A Developmental Delay and Autism
Looking like a five-year-old and being on the autism spectrum causes big problems when you are in sixth grade. I think very concretely and have difficulty understanding other people’s emotions. My autism spectrum disorder causes a developmental delay but I have a genius-level IQ.
My interests were less in make-up and boys and more in pretend play with my kitchen set, toy cash register, mini-brand foods, stuffed animals, and other toys. Every day I carried a different stuffed animal around with me wherever I went. If I didn’t have one in my arms, I would panic.
The other kids in my class had more sophisticated senses of humor, but I still thought jokes about poop and pee were funny. At home, I would still have meltdowns and throw major temper tantrums when I got too overwhelmed and didn’t know how to regulate myself.