Is this really an Aspie trait?

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On Samantha Craft's checklist for autism spectrum disorder in girls, it says that people with autism may be uncomfortable in public locker rooms, bathrooms, and/or dressing rooms. What do you guys think of this trait? Do you think that it could possibly be a trait of ASD, or is it just a normal person thing? I'm just asking because I'm curious as to whether this could maybe be something that I could get supports in place for or just explain myself better to people around me when I say I can't use a locker room (not to use ASD as a crutch, just to not feel as weird and bad myself). I couldn't use a bathroom in public until I was around 6-8 at school. I rarely use public bathrooms now as well. Like I said, I'm just wondering as to whether anyone else has a problem with this, and if so, do you think it's really related to ASD?


Link to checklist (in section F): https://everydayaspie.wordpress.com/201 ... tha-craft/

It can be related to ASD in that locker rooms and restrooms can be unpleasant due to odor and noise and being in a confined area with too many people.

I don't know if it's directly related to autism or not, but I never used a public restroom once the entire 12 years of public school, and still don't use them to this day. I won't even go in someone else's home. Or in a plane, or on a train, Sam-I-Am. One of several reasons why I don't travel.

Imagine my agony in high school, when I took all the trimesters of PE I had to have, to satisfy the grade requirements, only to move to a new school district which required it all year, every year.

It wasn't just having to dress and shower in a roomful of people, it was the noise and the incoherent social interaction of both a kinetic game which made no sense and had no ultimate purpose, and attempting to process the demands and expectations of pituitary neanderthals who ridiculed and pummeled you for not reading their minds and knowing exactly where to be and what to do at all times.

It would have been better for everyone if the autistic kids were put in a room full of free weights and allowed to quietly work out alone, than to force them to interact with idiot bully jocks.

Up until very recently, I never used a public restroom unless it was an absolute emergency. I would let myself get to levels of extreme discomfort before I finally gave in and I really can't remember ever using the bathroom at school.

My issue with locker rooms wasn't really ASD related, but I had major issues with it because I had to start wearing a bra in order to change in front of other girls. I couldn't stand the sensation of wearing one and I still can't to this day so I remember absolutely hating gym class and locker rooms for this reason. And even with that, I used to find a corner and awkwardly change shirts in a hurried panic in such a way that nothing was ever visible and which caused me to rip more than one shirt.

[/quote]It's not really something that should be listed as a trait of autism per se.[/quote]

Yeah. Half the population fits some of the traits I read about.

It looks to me like it's just a list of traits she has within herself and is attributing all of them to autism regardless of if they are related or not. Lots of people don't like locker rooms at gym\school, or public restrooms etc. It's just a normal thing that lots of people experience.

I am still unsure if this is an aspie trait or not but I'm an aspie and I hate public toilets and changing areas like at the gym, don't like the smells and thought of other guys seeing me naked. At school I was made to get changed in the disabled changing area as I was bullied in the normal one

Well, as you said, nothing is a compulsory trait. I don't know many ASD people in real-life so not sure how many have this. But I certainly do. I hate malls, will go out of my way to avoid them. I disliked public changing rooms immensely, especially the thought of other people seeing me naked. It used to freak me out from aged 9, when I first became aware, and I mean it MAJORLY freaked me. I spent the next 10 or so year getting changed in the bathroom stalls. Puberty hit me harder than most, as an understatement. Strangely enough over the past couple of years this hasn't really been a big deal to me. I still hate malls, but I'll get changed in public rooms. I had some real life repeated exposure, I think that's why. I still prefer behind closed doors, and I'm terrified of people climbing over walls to look at me (this actually happened once, that's probably why). I also had a phase where I still would use a public toilet if I had to but it freaked me out because off the stuff I thought I could catch in there. As you can see, I get quite obsessive fears which won't go away. I'm over the toilet thing for now, though I'm still more careful than most people when I use it.

I have no idea if it's related to my autism or not, but I hate having to change or go to the bathroom with other people around. It's not so much due to sensory issues regarding the places (though that is a problem if the toilet flush or hand dryers are especially loud - I won't use hand dryers at all due to the noise and the feel, I'll dry my hands on my pants instead if nothing else is available), but because I'm extremely modest and self-conscious. I didn't enjoy changing into a PE uniform in a locker room, but I could handle it, since I could keep my underwear on. A swimsuit, however, and I'd have to use one of the bathroom stalls to change. Nowadays I won't change in front of others even if I can keep my underwear on, but that's mostly because I have self-harm scars I'd rather not have people noticing. I have trouble relaxing enough to be able to go to the bathroom if I think anyone else might hear me, even if I only have to pee. Again, I don't know if these things are due to autism, social anxiety, or just the way I am.