Traits, Habits and Querks

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One thing that seems to be in common with alot of people with AS or autism is the little habits that most people have that make sense to us but not anyone else. For instance, my brother who is also autistic collects VHS tapes and will rewind 2 hours worth of footage just the see the production logo at the end of the tape. My habit at the moment is on my laptop, i have quite a huge music collection, i have spent the past 2 days and putting over 6000 song files not only in the write order, but making sure each file name and folder is written using capitals

For example: Walking on the Sun, i would rewrite it Walking On The Sun otherwise i wont listen to it

This habits can be so small but as you probably know, theres hell to pay if anyone gets in then way of you accomplising your little task

So I'm asking what are peoples traits, querks, rituals whatever that make complate sense to you but no one else

I title my songs like that too.

My morning ritual goes like this: Wake up > Get up > toilet > eat breakfast > brush teeth >shower > dry hair > turn off shower fan > straighten hair. The same order every day.
Then before dinner it's: bring in washing > feed cat inside > feed dog outside > let cat out the back door and dogs comes in > cook food > eat dinner at 6pm.
All my meals and snacks are at the same time everyday, or close to.

I must have dishes rinsed and stacked next to the sink (not in) when I wash them up. I absolutely hate a messy sink and dishes that haven't been rinsed.

I've noticed that I don't put out dirty laundry like other people. I've noticed people have a basket or spot in their room for dirty clothes. Because I don't do much my clothes don't get that dirty, so I only end up washing a few clothes a week.

When I go to bed: Get changed> shut down computer > turn on lamp > turn off bedroom light > get in bed (think for a few hours) > turn off lamp.

Ditto for messing around with songs on iTunes (not currently though... music isn't on computer. It's why I got/get so PO'd since my computer crashed; had to get and rearrange my music again.... and then... computer crashed again! *Insane laughter*).

Shower routine:
Go in shower, shampoo hair, shave armpits, rinse hair and pits, shampoo hair, wash top part of body and face, rinse hair and face and upper body, wash lower body, rinse, done. Any change in that results in me standing in there pretty much going durrrrr.. just standing there, confused, it happened yesterday, wasted ten minutes or so that way, heh.

Computer routine:
not much, but must check my email first thing, or I get uber confused.

I can't have other people's dishes/garbage on the computer desk while I'm online; drives me bugsh**. My own is fine most of the time, but not anyone else's.

Brushing hair:
Always right side brushed first, then left, then back. Then check to make sure it's smooth and such, brush out any messed up parts, check again, ect, until done.

Other things I'm sure, just can't think of them off the top of my head.

Hrm, let's see..

Shower routine:
Before I get out of the shower I must always turn the water colder two or more times until it's unbearingly cold and then I get out. This was initially so I didn't feel so cold when I got out of the shower, but has now become an important routine.

Night routine:
I get into my pajamas
Then I set my alarm
Then I turn on my bedside light
Then I turn my CD player on (always the same CD otherwise I can't sleep)
Then I brush my teeth (small headed brush then normal brush then bottle brush then mouthwash then finally I put a new elastic band into my braces)
I must have finished brushing my teeth so that I can pause the CD track at an EXACT point on the second track of the CD. (To be precise I have to stop just after a particular 'd' so it sounds like "I d-" and it has to be the second "I don't know" in the second line of "I don't know"s in the second verse of "I don't know"s on the second track, if that makes sense)
Then I turn my main light off
Then I get into bed
Then I go through a specific and repeated thought process
Then I turn off my bedside light
Then I turn my bedside light back on immediately
Then I un-pause my CD player
Then I make sure the CD volume is just right
Then I turn my bedside light off
Then I attempt to sleep for hours on end

I have many more routines but these are the ones that 'spring' to mind.
If my routine goes wrong or I am unable to perform it I get very stressed.

Weekend routine:

Get up at 7:19.

Go down stairs.

Go on computer.

Stay on until 10:30, 11:30 or 9:30.


School morning routine:

Get up at 6:30.

Get dressed before 6:40.

Eat breakfast before 7:00.

Chill out on couch until 7:05.

Rush upstairs, brush my teeth by 7:10

Rush downstairs, stuff my back-pack with gym clothes and lunch,
and pet the cat , this has to be done by 7:15.

Go back to couch with deodorant, do 8 swipes on each armpit,
talk to my mother, and psyche myself up for school all at once.

This must be done by 7:25.
Than I put on my coat, my shoes, and what ever else I need.
I don't put on my mittens or hat until right before I have to leave,
which is at 7:35-7:40 dependent on how much stuff I have to put on and the weather.
Then I must be at school before eight.

When walking to school, if I come to the traffic light and it's still green,
I will rush to get there before it turns red. If it's already red,
or if I'm to far away to get to it I'll slow down until it turns green,
then I'll rush to get at it before it turns red.This is to avoid any awkward moments with
the drivers in their cars staring at me waiting for me to JUST GO!

I must be at school before certain cars drive away or arrive at the nearby houses,
or else I'll know it's too late and all is lost.
Don't ask me what happens then, I've never been late yet.

Shower:

Put on acne wash.
Scrub scrub scrub scrub scrub, rinse.

Squeeze shampoo out of container,
drain the excess out of hand.
Scrub Scrub Scrub Scrub,rinse.

Do the same for conditioner, only rock back and forth with it
for a specific amount of time. I don't know how long this time is,
I only know that it's less then ten minutes and when I've gone over it.


There are a bunch of others, but I've already wasted a lot of post space.

I just do things when I feel like them but I make sure that I never compromise my hygiene or nutrition.

Every night, before I go to bed, I have a cup of Twinings tea- (usually Earl Grey Green tea), and I either watch a dvd, or I watch something shorter on dvd if it´s late, like an episode of South Park. This, I think, was an important "winding down" ritual at the end of the day, which makes sense. The thing is, I´ll do this ritual NO MATTER WHAT; if I get home late and it´s 5:00 in the morning and I can barely keep my eyes open, I´ll have that tea and watch that dvd. I´ve been known to spend 4 hours watching a 2 hour movie, because I keep falling asleep and then I have to rewind it and watch what I miss...but by God, I´m gonna finish it!

Another funny quirk I have is that after writing an e-mail or a post like this, I have to always click the mouse at the very end of the last word, so the little vertical line that flashes on and off appears at the end. So if I corrected something in my e-mail, or had the mouse somewhere else, I always have to click it again at the end. I think this has something to do with aesthetics.

One of the odder things I do is lay towels out on countertops as mats for noise absorption of setting objects on the counter... like, dish towels on the kitchen counter to put cups/dishes/etc on, hand towels in the bathroom to put stuff on, and so on... (lol, I just looked down and realized I have a dish towel in front of my computer with my drink cups on it)...

Purpose being to mute the "bangy, clicky" sounds of setting stuff on countertops. If I could, I would mute all annoying (to me) noise in my environment. I wear ear plugs a lot.

I can't stand it if there are dishes in the sink. No particular reason other than "it bothers me". I can't cook diner until the sink is cleaned out and the kitchen is in order. I get sidetracked and confused if I don't have the room "prepared".

I do like my "hobbies/obsessions". I spend a lot of time researching information. I do internet research as well as book research on various topics of interest. I store everything in files on my computer. I, like the original poster, have to go through and organize and categorize and systemize everything. I don't really think that it is an OCD thing, either. It is pleasurable. Sometimes I find "unfinished business" that needs further research. Sometimes I "revive" a topic because I was browsing my "collections". I am definately NOT afraid to delete something if it is irrelevant or outdated. I really enjoying thinking about and looking through my collection of informaiton! I engage in this activity daily.

So far as "routines" go....

I try really hard to be neat and organized. I find that it comes and goes in waves that are centered around my "obsessive sessions". When I am able to have a clear head that is free from a particular interest/obsession.... I will go through the house cleaning until the place shines like a new car. When I am in the midst of an obsession with a topic.... no one in the house has any clean underpants, there could be science projects "growing" in the fridge, I might realize that I haven't had a bath for a few days..... stuff like that. There is a definate ebb and flow to it. Somehow everything gets done, however. My obsessive "sessions" tend to not last more than a few days at a time. THANK GOODNESS!

i usually get up and make coffee, flip on the television or get online. fire agates also pretty much keep me bussy as im always looking at them. go to bed when eva

I have my morning routine when I wake up and I have to have music when I walk to work or my whole day is thrown off. If my battery is dead I'll get very annoyed. I also have to have music and things organized just right. It really bothers me that I can't organize my songs the way I like because of the way my mp3 player is designed. It results in me not listening to a lot of my music...even songs I like just because they're not in the right group. I do that with my video games as well (organizing items on a menu, ect.) Also, I just noticed that I've re-written this paragraph a lot to get the wording and grammar of it "just right". I do that with text messages too. I can't just reply quickly, I have to re-write it several times. I have a winding down routine when I get home that involves video games or my laptop. I can never just get home and go to bed, even if it's late and I'm tired already.

I've eaten the same thing for breakfast almost every morning for the last 20 years or so: a grilled cheese sandwich. Normally when I wake up I'll head straight to the shower if possible, and it's annoying to me if someone's in the bathroom. Then normally I'll drink 1 or 2 cups of black coffee and make my breakfast.

When I get ready to go out, I'll put on my belt. Cellphone goes on the right. Leatherman, if I wear it, goes on the left, sheathed a particular way for quick blade access in an emergency (what can I say? I believe in being prepared). Wallet goes in front left pocket, sunglasses case in front right. Keys vary depending on which hand they're in when I stuff them into my pockets, although lately I've tried to put them in my left pocket so they don't tear up my sunglasses case. I don't put anything in my back pockets. Can't stand sitting on stuff.

Other than that, I'm not really much for rituals. I do certain things in certain ways, although I can almost always explain the reasons for them.

I can relate a lot to this thread.

I have to check my e-mail before I do anything else online. I usually eat the same peanut butter on toast every morning with coffee. If I don't have coffee I feel like I can't get anything done, like cleaning my room.
I hate when I forget to recharge my ipod.
Right now I have this strong desire to read.
When people used my computer and had tea or would eat while on it I'd get mad, though I'd do the same thing myself.