Aspergers/Autism and feeling child-like

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Have you ever felt like your brain has not matured and possibly felt like your still in your childlike state? Like when I stim (one of my stims is rocking, a lot), or having trouble making friends (I have social skills of a 3 year old). I'm very independent, but at times I feel like I'm still a child and can feel a bit ashamed of myself. Have you ever felt the same?

YES!

Yes, it's very common! do not feel ashamed!

Yes!!

I am Neurotypical (as far as i know) and have never grown out of my inner child

Actually bumble was a childhood nickname I was given by my father. I was a clumsy child who bumbled around a lot!

i never really have known what it is like to be an adult, other than superficial things like no longer being under the care of parents who have long since passed from the scene. even now, i feel like a child adrift, a child with elderly aches and pains and accumulating addlements. a child beseiged with adult world requirements but none of the privileges of adulthood effectively within my reach, for various reasons.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqcaG7jcy4w.[/youtube]

Yep. I thought about this today after I watched this vid. (The part is @ 4:40.)

YES

No offence, bumble, but when NTs say things like that it really gets on my nerves. It's like they're trying to say they can identify with us or they're somehow the same.

It's not about having an "inner child" that you revert to now and again whenever you feel like being playful. If NTs think that's what it means to be autistic, they have no idea.

My mum says that to me all the time, and I'm like:

Aspie childishness is about half of your brain never having developed beyond a certain age, and struggling to function in an adult world. That's why it's called a "developmental disorder."

This little guy explains it in the most clear, concise way I am yet to encounter, without the need for all those long-winded technical books. He just makes up some clear diagrams.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbgUjmeC-4o[/youtube]

A number of people have told me they wished I would grow up, but I'm more comfortable in a child like state, and it's more functional for me to stay that way, since other things don't work.

I was thinking about my mind and my maturity lately and I came up with this

It feels like I have 4 minds, one mind is a 5 year old boy, he is the part of me that wants to run up to a puddle and put my hands in it, he is fascinated with many things as if he's never seen them before, sees patterns in things and counts as if counting is new to him (look mum 4 this thing has 4 lines on it, that's an even number) and is emotionally weak, overly compassionate about certain things (omg people kill animals? that's where meat comes from?!?) and apathetic about others.

One mind is a 14 year old, he is the one who thinks things like "mortgage? taxes?" no thanks I would rather go to the field with a few beers and my friends.

One mind is my actual age right now 23, I think that's the part of me that's worried I'm not living my life very well right now, the part of me that wants to get a partner, get a job I can bear and move out of my parents house, it's the part of me that feels embarrassed about things caused by the other parts and the most nt part of me.

One mind is a senior citizen who is very clever, very mature and likes to philosophise all day and learn new things.


And the problem with connecting with other people is that if I speak to someone who is one of those ages, that part of me could be satisfied but the others won't be so really I need someone with all 4 minds too.

Last edited by manlyadam on 31 Mar 2011, 3:57 am, edited 1 time in total.

I'm married with kids and a job (which I'm useless at) yet I always feel like the child around adults even adults 10 years younger than me, I wonder if we appear as immature as we feel.

I thought I had it all sorted from watching the video I posted. There are only two people inside my head.

Now Manlyadam has just broken the bad news to me: there are five.

I don't even understand what it's supposed to mean to "feel childlike". (Or adultlike.) I've never known what it means to "feel like" you're a certain age, and find it confusing that so many people do act like they know what it means.

Yes. I feel that way. I feel like a 9 year old living inside the body of a 36 year old. Why a 9 year old child? That was my magic age. That was the age that I had perfect bowel control for the first time. That was the age thar I saw a computer for the first time. That was the age that I started watching The Olympics. That was also the age that I became interested in music.

im stil a child so i don't have to feel bad about this yay