It's been awhile... How many still remember me?

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Wow! I think it's been around five years or so since I've posted on here. If you go back through the history of this site I was an early and voracious poster here since the launch of wrongplanet coincided with my own discovery of my autism and I was looking for an outlet since I was 24 at the time and I had A LOT to come to terms with, but the summer of 2004 for me was probably the most magical time I've ever experienced. I honestly felt like I had been born again. With out that discovery, I don't think I could have made it through college.

After my move from Wisconsin to Wyoming and then to Iowa life got really busy for me and I really didn't have the mental energy to do social media on a daily basis. One thing I've learned in the intervening 12 years is that I need to keep my life as simple and uncomplicated as possible or I find myself quickly getting overwhelmed and sinking into depression. Despite my challenges, I've survived and I'm currently on the verge of achieving a small level of financial security.

Anyway my return here is for much personal reasons... Last summer I had a first cousin once removed who was diagnosed on the spectrum and in talking with his parents over thanksgiving since they both knew I was on the spectrum also, I found it eerie how much parallel there was with his life and mine in terms of what we've been through and how we both experience being on the spectrum. Needless to say I found myself being a go to for advice on all things autism and I've been more than happy to oblige since I don't want his parents making the same mistakes mine made with me. I've also taken some time to reflect again on my life and I've learned a lot of new things about myself that I wasn't aware of in the past. I've also taken to vlogging on youtube. If any of you have an idea for a vlog, I'd be happy to make a video from my perspective.

I remember you.

Sorry. Dont remember you.

I joined about the same time you stopped posting in Aug. 2011.

No posts for nearly five years, and you're still a Moderator.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

(Who watches the watchers?)

That is an error that's never been fixed and a long story.

Only been here since 2/2014.

You must have been a memorable poster.

I joined and found out I was on the spectrum in 2013 so I do not remember you. I am struck by the similaraties of experiences. You had good years and bad years I have had good periods and bad periods. We both had rough 2nd grade and Jr. High school as middle school was called back then. I was in 2nd grade in 1964-1965, that was the height of the "refrigerator mother" era of Autism history. There was no legal requirement to educate everyone and my public school district as was not uncommon then had no special education. So after 2nd grade my school told my parents we can not get through to him, homeschool him or find a private school, another words I was thrown out. My parents did find a Jewish private school where the head rabbi said we will work with anybody. I did see a proffessional then. If a half century ago so if a diagnosis was given it has been forgotten. By 5th grade I was back in public school. The next psychiatrist I would see is the one who would diagnose me in 2013. There was a huge stigma about seeking proffessional help then especially for guys. Looking into oneself was a considered a female thing or something rich people with too much time on thier hands did. The world moved away from those attitudes, I did not. As Aspergers and Autism became more public in the late 1990's and 2000's it did occur to me that I might have Aspergers/Autism. No lightbulb went off, it never became more than a mild curoisity. I hit a long sustained bad period starting in 2005. This led to sibling interventioin, diagnoses, and many I am reading about me moments.

While I ceratainly wish I had not waited until age 55 to get diagnosed I am very greatful I was not diagnosed with Autism back in the 1960's. As with all "mental defectives" I would have been institutionalized for life and would probably not be alive to post here. Even if I did somehow survive I would be in no shape to post here.

The trend I had in grade school was the odd numbered years for me were the good years and the even years were the bad years, and even then good years had a lot of rough patches. The summer before second grade was the most trying period of time in my life as my parents put me into a new summer daycare with older kids that was lead by people who unprepared to deal with me. I totally regressed and I started self-injuring during meltdowns which resulted in CPS investigating my parents. This carried over into second grade where I had an old-school teacher who didn't know how to deal with me also. I was given a full work up by school district psychs who classified me as EBD and recommended me for special education.

Now this was during the EHA era before ADA/IDEA which for meant going to a new school that was just for kids with disabilities. My parents were put under a lot of pressure to do this - my school was taking phone calls and letters from other parents who wanted to know why I was with their kids. They wanted to see the place before they signed off and when they got a tour, my mom told me that the place was circus with kids running around screaming a crying everywhere. They flat out said NO and so I never went.

I can look back at this now and thank my parents for not doing this as my life would have turned out much different had they said yes.