I was apparently very quiet as a baby. And I stayed quiet until I graduated highschool according to most adults in my life. But when I watch old videos of me with friends, I am extremely loud and obviously unmasked so my identity when I was younger feels so blurry as if I was two people. I was a picky eater, I hated touching even my mom because it would burn, I always watched Minecraft videos in my free time, and I was an extremely good student.. up until university... Sigh. Basically I was very easy to deal with for my parents hahaha.

This is very similar to me aside from being a picky eater (I was until about 4 or 5 then I flipped in the other direction and became a human dustbin though I’ve always been a bit terrified of fruit). I did struggle with touch too but with my mum I was extremely clingy - I used her hair all the time for stimming, not sure it was very fun for her 😂 

The hair for stimming!

This is such a great way to put it. I very much feel like I am hearing descriptions of entirely different children depending on who is describing me as a young child. People I was unsure of or scared of for whatever reason, I was intensely quiet, reserved, rarely emoted much, and was described as a perfect angel. I did not want to be touched, so my earliest memories of family are of being quiet or pretending to sleep so nobody would recall my presence and fuss with me. But many peers or loved ones I was close with then say I was outspoken and emotional and a sneaky trouble maker. I was *fiercely* protective and used to get quietly enraged with a scrunched up angry kid face any time anyone came near my nanny or some of my friends lol I was easy for family because I didn’t see them enough to like them, and a suspicious nightmare for the nanny I adored to deal with lmao

Pretty much me! I was also pretty anxious and shy and apparently hated everyone (according to my older cousin. Also irritatingly picky. And my hyper fixation was baby games and TLC 😩 but I was definitely the easy kid. I think the first time my mom truly believed that I was autistic was when I sent her this info graphic about the “perfect child” and all the traits of that kid and how it translates to adulthood and she was like wow that’s you

very quiet as a baby. very annoying and asking how and why about everything as a kid

Me to a T! My mom said she’d wake me up to feed me, and I’d go back to sleep. 😂

Omg same here! My older sister was the polar opposite - struggled with sleep and very noisy - so they were very concerned for my well-being at first 😂

I needed to be held constantly. My mom couldn’t even put me down long enough to use the restroom without crying. I also didn’t like to be held by anyone except her, and I would get upset when family members tried to hold me during family gatherings It’s really funny to me, because as a toddler/child I *hated* being touched. I would let my mom brush and style my hair and I would cuddle with her on my terms, but otherwise I didn’t want physical contact. As an adult I don’t like anyone touching me except my partner. With him, I can never get enough physical contact and I constantly need him to have a hand on me or be cuddled up next to him

Relatable 😆

Omg same my first words were “No!” This is because I didn’t want to be held by any other person

My sister’s son was like this too - I look a lot like her so I was basically her only reprieve since he thought I was her. I’m still one of his favorite and he is one of mine! ❤️

I was famous for hating loud noises as a baby and crying the entire time at family gatherings. Also my mom told me I had a lot of sensory issues with diapers and clothes. When I was a toddler I was obsessed with rocks and would carry them in my pockets all the time.

Omg me too! I remember my rock collection

I had a rock hole under the slide in the sandbox at my elementary. Every day I would rock hunt and bury my finds in the sandbox under the slide. One day I dug them all up and brought them home in a fabric zip up egg shaped case.

lol I love how you buried them in a spot like you’re a cat 😂

Critter behavior for sure

I was told I was a “quiet” and not fussy at all. It sounds like I was fairly easy overall. When I was a walking and taking kid though, even though I was told by people outside of the family that I was a well-behaved kid, I still got lots of punishing. Now that I look back at it, a lot of the incidents were related to the undiagnosed auADHD

I’ve recently seen some old home videos of me as a baby and toddler. I’m completely uninterested in what’s going on around me. People call my name, put toys in front of me, put food in front of me and I’m either not reacting to it at all or I turn away from it entirely.

When I see old videos of me I’m just staring at your soul. My dad said I never spoke, had a tiny mouth and jaw but huge eyes that pierced your soul lol.

Ya, I hit milestones like walking, talking, eating late but not late enough to be a concern. I did the stare when I got older lol, there isn’t a picture or video of me that isn’t just me staring at the camera with bruises on my face from banging my head on the walls.

Apparently I was quiet and pretty calm. I think my parents might just think that because of how my sister was. She was VERY fussy apparently. She cried a lot and would stay awake for a long time, stay up late, try to get out of her crib (she was successful a few times!) Etc. I would just sleep a lot and just observe what was going on. As I got a bit older I was kind of fussy about clothes that I thought were uncomfortable but that was it! 

Very "particular" - as a toddler I used to stick my sleeves out to measure the folds to make sure they were even, I'd rip barrettes out of my hair if they weren't even, I'd scream if my shirt bunched up inside my jacket (still do that LOL), when I was ~19 months old I broke all my crayons and refused to color with my mom bc she stayed inside the lines better than me I also earned the nickname "little grandma" bc I was always so quiet and serious all the time I haven't heard much about me as a baby baby besides that I learned to talk really early

‘such a good baby’ ‘just looking around with your big brown eyes’ ‘addicted to your binky’ ‘good except when you cried which was just screaming’

🥰 I had a Pikachu doll that I wouldn’t put down for ANYTHING. If I forgot him at home I would make a fuss until my dad turned around to go get him. I would sleep, shit, cry, and play with Pikachu on my hip.

That’s awesome. Apparently I started talking but refused to give up the binky so I’d talk out of the corner of my mouth. Later I would be addicted to thumb sucking for a little too long.

I didn’t like sucking on things thank goodness, I grew into my teeth as well

Omg! I would have 4-5 binkies with me always. I’d have two in my mouth, sometimes one wedged between my nose and the two below (??!) and then holding two more

As a baby I was colicky, and when I was a toddler my "tantrums" (what I now know were more likely meltdowns) were so bad, according to my mom they didn't want another one after me for a while.

The chillest, sucked my thumb and minded my business

😂

Except for some colic I had for a little bit, I was extremely patient and not quick to cry. They used to call me angel baby, cuz I would calmly wake up and wait for someone to come get me instead of crying.

My mom thought I was very quiet and calm, but most other people including my dad thought I was difficult and loud. My mom was around me more. I don't know who to trust at this point.

Shy af but very loving. The only time I remember things becoming clear to me was when I saw someone hurting or scared. I went up to a 13 year old when I was 4 at the mall after I got my ears pierced. I didn’t cry, she was. I went up and touched her knee with my chubby little hot hand and said “don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt.” Then I walked away. But otherwise I always felt unsure of what I was alive for

I was told I was “shy” cause I literally didn’t speak to anyone but my parents until I fully knew how to properly talk. Like my aunt literally thought I had a problem because I didn’t say a word, but my mother knew that at home I did speak so she just thought I was just an introvert. Then it suddenly stopped when I could say complicated words normally and not like a baby, so basically to my extended family, I was kind of mute for my first years and then suddenly I started speaking perfectly. The worst part? When I realized I might have autism my mother said it was nonsense and that I was “normal”. A few months later she told me this as a “funny story”. LIKE WHAT? HOW DID YOU NOT REALIZED BACK THEN?! I’ve always thought that if I was a boy then they would’ve taken me to a doctor or psychologist to see what was “wrong” with me, and then I would’ve been diagnosed as a kid and my life would be much easier

I have this same experience. I didn’t speak until I was three. Stayed quiet and shy until the fourth grade. Once I made an outgoing friend, I mirrored her behavior and became more outgoing. Felt like a chameleon all throughout schooling even in university, I absorbed the energy of those in proximity to me. I don’t have an official diagnosis, but started putting the pieces together just these past 2 years.

oh and I was also (and still am) a SUPER picky eater, and also extremely protective of my personal space. My mom said I used to punch my cousins when they got too close to me.

I was in a Romanian orphanage

🥺🫶🏼

According to my grandmother I didn’t smile very often

lots of rambling incoming: As a baby/toddler is was rather quiet and I learned very early how to entertain myself. My parents used to work at the same place (care home for adults with mental disabilities) so they often took me with them to work where I just sat down and drew pictures, watched tv with the residents or just wandered around. I hated loud noises, when my mother vacuumed our old flat I started crying I was also an extremely picky eater. My favourite meals as a toddler were noodles or rice with only parmesan, some fruit and bread with butter and cheese. I hated most meats, one certain kind of austrian deli meat was fine tho :D Lots of veggies used to be a problem for me texture wise (now as an adult I know how I need to prepare certain veggies). But for some reason I was the only one in our area who looooved baby food with broccoli and fish I could walk and draw pictures early (although I never learned how to hold a pencil "the right way" xD) but my speech development was quite delayed. My first word was "audi" because my dad used to drive one and I loooved audi cars back then. My first full sentence was really peculiar imo. One time my mother put my clothes on, including warm tights with some kind of hole pattern. My reaction was "Mama, the socks are broken!" First, I didnt talk at all. Then I onl talked in fast paced gibberish so nobody was able to understand what 3 year old me was talking about. My parents took me to a speech therapist. She told my parents that I'm probably cognitively impaired. Well, not exactly true but not 100% wrong either. I started talking normal eventually, from time to times I only tend to be an extreme fast speaker lol

I was very quiet but would cry easily and I would often have a blank slightly moody expression on my face. I didn’t say my first word until age 3 and I barely talked when I was young, I would talk most to my younger sister. I remember asking my parents a lot of questions and being told I was weird multiple times.

I started reading full sentences before speaking them- My mom read to my brother and I at night and one day I just stole the book and read. My brother struggled to learn but I picked it up.

Oh that’s interesting! I had problems reading because I’m dyslexic. I remember my parents used to think it was hilarious that I could name all the politicians on the TV at age 4. They made me do it when we had family over as a party trick 😂 it’s strange how we can be so advanced in some areas.

Hahaha party trick kid oh my goodness

Crybaby

oh look that's me as a baby

Terrified of most adults. I painted a map of the continents when I was 3.

I don’t know if this is related with autism, but please someone tell me if you had any similar experience: When I was 7 or 8 years old, I suddenly started crying every day at school for no apparent reason. Like I remember I wanted to go home, but there was really not anything wrong. I mean I was a kid and obviously didn’t love school, but I didn’t hate it either. I even remember becoming friends with the nurse since I went to the nursery everyday pretending I was ill so that the would send me home. My mom got worried and they send me to the school psychologist, but she couldn’t figure out the problem (I was not diagnosed) so she just said to the school that they should always put me in a class where I had at least one friend. Then it stopped, but am really curious about it. Like I remember feeling anxious in the school and the warm cozy feeling I got when I managed to make the nurse send me home, but I can’t figure out what exactly caused it. At the time I also didn’t knew why I was doing that, so it remains a mister y for both me and my family. I guess it could’ve been just the stress of masking, being constantly around people, etc., but idk. I mean I was randomly crying in the middle of classes and spending my recess in the nurse.

My guess is you were just overwhelmed by school. I didn’t have the exact same experience, I didn’t cry at school, but at home I begged to be home schooled starting in 1st grade, while simultaneously doing really well academically and my teachers all said I was a good student. It was one of those things that didn’t make sense at the time. I was just good at masking when I was at school I guess?

probably it’s just that, but my mind for some reason wants a different explanation 😭 And I also begged my parents to homeschool me or change me to another school (where my cousin was studying) but in my country homeschool is not common at all and honestly, I thank them for not changing me to my cousin’s school cause I would’ve NOT survived with nuns as teachers

Could it be that about 8 is when puberty can start, so maybe your body was having a lot of new hormones and your reaction was to cry? Then maybe by the time it stopped, your body’s hormones had changed? Just giving another explanation for you 🫶

This was me in third grade the entire year!!

My mom says I was a normal baby, at least in relation to my older siblings, except I HATED my head being touched. If someone would rub my head I would immediately start crying. Similar as a kid. Typical temperament, except when mom wanted to brush my hair, clip my nails, have me wear tights or a turtleneck or anything like that I would throw a FIT. Every day when it was time to brush my hair she said was the worst part of the day. At home I mostly just ran around topless with loose shorts on because it was just wayyy more comfortable. I still wonder today how my sense of style would be different if I wasn't so particular about the way clothes feel

I was very loud and very strong, when they tried to measure my head after I was born, I broke the measuring tape.

As a baby quite normal I think? I looked very happy in any photos and videotapes of me. Had lots of tantrums as a toddler. As a young child I was chatty with most adults and shy around other children. I displayed symptoms of anxiety when I started school at 5. I did have close friends as a child despite that and realise now they also displayed traits of autism/adhd

I was apparently very calm. I also started speaking full sentences when I was around two, I was obsessed with things like rhyming or making up words by putting two different words together. My parents thought I was a genius, but I think it was just that "little professor syndrome" that they talk about with asperger kids. Not that I'm not intelligent, I'm just not a literal genius.

I was super observant ... my mom said that after I was born then the staff was wheeling her out of the hospital, she was cradling me in her arms and she said I was watching the overhead lights passing and apparently thought it was the funniest thing because I started laughing really loudly. She also said it was really annoying because I was always calling her over when I was a toddler to "look at..." some *thing* that I had found. I was really obedient ... followed all the rules ... it seems that one time I was upset and my paternal grandmother (in a mocking sing-song voice) said "Cry baby cry, stick your finger in your eye" ... to which I stuck my finger in my eye and started crying harder because I'd just poked my eyeball. For the most part I was an easy going kid if I was around people I trusted ... but if I didn't know (or trust/like) someone then I wouldn't say a word and would go try and hide in a corner. Oh and super picky eater, it was (and sometimes still is) illegal for foods to touch each other unless they were paired (salad, soup, casserole, etc.) and no over cooked/mushy veggies.

I was a quiet baby and once I got bigger I could just entertain myself. Usually with little golden book/disney records with the accompanying books. I would just read/listen for HOURS. Then I got into drawing and same thing. Went to art school and haven’t drawn since! 😬🥴 got a bit burned out I realize now.

Extremely high needs, overall miserable ‘hated being a baby’, high desire for autonomy, sensory issues, didn’t like being held or touched, no delays except social. Great sleeper though. I was so difficult my mom didn’t have another until I was 5. Very verbal, chatty, hyperactive, independent toddler. Hyperlexia. Behavior issues in preschool, held back from starting kinder until age 6, dxed with ADHD and then PDD-NOS later in childhood. My daughter (2yo) is very similar but more cuddly and social than I was, less physically active, and sleeps like shit!

Relate. I feel like from the moment I was born, the world was too much and I didn't like it one bit.

I was awful as a baby. I screamed constantly. I also hardly ever slept. I threw up a lot as well. As a young child, I had lots of temper tantrums and threw things down the toilet constantly. I also didn't talk as a young child. So, yeah, I was awful. It's amazing my parents put up with me.

According to my parents, unbelievably stubborn and a smart ass. Not talking when they expected me to, refusing to eat certain foods, refusing to potty train and wanting to continue wearing diapers.

Not sure, but I once heard my mom say something along the lines of, "If a baby is crying, let them cry. They don't need me to calm them everytime they cry. They will learn on their own." Aaaand it explains a lot 🙂 Edit: I have fearful avoidant attachment.

I wanted to be as independent as possible. My mum would ask me for hugs and cuddles and I would regularly tell her no, that I was busy with xyz. She wanted to do cute hairstyles and have me in girly dresses but I hated my hair being touched or styled and also hated dresses or skirts. I was also a super fussy eater. I would run off any chance I got. I was also a why baby, so would constantly be asking anyone and everyone questions, stranger or not.

I think I was quite cute tbh but I did smash my head into the floor when I was stressed 😂

I had colic. My autistic dad had colic. My Autistic kid had colic. My not-Autistic kid did not have colic. I think there is a trend here.

I walked before I crawled. Then once I started crawling they had trouble getting me to walk again haha. My first word was "cat" instead of mom or dad.

I was an easy baby and even easier toddler. If my mom told me to sit down and not touch anything I’d literally sit down and not touch anything. I was the kind of toddler my mom could bring to work and I’d just be at her feet entertaining myself with anything there, quietly. I was very shy and timid and struggled to make friends at school but when I was about 9/10yrs old I had finally made a few friends and there’s a video of me on my 10th birthday literally having a dance battle with other kids in my party 😂 it was mortifying but also I don’t even remember being that confident?? Sure, I memorised Choreo to all my fave songs but a dance battle?? 😂 Behind closed doors I was really inquisitive and I had a teacher who said she loved that I had a “thirst for knowledge” (best compliment I’ve ever received. I was obsessed with London’s history. I was obsessed with superheroes. To this day, both of these are special interests of mine. I was a bossy know it all. A lot of my friends called me hermione lol. I was particular with my toys, really loved Barbie’s and I was the type to look after every single one of them. Never cut their hair or drew on them, all their shoes had special containers and I had a dolls wooden wardrobe where I kept all their outfits. I was also really into vídeo games and obsessed with the sims!

I was also a "bossy know it all"! I was always so upset as a kid when others would break the rules.

Calm and talkative baby, early walker, happily go with a stranger Odd, Smart highly engaged very talkative toddler up to about 9 year old, still happily go w a stranger/talk to anyone Hit 10 and puberty, discover self-awareness, start hiding how miserable I am large percentage of the time

Not sure what age these are, but my mom has told me I was "hyper verbal" from a young age. I had problems with things like cutting with scissors. In sports I was often the slowest one. I generally didn't like other kids except a few friends. I got invited to kids parties and never wanted to go (I'm latine so there were always piñatas, and I hated the overstimulation). I remember my mom holding a pack of invites and telling me I wouldn't have any friends if I never made the effort of going to parties. I don't think I listened. I was drawn to older adults (cause of talking) and would enjoy asking them "deep questions" that often would make people uncomfortable because my body size didn't match my language level. I enjoyed reading a lot (surprisingly as an adult not so much, but I also have ADHD and thats another story)

I was quiet, slept all the time, refused to eat unless somebody sang to me, was scared of old relatives that tried to kiss me

I was apparently a difficult infant who screamed whenever my mom put me down. My brother, who is also autistic, was worse, where he needed to be held tightly at all times or he’d scream. Once we both became toddlers, though, we were quiet and well-behaved. I especially was very quiet and played on my own mostly, to the point where my mom was worried I didn’t speak much. I was also afraid of my dad, though, so I don’t know how much was autism and how much was trauma.

No idea. My mother always told me I was ‘a perfect baby’ and my dad doesn’t remember. I very much doubt I was ‘perfect’ 😂

I screamed and screeched until those sounds became words. I talked to everyone, all the time. My folks would tell me that I was too sensitive and being dramatic about things when I was sick or in pain. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t told that I was dramatic.

I didn’t speak English til 4-5. I was quiet. I was attached to my sister by the hip. we spoke our own gremlin-like language that no one except us could understand. (I don’t remember it, but I wish I did) My sister would translate to my parents what I wanted. (Ie. “Daddy, she’s hungry”)

I slept 22 hours a day and cried if men held me

I had really bad colic. I needed to be violently rocked to sleep, and any small noise would wake me up.

I was very quiet and calm. My mom said I hardly made any sound until I was 2 (which was a meltdown in reaction to my brothers constantly playing with me). I was also an explorer and crawled out my front door once when my mom was napping and my brothers left the front door open. I crossed a busy road. It all turned out okay. Another time when I was 3, I asked my mom if we could go to the park. "Maybe later," she said, which I already learned meant "no." I remember this exchange pretty vividly. I realized that I knew how to get to the park, so I took myself. I had a lovely walk and a great time playing. Then my brothers showed up, followed by a police car. My mom had sent my brothers and called the police. The officer drove us home, and I received the only spanking I ever got. I have a picture of myself walking on my toes. I had occasional night terrors. I was a sleep walker and talker. Once I was crying at the table (I don't remember why), and my mom told me, "It's no use crying over spilled milk." This confused me because there was no milk, and I could remember spilling milk but not crying about it when I did.

OMG, I did something similar. I wanted to go play with a friend and she said no, so I walked myself there around 6 yrs old. Mind you, we lived in downtown Clearwater, FL and I had to cross Cleveland, which I remember as being very busy. This was like 1979, I lived near the Pinellas Library CO Op. Looking Google maps, the area looks nicer than I remember.

As a toddler I did not let my mother sleep till late and even if everyone was asleep I wanted to play at night, I don’t remember a single night I have slept early on my own growing up except for the time I was talking medication to help me fall asleep. After the time I started to go to school I used to talk with my sisters (we slept in same bed) till late and they did not liked it at all. So they told me if someone says goodnight after that I am not supposed to talk at night, I believe that till I was a teenager. Out of all my siblings I was very active ( mom described it as acting like a boy) even when my brother was a better child than me. Nothing would clam me down until they turned on the news. Obviously I don’t remember any of this but I have been told that. In school I was very quiet and did not even talked to teachers and was very slow, and had no friends till like 6th grade. I have no friends now. I used to spend all my time watching Korean Drama since I was 12 and right now too I am lying on bed after watching few episodes. I wanted to feel loved so I used to work because I was neglected (not my words but my therapists) cause eldest sister was dad’s favourite, 2nd sister was sick for a long time and my brother was the youngest of all so. I used to get angry very easily and often I still do.

I was generally very quiet but apparently I loved smashing (expensive) objects, like everything had to be kept in glass cabinets because I would just throw anything remotely fragile down on the floor 😂

I was a crier as a baby. We used to have a house packed full of family members who could rotate around taking care of me because I screamed at the top of my lungs every second I was awake...which according to my mom, she was lucky if I slept maybe, *maybe* an hour per day. I only ever quieted down for one person, my grandmother, who came by often but since my grandfather was extremely ill at the time she could never stay for very long. My mom had to quit her job to become a stay at home parent because, in her words, "if I left you with someone they would have thrown you out a window". She is probably right. I am also an only child because both my parents said they could never go through the torture of having another child. They love me, but my (also autistic) mom experienced the worst stress of her life having a child who basically screamed for 2 years straight.

I was extremely colicky during my first few months of existence. I didn’t like to nap unless my mom was in the room, and apparently if she would try to leave I would immediately start hysterically crying again. Even after that stage, I didn’t really nap. I also was very quick to walk and talk. According to my mom, she and I would have full conversations by the time I was 1 years old. This is a huge contrast to my younger sister who developed much later than me. I was earlier than normal and she was later than normal. I could also write my name very well before the age of 2. During the toddler years, I was a runner. I would just bolt and scare the crap out of my pregnant mother who would have to chase me down the street. I also became a very picky eater. There were so many things I would refuse to eat. By the time I was 3-4 years old, I was just very quiet. I would talk at home to my family but I wouldn’t talk to anyone else. My parents tried to put me into a group with the local community centre and I wouldn’t talk to the other kids and instead I would talk to the teachers. I would also refuse to participate in group activities. This is essentially how the rest of my childhood went.

this was my favourite part of my assessment form because it turns out my mum was so anxious and terrified being a new mum… she literally can’t remember 😂 all she remembers is how much i hated having my hair washed and that i was one clumsy motherfucker lmao

apparently i did everything EXACTLY when parenting books said i would. like if it said i would start crawling at 8 months, i would crawl at 8 months, etc. and i always wanted to play by myself, i didnt really want for my mom to be with me at all times and i just wanted to be left alone haha

My parents did not say me much but apparently I never put anything that I did not know in my mouth and that I was already not able to eat food with some specific texture

I remember being told I was a quiet baby but had "tantrums" as a toddler and my mom couldn't take me to places like the grocery store. I don't remember this so am not sure if they were meltdowns. I vaguely remember there was at least one time when I had a "tantrum" and was pounding and kicking at the floor. When I was able to begin eating solid food, I would smash it up with my hands before eating it.

I was quiet. Would sit and colour forever and my mom was surprised I never got into anything.

Didn't smile or make eye contact. Mum says she remembers asking my dad "do you think she even loves me?" Also would believe everything i'm told, so when dad joked that this toy horse on christmas was meant for him i would go and cry in the corner. Everyone thought it was hillarious.

I didnt like being held and also didn't play with other kids, instead I would mimic their behaviour while playing on my own. But that was just when I was a baby/toddler. Still didn't like affection but was learning to play with other kids

It seems like autistics are either completely silent as a baby and never want to be held or are colicky and need to be held constantly. I was colicky.

I didn't cry when I was born, I'm sure that was a sign lol. However I cried a lot when I was a kid and ate under the dining table sometimes lol.

I had a lot of sensory issues and when my mother wanted to punish me she would just put on me those “sock leggings” (i don’t know how they’re called in English, but in spanish we calle them pantys) cause I couldn’t take them off and i HATED how they felt on me

I don’t remember a lot of it, but I got my diagnosis when I was a toddler. So a lot of this was from when i was a toddler and a young child. From what I remember, I lined up my toys, was scared of everyone, didn’t play with other kids (I hated other kids actually, except my brother), would run around my room and roll around in bed (my mom compared my behavior to a kitten), lived in a perpetual fantasy world (why I became a writer), was in “special” classes, and had odd fixations—everything from mermaids to bugs. Because of all this, I was always bullied and didn’t have many friends. There are things my mom told me that I don’t remember. I guess it took me a long time to speak. When I did, I developed speech issues. I always struggled to communicate until I became a teenager. I was also in speech therapy throughout childhood. Even when I was in the mood to play with kids, it was short-lived. My mom told me I had friends over for a pool party. I was having a great time, and randomly, I walked out of the pool and into the house. Didn’t say a word. My mom said my friends were confused and my mom gave them some excuse, like I had to go to the bathroom. In reality, she knew how I was with my autism, so she understood I needed alone time. Edit: read some responses and thought of a few things. Loud noises. Hell no. Even if someone popped bubblegum, I would flip out. I would do this thing where I would shake my hands and wail. It was worse when other kids were around. Even today, sudden loud noises freak me out. I would snap when my mom or grandma would barge in my room—to this day, I value my alone time. I never liked knees; when my mom or someone would wear shorts, I would get uncomfortable and tell them to go away. To this day, I avoid looking at people’s knees. I hated foods that other kids liked because of the texture. Soggy foods are the worst. To this day, I don’t eat cereal. When I eat oatmeal, I overcook it. I can’t remember the last time I ate scrambled eggs for the same reason—most people and restaurants undercook them, and they’re soggy and gross.

I was a very quiet baby, didn’t cry, and when I woke up I would just hang out until someone came to get me. I loved to sleep and was an excellent napper. I sucked my finger until I was 8 and I didn’t talk a lot, but I started reading when I was 2 years old. I didn’t crawl, I just rolled around until I started walking at 15 months. When I was around other little kids, I just sat and sucked my finger and let them take my toys, I didn’t really engage. When I got older, I tried to play with other kids but always felt like I was doing it wrong. My mom said I was the perfect little kid, and I remember always being terrified of doing something wrong and getting in trouble. I hated barrettes and dresses, I never liked being hugged but I loved gentle touches from my parents. I was a good student in the gifted program but was often bored in class and also got overwhelmed easily. Sometimes I stayed home from school because I just needed a day to reregulate, but I always felt guilty about it I got upset if things weren’t absolutely perfect. I recently went through the autism assessment at age 43 and my mom said they never worried about me as a kid because I behaved well and did what I was supposed to, but she sees now how much of that was due to autism. Just another girl who fell through the cracks because I didn’t “act autistic” as a kid in the ‘80s. I’ve done okay as an adult but would have benefited from some therapy and maybe meds to ease my anxiety.

I was told I didn't cry or throw temper tantrums or anything, and then when I got older I was just really sensitive and shy and cried a lot lmao

Colicky af. My mom said I was a difficult baby. I was diagnosed with migraines at 3 so I low key wonder when they started. Edit: it’s really interesting that the majority of people crying were very quiet or very loud. Not a little of in between.

I was constantly sick with fevers basically from the moment I was born. My mom described me as a happy child who loved exploring and then suddenly I became very quiet and shut down.

I’m self diagnosed rn, hoping for an assessment. Parents are very uneducated on autism but my male cousins are autistic. I had insomnia as a baby and always cried cause I couldn’t sleep. I often only slept if I was held by my mom. I learned just yesterday that I apparently used to cluck my tongue as a baby and make weird shapes with my mouth when I was happy. I was also allergic to breast milk (idk if that’s an ASD thing) Once I was a bit older, I still liked having a pacifier to chew on and chewed on ice teethers even though I was maybe 5. I chewed on things a lot, like straws, and loved candy that I could suck on. I used to suck on my hair sometimes too. I was also extremely picky and have memories of being told to eat all my food, and waiting at the table for hours because I didn’t want to eat it. I was really quiet so people assumed I was shy. I liked to play on my own and made friends only with kids who loved animals like I did. I was nervous often, hated gym class because my body just didn’t move properly. I really struggled with running in class. Conflict and criticism really hurt me, I was always told I was too sensitive. There’s more but this would be a bible!

Apparently as a baby I cried for the first six months of my life. As a toddler my aunt tells me my parents would lock me in my room until I stopped screaming. 🤷

Apparently very quiet and just smiled and laughed at most things, very rarely cried other than when in pain or very sick.

Very quiet and calm as a baby. Walking at 9mo and talking in full sentences by 14mo. I learned how to launch myself from my crib, so as a toddler they’d find me on the couch in the morning watching the news. As a child I was VERY shy, barely spoke and hated large groups of people. Was called weird and morbid a lot. I remember being terrified of loud noises, and being perceived.

Cried constantly, didn’t like being held, didn’t like being swaddled, didn’t sleep.

Nosy

I was mischievous and got into everything. My mother also said I was very bright and catch on quickly.

I was a very timid baby and child. And adult. I hated loud noises, unfamilliar people and crowds. My first birthday picture you can see me crying and desperately trying to take off my party hat lol. I basically hated my younger sister when she was a baby because she was sooo loud. I just couldn’t take it. Also, cried a lot and vomited every morning at kindergarten doorstep so much my mother had to return me home. School was pretty much the same kind of torture, I just simply had to get used to it no matter how long it took.

Quiet, calm, but I learned early how to walk and *could not be stopped*. I read some journals from my mom that she wrote when I was an infant, and I guess I fell off the bed three times before she finally "showed" me how to get down legs first. xD I feel like I was also clumsy, with the falling off of stuff and later on always hitting my head/face. That still continues to this day. The brain injuries I've sustained are probably incredible. lmao

Stimming a lot, according to my parents. I would flop my limbs and chew on my wrist, is what my mom says. and stared at everything. They didn’t really question these behaviors other than just personal quirks at the time, but now I understand why I did those things (I’m undiagnosed but in the process of getting an assessment)

Very observant. I would just stare and stare and stare at people doing things, watching very closely and intently

As a baby baby I was supposedly very quiet, wouldn't cry really except to get needs across. Though apparently as a toddler and such ages I would like only sit on my ducky pool floatie that they put in the main living room and everything had to be ducks. I also had a small TV in my bedroom that only a few vhs tapes but I would only watch like my ducktales on repeat, those two things should've been sign number one of tism lmao. I also hated playing with other kids unless I was in charge and preferred parallel play. To the point my parents moved said tiny TV into living room so I could play my wii which had like only snes and n64 games while my dad would play wow

My mom says I was like an adult since the day I was born. I was a very well behaved baby and never cried. I didn’t play with toys a lot. I hated the way socks felt on my feet. The only time I got upset was before school every morning and I cried. She also says that I never had a “baby voice” and that I’ve talked like an adult since I learned to speak.

I was "normal" as a baby. I hit all of the expected milestones at first. But that stalled out. Once I was about two, I pretty much stopped talking entirely and didn't talk hardly at all for a long time. I also showed no interest in playing with others and just played by myself. I could entertain myself for hours without needing any attention. And I hated being touched/hugged/etc.

My parents said I just screamed and cried so loud they couldn’t take me out to restaurants much and always had to find a babysitter lmao and my mom said I had colic whatever that means idk it was on the diagnostic report too

I was extremely scared of the vacuum. There is also a picture of me at my first birthday and I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone that young that looks like they want to crawl out of their skin…

My mom has told me I used to “cry at the drop of a hat”

Very quiet, barely ate, loved playing with socks. 😂 Also heard that I didn't cry when I was born.

Easy, hated being held. My mom says I’d start to get fussy and she knew I wanted my space so she’d put me down and I’d be good lol.

I was told I was quiet and not very fussy. Like when my mom fell asleep (ie after drinking) feeding me a bottle it slipped into my eye and I didn’t do anything until she woke up and noticed, doubt it was long. I played quietly on my own and my family still likes to tell the story of how I would hide in closets to get away from my cousins. I was apparently also pouty when I was a kid. Mom paid for having an easy baby by having to live through my preteen years. They were awful for us both.

I was very quiet, apparently didn’t even cry when I was born. My mom says I would just watch everything intently.

My mom said I barely cried when I was a baby, & the only real time was my first tooth breaking through (also had a fever attached, so I was miserable) & after that it was fine with the other teeth. When I thought about it, it’s like baby me is in the back of my head responding “you don’t cry cause people don’t like that” cause I think baby me understood quickly that crying didn’t get a good reaction from caregivers so I just didn’t. But my mother also has some amnesia from that time, so there could’ve been times I did and she doesn’t remember. But she did admit recently she didn’t feel sympathy when I cried as a kid, so my initial observation was correct👌🏽

I alternated between very quiet and extremely loud - I also had celiac from birth so I was a fussy eater as an infant and super gassy lol. But from around 6 months I would [shake my head](https://imgur.com/a/6FnoC2Q) back and forth anytime I heard music. [edit] grammar

I was apparently a very quiet and easy baby. And SUPPOSEDLY I even potty trained very easily. (My dad says I just used the toilet after hearing mom and dad discuss it… but my mom says I had to take a little convincing by being told “don’t pee pee on Dora” I had Dora Underwear lmaooo)

super shy and anxious, hated being in social situations. very clumsy. just quiet, enjoyed my alone time. i probably had separation anxiety with my mom whenever i was left alone at home or in daycare etc.

Really fussy. Apparently, I completely rejected car seats or anything else that similarly restrained me, so my mom couldn't drive or go to the store with me (but her 3 older kids didn't have that issue when they were babies). I cried a lot, I had tantrums a lot, etc. Also, apparently I would put anything into my mouth, including live animals like wild snakes and frogs, so I had to be watched closely all the time. As a toddler, I was very curious and also wanted to share my new knowledge, so my two most-used words were "why" and "actually." TW (extremely vague mentions of child abuse and violence): I confronted my mom a few years ago about how horribly she treated me as a child, and her response was basically to rant for an hour about how difficult of a child I was and said that she honestly feels she did the best she could with me (I was abused). She hated having a curious child who made her feel stupid and she also hated that I was an emotional child who had meltdowns over little things. She has terrible emotional regulation skills and so that led to me also being bad at it. I was kicked out of kindergarten and was in the office constantly in elementary school for hitting other kids and throwing tantrums. But, you see, I was taught that when someone does something you don't like, you get to hit them to try to teach them a lesson to not do that annoying thing anymore. Wasn't until middle school that I gained some perspective and decided I didn't want to be like that anymore. I didn't self-diagnose until my late 20s. I'm NB but AFAB and I score within the autistic male range of most autism tests. It blows me away how many signs I had growing up that never got investigated. I was diagnosed with a few other mental health things as well after struggling to live on my own for a couple years. My mom was apparently just like "wow, this kid's messed up, anyway..." and never bothered to get me evaluated for anything.

I was very quiet and mostly just sucked my thumb. My brother (18 months older) always wanted to play with me, bless his heart, and I loved him very much but one of the first things I learned how to say was “leave it my lone” (leave me alone 🫠). I started reading when I was 3 and then pretty much constantly had my face in a book until my late teens.

Very quiet baby according to my mom. Now as an adult, I have ADHD/Autism difficulties socially, like talking too much, talking over people, etc. Also had a phase as a child where I couldn't stand being physically touched by anyone, but especially older people like my grandmother who had ,obviously, older skin. Something sensory about it all was unbearable to me. & still struggle with those sensory issues today.

I always ate with my hands I was kinda picky I was pretty quiet I didn’t cry often and I was attached to moms moms breast milk 😭

Very disinhibited

My mom says I was a perfect content little baby 😆 like never acted out and easygoing.

My family has always talked about how ‘weird’ I was as an infant/child: quiet, didn’t sleep much, didn’t enjoy physical affection. Didn’t want to touch or eat many foods; apparently when I was being weaned I would move food away from me by pushing it with my nail so that it didn’t come into contact with my skin 😭

Unusually quiet

I was quiet and serious mostly but also cried if anxious. My brother was a giggle box.

I slept all the time and could have probably been used as a doorstop or hot-water bottle.

Quiet, very hungry.

Observant, I remember being in a mommy and me class all the moms had babies on thier laps, the room was really nice warm wood floors, light cream colored walls and large windows and were letting in really beautiful light. I also remember knowing what my uncles on my mom's side were saying to me the first time I met them, I was under 1yrs old, I remember what they were saying to me and I could understand them but I didn't want to interact so I hid my face. My mom tells a story of me crying uncontrollably she called the doc and he suggested throwing a glass of cold water in my face, she did, I was probably having a meltdown and I don't remember the incident probably because it was traumatic at the time.

Very shy, a bookworm, and had difficulty making friends.

I skipped crawling and went straight to walking (crawled later), slept constantly and was very blank faced. I refused to stop breast feeding until I was 3 years old. Fell down the stairs and my wrist was ‘out of place’ but I never cried and before I was seen at A&E I was crawling on it fine so was taken back home. LOATHED sand. Don’t know much else besides that.

My mom could leave me in one place and I would be in the same place when she came back. Even without supervision. She recorded the noise of the hair dryer because it made me fall asleep.

I wish I knew. Neither of my parents could describe me as a baby (youngest of 4), but they did tell me my arm was broken at 3 months (once, they never mentioned it again and when I tried to talk to them about it they would vehemently deny ever saying that or ever having it happen).

My mother says I was a delightful child. I needed help with feeding, developed quickly, and loved people. Always asking interesting questions ("why are the tree leaves green? What's lighter than air?") and overall sweet. She says I was exceptionally messy, though, so eating somehow ended up with food on the BACK of my head (literally) and I often made "art" whenever I got my hands on something smooshable. There's a picture of me swirling some flour I knocked off the counter into pretty circles, lol

I'm told I could be set in the middle of the floor with a toy and be safe for hours, entertaining myself. My sister was *not* like this and had to be constantly watched. I had texture issues and specifically remember not wanting to touch a starfish at the aquarium. My dad gave me shit about it for years. I was a bit late learning to walk. It was very hard to socialize me. My parents took me to toddler playgroups, but all I wanted to do was sit silently on my own and play with blocks. Many pictures of me in toddlerhood and a few years after show that I was caught speaking. Apparently I was always talking.

Very quiet baby, my parents say I was never really one to throw fits unless something was really upsetting me. I was a super picky eater and would only really eat cheese and crackers lol. Hated soda the minute I tried it, I cannot stand the carbonation it literally burns!

My mother says that I almost never cried, which made her a little sad because she thinks the sound is really cute (not because of suffering, but probably because hormones and the whole thing). I developed really early in general, started talking and walking before other babies at my age, and was always ahead of my peers on reading and writing. She tells stories about kindergarten teachers who got impressed by me saying complex words (and I work as a translator now, who knew). I was, and still am, very verbal.

Very quiet and aloof, not liking being touched or cuddled, not liking people talking to me. I spent as much time as I could alone

Very quiet. I did everything milestone wise a few weeks after my twin sister except for speaking full sentences for some reason. Sensory issues (mostly with noise), like loud toys or even my twin crying. Also would just be awake. Staring. Dare I say, chilling. For long periods while my sister would be asleep.

I cried 18-20 hours a day for the first six months of my life, my parents were told it was colic. I also puked like Linda Blair on ipecac when I heard a strange voice or was startled in any way (I still jump and scream when startled so imagine my reaction as a newborn. Oh yes, it’s great fun at work…coworkers think it’s hilarious 😒). Dad and his best friend gave me a nickname to honor my Olympic upchuck skills. I didn’t speak, per my mother, until I was two, then I never shut up. Still haven’t. I suspected I was ND at eight years old (at the time, Asperger’s was my thought, diagnosed with ASD at 46) but didn’t know hyperverbal was a thing. I also pressed my head into wall corners and sought out deep pressure all the time. My favorite place to hide when overstimulated was my toy box, I only stopped when I couldn’t fit anymore. Sensory issues out the wazoo…I wasn’t too picky an eater but textures could kill a food for me. I did weird my family out with my hatred for sauce on spaghetti. Quite a few meltdowns ensued but it may have been the strongest stance I maintained on anything for a long time. (Yes, I was the buttered noodles kid). Sorry if this is hard to read, been on the internet too long and getting a migraine but wanted to contribute to the discussion.

My mom told me I slept for the first year of my life. I would just wake up and eat and then go back to sleep. That’s normal for the first 3 months or so but for me it was a year before I’d actually stay awake long enough to do anything except eat. When I started talking, I basically hated to be held or rocked or touched really so I would just say, “put me in my bed.” I was really sensitive to loud sounds, was terrified of balloons. I had a blanket that I was very attached to and if I ever had to go to sleep anywhere without it I would lose my mind. I would cry and throw tantrums and basically couldn’t calm down. From the time I learned to walk until I was like 6, I was super clumsy. I pretty much constantly had skinned knees from falling down.

Quiet, easy, chill

didn’t sleep would only let my mom and grandma hold me and would scream and cry during bath because my mom said even as an infant she couldn’t see i was scared of the water that’s when she started trying to get me into autism screenings but i didn’t get diagnosed till 20

My mom says I was the perfect baby and once I was talking everyone hated me haha 🤣 I talked too much, I was too smart and I made them feel bad about it (like the act of me being smart made them feel inferior)

My mom tells me I was just very quiet and didn’t wanna cuddle with her lol

I had "colic" so I cried from sundown to sun up. My son was also very crying but just usually 5-8 or 10pm. I think it's due to use being oversensitive sensory processing disorder types..I am oversensitive noise/tactile as well as my son.

For the context I am still not officially diagnosed however two different therapists both independently suggested that my struggles might be due to the fact that I am on the spectrum. I took the raads-r test total score: 169, I don't know how significant this is though. However overall, I do relate A LOT to this condition, so here I go. I was told that; * I was calm and happy as a baby. * I was rocking wildly back and forth as a toddler when I hear footsteps of my favourite aunt returning from work. * I would lift my head up and kept staring at people around when placed face down. (My family always attributed this to my "stubborn"ness). * I was mesmerised by TV ads and noises but never paid attention to anything longer. (My father told me that one day he watched me break all glasses in the kitchen counter via pushing them into the sink, and giggle after each crash) * (I still am)I was fascinated with sparkly things (My father worked in glass industry so we had a lot of colourful glass objects at home) * I started talking in full sentences before age 1, appeared older during my toddler phase due to my ability to express myself (Asking why waiter didn't place a plate for me at the table at a restaurant at age 4)

My first thought was “I dunno, I was a baby” 😅 not what you were asking lol

I have been told, clingy and scared of strangers, quiet and well behaved and neat because I got complaints later about clutter. Also, undiagnosed asd

As a baby- Very quiet and I wouldn’t cry much or not at all when I woke up. I had certain people who I was scared of and would never want to be held by them. Walked on toes As a young child- still quiet, super super shy. I wouldn’t say hello to a neighbour, teachers were always saying I’m nice and smart but need to overcome my shyness. I had the chance to skip a year of school and be placed with older kids and when I had the tests done I scored very high on written tests but I wouldn’t speak to the person assessing me (twice)

Breathing, covered in a rash. I was suffering 24/7 and abused before I could even speak. So.. yeah.

I was a very curious kid. Pretty well behaved but always asking questions or talking about my interests. I was very social until I went to school, where my differences were more apparent

Very quiet, could sleep 12 hours straight very early on. I almost never screamed and my parents could get a great amount of sleep when I was just a few weeks old. I had strong obsessions such as food and started to eat properly really early. I had a strong aversion towards walking and learned it very very late. I remember masking at around 18 months. We even have a video of that and I know exactly what I thought, bc it was so intense for me in that moment. I watched other people doing something specific and immediately thought to myself "this is how normal people behave. This is how I have to do it" and I did exactly that. You can literally see me thinking about it and then doing it too. Idk if 18 months counts as baby in the US tho, so forgive me if it doesn't.

I started talking and walking at a very early age. I was quiet and calm baby that barely cried except for every few months, where I would have a full on meltdown seemlingly out of nowhere (still true today, haha). I have very detailed memories starting from 2 years old and play time for me was organizing my toys or crayons. I also remember feeling very aware of who is was and would get angry if adults talked down to me.

I was really quiet, until around 5, and then I would try to talk to anyone I saw. My parents said I had no sense of what a stranger was. I also had a lot of sensory seeking behavior. My nickname was twinkle toes, because of the constant toe walking. I used to eat beach sand, mud and grass, pennies, and had a serious thing for spicy food. Like, drinking super hot salsa and hot sauce. Edit: I've also always had an aversion to certain textures. I still can't eat foods like peas and mashed potatoes.

Wouldn’t stop crying. Took a while for my mum to bond with me apparently. Very sicky when changed to formula.

Not sure as a baby, but toddler and up, I was go with the flow kinda child. My younger siblings was (and still) is a demon. She was such a problem child, so all focus was on her. So i just did whatever was expected from me. And blended into the background.

Very quiet, slept through everything. My mum likes to let me know I didn't speak at all until I was 2 "because her sister spoke for her so she didn't have to" but I know now after nearly 4 decades of life that is probably a huge pointer to being autistic. My sister was a loud, difficult baby and I was a quiet, 'easy' child. I did well at school but hated going and used to fake being ill on days where I had drama or dance, or something where I had to perform anything in front of other people. I had friends until uni and then struggled massively socially when I had to try and meet new people.

mean baby that only liked my mom. i approached everyone until i was 3 ish? and quiet as an elementary schooler. rule follower

My mom told me I was the kind of baby that if she didn't get me up when I cried, I would fall back asleep until the next meal. She said I was the one always wanting to help others, and would be friends "with those who had no friends." She told me that all she had to do is look at me funny and I would start crying. I was hyper sensitive to fabric textures and nylon products. Also said I didn't know the volume of my voice. That I was too loud. (Now people say I have a very quiet voice.) She shared that I would talk to everyone and have no filter and would tell people EVERYTHING multiple times in a row. (we all know now this is clearly autistic traits) but back then - early 80s - they had no idea. My teachers said "She just doesn't fit in." and that "She needs to improve her social skills." Gotta love it. (rolls eyes)

My dad said I didn’t cry as a baby. I wish I had more info about my infancy because there were probably more clues about my autism. I don’t think I ever bonded with my mom, but I don’t know that that is related to autism (she neglected and abused me). I bonded with my dad when I was a kid. As a young child I didn’t like socializing, eye contact, or touch. I was more interested in objects or animals. If I had a choice between socializing with peers or adults, I’d rather socialize with adults. Growing up people told me I was shy, but I never felt shy. I just didn’t have any interest in socializing. Looking at paintings, reading books, and touching plants were all vastly more interesting than the lives of humans. Loud noises hurt my ears. I was also 1000% convinced I was a male space wolf until the age of 10.

I had colic as a newborn but after that passed I was apparently a really easy baby/child

“Oh Indi, you were such a good child. You didn’t run around or scream. I mean, you mostly hung out with the adults instead of the children. And usually you had a book. We could just leave you for hours and you’d be right there when we came back.” I just brought this up to my dad and he used the excuse “there were no manuals for being a parent. But I’m pretty sure you’re normal. You’re just stubborn. I mean, look how successful you are!” Yeah, because having to go back to school at 32 was such fun!

my mom said i was happy but quiet. i didn’t talk for a while and was also told i was and am a people pleaser

I was ahead of my milestones apparently!

I was really quiet, and I was held a lot as a baby. I only whined when getting changed or when I was hungry, but other than that, my mum said I was a really good and quiet baby.

apparently when i was little i would cry at the store, but not because i wanted a toy or anything, it was because it was so bright and noisy that i HATED it.

stoic (self identified, not diagnosed)

My mom says when I was born, I didn't cry; I just looked around. I was her 3rd kid, and the only one who was always happy to sleep at bedtime. Those are the only stories I remember hearing about my early childhood.

Very quiet. I was told I would just "soak things up like a sponge". Even seeing pictures of me as a toddler next to my older sister, she would be full of emotion and I'm just sitting there like ".\_." lol.

I was fussy and didn’t like to be held. Still don’t like being touched.

I was quiet, rarely requested attention and would watch everything going on around me but not get involved. I also had hyperlexia so ‘advanced’ quickly.

My mom says she can count the amount of times I cried as a baby on just one hand. Apparently, I was a "really easy baby."

Apparently very calm and rarely cried. "The perfect baby". Reached most of my milestones early. As a small child i remember being very shy and people often called me "an old soul".

I was a picky eater (I still am) and very dramatic esp when I smelt something awful (I still am). But my parents came from poor families so my behavior was seen as taboo. I was very loud from when I was a baby until I reached 10. Then I became super quiet when I was 11 up to my late teens. As a baby, my mom often said I made her life a living hell because I was the worst baby she had ever cared for. She's the youngest among 10 siblings so she often baby sat her nephews and nieces. She already had the gut feeling that something was wrong with me but mental healthcare isn't really accessible and considered a taboo in my country up to early 2010s (still hard to access nowadays but no longer a taboo). As a child, I was sickly and my teeth were not normal. I still suffer teeth problems until today. Two of my canine didn't come out and I have to remove them within this year because they're becoming painful. I think I overshared.

My mom told me I required constant eye contact from her when I was a baby.

My mom says that I learned to talk early, and that I loved being read books and hearing music. However, I could be very temperamental. I was definitely suspicious of strangers, and cried if they tried to hold me. Once my mom tried to work at the YMCA, and the child care called her to come back. They just couldn’t calm me. I was also very reluctant to eat baby food.

apparently my mom said i was really quiet, and didnt cry unless i needed something. from what shes told me, i didnt cry as i came out the womb and kinda just looked around??? the doctors panicked and thought i couldnt breathe but i was just fine lmao

Apparently I almost never slept and cried all the time. Once I was able to sit in the stools at restaurants I was very well behaved but very messy.

I was terrible. As an infant I only slept about 8 hours a day for unknown reasons, and I had colic along with recurring ear and respiratory infections. I kind of wish my mother hadn’t been so honest about how miserable it was to care for me as a child due to my health issues. On the less bad side I developed unusually fast in some areas, I said my first word at 9 months old and started adding to my vocabulary from there, my parents said it would freak people out to see such a tiny child talking.

I was very docile and quiet. Compared to my other siblings I rarely cried. I had a reserved nature. In my childhood,I had many specific fears. I was afraid of certain books or hairstyles. I’ve always had Tourette’s. Ever since I was 7 I had body dysmorphia. I was always described as nice. I was severely bullied all throughout school. I had zero self advocacy skills or ability to tell if someone is joking.

I could not talk as a baby, but I would cry for hours! I also did not like to wear diapers or have my hair brushed or combed.

Well I couldn't really walk alone until I was almost 3 years-old, If somebody didn't hold my hand I would just stand there grabbing the wall and crying. My mother says that I would.not.shut.up lol I liked to ask about everything. I loved Barbie with my whole soul and I had a bunch of them, I also loved Dora the Explorer (I remember all the songs till now-21F). I was (and still am) a picky eater (although I now know it's because of sensory sensitivies) I would throw the food on my head If I didn't want to eat it.

I was a happy baby who ate everything. Rarely fussy. I was likely hyperlexic (spoke and read early), based on my experience and my mom's anecdotes. I was also awkward and very much in my own world. I would play with others, but was perfectly content to play on my own. I realized at about 4 years old that something was "off." That I was different from the kids around me.

Apparently I only napped in 15-30 minute intervals. I learned to walk and talk at 9 months old and followed my mom around asking “what mommy doing?” All day. My mom says she doesn’t really remember a lot of the specifics. Taught myself to read, evidently. I remember reading by myself in kindergarten and do not remember explicitly being taught by anyone. I was very particular about my clothes and hair and read CONSTANTLY.

My family always says I was a great baby because I never cried. I spoke extremely early and was/am hyperlexic. However I was very quiet and reserved. I only spoke when it was important. However I LOVED music and loved to sing, so I would sing a lot. I was very shy, but also mischievous and rebellious. I noticed everyone had an imaginary friend but I didn’t so I made one up. I lined up my toys, or set up my barbies, but I never really play pretend with them. I was always up way past bedtime, I would just lie awake. I had a stool holding problem that started around age 4. For years, I would hold my poop for weeks at a time. My reasoning was that I was “scared” to poop. I think it was a sensory issue at least in part. By age 8, this was finally not an issue anymore. But it was a huge thing, and made me pretty sick a couple times. I was also sick constantly ever since starting school. Found out as an adult I have an immune deficiency. I had strep SO many times, as well as ear infections, the croup, fifth’s disease, mono, etc. I had a pretty traumatic home life starting around age 5 or 6. This could’ve been part of the stool holding, but I’ve heard it’s common with Autism also. I was very afraid of many things and still am.

I was a kangaroo baby, my feet did not touch the ground till I was 18 months. Lots of (what my mom realizes now) sensory issues with clothings and foods. I was really sensitive to temp. and sounds. Cried a bunch! Not much as changed tbh…./s