4 Early Signs of Autism I Displayed Growing Up But Weren’t Picked Up On

Looking back and realising the autism was there to see, had we known what to look for.

I want an adult-sized version of this outfit

Before I get into the list of the signs please understand the following:

1. This is not an exhaustive list of every autistic ‘sign’ or trait I have/had. There are many, many more and these are just a small selection that have stood out to me recently.
2. Displaying or not displaying any of these traits does not mean you are, or are not, autistic. If this resonates you seek out further information on diagnostic criteria etc. I know you will, no one really diagnoses themselves based on one piece of online content :).

#1 Connecting with, and displaying empathy towards, non-human animals more easily than humans

I recently learned that, as a toddler, my mother worried that I didn’t seem didn’t display empathy in a typical way, and what this what might mean for me. The least negative of all her fears was that I might have autism. Of course, I now know that finding it easier to connect with animals is, while not a sign you’re autistic in itself, definitely not a sign you’re not autistic.