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woodsman25
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19 Sep 2007, 12:34 pm

Ok, not sure if their were prior posts concerning this, but I recently got back from a trip to my old neghborhood where I lived when I was little. Their were many ppl who even after 16 years recognized me, and told me some pretty bizzar stories about me, stuff i do not recollect. Apparently they said I was very talkative, active and friendly, at least when little. Im sure they noticed now as an adult im a bit more reserved, quiet. Then I saw this video of me when I was 4 in the summer of 1987, it was a back yard party at my parents house and indeed, I was extreamly active. I did not play with the other children tho oddly enough, I was all about socializing with the grownups. They must have thought I was weird cause during the movie I was the loudest one, and yet the smallest, and was running around wildly in all directons, whoever was running the camera kept aim at me while I was running around talking and singing into an invisible microphone, then I would come and make my rounds with the adults...

Anyone have a similar story?


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DX'ed with HFA as a child. However this was in 1987 and I am certain had I been DX'ed a few years later I would have been DX'ed with AS instead.


siuan
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19 Sep 2007, 3:25 pm

Extremely so. My father did note, however, that I socialized much more comfortably with older adults. The elderly were fascinated with a child who possessed such an extended vocabulary. The other children found me odd, for the most part, as I tended to behave in a more "directive" way with them. I did not see myself as one of them, I saw myself as a little adult.

These days I can be quite talkative, if I know you well - or if I simply don't care what you think of me. For the most part, I struggle with even the smallest of exchanges though, unless my role is clearly defined and the situation doesn't stray from that definition. I can converse with a cashier about how she is being overworked. I can discuss my child's health with a practitioner. I can give oral presentations with no problem, mostly because I don't see people as people...I see them as something on the chairs. But if someone randomly approaches me and starts discussing my hair, mostly I just do an internal freak out because I have NO idea how to respond to small talk.


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edal
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19 Sep 2007, 3:33 pm

In my very early years I seem to remember that I was OK. I had a number of friends and each year there were ten or so that came to my birthday party. I was a member of a couple of 'gangs' and I'm pretty sure that I spent most of my time with them.

Things only started to fall apart when I was removed from one school aged about eight because my father didn't think it was good enough, then we moved about fifty miles to a new city when I was ten. After losing two sets of friends one after the other I never recovered and the rest of my schooldays were spent on my own (mostly in the library).

Ed Almos



pluto
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19 Sep 2007, 5:25 pm

I had a similar experience,Ed.Until I was around 8 I remember belonging
to a group of kids who played football and went around together.I never really
felt different to them.Then my parents moved to another part of town and I
lost touch with friends.That's when I think my AS was 'triggered' because by the
time I attended high school I felt completely isolated from the world and realised
there was a change in the way my thoughts were working.


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TheBladeRoden
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19 Sep 2007, 5:34 pm

I sometimes color myself surprised when my parents remind me about how candid and spontaneous I was back in the day.


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Raptor
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19 Sep 2007, 6:13 pm

I've been told that I used to love to watch the evening news when I was a little kid. That was before I can remember but it seems unusual. I do remember playing with other kids my age but I liked the company of adults better. I was more open with them and liked to discus topics that were more on their level. Relating to other kids could be hard at times. It would frustrate the hell out of my folks. There was even a period when I was afraid to go to other peoples houses who had kids even if I knew them. I'd have a meltdown if I had to do that. I pretty much got over that eventually. I'd even get very nervous about having people with kids come visit our house, too. Even worse if I didnt know them. In time I'd get to where I'd paly with them but it was very awkward for a while.
What what killed me is the moving thing like some others here have mentioned. We moved A LOT and for no apparent reason that I can see. The old man was obsessed with switching houses. Still is! These were mostly moves within a 15 mile or less radius but when you're a kid and the moves are beyond bicycle range that kills your social world with keeping neighborhood kids as friends. Having AS makes it 10 times worse because it's a lot harder to develop friendships. :(



pluto
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19 Sep 2007, 6:26 pm

Raptor wrote:
I've been told that I used to love to watch the evening news when I was a little kid. (


I did that as well.I think it contributed to how my AS developed because
watching the news gave me a false impression of how people interacted.
After watching newsreaders being serious and polite,I got confused when
people in the real world swore and made fun of each other.


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Ana54
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19 Sep 2007, 6:32 pm

I was really sociable, outgoing and friendly when I was little. When I started grade 7, that's when I got really really self conscious. People didn't pick on me when I was little when I was just myself, only when I was shy and they knew I was self-conscious.



Brian003
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19 Sep 2007, 6:34 pm

When I was little, I was extremely sociable and extroverted.

In 1st-5th grade I was in the popular squad with the kids.

In middle school I was also with the popular squad until everyone started doing drugs.

My twin brother and I started hanging out with the less popular people and found out that we actually like them much better.

8 years later or so I am what I am now.



username88
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19 Sep 2007, 6:35 pm

I always strayed from other people since day one. I was extremely shy. Im not so shy anymore depending on the situation, and who Im confronting. If Im comfortable with the person then usually Im alright.



Age1600
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19 Sep 2007, 6:45 pm

username88 wrote:
I always strayed from other people since day one. I was extremely shy. Im not so shy anymore depending on the situation, and who Im confronting. If Im comfortable with the person then usually Im alright.


Yea I was never social when I was a kid, I hated people, and rather be alone. I didn't start becoming social until maybe I was 17 or 18. I didn't care for kids or adults growing either. I was the most unfriendliest child you would ever want to meet. Its funny how opposite I was growing up, I would defintely say HFA fit me well. Now people can't even tell I'm autistic sometimes, because I'm so socialable.


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username88
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19 Sep 2007, 6:48 pm

Hey my brothers an aspie and he lives in New Jersey, I think hed like someone like you lol.. Well maybe anyway, and Im pretty sure your taken anyway lol but Im just throwing it out there.
His names Johnnie, and hes 18.
Oh, and hes from Freehold. :wink:



pluto
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19 Sep 2007, 6:59 pm

Age1600 wrote:
..because I'm so socialable.


I can be shoowshalabubble ash well,'speshlly after a wee drink or two :)


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Triangular_Trees
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19 Sep 2007, 7:07 pm

I loved to talk when I was little it was my favorite thing. But my family's reactions quickly taught me it was best to never even begin to speak to anyone



9CatMom
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19 Sep 2007, 7:11 pm

People told me I was very social and outgoing when I was little.



frankwah
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19 Sep 2007, 7:36 pm

I think I've always been somewhat autistic. But yes, I was much more active and talkative when I was younger. I mainly became my regular aspie self when I hit puberty. That was the impetus. I quickly lost what interpersonal skills I had and I became withdrawn. I would still fake being a normal person and I was good at it somewhat. But the people I was with, I couldn't hide anything from. I was always that guy who just happened to be there. I'm glad I'm done with that BS.

But yes, back when I was a child, social situations weren't very complex and not much was demanded from me. Not from parents or peers, so it was easy to squeak by undetected. As a result I didn't know there was anything wrong with me. I was loud, outgoing and talkative, because there's hardly any such thing as inappropriate when you're a child. You just roam around the house and explore the holes in the walls, all the interesting things about the rooms and your toys, completely carefree and without reservations.

Looking back, I'm not so sure that I became autistic when I hit puberty, although that's not completely out of the question. Heritability of physical, as well as personality traits increase with age. Perhaps as the world came to demand more from me, the robes were taken off my aspieness.