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Clam
Emu Egg
Joined: Jul 08, 2008
Posts: 2
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 Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 1:20 pm Post subject: Are these signs of mild autism? |
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I have a strong sensitivity to certain repetitive noises (gum popping, snoring, things like that). They have bothered me for as long as I can remember to the point that I get angry (for lack of a better descriptive word) when I hear them more than once. I cannot function once I hear a person smacking or popping gum. I can hear it above all other noise from 50 feet away in a crowded, noisy room, or on a bus or plane, etc. And don't even get me started on base noises - especially coming from cars. If I'm stuck in traffic and can't get away from that noise, I get angry/impatient/panicked. My husband and I sleep on separate floors of the house because ear plugs do not block out snoring enough for me to sleep.
Always been artistic/musical. I have worked as a graphic designer for 16 years successfully. Played piano as a kid (did not learn to read the music - just picked out the songs - got me in trouble with my teacher). I love music. It's emotional for me (even the sad stuff is great!)
I dislike any social situation that involves more than 4 or 5 people. Even my own family. I dread Christmas and Thanksgiving for this reason. I usually try to plan a trip out of town to avoid it. I have 1 brother and 1 sister who both have spouses and kids and I don't like to be around them all at once. It's nothing personal, I just have a physical dread of it.
I was extremely introverted as a child. I normally played by myself and I learned to read at an early age which was a godsend for me. I read a lot.
I did not like school at all (I skipped half of my junior and senior year) but scored high on any standardized tests as well as normal subject tests in school. I went to art school on a scholarship but couldn't even finish that. I procrastinate to the point of harming my relationships, both personal and professional, but can/will do things when it's down to the wire.
Does any of this match mild autism? Or am I just neurotic? I have had strong issues with family/friends because I won't join certain settings and they take it personally. And it's not them, it's the situation. It's creating more problems as I get older because I used to go and suffer through it but I won't do that any more. What I would like to do most in life is stay at home with my dogs reading a book without anyone around. It's a miracle I got married (and even more of a miracle that I've stayed married for 4 years now  ). |
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Tim_Tex
WP's Resident Simpsons and South Park Aficionado
Joined: Jul 03, 2004
Age: 28
Posts: 20905
Location: Central Texas
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| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 1:21 pm Post subject: |
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Welcome to WP!
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Tails
Sea Gull
Joined: Nov 01, 2005
Age: 23
Posts: 229
Location: Planet Mobius?
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| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 1:33 pm Post subject: |
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While I can't give you a solid answer on the Autism thing, I have to say that, from my own personal experience, it sounds like you might be experiencing sensory integration dysfunction. For example, it seems like you might have difficulty processing certain auditory stimuli, which has resulting in a hypersensitivity to noise and a difficulty in audio-filtering.
Your introverted nature and dislike of crowds/crowded situations also match with a sensory integration dysfunction profile. SID and Autism often cross over and blur into each other, but it's quite possible to have a lone diagnosis of SID without Autism (bearing in mind that Autism is technically a Social-Communicative disorder which often presents with sensory problems but can exist without).
Hope that helps! (I have SID/Scotopic Light Sensitivity and a diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome, myself, but feel a great deal of my problems come down to the SID rather than the Autism).
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penny07960
Snowy Owl
Joined: Jun 10, 2008
Age: 44
Posts: 154
Location: US - right coast
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| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:00 pm Post subject: Re: Are these signs of mild autism? |
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| Clam wrote: | | Does any of this match mild autism? |
Clam,
I have no idea! I have a few of the same fears/discomforts, but am also quite different in other ways.
For example, I find truly repetitive noises (e.g., some electronic music, ‘techno’) soothing. It is like an audible form of stimming. It releases tension throughout my body.
It is a-periodic/quasi-periodic noises, those that repeat but in a non-deterministic fashion, that drive me crazy. Snoring is an example. The sound of someone walking up the steps bothers me; if they hesitate I hold my breath waiting for the next step. The randomness forces me to focus on it – and that is very annoying. It is like being forced to perform some menial task like sorting a deck of cards.
Procrastination is my middle name! I see it as related to the previous issue: if something is dull and requires my attention I will find any excuse to avoid it. Paying bills and filling out forms are painful. Doing the laundry is okay, I can read while it washes or dries. Folding the laundry is painful; it is dull, yet requires my attention.
Like you I was introverted as a child; in many ways I still am. (Introverted, not a child.) 
To me school sucked (it was dull, yet demanded my attention) until High School. Then I took geometry and things started to change. I went from being a “C” student to being an “A” student in three years. I loved chemistry, physics, and most math; 'probability theory' was my Waterloo, I just could not get it. Physics seemed so easy and intuitive that I majored in it in college. (It gets a lot harder and less intuitive in later years, but early on it seemed like an extension of common sense.)
In contrast, I have zero musical or artistic talents. I don’t mind attending holiday meals with my immediate family. I have even done some ‘public speaking’ (impossible when I was a kid) without too much trauma.
Are these symptoms of autism/aspergers? I don’t know, but in some cases (e.g., 'physical intuition') it corresponds well to SBC's "folk physics".
I do believe that AS can take many different forms. There are varying degrees of sociability, compulsiveness, and intensity of interests. Two people can both be AS, yet very different.
Penny |
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Clam
Emu Egg
Joined: Jul 08, 2008
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 5:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Thank you Tails. I'll do a little more research on the sound sensitivity. I've always worried that maybe it's narcissistic to think I might have a physical reason for my reaction to certain sounds but maybe it's not. All I know is I can't get away from some of them quickly enough! |
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Tails
Sea Gull
Joined: Nov 01, 2005
Age: 23
Posts: 229
Location: Planet Mobius?
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| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 5:41 pm Post subject: |
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There is a difference between being irritated by a sound (this can happen to NT people just as much) and actually experiencing physical discomfort from the sound. If you're experiencing the latter (i.e. either experiencing pain, or disproportionate stress/anxiety, reduced ability to focus and/or use your other senses etc) then it's certainly worth investigating whether you may have an actual difficulty with filtering and/or processing auditory information It may not be that at all, but I believe it's worth checking out.
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Jayman
Sea Gull
Joined: May 26, 2008
Posts: 200
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| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 8:51 pm Post subject: |
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| This describes me. Repetitive mechanical sounds like those made by an oscilloscope are very soothing. Things like lisps or chewing noises make me cringe. |
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2ukenkerl
Phoenix
Joined: Jul 20, 2007
Posts: 4623
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| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 8:57 pm Post subject: |
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Clam,
You COULD very well be autistic, or asperger. You sound a bit like I am. |
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ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo
Phoenix
Joined: Jun 19, 2008
Posts: 1201
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| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 12:07 am Post subject: |
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I absolutely cannot stand the sound of loud snores to this day. Lighter snores are somewhat irritating but the louder the snore the more it annoys me.
When I was a kid I was terrified of balloons because I was sensitive to the loud noise they made when they popped. I was also aware that sometimes the balloons were louder than other times and not knowing when the balloon would abruptly pop or how loud it would be made me worse. |
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penny07960
Snowy Owl
Joined: Jun 10, 2008
Age: 44
Posts: 154
Location: US - right coast
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| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 7:56 pm Post subject: |
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| ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo wrote: | | When I was a kid I was terrified of balloons ... not knowing when the balloon would abruptly pop ... |
That made me think back 40 years! I hated the damned Jack-In-The-Box toy that my aunt gave me. The tension that would build in my chest waiting for the bloody thing to pop out of its box was worse than a trip to the dentist. To this day I do not like surprises. |
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gamefreak
Guns are good but swords are even better
Joined: Dec 31, 2006
Age: 18
Posts: 1146
Location: Spring Hill, Florida
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| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 8:19 pm Post subject: |
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Altough you can talk you might have these issues ?
1. Shyness
2. Tantrums even when your a teenager
3. Short Temper
4. Fascination with certains studies, and objects
5. In ways of conversation some could act like 40-Year Olds even though they are 15.
6. Order and structure
7. Stimming
8. A voice that carries. |
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Angnix
Deinonychus
Joined: Nov 02, 2007
Age: 26
Posts: 386
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| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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| gamefreak wrote: | Altough you can talk you might have these issues ?
1. Shyness
2. Tantrums even when your a teenager
3. Short Temper
4. Fascination with certains studies, and objects
5. In ways of conversation some could act like 40-Year Olds even though they are 15.
6. Order and structure
7. Stimming
8. A voice that carries. |
You might want to include social problems that go beyond shyness, like difficulty making friends. Some of that stuff can still be caused by things such as mental and mood disorders, because I have those sorts of issues even though I have all the issues on above list, still not sure. But if you do have those issues, see an expert to help you sort it out.
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