As long as I have been here very successful people saying they are autistic are doubted in part because “something would have been picked up”. Here on WP younger members often implied older members are not autistic for that reason. That was very much resented.
How Bill Gates knew he was different
Quote:
Bill Gates knew he was different. So did his parents. So did his teachers. Had he been growing up today, he says he likely would have been diagnosed as autistic. "Well, when I'm concentrating now, I'll actually sometimes start rocking, which bothers people without my even, you know, sort of being aware of it. I haven't even outgrown that type of behavior. It's a habit. I mean, [my parents] did put me on a rocking horse to help me go to sleep, they put me in a cradle. So, it's definitely their fault!"
Whether he is or isn't on the spectrum matters little, he says: "I mean, even today there's not, like, some magic medicine that gets rid of the bad part and lets you keep the good part."
He writes that his parents took him to therapy, sent him to private school, and tried to unglue him from his books by getting him into sports, like skiing and even football. "I was forced to," Gates said. "There were three teams. There was the varsity, the JV, and then even below JV. And so, we were the lowest tier. And amongst that third tier, I was semi-decent! But that's all that can be said."
Something was picked up.
Personal Note:His childhood history has similarities to mine. After 2nd grade my public school told my parents there is nothing we can do for him either home school him or send him to a private school. I believe they were not advised to institutionalize me because my parents were teachers. My mom found a private school. I did see a psychologist. What if anything she diagnosed me with has been lost to history. If it was autism I wonder if my mom was not told because of the stigma surrounding “refrigerator mothers.” No way to find out, notes and records from 60 years ago are probably long gone. My mom did try and socialize me not with sports so much as a klutzy kid who was the shortest kid in class it was obvious that it was a bad idea.
The much smaller classes were a big help. The insurance ran out, my public school took me back for 5th grade. It was too soon, not fun but obviously I survived.
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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
29 Jan 2025, 7:58 am
