List of Symptoms for High-Functioning Autism
"Is there a list of symptoms or traits associated with high functioning autism in children? We currently have suspicions that our 6 y.o. son may be on the autism spectrum and are wondering if we should take the next step and have him assessed."
Below is a list of common traits among children and teens with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's. However, no child will exhibit all of these traits. Also, the degree (i.e., mild to severe) to which any particular trait is experienced will vary from child to child. Emotions and Sensitivities:
- An emotional incident can determine the mood for the day.
- Becomes overwhelmed with too much verbal direction.
- Calmed by external stimulation (e.g., soothing sound, brushing, rotating object, constant pressure).
- Desires comfort items (e.g., blankets, teddy, rock, string).
- Difficulty with loud or sudden sounds.
- Emotions can pass very suddenly or are drawn out for a long period of time.
- Inappropriate touching of self in public situations.
- Intolerance to certain food textures, colors or the way they are presented on the plate (e.g., one food can’t touch another).
- Laughs, cries or throws a tantrum for no apparent reason.
- May need to be left alone to release tension and frustration.
- Resists change in the environment (e.g., people, places, objects).
- Sensitivity or lack of sensitivity to sounds, textures, tastes, smells or light.
- Tends to either tune out or break down when being reprimanded.
- Unusually high or low pain tolerance.
==> Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism: Comprehensive Handbook
School-Related Skills:
- Difficulty transitioning from one activity to another in school.
- Difficulty with fine motor activities (e.g., coloring, printing, using scissors, gluing).
- Difficulty with reading comprehension (e.g., can quote an answer, but unable to predict, summarize or find symbolism).
- Excellent rote memory in some areas.
- Exceptionally high skills in some areas and very low in others.
- Resistance or inability to follow directions.
- Short attention span for most lessons.
Health and Movement:
- Allergies and food sensitivities.
- Apparent lack of concern for personal hygiene (e.g., hair, teeth, body odor).
- Appearance of hearing problems, but hearing has been checked and is fine.
- Constipation.
- Difficulty changing from one floor surface to another (e.g., carpet to wood, sidewalk to grass).
- Difficulty moving through a space (e.g., bumps into objects or people).
- Frequent gas, burping or throwing up.
- Incontinence of bowel and/or bladder.
- Irregular sleep patterns.
- Odd or unnatural posture (e.g., rigid or floppy).
- Seizure activity.
- Unusual gait.
- Walks on toes.
- Walks without swinging arms freely.
Social Skills:
- Aversion to answering questions about themselves.
- Difficulty maintaining friendships.
- Difficulty reading facial expressions and body language.
- Difficulty understanding group interactions.
- Difficulty understanding jokes, figures of speech or sarcasm.
- Difficulty understanding the rules of conversation.
- Does not generally share observations or experiences with others.
- Finds it easier to socialize with people that are older or younger, rather than peers of their own age.
- Gives spontaneous comments which seem to have no connection to the current conversation.
- Makes honest, but inappropriate observations.
- Minimal acknowledgement of others.
- Overly trusting or unable to read the motives behinds peoples’ actions.
- Prefers to be alone, aloft or overly-friendly.
- Resistance to being held or touched.
- Responds to social interactions, but does not initiate them.
- Seems unable to understand another’s feelings.
- Talks excessively about one or two topics (e.g., dinosaurs, movies, etc.).
- Tends to get too close when speaking to someone (i.e., lack of personal space).
- Unaware of/disinterested in what is going on around them.
- Very little or no eye contact.
Behaviors:
- Causes injury to self (e.g., biting, banging head).
- Difficulty attending to some tasks.
- Difficulty sensing time (e.g., knowing how long 5 minutes is or 3 days or a month).
- Difficulty transferring skills from one area to another.
- Difficulty waiting for their turn (e.g., standing in line).
- Extreme fear for no apparent reason.
- Fascination with rotation.
- Feels the need to fix or rearrange things.
- Fine motor skills are developmentally behind peers (e.g., hand writing, tying shoes, using scissors, etc.).
- Frustration is expressed in unusual ways.
- Gross motor skills are developmentally behind peers (e.g., riding a bike, skating, running).
- Inability to perceive potentially dangerous situations.
- Many and varied collections.
- Obsessions with objects, ideas or desires.
- Perfectionism in certain areas.
- Play is often repetitive.
- Quotes movies or video games.
- Ritualistic or compulsive behavior patterns (e.g., sniffing, licking, watching objects fall, flapping arms, spinning, rocking, humming, tapping, sucking, rubbing clothes).
- Transitioning from one activity to another is difficult.
- Unexpected movements (e.g., running out into the street).
- Unusual attachment to objects.
- Verbal outbursts.
Linguistic and Language Development:
- Abnormal use of pitch, intonation, rhythm or stress while speaking
- Difficulty understanding directional terms (e.g., front, back, before, after).
- Difficulty whispering.
- Makes verbal sounds while listening (i.e., echolalia).
- May have a very high vocabulary.
- Often uses short, incomplete sentences.
- Pronouns are often inappropriately used.
- Repeats last words or phrases several times.
- Speech is abnormally loud or quiet.
- Speech started very early and then stopped for a period of time.
- Uses a person’s name excessively when speaking to them.
Resources for parents of children and teens on the autism spectrum:
==> How to Prevent Meltdowns and Tantrums in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
==> Parenting System that Reduces Defiant Behavior in Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder
==> Launching Adult Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Guide for Parents Who Want to Promote Self-Reliance
==> Teaching Social-Skills and Emotion-Management to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
==> Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism: Parents' Comprehensive Handbook
==> Unraveling the Mystery Behind High-Functioning Autism: Audio Book
==> Crucial Research-Based Parenting Strategies for Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism
==> Parenting System that Reduces Defiant Behavior in Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder
==> Launching Adult Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Guide for Parents Who Want to Promote Self-Reliance
==> Teaching Social-Skills and Emotion-Management to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
==> Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism: Parents' Comprehensive Handbook
==> Unraveling the Mystery Behind High-Functioning Autism: Audio Book
==> Crucial Research-Based Parenting Strategies for Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism
More articles for parents of children and teens on the autism spectrum:
Social rejection has devastating effects in many areas of functioning.
Because the ASD child tends to internalize how others treat him,
rejection damages self-esteem and often causes anxiety and depression.
As the child feels worse about himself and becomes more anxious and
depressed – he performs worse, socially and intellectually.
Click here to read the full article…
Click here to read the full article…
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Meltdowns are not a pretty sight. They are somewhat like overblown
temper tantrums, but unlike tantrums, meltdowns can last anywhere from
ten minutes to over an hour. When it starts, the Asperger's or HFA child
is totally out-of-control. When it ends, both you and your child are
totally exhausted. But... don’t breathe a sigh of relief yet. At the
least provocation, for the remainder of that day -- and sometimes into
the next - the meltdown can return in full force.
Click here for the full article...
Click here for the full article...
--------------------------------------------------------------
Although Aspergers [high-functioning autism] is at the milder end of the
autism spectrum, the challenges parents face when disciplining a
teenager on the spectrum are more difficult than they would be with an
average teen. Complicated by defiant behavior, the teen is at risk for
even greater difficulties on multiple levels – unless the parents’
disciplinary techniques are tailored to their child's special needs.
Click here to read the full article…
Click here to read the full article…
------------------------------------------------------------
Your older teenager or young “adult child” isn’t sure what to do, and
he is asking you for money every few days. How do you cut the purse
strings and teach him to be independent? Parents of teens with ASD face
many problems that other parents do not. Time is running out for
teaching their adolescent how to become an independent adult. As one
mother put it, "There's so little time, yet so much left to do."
Click here to read the full article…
Click here to read the full article…
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Two traits often found in kids with High-Functioning Autism are
“mind-blindness” (i.e., the inability to predict the beliefs and
intentions of others) and “alexithymia” (i.e., the inability to
identify and interpret emotional signals in others). These two traits
reduce the youngster’s ability to empathize with peers. As a result, he
or she may be perceived by adults and other children as selfish,
insensitive and uncaring.
Click here to read the full article...
Click here to read the full article...
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Become an expert in helping your child cope with his or her
“out-of-control” emotions, inability to make and keep friends, stress,
anger, thinking errors, and resistance to change.
Click here for the full article...
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A child with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) can have
difficulty in school because, since he fits in so well, many adults
may miss the fact that he has a diagnosis. When these children display
symptoms of their disorder, they may be seen as defiant or disruptive.
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Do you need the advice of a professional who specializes in parenting children and teens with Autism Spectrum Disorders? Sign-up for Online Parent Coaching today.
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Comments
... My little brother (who is the one that's autistic) never does that, yet almost all of my not autistic friends do that. :P
So, basically, if you're not boring, you might have a few autism symptoms. Heh. Kay bad joke but still... O_o
@Lisa Curtis, getting him diagnosed is usually only necessary if you need to arrange a specific agreement with his teachers or boss to do something that would not normally be done for his peers. Depending upon what specific arrangements you need, as he finishes school and goes to get a job it get's easier to get the more simple arrangements without a specific diagnosis being necessary. You could get him reevaluated just in case, but it's probably not of dire importance if he already has all of the adjustments and help he needs.
Some of the most important support is not always provided by the psychologists anyways, make sure he knows that there is more than one way to make friends and maintain friendships (and that there is more than one kind of friendship), encourage him to join clubs that match his interests, make sure he has friends/classmates/acquaintances that are not on the autism spectrum, and make sure he meets older (preferably independent) people with Autism as well. My brother says the easiest way to make friends is to do what you do best and people will notice you. He got the class elected award for most talkative at middle school graduation, as well as a scholarly award. :)
I just learned this today, and I can definitely see the difference in knowing and NOT knowing. ill always love him no matter what. But I can definitely see the symptoms now that I'm fully aware.
God bless my nephew, and God bless all those going through something simillar. :)
-Always thinks that if someone behaves inappropriately, they have bad motives.
-Willingness to turn on those they once loved.
-how they feel about someone or something is just how they feel. It doesn't have to be logical.
-core beliefs are just general principles.
- lack confidence to establish a personal one of a kind world view.
-overly trusting of those in their tribe.
- lockstep reasoning. Able to parrot others and still think they are original.
- comes to gists easily. Can become exhausted quickly by abstract reasoning.
-unable to imagine realities not experienced.
I could, of course, go on
It's cool to know I am special...but at the same time am afraid that other people may treat me differently than they used to.I was very anti social as a child and quite lucky to have some friendships today...and I'm a little bit afraid of losing them.That's okay though, because I march to the beat of my own drum and it doesn't bother me if people leave me.So, there is no other reason I am commenting on this page, other than to say, that I have Aspergers, and I am coping.
I'm 16 and I've always known I was "different" but I didn't come across ASD until last year. My cousin is very, very severely autistic (completely non-verbal and requires constant care) so that was always how I perceived autism, and I was like, "no, I'm not like that." But then I learned that autism is a spectrum, and no two autistic people are the same.
I think I went undiagnosed because I learned how to mimic behaviors and gave off the appearance of just being "anti-social," but it's more than that. I have trouble connecting with people and understanding people. Sure, I can tell when someone is happy, or when someone is sad, or angry. I've learned, over time, how to read basic body language and tone of voice.
But I still struggle with conversation, and with forming meaningful relationships. I didn't have friends until high school. I'm lucky to have friends who are so understanding and supportive. But I'm different, and I'll always be different.
I asked my mom about it and she said that she always suspected I had Asperger's. My dad refused to believe that I have Asperger's, though. It's funny because he shows a lot of symptoms of Asperger's, and we're really alike, so I think he doesn't want to admit that he could potentially have Asperger's.
I think the best thing for parents of autistic children to do is to listen to autistic people. We've lived through this. We can give you advice that a therapist can't. Be patient with your kids, and be accommodating. A lot of great people were autistic or believed to be autistic, so I think we have a lot to offer. It might be tough, since we do have sensory and behavioral issues, but it pays off. :)
Without that label people will not give you that understanding. In fact they will blame you for not fitting in with their social norms you are treated as being the guilty party in any misunderstanding.
That label allows you to seek help catered to your needs. In many countries that label offers you legal protection from discrimination caused by your condition. Most importantly that label forces people to accept that you are an individual with individual needs and that they can't judge you in accordance with their social norms.
When I get upset I'm told my tone becomes "robot like" and my eyes "look dead"
Is this normal behavior for an upset teenager?
It's confusing and frustrating
I'm 16
I'm immature, I'm childish, I don't act my age
I don't act like the average 16 year old female, I have no desire to drive, I don't want to work
Not because I'm lazy, I would rather find work at home but what can I do?
I have social problems, I stutter, conversation brings anxiety and is tiring, I make little to no eye contact, it's hard, sometimes I speak too low, sometimes too fast, I have no friends except for one online, it's hard to make and maintain them, so far she is still by my side
I self harm when upset, I punch my face in a particular spot, pick at my wrist, bite my other
I also become silent, I almost never respond to anybody, sometimes if it's bad enough I'll go wild and repeatedly hit a body part really hard, but this is rare
I do this in private
When I'm reprimanded for not acting my age I get upset because I don't know how exactly
My voice sounds younger than my age
I do random dance moves throughout the day
Nothing too extravagant
And I move my body in a dance like way when I eat something that I like most times
I have low self-esteem
And thoughts of I hate myself constantly invade my mind
I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder, social anxiety disorder, and general anxiety disorder
I'm labeled as a hypochondriac
I have an extreme phobia of bugs and I don't know why
When someone is sick I'm told I overreact
Especially stomach sicknesses
Everyone views me as weird
In school classmates treated me differently
Some thought I was either slow or very smart... Or even both because they'd talk to me as if I were a small child, but they'd come to me for help on schoolwork at times
I was known as shy and quiet
It was like I could never bring myself to speak louder
I had breakdowns when I was forced to go to school with a hairdo I didn't like
I wore the same hoodie everyday with no thought
I had bad hygiene until notified
I make random noises sometimes
I rock but I try to limit that in front of people, back and forth or side to side
Sometimes I'll move my head side to side or back and forth in extravagant movement with my eyes closed and I'd be called out on it
I rub the soft skin on my knuckles
I put the end of my hair in my mouth so I can run my tongue over it because the texture is nice
I rapidly shake my foot when laying down
Sometimes I rock too
I have an obsession with writing lists even if I've written the same thing before
I'm disorganized and inconsistent
I don't have a routine but I don't like when certain things change
Like a change from my usual hairstyles, I don't like that, or certain clothes, I hate tight shirts and shirts that don't cover my butt
If too many people yell at my I'm known to freeze and put my hands on my ears
When there are arguments between parents I cry and put my hands over my ears, I don't know if this is normal because I have younger sisters and they don't do that, put hands over ears
Sometimes it's difficult to answer if someone asks me how do I feel about something, I don't know
I broke down because I didn't understand a question a teacher asked me
I hate going out alone
I feel like I'm too dependent on my mother
It's even difficult for me to order something for myself, I try to get one of my sisters or my mom or someone I know to do it
You are created with a purpose!
You are a rare & beautiful treasure!
It sounds like you are overwhelmed with all the ways things seem to not fit the typical pattern of how people behave.
But think of a few beautiful wildflowers in a field of green grass - the grass would probably call the flowers odd, they both grow out of the ground with green stalks but the flowers sort of stand out. Or a piece of artwork - the background is usually similar with slightly or dramatically different patterns, colors and such to make beauty.
When people you love fight with each other it is totally understandable that it prompts you to cry or cover your ears. Just because many people would restrain their emotions doesn't mean that it is wrong to dislike the arguing. I too hate it when people I care about fight.
And I totally get wanting tshirts to come down long enough (I like them hitting mid-thigh)
I can't say I understand everything you are going through but I do know with certainty that God made you for a purpose, that He delights in you and that the very things that seem like liabilities can be the things that give you a necessary and different perspective.
I tend to way overanalyze and be introspective but at some point in life it is possible just to live. Live as we are, doing the things God made us to do, in the environment we find ourselves in. And you know what? That's freeing!
Even if people sometimes jeer or criticize or roll their eyes at quirks that's OK. I'm not saying we should ignore what people are saying or be disrespectful, but I am saying that the less we fret over the way we are or the way we are perceived, usually the better.
One of the people I've most admired is someone who believes himself autistic. He doesn't make friends easily, misses social cues, was very anxious and stressed as a child, teachers didn't "get" him, he overreacted a lot, had a lot of "quirks" blurting out random words or whatever. But he is also sensitive and kind, forgives easily, is very responsible with money, generous, understands how physics works better than many and the few people who can make it past to be his friends tend to be solid friends for life.
So I have every confidence that you can be a great sister and daughter and friend. You are made with a purpose!
Thank you for being brave enough to share your struggles and questions.
You are not alone.
You are at the same time facing struggles others share but you are also
Intentionally crafted, created with a purpose!
You are a rare and valuable treasure, loved by God.
I cannot rescue from the pain and feelings of frustration but I can introduce you to Jesus, the One who rescued me from overwhelming feelings, including high anxiety, loathing myself at times and thinking depressive /suicidal thoughts.
There is a verse that says "cast (throw) your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.". When I am overwhelmed,I can go to Him (Jesus) and say "this is too much for me, I don't know how to handle it but I know you made me the way I am, you have as purpose for my life and you love me, so I'm going to throw my worries / cares on you."
I started to write about the specific concerns you shared. For instance, it is understandable that you feel badly when your parents fight.
I too like shirts to come down long enough, preferably to the thigh.
One of the people I most admire considers himself autistic - he had a very hard time making friends in school, would randomly blurt out words, get really upset at unannounced changes, need clothes to be soft, not want to order things at fast food restaurants, showed extremely high anxiety at not being able to do some things, teachers didn't understand him and so forth. But he is kind, sensitive, very responsible with money, generous, good at his job, totally gets the way physics works and the few people he has been able to make friends with since high school stick.
He sees the world differently from the way many others do, and they might call him weird but he is valuable. As are you.
I'm glad that you posted. I pray that you'll see yourself as unique for a reason, that you'll find peace inside no matter what changes or stays the same. Another verse we can rely on is "I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me."
I might not find this page again but will be thinking about you.
Take care,
https://psychology-tools.com/autism-spectrum-quotient/
I got a score that says I have HFA. I've read a lot of information online and also interviews with people with Aspergers and HFA. I've never been clumsy or had the physical issues I see as symptoms as a child or adult in Aspergers, but I have and still do have issues with a lot of bothersome things. I've never felt comfortable in social situations, standing in from of people, etc gives me great anxiety. I always rather be left alone, I like routines and hate when someone breaks it, I organize a lot of things in my life and apartment, I've collected 600,000 images online since 2000, I'm an artist and hate it when I can't work on my art, I explode sometimes to the people around me when things don't go my way, I have to fix whatever problems are currently an issue, I've had problems with bullies because I was a small passive quiet child where I got expelled for bringing a weapon to school, I hated surprises by my parents (parties), I always had a problem smiling as a child and found it meaningless unless there was a reason, I have a hard time keeping friends because it takes time away from my art, in school I had issues in English class with reading books and skipped school to avoid unfinished assignments (3rd grade), I was always good in math, but not very good at reading fast or reading fiction. When I do I tend to get lost in what I'm reading and have to start over or create my own stories at the same time thinking my stories are better. I always preferred hanging out with girls as opposed to boys, I found them more interesting and less intimidating, I'm very honest and have a hard time lying, sounds affect me and distract me like birds outside a window to the point of being incredibly agitated and want to kill them if I could, but the thing I do most of all is create stories and scenarios in my head. When things go wrong I replay things over and over again. Things that have embarrassed me in the past I can't let go. I see things in my head very clearly and can have an entire story play and laugh outlaid by myself or remember a moment vividly and do the same. I also have these paranoid visions of hurting myself or others when I see weapons (knives or sharp things) around me. It makes me tense up my hand or fidget around until a few moments later when I think of something else. Also when I'm in high places I do the same. When things don't go my way it destroys the rest of the progress I would have made that day. In get bored or anxious in social situations (parties, gatherings, etc). I usually leave early and it is draining mentally. I once threw up eating macaroni and cheese and never ate yellow cheese or gooey things that remind me of it again (it looks like barf). I'm deathly afraid of insects (mostly cockroaches and bees or anything that can bite). I run or leave the room or feel it on my skin even when just thinking about it. (it's happening right now).
Well can’t handle change crowds or Loud noses as the school was a very big school
Would have very bad melt down throwing tables chairs even punching walls windows and doors and swearing at teachers aggressively would run out of school the scary thing was once he threaten to throw himself in front of a van and almost did but I grabbed him his now being test next week for asd even through I’ve been told for years he has adhd by doctors
He has been taught since he was a baby about emotions and faces and how to identify them. I drill them home, That others have feelings. Because I have an older son 17. He's in the hospital today who never got diagnosed. He was instead diagnosed with adhd and major depressive disorder as well as gender disphoria who I did not advocate hard enough for, who is never wrong, who talks monotonous, who has no friends, who just fits every aspect of autism and can't relate to anyone elses emotions. Who doesnt understand why people cry when people die, or why we get upset. He lives in meh world.everything is meh. His words. You cannot have a conversation unless he does all of the talking.
Anyways for my 6 yr old almost 7 yr old kindergartener, Home is his safe place where he strips off all of his clothes and stimms. I have seen his ways of controlling it, he grabs both hands behind his back or has a full out meltdown in school. He stimms by jumping circling and flapping or screeching. All inappropriate for school.After all these years they wanted to change his iep from speech and lanugage to emotional disturbance. The school called dcf on me and requested my son be in therapy. Which he is. His therapist is working with him on the bases of autism. The school shot down her mention right away because he makes eye contact and can play on and off with other kids. I had to advocate very hard for my son to recieve testing for autism. I have no idea how the results will look, as I believe the school is biased, but at least I advocated for him.
My Point is testing is not easy to get unless the school or physican recommend it so advocate as hard as you can for your kids.
- I have stuttering
- I have kinda social anxiety like i think too much about how others see me in outside
- I had nocturnal enuresis ( nighttime bed-wetting) till the fifth grade ( age 11 ) cuz I hadn’t woken up when i need to pee
- I don’t remember much about routines, but when i was a kid once I remember started crying and refused to wear a suit for my birthday and i wore shorts and T-shirt instead that i used to wear so much
- I had problems connecting to other students and always an antisocial boy who always sat in the back chairs
- I was not going out during breaks and playing with others and I remember once one my teachers told other students y they dont play with me and they invited me for playing outside and i agreed and enjoyed it actually
- when i was in grade 2 , one day i was late for school so I was running to school when i fell and got some wounds in my face so I started crying and went back to my auntie ( we were neighbors) and she took me to school and that day I couldn’t raise my head so that anyone won’t see it snd not make fun of me
- one night I saw a doll as a ghost lol his shale was in a thing trying to scare me but jt was dark so I covered my face to the point of sweating and didn’t know what to do, aftrr that I thought of wakin up my mom (we all as a family shared the same bedroom that years) and told her to bring me water then when she went to the kitchen I punched tge doll and made him fell down finaly and I started sleeping happily
- I had problems falling asleep and i soent hours i thinkin abt life
- i also remember once I had been made angry by a same age cousin when we were in car, he kept making me angry for throwing tissues away to outside from the car cuz I missed them actually!!!!! I didn’t want them to be out cuz they helped me in cleaning lol ( ik this looks stupid but i really had this when i was kid and for now I don’t think too much but still kinda feel it in me )
I’m a 19.. I really need helpp ( even sometimes i feel hopeless because i can’t change them and feel guilty for makin myself and others sad)
These are and some others are the signs and characteristics i had when i was kid ....
I don’t what this mental problem called ; aspergers or other .. if this is aspergers tell me plz and how can I treat it so i can have a normal life ... and of not then what’s this ??!!!
Thankss so much ❤️
Audrey
I thought very early on that I had drawn the short straw when it comes to kids. If he wasn't sat in the corner not speaking, he was going from toy to toy in seconds. He wouldn’t respond to me nor do anything I asked of him, he didn't walk well either. At 18 months old I was concerned my kid was just broken in some way and I was going to have to deal with this. Then something happened, his first words at 18 months were 1 to 10, then he organized number blocks in order, then letters, before he was 2 he could do the alphabet and before he was 3 he could read and type. When I realized he wasn’t slow, I bought him a laptop and just left him with it. within 3 months he was on YouTube learning different languages. My wife and myself still do not know how he figured it all out but he must have been watching us. My wife then asked me to teach him how to play Minecraft coz he seemed to like the videos and wanted the game. I then explained to my wife that I didn't have the vocab to teach a 3 yo a game like that, so I got him the game and just left him with it. 3 months later he had built a house with an amazingly landscaped 3 tier rising garden, I'll never forget it. And he had cows that wandered around but then fell off the edge of his world, I told him to build a fence and he told me he liked to watch them fall off. Okay, we might need to deal with that later.
School asked me on the first day what numbers he knew, and I didn't understand the question, then I saw some of the other kids and totally understood the question. And yes, I know that this conditional comes with a lack of social skills but how would you feel if one day your free to surf the web all day and learn about cool stuff then all of a sudden you’re in a class with 20 other kids that are all learning to count for the first time. This was the 2nd time I was genuinely worried about him because he had nothing to learn for that entire year and I was worried he would just zone out, which he did.
The teacher told me at the first school report that she did not know what level he was at because he did not communicate, I said, I know so when you figure it out, let me know too.
At 4 they said there was something wrong with him, and despite their pandering hippy attitude which honestly at the time bored the absolute shit out of me I started to see a change in him, and at the time I was pushing back coz I didn't know I had the same condition and didn’t understand it.
At 7 you wouldn’t recognize the same child, I have his routine locked down. He doesn't sleep much so at 10:00 it's computer off, at 11:00 it's sleep, he knows this so well he does it himself now. Showers on the same night, no surprises. The hardest part is my wife coz she thinks he's fine, so I constantly battle her to stop messing with him unexpectedly, eg, she tried to get him to turn his computer off one night at 9:30, I knew he was gonna freak so I put a stop to it. You both got to be on the same page.
The best thing I did was give him the internet (monitored), when you give a child who has an amazing capacity for learning the net it's honestly hard to keep up with all the new stuff they learn every day. The net taught my boy the planets, countries and languages, the concept of data transfer, complex shapes and the how infinity works in maths and that was all before he was 5. Honestly, I have barely taught him shit, I just gave him the right tools to work it out himself.
One thing I’ll never forget is when the school got me in and told me that he doesn’t play with other kids at playtime, instead he stays in and reads, and I totally did not understand the problem. After seeing the work, they have done with him and the conversations I can now have with my son, I totally understand where I nearly messed it all up.
I suppose I got lucky as the school had to push me and not the other way around.
and have high functioning autism? At a glance I looked normal, but if you know me well one can pick out my quirks that I have had since childhood. They have not gone any better as I got older I just figured out how to hide them. I struggled to make friends my age, minor changes to daily life, struggle in expressing myself etc. I have always been told by doctors that it is all anxiety and anything else I will outgrow it - when will THAT happen?? I don't think I'll ever outgrow it, 'cause it has only gotten worse as time went on...