10 Autistic Childhood Traits That Confused You Then, But Make Total Sense Now

Saturday, October 26, 2024.

Ever look back on your childhood and think, "Ah, that's why I did that"?

If you’re on the autism spectrum, those quirks and habits that puzzled everyone—maybe even you—might finally be adding up.

Now that you’ve got a name for them, those past experiences suddenly seem... well, less "weird" and more "uniquely you."

Let’s take a fun, hopeful stroll down memory lane with these 10 traits that baffled others back then but make perfect sense now, all backed by science.

The Routine Lover: Change Wasn’t Your Friend, and That’s OK

Remember how you clung to routines like they were a lifeline?

Maybe your parents thought you were just being stubborn, but really, you were just trying to survive in a world full of surprises.

Research shows that many autistic folks use routines as a way to manage anxiety and create a sense of stability (Wood & Gadow, 2010). Routine isn’t just comfort—it's a tool for managing sensory overload.

Social Situations = Level 10 Boss Fight

School assemblies, birthday parties, and any event with more than three people felt like a video game where you missed the tutorial.

Everyone seemed to know the rules—except you.

Studies have found that autistic children often experience heightened anxiety in social situations due to difficulties in interpreting social cues (White, Oswald, Ollendick, & Scahill, 2009).

It turns out, your brain was just working overtime trying to decode what others seemed to do effortlessly.

Alone Time Wasn’t Loneliness, It Was Freaking Bliss!

While other kids begged for playdates and sleepovers, you were thrilled with a solo afternoon building a Lego empire or diving into your favorite book series.

As a kid, it might have made you feel a little... antisocial.

But now you know: alone time wasn’t about avoiding people; it was about recharging. Research supports that autistic folks often need time alone to decompress from social interactions (Mazurek, 2014).

Your quiet time was basically self-care before it became trendy.

Frequent "Mystery" Illnesses: Your Body’s Way of Saying ‘Too Much!’

Ever find yourself in the nurse’s office with a stomachache or headache that had no real explanation?

Research indicates that autistic children often experience somatic symptoms—like headaches or stomachaches—related to stress or sensory overload (Ghanizadeh, 2008).

Back then, it was frustrating—why did your body always seem to be in rebellion? Now you understand that those mystery ailments were just your way of saying, "This is too much, universe!"

Birthday Party Puzzles: So Many Rules, So Little Sense

As a kid, birthday parties could feel like some strange ritual.

Everyone else seemed to have a script, but you might have been wondering if there was a manual you missed.

Studies on social communication challenges in autism show that understanding unspoken social norms can be especially challenging (Baron-Cohen, 2000).

Now, you see those parties for what they were: a complex tangle of sensory overload and unspoken rules.

Picky Eater? More Like ‘Texture Connoisseur’

Maybe you had a rotation of three acceptable foods, and the idea of trying a new one was like bungee jumping without a harness.

Sensory processing issues are common in autism, often affecting how different textures and flavors are experienced (Cermak, Curtin, & Bandini, 2010).

Now you understand that it wasn’t about stubbornness; it was about keeping your taste buds safe from the horrors of slimy spaghetti or the dreaded mixed-vegetable medley.

Navigating Friendships: It Was Complicated (and Still Kind of Is)

Making friends might have felt like navigating a labyrinth, where everyone else had a map and you were guessing.

Research by Bauminger et al. (2008) highlights that autistic children often have difficulty interpreting social signals, making peer interactions challenging.

It wasn’t that you didn’t want friends—it’s just that social interactions were like a board game where no one explained the rules to you.

Organizing Everything: Not Obsessive, Just Passionate

If your toys, books, or collections had to be arranged just so, welcome to the club.

Back then, your perfectly aligned toy cars might have seemed like a peculiar habit.

Research shows that many autistic folks engage in repetitive behaviors as a way to create predictability (South, Ozonoff, & McMahon, 2005).

Now, you recognize that creating order in your little corner of the universe was your way of managing the unpredictable. Besides, who wouldn’t love a perfectly color-coded bookshelf?

Visual Learner, Auditory Confuser

In class, it might have felt like lectures went in one ear and out the other, while diagrams or pictures made everything click.

Autistic kids often show a preference for visual learning, which can make abstract or verbal instructions more difficult to follow (Williams, Goldstein, & Minshew, 2006).

Now, you realize that your brain is wired for visuals—and no, it doesn’t make you any less smart.

Bonding with Teachers, Not Classmates: The Adult Whisperer

While your classmates were busy trading Pokémon cards, you might have preferred chatting with the school librarian or your teacher.

Adults seemed easier to understand—no confusing social games, just straightforward conversations.

Research suggests that many autistic children feel more comfortable with structured adult interactions (Kamps et al., 1994). And hey, that ability to connect with people of all ages has probably turned out to be a superpower.

Final Thoughts

Looking back, it’s clear that those childhood quirks were just your brain doing its best to navigate a world that didn’t always make sense.

Now, with a better understanding of yourself, you can look back at those moments with a little more compassion (and maybe a smile).

If you’ve got some childhood quirks that make more sense now, share them in the comments—because you’re not alone, and there’s a whole community out there who gets it!

Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed.

REFERENCES:

Baron-Cohen, S. (2000). Theory of mind and autism: A fifteen year review. Understanding Other Minds: Perspectives from Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 2, 3-20.

Bauminger, N., Solomon, M., & Rogers, S. J. (2008). Predicting friendship quality in autism spectrum disorders and typical development. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(7), 1281-1291.

Cermak, S. A., Curtin, C., & Bandini, L. G. (2010). Food selectivity and sensory sensitivity in children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 110(2), 238-246.

Ghanizadeh, A. (2008). Co-occurrence of tic disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a review. Journal of Attention Disorders, 12(5), 462-473.

Kamps, D. M., Leonard, B. R., Vernon, S., Dugan, E. P., & Delquadri, J. (1994). Teaching social skills to students with autism to increase peer interactions in an integrated first-grade classroom. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27(1), 49-61.

Mazurek, M. O. (2014). Loneliness, friendship, and well-being in adults with autism spectrum disorders. Autism, 18(3), 223-232.

South, M., Ozonoff, S., & McMahon, W. M. (2005). Repetitive behavior profiles in Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 35(2), 145-158.

White, S. W., Oswald, D., Ollendick, T., & Scahill, L. (2009). Anxiety in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Clinical Psychology Review, 29(3), 216-229.

Williams, D. L., Goldstein, G., & Minshew, N. J. (2006). Neuropsychologic functioning in children with autism: Further evidence for disordered complex information-processing. Child Neuropsychology, 12(4-5), 279-298.

Wood, J. J., & Gadow, K. D. (2010). Exploring the nature and function of anxiety in youth with autism spectrum disorders. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 17(4), 281-292.