Do you think your little personality is your true self?

[caitianx]

There seems to be a lot of people with Autism who are adult babies. I don't exactly qualify as an adult baby because I don't wear diapers although I've been told there are adult babies that don't wear diapers, although it would be more unusual. I do have a lot of childlike / childish inclinations and interests. I also have Classic Autism - and also ADHD. I just wonder if being Autistic predisposes people to become adult babies. I've also known of other people who are adult babies (both Autistic and not Autistic) who became that way because they were bullied so much in school from elementary school to high school and even in college or university. I got bullied badly by others most of my life. I never really got along well with people my age (especially in the teen years and college years) because they kept bullying me, and that drove me away from them and actually resulted in me playing with and being friends with young children (although I did have elderly friends like grandparent like figures and old college instructors). I think I might have hung around toddlers and preschoolers too much and that did nothing to help my mind mature. I think bullying can also make victims "regress" and end up becoming more like a child as well. Could there be more Autistic people who are adult babies as a percentage of Autistic people as a whole, because we get bullied so much?? I think the answer may be, sadly, yes. Also, the elderly psychiatrist who diagnosed me with Autism many years ago (he passed away 2 years ago at age 89) mentioned to me that a lot of Autistic people have friends in the age extremes - which means young children or elderly people - because they generally aren't as judgmental and are more accepting at that age. He also told me a reason for that may be because the age extremes are the closest to God you can get. What he meant was that toddlers just came from God, and elderly people are going back to God soon. So they tend to be more understanding, as God is supposed to be more understanding and accepting. And I guess usually developmentally disabled people who function emotionally and socially or intellectually like preschoolers are also like that. Like those with Down Syndrome and those with more moderate Classic Autism like me (more severe than those who have much higher functioning Autism, or what used to be called Asperger's). Considering how I have been bullied all my life, I'm actually quite forgiving, but I think I got bullied too much so it affected my mental health, and social and emotional age.

Do you think Autistic people tend to be more in the adult baby realm because they are bullied? The number of adult babies I see who have Autism is rather alarming. I would say Autistic people make up 1-2% of the world population as a whole, but there is definitely overrepresentation among Autistics in the adult baby community.

I don't wear diapers, but I like children's cartoons, children's clothing that is more traditional like longalls / jon jons, T strap shoes / Mary Janes, pacifiers, kiddie amusement park rides, playing tag, and many other things.

- longallsboy

I have always been infantile and childish as person with Autism.
I never outgrew my love for plushies and children's toys.
I only get along with other elderly adults or young children.
I can not go anywhere without a soft plushie.
I have many soft plushies.
I hug them all day long.
Every Saturday Morning I watch cartoons, despite the fact that the Saturday Morning cartoons got kicked off the old major broadcast networks many years ago.

 

[DannyBBaby]

I'm an adult baby now and I have been one all my life. and I don't see thing changing.

 

[Tangela]

I totally agree!
Adulting is HARD!!!

Well, "adulting" is a very broad concept.

Being an adult is all about being responsible and mature, which simply means not expecting others to solve your problems and making careful decisions to improve your life and the lives of those who depend on you. This is what really matters. Because of the way I was raised, I don't find it that hard.

Now, what I find hard is conforming to the cultural expectations in my area of how an adult should behave and what they should be interested in. I understand everyone is different and people have various interests. I completely accept that some people want to look muscular and have tattoos. Or people want to wear fine clothes to appear mature. Or that some enjoy risky sports and going out to nightclubs, etc. People should do what makes them happy, as long as they're not hurting others. I don't ridicule those people.

But when I, as a heterosexual male, show interest in innocent things, I get ridiculed. That's the problem. For instance, when I do my laundry, I don't hang my footed pajamas alongside my other clothes. I hide them because I know people will ridicule me, even though I'm a perfectly normal adult.

Actually, to be honest, my experience is that the more 'adult' some people try to appear, the less mature they are. People often exhibit what they lack inside, what they truly desire (this is true for ABs too). I know people who look and act like they've stepped straight out of a James Bond film, but can't cook and rely on their mothers to do their laundry.

 

[mistykitty]

Well, "adulting" is a very broad concept.

Being an adult is all about being responsible and mature, which simply means not expecting others to solve your problems and making careful decisions to improve your life and the lives of those who depend on you. This is what really matters. Because of the way I was raised, I don't find it that hard.

Now, what I find hard is conforming to the cultural expectations in my area of how an adult should behave and what they should be interested in. I understand everyone is different and people have various interests. I completely accept that some people want to look muscular and have tattoos. Or people want to wear fine clothes to appear mature. Or that some enjoy risky sports and going out to nightclubs, etc. People should do what makes them happy, as long as they're not hurting others. I don't ridicule those people.

But when I, as a heterosexual male, show interest in innocent things, I get ridiculed. That's the problem. For instance, when I do my laundry, I don't hang my footed pajamas alongside my other clothes. I hide them because I know people will ridicule me, even though I'm a perfectly normal adult.

Actually, to be honest, my experience is that the more 'adult' some people try to appear, the less mature they are. People often exhibit what they lack inside, what they truly desire (this is true for ABs too). I know people who look and act like they've stepped straight out of a James Bond film, but can't cook and rely on their mothers to do their laundry.

Very good points here. I think though what is being refereed to as adulting here is more having to fit in with the expectations based of that age and dealing with the accompanying stresses associated with it. Maybe I'm wrong but that's my best guess. I still see your answer as valid though because your right it can be defined to varying degrees.