for those with autism

[todderhr]

It's my opinion that Asperger's Syndrome is contagious. I'm loaded with it, and both my sons have it. Now my wife seems to be catching it.

From what Ive heard its a recessive gene so it would make sense that there would be varying degrees within a family

 

[AJFan2020]

This! It's like a pressure / hug thing, right? Same for me .....

I’m also on the spectrum and it is like this for me as well.

This is even true of store-bought products such as XL Depend Night Defense for Men.
While (with this particular product) I don’t like the fact that I need to specifically aim down and as on center as possible to avoid completely missing the padding (and limit my urination to medium speed to avoid leaks) I get the same feeling when I wet a disposable diaper.

I think the sensation of being hugged comes from the expansion of the super absorbent polymer when it absorbs liquid combined with the warmth of a recently wet diaper.

I started wearing (and wetting) the Depend off and on just over a month ago (especially at night) on days when urinary symptoms were at their worst. Due to a kidney stone I was experiencing urgency, leaks, and even some full urinary accidents. I just passed the >= 5 mm stone (that originally formed in my left kidney) on Sunday morning and since then I have had no full accidents, but I still have some occasional leaks and some urgency off and on (mostly at night).

During that time I used a total of 14 XL Depend Night Defense for Men and I bought a total of three packages of 12 undergarments. I bought the third package because I was within a week of receiving an extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy procedure and it was expected that I would have a ureteral stent put in at the same time. In the end I was able to avoid both the procedure and the insertion of a stent (which I have read can cause urgency and leaks just like the stone can) by passing the stone just in time.

This leaves me with nearly two packages left to use at some point. I haven’t used any since Sunday. Now that the pain of the kidney stone is gone my embarrassment about the thought of wearing and using diapers is beginning to come back. Even so I have no intention of throwing them out. Given what an effective stress reliever I found them to be especially in the last day or two before the stone passed I will probably use them within the next month or so when my stress returns for any reason.

 

[AJFan2020]

From what Ive heard its a recessive gene so it would make sense that there would be varying degrees within a family

I’ve heard that it’s one or more recessive genes, but I don’t remember all of the details.

Also it can be caused by multiple conditions including (but not limited to) Rhett Syndrome and Fragile X Syndrome.

 

[caitianx]

I love compression garments, leggings, tights. I use to get in trouble as a kid with those…

I am in love with the canvas padded and thumb-less medical restraint mittens I have.
I wear them for hours every day.

 

[caitianx]

I’ve heard that it’s one or more recessive genes, but I don’t remember all of the details.

Also it can be caused by multiple conditions including (but not limited to) Rhett Syndrome and Fragile X Syndrome.

Other than me, I know of others who are dual-diagnosis, Autism and Cerebral Palsy.

 

[slimjiminy]

According to an online test, I tested "likely autistic". I was delayed in my speech at 4 years old. I used to have difficulty looking people in the eye, though this doesn't happen much anymore.

In a high school English assignment, we were tasked with reading a poem and write an essay about it. The poem was written from the view point of an onlooker (an alien perhaps) watching automotive traffic, observing the traffic flow and traffic and signal lights etc. I totally missed that and described the poem quite literally. So I failed that assignment miserably getting just a few marks for effort. I wish I could find that poem today, out of curiosity. Sometimes though, I wonder if I missed that out of lack of interest -- I was not motivated for English (literature) classes.

 

[InconLifer]

I was diagnosed with autism at uni when a therapist I was seeing picked up on certain things and thought I should get it checked out. I guess technically I'm autiHD as it were.

It explained a lot and also why I struggled so much at school and never got the grades I should have (I was above average though so no one ever thought anything was really up).

What I found most interesting was all the stuff about interoceptive awareness (or rather, lack thereof) and executive functioning which I think explains my incontinence issues (well, before they got worse due to another condition). It seems most people grow out of the interoceptive awareness stuff but that never fully happened with me. Prior to my health issues making things worse, I always figured I'd eventually grow out of the incontinence stuff but that never happened. I was a lot better than I was when I was younger (I was still having regular daytime accidents at 17) but it kind of tapered off progress wise.

 

[Edgewater]

According to an online test, I tested "likely autistic". I was delayed in my speech at 4 years old. I used to have difficulty looking people in the eye, though this doesn't happen much anymore.

In a high school English assignment, we were tasked with reading a poem and write an essay about it. The poem was written from the view point of an onlooker (an alien perhaps) watching automotive traffic, observing the traffic flow and traffic and signal lights etc. I totally missed that and described the poem quite literally. So I failed that assignment miserably getting just a few marks for effort. I wish I could find that poem today, out of curiosity. Sometimes though, I wonder if I missed that out of lack of interest -- I was not motivated for English (literature) classes.

From my view point; forcing high school kids to write about the meaning of a poem is pure BS!
Poem formatting is based on a set of rules and if those are not taught prior to assigning such a task, one is left to believe that the English Teacher is playing a very sad game on the kids! Those 'rules' are not provided until 300 level courses!

 

[slimjiminy]

From my view point; forcing high school kids to write about the meaning of a poem is pure BS!
Poem formatting is based on a set of rules and if those are not taught prior to assigning such a task, one is left to believe that the English Teacher is playing a very sad game on the kids! Those 'rules' are not provided until 300 level courses!

After the essay was reviewed, I could immediately see how I missed the point of the poem. Everyone else in the class (as far as I know) "got it". It was embarrassing to me at the time, which is why I still remember this event.

At that time, I was only interested in sciences and technology. I had a narrow focus of interest in those days.

 

[Omg301]

I took some online tests that indicated high likelihood after I started looking into it and so I paid for a psychological assessment out of pocket and the psychologist confirmed both Autism and OCD. My Autism isn't that bad but it definitely has made it difficult in some ways.

 

[claire123]

Who self diagnoses autism? It’s to closely linked with other disorders to be accurate? I’m awaiting my assessment for autism and adhd after first being diagnosed with bpd but meds barely touch any of the “symptoms” so they are looking further into everything.

 

[Omg301]

Who self diagnoses autism? It’s to closely linked with other disorders to be accurate? I’m awaiting my assessment for autism and adhd after first being diagnosed with bpd but meds barely touch any of the “symptoms” so they are looking further into everything.

Some people don't have the money for assessments or their provider (like mine) doesn't do them for adults. My provider is crap with mental health in general. I know in my case, I needed the closure to help understand myself better and it did help a bit.

 

[claire123]

Some people don't have the money for assessments or their provider (like mine) doesn't do them for adults. My provider is crap with mental health in general. I know in my case, I needed the closure to help understand myself better and it did help a bit.

I guess that’s fair, I just didn’t understand why at first but it does make sense putting it like that, did you do a lot of research into it and stuff?

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

The biggest issues of autism in adults are:

• Adults were mostly assumed to have "outgrown it" by the time they reached adulthood...or, more simply, it was assumed that 18-plus meant it was nobody else's problem and "best of luck, Pal";
• Back when older adults of this era were kids, there was a notion that autism was rarer than today and thus screening was hard to find or deemed unnecessary;
• To this day, clinicians care more about diagnosing autism in kids than they do about anyone over 18. Getting diagnosed with autism as an adult, if even possible in various regions, is hard so if you have it and are told to get tested, you take what you can get...because there's a lot of doors in the way...mostly locked.

It's a hard reality for those of us in this era between the emergence of autism awareness and universal accommodation. We're caught in the gap, forced to make do.

 

[PaigeCherubiel]

When I took Health class in 8th grade, they still used the phrase "Childhood Schizophrenia" for Autism.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

When I took Health class in 8th grade, they still used the phrase "Childhood Schizophrenia" for Autism.

So much for "the good ol' days"...

 

[ShippoFox]

It's very likely that I have it (self-diagnosed). I was supposed to be evaluated for it when I was little, but that never happened. I was constantly bullied in a million ways. And now I know people who have autism (diagnosed) that're doing better than me at many things. If I'm not autistic, then I have other things that make it seem like I do.

 

[Omg301]

I guess that’s fair, I just didn’t understand why at first but it does make sense putting it like that, did you do a lot of research into it and stuff?

Do you think I'm crazy for wanting to look into why I am different? Yes, and I talked with friends and I did it to explore why I am how I am. Does it make me any less autistic if I was diagnosed as an adult vs as a child? Do you think it's harmful that I would want to verify if I am Autistic? I see it as a benefit. It helps me understand why I am how I am. It's not a negative at all like some like to think. It's okay... I feel a lot of animosity right now and I can't handle it right now, not now.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

Do you think I'm crazy for wanting to look into why I am different? Yes, and I talked with friends and I did it to explore why I am how I am. Does it make me any less autistic if I was diagnosed as an adult vs as a child? Do you think it's harmful that I would want to verify if I am Autistic? I see it as a benefit. It helps me understand why I am how I am. It's not a negative at all like some like to think. It's okay... I feel a lot of animosity right now and I can't handle it right now, not now.

Don't you feel bad about it one bit! You are entitled to verify it! It's your body, your mind, your life...if it helps you understand, cope and navigate through it, there's nothing wrong with it at all. No wise person would fault you if you broke your leg and wanted to find out of you really did...you owe nobody any explanation or justification as to why you want to verify your autism. It makes you no more or less autistic whether you do or don't. I went 50 years undiagnosed with my own experience...it was the deepest, darkest mystery, the details of which were fully answered when I learned.

I'm on your side, 100%.

 

[Edgewater]

The only individuals that I believe that are truly crazy are those that 'want' to be diagnosed Autistic as they believe that it will give them some kind of weapon to use to get their way - whatever that maybe! Yea, I know it sounds truly sick, but they are out there!

Autism cuts deep within my extended family on my Father's side and such game players, strike a sour note with me.

Your honest want to know, I fully understand!