What's the earliest sign you showed of autism?

[Weeble]

When I told my mum a few weeks ago that I am probably autistic, she related one of her favourite stories about me. She was saying I couldn't be, because of what a clever baby I was. I used to kick my blankets to move them round until the ribbon was next to my face, you know. When she ensured the ribbon was at the top, I left my blankets alone.

I laughed, and she had no idea why. Texture has always been a thing, but I was lucky in that my mum noticed and changed how she dressed me. I went from frilly dresses, lacy socks and girly shoes to jeans, boots, and shirts.

One of my early memories is of it taking three people to wash my hair. My sister was holding my legs, my brother holding my arms against my body, and they dunked my head in the kitchen sink as directed by mum, who was doing the actual washing. I remember clearly my mum fretting because of where our house was, anyone in the street would be able to see what was happening, as the sink was in front of the massive kitchen window.

My mum experimented with different soaps and shampoos until she found one that didn't make me shriek.

But I can't possibly be autistic, you know. Her latest offering is that I just get tired. Yes, thank you, Sherlock, but why have I always got so tired, even before I developed fibromyalgia?

 

[GrownupGirl]

I think it was when I preferred to play by myself than with other kids. Playing with other kids would wear me out because I couldn't do things my own way, it always had to be their way. And being too young and stupid to understand, it would make them angry or upset when I'd start ignoring them.

 

[Pistachio]

I wouldn't look people in the eye, I had to be told to look at people when talking to them. Since this is a common trait of Aspergers it was probably one of the few helpful things I was told to do in order to appear so called "normal". I didn't "get it" like the other kids but at least my behavior was fairly normal and came in handy at work later on.

 

[LateBloomer]

I didn't speak for the first 7 years of my life which should have been somewhat of a red flag but fortunately , it was overlooked . Had I been diagnosed sooner (I was born in early 50's ) , they might have institutionalized me .