiety and depression.
Strength has always been believing there's not much that can't be solved through logical mentality.
My body may be weak, but, I dig in with the intellect.

6.) What do you wish the world understood about your condition?

That it doesn't mean I'm crazy. That is a common stigma. People like to poke fun
at disabilities and people who are different.

7.) Is connecting and empathizing with people really a challenge for you, or is that a misunderstanding/ generalization?

I don't connect easily and have an EQ of 11.
It does really bother me as a challenge. Sometimes I wonder how it would feel to feel so many emotions and desires I see in other people though.

 

[John M]

1.) Do you wish you were formally diagnosed as a young child?

No, my family never took my sensitivities seriously. If I'd been diagnosed as a young child and they still continued not to take them seriously I think that would have driven me over the edge.

2.) Do you think early “intervention” (therapy sessions that involve sensory integration/ social skills/ play therapy) or access to services would of been greatly beneficial?

No, I've never seen most of my sensory issues as a problem per se. Also, because some of them are visual in nature I suspect I would have been misdiagnosed.

3.) What are some things you wish your parents did for you as a child?

Build a time machine so the older me could go back and explain things to the younger me.

4.) Do you require aids to sleep ?

No, though when I was a child I had lots and lots of nightmares. I taught myself to lucid dream at the age of 4 so I could wake myself up. I got so good at it I suspect the lack of REM sleep at an early age led to some of my sensory issues.

5.) What are some of your biggest struggles / what are some of your greatest strengths?

My biggest struggle is dealing with people in my field that sabotage the welfare of millions of people so they can cash in. My biggest strength is that I deal with them when no one else seems capable.

6.) What do you wish the world understood about your condition?

Nothing, because to understand my 'condition' the world would have to understand the nature of human consciousness. If that happens 'the world' would just misuse that knowledge to enslave others instead of setting them free.

7.) Is connecting and empathizing with people really a challenge for you, or is that a misunderstanding/ generalization?

Empathizing isn't typically a problem. Connecting is usually a problem however since most connect through verbal communication. It takes me a long, long time to get comfortable enough around another person where I can verbally communicate in a fluid manner.

 

[Progster]

1.) Do you wish you were formally diagnosed as a young child?
Yes. I might have been understood better, or not punished for things that I was unaware that I was doing and wasn't doing on purpose.

2.) Do you think early “intervention” (therapy sessions that involve sensory intergration/ social skills/ play therapy) or access to services would of been greatly beneficial?
I doubt it. Interventions such as ABA are unsuitable and cause more problems than they solved. Sensory issues are neurological in origin and can't be cured by therapy or intervention, only managed and tolerated.

3.) What are some things you wish your parents did for you as a child?
They did all they could for me given the circumstances.

4.) Do you require aids to sleep ?
No medication, but need to wear earplugs and to have the windows blacked out.

5.) What are some of your biggest struggles / what are some of your greatest strengths?
Struggles = anxiety and depression, relationships, employment. Strengths - good memory, fast learner, determined, good focus and attention to detail.

6.) What do you wish the world understood about your condition?
Not to judge, to accept it and not try to change it, to be tolerant of people who are different and treat them with respect.

7.) Is connecting and empathizing with people really a challenge for you, or is that a misunderstanding/ generalization?
I don't really connect to people and I often find it hard to understand people's feelings, actions, motivations and intentions. I find it hard to relate to experiences and feeling that are different to my own. I don't 'read' people well and don't pick up on their moods and body language. I don't know how to deal with other people's emotions, don't know what to do about them. Social communication is about an exchange of emotions, about nurturing and manipulating othe people's emotions, and I don't know how to do that. I communicate in words, not in emotions.

 

[Aru]

1.)Do you wish you were formally diagnosed as a young child?

-Absolutely, I grew up being bullied and called a brat because i refused to do certain things or acted strangely and eventually got clinical depression over the stress of thinking i was just a bad human and couldn't understand why i was a target for bullies, Finally getting the diagnoses changed my life and i didn't have to worry as much anymore and felt like an okay person again

2.)Do you think early “intervention” (therapy sessions that involve sensory intergration/ social skills/ play therapy) or access to services would of been greatly beneficial?

-No. I grew up with so so so so so so many different therapy things and although they were trying to help it had the opposite effect for me, They gave up and in the end i just got so low mooded over being constantly taken to a therapist to change things i didn't understand at all

3.) What are some things you wish your parents did for you as a child?

-Honestly nothing, I'm one of the few people that can say my parents did the most amazing job for me, They did try to get me help and although it didn't help me i really appreciate them for doing it, They've been nothing but supportive and understanding my whole life, Even to this day

4.) Do you require aids to sleep ?

-Yes i need something to help me sleep with medication because every little tiny sound i hear will keep me awake otherwise due to sensory hearing issues, It's like having superhearing - I can hear more than most others and notice more sounds but it makes sleeping a nightmare because even common sounds can be so loud

5.) What are some of your biggest struggles / what are some of your greatest strengths?

-My biggest struggle has and always has been loneliness, I'm an incredibly nice guy but i can't break out of my shell and be who i feel, So i end up being a boring normal guy and no one really likes that these days anymore so i just get ignored or talked to whenever someone realllly needs something, As for strengths i think it is literally that i am one of the nicest people you'll ever meet, I am always there for people whenever they need me and i'm amazing listener, Bad with advice but just great for when you need someone just to rant to

6.) What do you wish the world understood about your condition?

-This is hard, Even i don't fully understand myself a lot of the time, I just wish more people understood that being alone for so long this way will have a permanent effect on someone so making new friends and having trust issues are a constant battle as i'm really scared of everything

7.) Is connecting and empathizing with people really a challenge for you, or is that a misunderstanding/ generalization?

- Absolutely, both are a constant battle! If someone comes to me for advice i can never really understand why they think the way they do, so i resort to the most typical nice response i can because i simply don't understand but still want to be nice

 

[Nervous Rex]

Well, that's a whole lot of essay questions.

1.) Do you wish you were formally diagnosed as a young child?

With parents who had limited resources, living in a small town with limited resources, at a time when understanding of autism was limited to a few academics, there was zero chance of me being diagnosed as a child. I think I found out when I was ready to find out (a year ago, at age 49). I try not to spend too much time on what-ifs.

2.) Do you think early “intervention” (therapy sessions that involve sensory intergration/ social skills/ play therapy) or access to services would of been greatly beneficial?

Yes. I think some social intervention or tutoring would have helped a lot. Like, just having someone explain to me how society works and basic rules of how to get along with people. I had to derive these rules on my own.

3.) What are some things you wish your parents did for you as a child?

Listened when I told them I was being picked on or having trouble with other kids at school, instead of saying, "Just ignore them." Tried to understand my emotional outbursts and where they stemmed from. I grew up thinking I was "bad" because of them.

4.) Do you require aids to sleep?

No. I'm constantly exhausted. I require caffeine to stay awake. Bedtime is usually my favorite time of the day.

5.) What are some of your biggest struggles / what are some of your greatest strengths?

Biggest struggles: Stress. I feel like I always have a large list of things to do and worry about. I always worry about my performance at work.
Greatest strengths: I excel at quickly understanding the rules to any system (math, programming, language, games, patents, business policies, etc.) and at finding new variations in the application of those rules. Without trying, ways to game the system just pop in my head. Sometimes they're good and I look smart and get paid for it. Sometimes they're not and I have to resolve to never tell anyone.

6.) What do you wish the world understood about your condition?

That just because I look okay on the outside, I'm not necessarily okay on the inside.

That autism is not a personality - we're all different. You've met an autistic person before, but I'm not like them.

7.) Is connecting and empathizing with people really a challenge for you, or is that a misunderstanding/ generalization?

Empathizing is easy and often evokes overwhelming emotions. I get choked up when someone tells a personal story and during emotional points in a movie, book, or even a commercial. I could cry over the phone book.

Socially connecting is hard. If we have no interests in common, I don't know what to say.

Those are my answers. I'm curious about how you would answer your own questions, @Mommabear16.

 

[Nervous Rex]

They did everything they could for me, and that's all I need.

That makes me so happy to read!

 

[Pats]

Are you also on the spectrum? I know many on the spectrum are also ADHD, I'm not really sure how answering your specific questions can help. ADD can be treated with medications, while autism can not. Will answers from someone with autism help you understand your ADD? I just want you to get answers that will benefit you.

 

[Tom]

As a kid HFA wasn't really known. I didn't figure it out till my late 30's. Personally I am divided on whether it would have been better to have known or not. The self knowledge would have been useful but a diagnosis would have prevented me from going into the career I wanted. As it was, for most of my life I just considered myself 'different' but not in a bad way and made my way as best I could.

 

[Weezer]

I understand an early diagnosis can lead to a more positive prognosis. I have read many books in recent weeks and all have stated that diagnosis as a child leads to an adult that better copes. So yes, I do wish I had been diagnosed as a child. Things may be very different now had I had all these years knowing what was different. Employment most certainly would have been better as I would have furthered my education based on my strengths.