Autism Assessment - Part 7

I know this is a fine line between an autistic trait and a characteristic of the startle reflex caused by my CP, but I don’t like sudden loud noises. If you put my CP aside for a few minutes, and I know this may sound ridiculous, but my autistic side says loud noises hurt my ears. If noises are really loud, I can cry because they’re too loud and my sensitive ears can’t handle them. This is one of the reasons why I don’t like thunder or fireworks. The build-up to loud bangs of thunder or fireworks is helpful so I can prepare myself for the “big one”. That’s partly why I quite like the fizzing fireworks.

Another thing that my mum mentioned to the woman on the phone was my need for details. Don’t ask me why, but I like to know details about things going on around me. I like to know what time someone is coming so that I can be ready for them. If I need to do a particular thing at a set time, it bothers me if I can’t do it then, and sometimes I won’t do that task if it’s too late after the time I was supposed to do it. I also won’t start something if there’s a chance that it will be interrupted. I like to be on time for appointments and events, and I think this part of my OCD stems from not having the ability to sort myself out, so that I was on time as a child because of my CP. Since I’ve been living in my own flat, I have always tried to be ready to be picked up at the time specified. Depending on each of my carer’s familiarity with my routine, I am usually ready on time. My mum said that I can overshare details sometimes too.

We also discussed my need for completion. More often than not, if I start doing or saying something, I find it very difficult to stop mid-way through. For example, if I am saying something and I am interrupted halfway through the sentence, I find it incredibly difficult to stop saying the sentence. When I am writing, I cannot stop halfway through a sentence; I have to finish it before I can take a break. The same goes for other people finishing their sentences when they’re talking to me. I don’t like it when they don’t finish their sentences.

We also spoke about how I don’t like bright lights. I told the assessor that I wait until I am struggling to see before I put my light on. Sometimes, I just sit with my lamp on because the main light is too bright for me. I wish my lights had dimmer switches. Small lights in my bedroom at night also bother me; I wasn’t sure why this was relevant, but apparently, it wouldn’t bother most people.

Come back tomorrow to continue…