How did you play as a child?

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I played normally , playing house and school, playing with dolls ect. - with dolls sometimes I acted out what happened to me that day on the school yard or real life scenarios- and ones from the books I read but I know I also made up my own scenarios - after a certain point I spend almost all day every day playing my own imaginative games in my head , pretending to be different characters many from books.

I couldn't play the imaginative games with other kids though......I only had a couple occasions to try and I was kicked out of the game because I couldn't think of anything to happen next ...I could do it on my own but not with others using their scenarios or because I wanted to be a character that didn't fit their game ect. I could play with my little sister but she was who I wanted her to be in my scenario. So basically I was a control freak.....

I also played abnormally-I lined up old medicine bottles and cups, I put my collection of stuffed animal monkeys in a circle and sat in the middle of the circle (that's the only way I played with that collection) and I took off barbies' arms and legs and head and tried to take apart the bodies to see what was inside but couldn't. I stayed splayed out on my blue bedspread for hours pretending to be an octopus in the ocean.

As a small child I spend hours counting by different numbers and I would walk in circles reciting stories I listened to on tape or that my mom read to me. Apparently I had memorized several stories that I listened to. I spent a lot of time listening to story tapes and when I was older reading.

Pacing around my house in my own little word. No different from now really.

That is fantastic. My oldest son spend quite some time worming around pretending to be a protowhale (I think he was almost three at the time)

This sounds a lot like how I used to be as a kid. I had created my own imaginary modern-day metropolitan area; I mapped it out, devised public transit systems, made up sports teams, you name it. I did take part in imaginative play with other kids at school and such, though, but I found ways to integrate it all into my world.

Also, I was never big on unrealistic fantasy worlds and such. The Lego castle set I had? I didn't use it as a medeval castle; I used it as something of a tourist destination within a modern-day city.

Actually I was 7 and 8 when I did this. I had just done my first "project" on the octopus in grade 2 and became obsessed w pretending to be one.

I did pretend play with other children but always found it difficult because things always had to go my way. I also pararol (sp) played so it wasn't hard then. So just as long as I had control of the situation and everyone was doing it my way, I had no problem. Hard for me to say yes or no to this because it was both.

I liked things I could put together like Legos. I usually dressed my dolls and arranged them and my other toys by size, color, design, etc. In kindergarten, we had these toys, like yellow octagons, red squares, green triangles, and I used to arrange them around one another to make flowers. I also arranged my tea sets, and I loved to arrange my brother's matchbox cars by size.

Some of my favorite toys were old tools and mechanical parts. One thing I had was an old lawn mower engine that my dad cleaned up so I could take it apart and put it back together on the livingroom floor. I could spend several hours a day dismantling and reassembling that old engine!

I played with dolls and a doll house and other things. Usually, the voices if they were talking were in my head. One time, my mom got me a huge airplane. It can open inside and I stuffed all my toys and carried the plane around the house like as it was flying. It also had this speaking thing where it altered your voice which I loved. I read books over and over again. I thought legos and building blocks were cool too.

Playing with other children in the other hand, I was awful in that. I wanted to be alone and most people hogged the toys which I was like whatever, reading books is better. I tried when I was younger to play some games. Some went okayish, but most were boring to me.

I liked things like Legos & Lincoln Logs, where you could build structures with them. Also, dinosaur figures, models, etc. OF COURSE!
I did have some hot wheels, etc. One thing I did much like was humanoid figures or dolls. Did not imagine people AT ALL in the things I built. I also had a Microscope, & various science sets. Liked models & building them, except complicated ones, because I could not follow idealized linear instructions (its still hard! Damn it all!).

Sincerely,
Matthew
PS.
I also had a shell collection, a rock & mineral collection, a small fossil collection, & an insect collection.

I played with Lego's, Lincoln Logs (The ones made out of wood), Toy blocks, and the wheels of toy cars.

I played with legos, but never really imagined as they were HP legos so I just built what was on the box. I played with barbies when I was younger than 6, I usually played that with my sister. Then I would play outside, riding my bike and rolling down hills, sometimes going on the swing. In regards to house play, other than the legos and barbies, I would play board games by myself (which I explained to my therapist, she seemed puzzled on how you could be subjective doing that) and I would put together puzzles, particularly 3D puzzles.

Playing with other kids, I did play neighborhood street hockey (all the kids played it even those with special needs). I didn't wear skates though, didn't have the balance, still don't. And I did play tag, capture the flag, and hide and seek.

After I turned 11 I rarely left the house, I stuck to my computer games, video games, and board games.

I had massive battles with my brothers, using action figures, etc. I wanted to be a Marine and that was the only way I could be as a child. This was of course before I was diagnosed and found out I will never be a Marine after all.

I grew up way out in the boonies. I sat in a ditch for hours, banging rocks into powder, because I somehow got the impression I could make gunpowder this way. I dug a little hole and dumped all my Mom's spices in it, still thinking I could make a BOOM! I make a bug zoo and a bug hospital to nurse all the maimed mosquitoes I squished (match boxes and kleenex make great beds). I dug for treasure. I was sure I would find a chest full of fancy dresses and jewelry. The chest would be lined with 1700's style paper. I dug a trench across the road to make cars slow down so I could better shoot them with my home made bow and arrow. I filled my Dad's wooden tool box with mice I caught from a field (I would stand and wait by their holes) and I was bewildered when they were all gone the next morning - they chewed their way out. Dad was not impressed. I don't know. I had barbies but I cut their hair and I and I really didn't like 'girly' play. They infiltrated my brother's GI Joe unit. I also dreamed I would have a famous 'girl rock band' and I wanted to sew some lederhosen looking outfits that I saw in a very outdated book, even though I couldn't sew. I think it was when I tried to emulate this look once I started grade 8 that I really started getting beat up. I wrapped a belt around my head like a head band and then continued around my neck like a scarf. It was satin and blue. Is this 'normal'?

I used to have a Barbie and a big case full of clothes and shoes for the doll. I never put them on the doll, I just loved to collect them.