Atypical autism, probably. You're autistic, but--like about 60% of the people on the spectrum--you don't fit into a specific category. It's not exactly surprising, considering that autistic people are so diverse--not only are we different from typical folks; we are very different from each other, too.
That diversity can be either annoying or reassuring. On one hand, you have to learn about yourself on your own because your diagnosis can't, and never will, tell you all about yourself. On the other hand, it means that your diagnosis doesn't define who you are, and never can. You are who you are; you just happen to be autistic.
Sensory integration disorder is so common on the spectrum that I'd be surprised to meet an autistic person who doesn't have it to some degree. What it means is that your brain is not too good at processing incoming information from your senses; you can be hypersensitive, or you can be hyposensitive; or both at the same time. This doesn't just apply the usual smell/taste/touch/sight/hearing, but other sensory functions, such as balance, pain, and the systems that give you feedback from your bones and muscles about movement and body position. This can cause all kinds of problems, from being unaware of injury to being utterly nauseated by a smell that nobody else notices, to being light-sensitive and having to wear sunglasses, to being sensitive to certain textures or patterns... There are work-arounds to most sensory integration problems, though.
Last edited by Callista on 29 Dec 2009, 9:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
29 Dec 2009, 9:35 pm
