Missed signs of Autism & ADHD in childhood

What does ASD and ADHD look like in little girls? What can we do to mitigate anxiety caused by free play?

In this video we examine some of the missed signs from my childhood that could be signs you missed too... Like playing with toys for much longer than my peers, exhibiting savant like tendencies as well as concerning deficits at the same time, lack of imaginative play, extreme social anxiety, etc...


SOURCES:

#actuallyautistic #adhd #adhddiagnosis #audhd #childhoodautism #childhoodadhd #childhoodaudhd #autism

[NeurodiverJENNt]

What do you think about the suggestion of offering alternatives to unstructured social activities? Do you think it would be helpful? Why or why not?

Also, comment 🥚 if you made it to the Easter egg at the end ☺️

[Melissa.Garrett]

I’m sure the reason I was “missed” at school are all the reasons you said – masking in particular. But at home, I know exactly why my behaviour was never identified as “different” – because my mum is Autistic, as well! She didn’t know it at the time, but I was learning all my life knowledge from her growing up, and being “taught” that the Autistic way was perfectly normal because it was natural to her. And she didn’t see anything different about me for the same reason! 😂

[BlackCoffeeee]

Lol at staring at toy catalogues. My favorite thing to do was to spend hours looking at toy catalogues. I didn't even want the toys. I just loved the 'excitement' of it. I would do the same thing with any brochure, even one's that sold vacations. Christmas cataloguescwere a big deal too. 😂

[SilverMoonbeam]

I also have huge memory gaps going from childhood into teenage years. I’ve been attributing it to the fact that those years were so traumatic with just trying to survive, fit in and being a natural target for most neurotypicals (children and adults). But it certainly wouldn’t surprise me if there was a general link to childhood memory and autism.

[VisualPanther]

Honestly, this whole video brings back so many similar experiences and memories.

[jackd.rifter]

I didn't actually learn to read analog clocks until 8th grade. My teachers all accused me of lying because I had a high IQ but an English teacher taught me. I have dyscalculia and I also take things literally so when people say 6:30 I look for "30" but didn't find it and I remember thinking "where is everyone getting the numbers higher than 12 from?".

[remmirath]

Social deficits in action: When you told me to grab tissues, I was horrified because I thought something happened to the cockatiel 😧

[erynmorgan]

This video left me in tears as it resonated with me so much.I am 43 and newly self-diagnosed AuDHD. I was deemed shy, I set up scenes for my Barbies and Sindy's, I relied on my confident and loud younger sister for friendships in the neighbourhood growing up, but as I was reading way above my age I preferred reading quietly in my room. I was made to feel stupid because I couldn't learn and still don't know my times tables or do mental arithmetic. As a teen I went from running away from boys terrified and lost friendship groups from being that way to getting myself into trouble with boys. I played truant from school despite being a great student in all but maths classes and those related like physics because I couldn't cope as my exams yr loomed and took to drugs and alcohol. At 18 I met my husband who was also unknowingly Autistic. My two teens have gone through life being allowed to be just themselves at home but as parents we missed the signs in our own kids as we thought their behaviours were pretty typical! All four of us our now on a journey together learning about our ND brains.

[jesterr]

When I was in school, I spent the whole day looking forward to being by myself and playing with m toys, video games, or whatever else I had decided to do after I got home. Being there was a chore.

[robertabarnhart]

I didn't learn my times tables till I was in 6th grade, and then only because the teacher was so disgusted with me that she sat me out in the hallway and told me not to come back in till I learned those times tables. It actually took me only around 3 hours or so to remember them enough to get through 6th grade math. I'm still shaky in math and use a calculator most of the time.

[itsmeheathermarie]

I was diagnosed "ADD" as a child and rediagnosed "ADHD" a few years ago. You literally just told my life story-including learning to play violin by ear and hiding the fact I couldn't read music by turning the page when others did. I also did that with Clarinet and Choir and was even able to "fake" my way into honors choir. Haha...oh man. Also, funny enough, I know you mentioned dislike of perfume, but I've have an INTENSE interest in perfumery since childhood. I can spend HOURS a day researching perfumes including the history, the composition, meaning of a bottle and/or name of the fragrance etc. For me I think I love it so much because I have a terrible memory and scent can sometimes help me sorta remember things. (The link between scent and memory is huge as we know!) I really enjoy your videos and feel less...odd. Thanks for what you do!

[spaceageflop]

I recently found a picture of me wearing an Arielle tracksuite in the very early 90s, my Mom told me I was practically living in it at the time. Arielle was one of my special interests, i felt so much like her, so misunderstood and different, from another world. And I also did a lot of building up for my toys, with pencils I layed room layouts for hours, changed my Barbies clothes and accessoires, until everything fit. When I was ready to start play properly it was usually evening and time for dinner.

[unlocking_universal]

This is the most I’ve EVER related to a late diagnosed autism video. I’m unsure of the ADHD part for me. Sometimes I think maybe but the jury’s still out. Thank you SO much for sharing your stories, Jenn. I’m trying to find my way and seeing I’m not a broken nt really helps.

[theoneandonly]

Omg, im obsessed with the original Little Mermaid. I adore that part where Erik said that love will hit him like lightning. It did, it really did. I was involved with boys at 13 and that was a huge mistake. When i meet my husband. I knew and he knew, within 3 months, we said it to get married. 14 years later, and 2 kids ( both neurodivergent), we are still happy. We both found out we have ADHD but me and my daughter have autism and adhd. Your videos are spot on. So spot on and i find myself saying ' yes, thats me' out loud. And saying yes with my head.

[tiffanylbacon]

All I’m doing right now is recalling my past and realizing that all those awkward moments were my AuDHD. My childhood was very traumatic. I don’t remember much. But the things I remember definitely are signs. Like my obsession with reading Steven King novels. Or listening to the same song on repeat for months. Hiding from my siblings because I just didn’t want to play with them. Building and entire underground city for matchbox cars. I, too, played with dolls until I was about 13 yrs old. I was very naive and terrified that I was different. But the need to survive the abuse overrode everything else. I now realize that the tantrums I got beat for having were actually meltdowns. I learned really early to mask. How about taking things literal. I called my mom once to ask how to cook spaghetti. She said to throw it against the wall and if it stuck it was done. So that’s what I did. I threw the entire pan against the wall. Going to dances and hiding against the wall. I started drinking at 14 to hide all my fear, to make me braver. I was so terrified of boys.

Oh the joys of reframing the past.

[lidu]

This was heartbreaking to listen to because so often, we have vivid childhood memories because of trauma. And I can relate.

I grew up on the other side of the world, but your slideshow in the end reminded me so much of my own childhood, and how I like to go through old photo albums to remember the nice things which would easily get overshadowed by the trauma otherwise...

[d.d.d.a.a.a.n.n.n]

I absolutely socially isolated myself in elementary school - I spent lunch freetime and every recess I could in the library, reading. Reading was absolutely my obsession, I would read instead of sleeping or eating or doing anything else

I also obsessed over catalogues of dolls, craft supplies, and other interests, but didn't realize until you mentioned your behavior that mine was out of the ordinary, because you described exactly what I used to do

[jesterr]

I turned my G.I Joes into professional wrestlers and baseball players. I wrote out stats, lineups and planned it all out but I rarely actually played all the way through it. I spent most of my time planning.

[barbaramoran]

I was born with the severe Kanner type autism in 1951 parents first thought i was deaf later when my hearing tested they thought i was retarded .When I began talking echolia .i did learn to talk but it was hard to communicate . I had tactile problems as a child and a low tolerance for pain .I cried a lot .I have always personified objects .I still do I didnt fit in at school and was kicked out of second grade .I spent years in a mental hospital .Menninger Children’s hospital Later I went to a regular high school and graduated .
At Menningers they has a school so I got my basic education .After getting out I lived with a family and I got a full time job I had 22 years .I have severe noise sensitivity which developed when I was 9 and got worse with time .
YOUR LIFE SOUNDS REALLY ROUGH. YOU WERE SHAMED SO MUCH AND YOU TRIED SO HARD
I WISH WE COULD SPEND A DAY TOGETHER ID LOVE TO KNOW YOU BETTER .
I was diagnosed with autism when i was 40 it was like being forgiven Industrial strength absolution I want to tell you more

[userbunny]

I wanted to play with dolls until I was about 18+ years old. But my family told me that I am too old for these and I should go out with friends. (and still now I see advertisements of toys and just want them.) I can't believe that never someone thought about me having autism or adhd.