10 Quirks That Might Be Autism: Part 2
These 10 quirks about me show many different shades of autism.
This post is part of the series 10 Quirks About Me.
I’ve worn out VHS tapes playing them continuously, and that’s just one of 10 quirks about me that might be related to my autism. In Part 1 of this series, I talked about different behaviors that people who have autism experience. Then, I gave you three of my own traits.
I am sharing these stories to help people understand the disorder and its effects. But these traits do not make you autistic. If you believe that you would benefit from an autism diagnosis, please seek one from a qualified professional. You can get more information about autism spectrum disorder from the National Institute of Health (NIH), the Center for Disease Control (CDC), and advocacy groups such as Autism Speaks.
Now, here are two more of the 10 quirks about me that likely are the result of autism.
#4 Toys in the Attic
Many people with autism spend a lot of time alone. Researchers have studied loneliness in autism and attributed it to social isolation. While autistic people do experience loneliness from isolation, that is not the only reason that we are alone. I self-isolate because I need to. I found another blog here that explains it well. The word autism is derived from Greek words that, when combined, mean “a condition of being excessively involved with oneself.” It’s no wonder that adults with autism are sometimes mislabeled with narcissistic personality disorder. Autistic people just need time to be alone for themselves, and they do not do well when they cannot get it. When I was a kid, I would go off by myself for long periods of time. I would find things to do, such as play with old toys that I found in the attic or tinker with radios and TVs.
One of the more memorable examples of self-isolation happened was when I was 9. I was at a friend’s house for a Cub Scouts den meeting. I hated scouts, but I didn’t mind going to someone else’s house. There were usually adults I could talk to and new places to explore. This friend had both a younger and an older sister who had a large collection of Barbie and Ken dolls. They also had a playhouse and other accessories. For two hours, I played with those dolls while my fellow scouts were doing things together. Some of them started to make comments about how strange it was that I was sitting and playing with dolls for girls. The mom of the house defended me and said that I wanted to play with the dolls because I didn’t have any sisters and wanted to see what it was like. It was sweet of her to say.
#5 Same Old Song and Dance
People with autism like things to be the same. Everyone has problems accepting change sometimes, but this is different. It is an insistence on sameness. For example, I’ll listen to the same songs and watch the same TV shows on repeat—ad nauseum. These are not just marathons. They are marathons of marathons where the runners never stop. Here’s how it happens. I find a song or TV show that I like. Then, it becomes part of my identity. I feel comfort listening to that song or watching that TV show. This obsession with keeping things the same has another adverse effect. I don’t give anything new much of a chance. If it doesn’t hit me the right way quickly, I reject it.
There are a few songs on my list, but “Desperately Wanting” by Better Than Ezra is near the top. It’s fitting because band members have said the song is about looking back on childhood.
Meanwhile, one of my repeat TV shows right now is “The Dukes of Hazzard,” which was also a favorite of mine as a small child. It brings me comfort when I am stressed. About 15 years ago, it was the first nine seasons of “The Simpsons.” In fact, the shows have changed over the years. When we got a VCR in 1986, I recorded episodes of “Perfect Strangers” every week. “Perfect Strangers” was part of ABC’s prime-time lineup on Friday nights, and sometimes I recorded shows that ran with it. But those shows did not do the same thing for me, so I stopped. Those tapes were playing nearly every moment of the week that a new episode of “Perfect Strangers” was not. Eventually, I wore out several VHS tapes.
Catch the rest of the series: 10 Quirks About Me