A violent episode when I was in kindergarten

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Hello folks,

I was hardly 4 or 5 when this happened. Apparently, I couldn't write down certain alphabets, so I got mad at the teacher, broke things, screamed ... put simply, it was a mess. My reason for narrating this ... at that time, there wasnt much awareness about autism, so people couldn't relate this episode to AS or anything else. they probably thought a child was getingn angry snd throwing tantrums.

But if such an episode were to happen today, would it be considered a hint that the child is autistic?

Mmm maybe. Today it seems like more parents are rushing their kids to doctors when they misbehave or something because they think they could have a disorder. But I am sure a doctor can tell the difference between if a child has a condition or if they are just normal.

When I was a kid and my mother finally had to leave when I was in kindergarten (I guess they let the mothers stay for a few days or something) the teacher had to restrain me to keep me there and I struggled and hit and kicked him. I hated school from my very first day.

Yes. It was almost our only hint that there was something amiss with my daughter.

She started acting out violently in pre-k. Hitting, throwing fits, spitting. Generally all triggered when another child invaded her "space" or activity OR when forced to change tracks (ie go from blocks to books or something). A couple of times she flat out beat up another kid for not playing "her way". So they kicked her out and I took her to see a psychologist. A few months and a bunch of tests later and this week we were handed the dx of "moderate autistic disorder with no verbal delay" which they said really means aspergers but since aspergers is going away, they are calling it this. So her violent outbursts are really what prompted us to see a professional opinion. Ultimately the doctor said that she has advanced verbal ability (liek that of an 8 year old) and a high IQ and she uses that to mask or make up for her other deficits in some pretty creative and convincing ways. Otherwise, and ultimately, she said my daughter is emotionally and socially on the level of a 2 year old and has sensory issues, narrow focus, basically every symptom.

The other big hint that honestly I might have continued to ignore or just not understand had I not been prompted to read more about autism (and eventually come to understand that I probably have aspergers as well) is how she acts in group settings. She tunes out. Stares at lights. Rocks. Her whole swim lesson pretty much consists of her ignoring everything, covering her ears, and staring at the lights. Sometimes she has a meltdown. I wouldn't have gotten this otherwise because honestly I DONT LIKE IT IN THERE EITHER so I thought her reaction was totally reasonable. I eventaully noticed that other children didn't do this once I learned more, but from my point of view I was like "yeah, that's about how I see it too!"

One episode, probably not, because when you're five you still don't have the self-control necessary to stop from throwing tantrums. But if it were an obvious meltdown, maybe--and certainly if they were repeated meltdowns. The big indicator of it being autism rather than a spoiled child is that an autistic child in a meltdown isn't aware of the people around him, won't monitor how they're responding. An autistic child also generally won't try to manipulate people with his meltdowns. (There have been exceptions, but most of the time that is when an autistic person has gotten spoiled and has tantrums in addition to his meltdowns...) If I were a teacher and a student had a meltdown over the frustration of not being able to write an alphabet, I'd probably make a mental note to watch them in the future, to see whether they had problems with perfectionism in general and meltdowns in particular. And if there were a problem, I'd call up the parents and have a chat--they have the kid all day at home so they're bound to know more about it, maybe know how to help him.

I did not display that sort of behavior often. I did not have enough friends or kids around me to get that upset. But I remember when I was under ten I had a doll I LOVED it was a XUXA doll. I went to the bathroom and when I returned, my friend had cut off her hair. I got so mad. I could not talk, I could not cry all I did was scream and take a hold of my friends hair and head and started bashing it against the floor. I think that was my most violent tantrum. My sister just let me said the girl deserved it later, when my parents asked what happened. I remember screaming. I remember holding her hair. It was like it was the only way I could express how much her hurting my doll HURT me and upset me and how it should not have happened.

I thought the hair is gone, over and over but I am not sure if I said anything.

I remember when I was about 5 in kindergarten I had a favourite easel and one day someone had it I got mad and ripped their painting off the easel.
Another time someone was sitting in my spot on the mat I got behind her and kicked and kicked untill she moved.

Apparently I got violent in kindergarten when it was noisy. The worst story I've heard about myself was when I was kicked out of kindergarten permanently and made to go to a specialist one for kids with behavioural problems - I started throwing objects around and when the teacher tried to stop me, I started screaming and attacked her (by hitting her) with a wooden chair. I broke the chair in the process. The teacher and an assistant had to restrain me because I was so violent and upset.

I do not think i got possessive with seating until the 9th grade. I sat in a specific place during social studies. A. it was away from sun glare from windows and the neon lights, two i could see the board better, three i could hear the teacher better.

This guy in my class took my seat and I grabbed my book bag and hit him with it, until he moved. I was too distressed to just tell him to go.