Questions About Being An Only Child

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When you were growing up, did people ever ask you if you were an only child?

I am an only child, but was never really asked about it.

I don't remember being asked directly if I was an only child that much unless I talked about doing stuff with parents or my cousins then that would make people think I was only child. Which I was. Well kinda. I had a twin who was stillborn, so I grew up an only child.

More often people ask how many brothers and sisters do you have? Which I hate being asked because its yet another reminder of how alone and lonely I am.

I am an only child, but can't recall being asked if I was one. I know that my mother was always asked if I had any siblings. But I was not asked that I can remember.

I was an only child for 20 months.

I guess I am the same! I am an only child, but don't recall if anyone ever asked me in that way. They HAVE asked if I had any brothers or sisters.

I was and have always been an only child so this topic/question has never been approached with me.

I am an only child (I have several half-brothers and sisters but I have never even met them) and I can elicit from memory few situations when I was asked if I was an only child. If I had siblings I'd have much less aspie traits in my personality for sure because I'd have to spend more time with my peers and my mother wouldn't be so overprotective because she'd have more children to take care of.

Yeah, I always felt the same. I always rationalized my emotional and social development with the belief that it was due to lack of total exposure to other people, and a neurotic mother, I know that is DEFINITELY part of the problem, but the similarities here show that it is clearly not the only part.

I was always SURE that all my quirks had their source in lack of exposure to my peers and the fact I got used to adults when I was little. Now I think that whereas it could exacerbate my social problems, a reason was somewhere else. Few years ago I'd never believed in this and if I saw a psychologist who'd inform me about my AS, I'd probably think that that guy must be not less mad than a hatter from a popular proverb because I couldn't have anything in common with autistic people after all . I didn't need to be taken care of all the time and wear diapers It was quite a difficult thing for me to get rid of this popular image of a person suffering from LFA which was in my head.

Last edited by Irulan on 30 Sep 2007, 9:35 am, edited 1 time in total.

Never. They knew I had a sister.

Same here! I remember once reading the definition of Autism, and thinking that was me until I got to the part about IQ. Still, a LOT of stereotypical autistic behaviour is contrary to anything I would do. I don't scream/yell/make odd sounds/have unjust demands(Though some would debate that last one). I don't have temper tantrums.(Though I guess a few might debate that as well, although it certainly isn't the typical autistic way, etc...) Heck, I try to act pretty normal. Compared to most normal boys in most of my schools THEY seemed autistic! Rowdy, relatively dumb, and giving into peer pressure and things like smoking. I wasn't like that at all.

BTW Interesting! "Mad as a hatter" comes from hatters becoming mad because of exposure to mercury compounds used to treat some felts! So HEY, we have a reference to mercury and cognition in an autistic forum which isn't a non-sequitor!! !!

I have also been asked if I had brothers and sisters as well.

I didn't know more about autism than queen Victoria could know about mobile phones until four years ago when I got an access to the Internet. I didn't know too much about behaviour characteristic for people with ASD with an exception of rocking and playing with small items which I had seen in many films . Even if I had in my class someone behaving strangely then, I'd never think such a person could be on autistic spectrum because I was sure that all people on the spectrum are characterized by mental handicap and can learn only in schools for kids with mental disabilities. Even now, knowing more, I think I have never met somebody autistic in my school - they all, kids from my class were so neurotypical, more or less.

I feel the same way. My mom definitely kept me socially isolated mostly because of her own mental issues and she did not interact much with me. So honestly its no surprise I don't use appropriate facial expressions and have trouble talking with people. I never was around people much till I went to school and then other kids ignored me because I acted so weird. Once I was in school I still was not allowed to socialize. My mom instructed me not to speak to other kids at school. After the school day was over I had to go home and be locked up in my bedroom. I was told to shut up and not make noise, was not allowed to call friends, not allowed to go to movies or out for pizza or birthday party with other kids. You know just normal stuff. Oh and not allowed to participate in sports because mom thought it was un-ladylike.

It makes me wonder if I had been given up for adoption to a normal, mentally healthy mom would I have turned out not to have Aspergers? Could any part of AS be about the way we are nurtured?

My brother came along when I was six and we are very different but I am not sure I was much of an only child before he came along. I was more of a nonchild and suddenly there was another nonchild in terms of maternal interest in the house who was and is far more vulnerable than I have been. He did introduce me to "low culture" interests like Robocop and comic books. I took him to things when he was little because no one ever took me so I know about comic cons, action movies, warcraft and Heroes when I would have otherwise ignored many aspects of pop culture.

No one has ever asked me if I am an only child and knowing I have a sibling hasn't made anyone curious about him. People who talk to me just talk to me and it has always been this way.