Mamacita dear friend sorries this is an off the track coment .I was just told by Colleen to contact you guys .I was travelling to Hospital this morning and a guy got on the train and squeezed his fat bum between the 2 of us very little room left .I asked can you stop sitting on me and pushing I cant move any where . I am also autistic and he started abusing me and when I said you are discriminating me as a disabled person .told to get off my high horse and to live as an ablebodied person and or you should wear a label seeing you are invisble disabled person and autistic just like the jews were made to do in the ww2 and in Nazi Germany Welcome to fascist Australia and no cares about each other and the supposed bullshit of mate ship has gone .Its alright to abuse a disabled person nowadays and he told to take my head out of my arse .my final reply why don't you try and live in this world as an autistic and see how you like it .I am sadly so bloody angry and upset and triggered and hate this world so much I would rather die again than continue .

I'm glad that the school principal was an advocate for you. School experiences can be very traumatic for children on the spectrum. Our child was identified as gifted in the first grade, and transferred to the gifted magnet school. His homeroom teacher didn't think children with IEPs should be included there, and she would note all his homework was in, and he was doing fine on her notes to parents. I got notice that he had to leave the program because the majority of his homework was never handed in, he'd do his math work in pen, and didn't show his work on math problems. She'd falsified his records so she could expel him for his grades. Later we got a math tutor to teach him to show his work. He'd been doing it in his head. One teacher called him stupid, and a pinhead. There was a black student in his class that was also verbally abused in front of the other kids. By the end of a bad day he'd want to be in a room in the basement (school) wrapped in his coat. He was no behavioral problem. It was ugly, but he was too important, and I wouldn't let them just transfer him to some ED room. He went to college, he attended advanced placement classes. It was up to the teachers, and once he was put in their classes, they thought he was wonderful. He went through four years of French, but hated having to speak it in class. A tech teacher thought he'd be interested in drafting, and signed him up. He was amazing with his visual spatial skills, and it lead to him taking an interest in architecture. He now works for a company, and is in charge of computer programing, and inventory control. Many people who are searching for information that may identify them as "in the spectrum" should be aware of how they were treated in school. Unfortunately, it was a nightmare for so many kids because staff thought they were a bit odd, and policies were not in place to remove bad teachers.
I hope that adults who gain insight into their differences with experiencing being on the spectrum can volunteer to speak at schools about their good, or bad experiences. This would help so many students who can't explain things like how the noise in a school assembly is torture.

How fortunate to be "seen" by others in a supportive, positive way! And recognized for your strenths as benefits, instead of obstacles!

Unfortunately, my life experience, at least as I remember it, and focus on it, is a series of attempts, goals identified, sought, pursued, and disappointment - frequently undermined by others (always females) - whom I've been told in therapy were most likely jealous of my capabilities. Maybe so, but that sure doesn't help me or my efforts at success!

I'm still intrigued by the many ways autism can manifest in adults, and have not yet come to any way to determine if it describes me and/or my sister, so that at least I might be able to make some sense and peace with my life experiences, at least insofar as autism may impact them.

I hope I'm not too late in coming to this discussion now, in 2023. I'm going to continue to read through the posts here up to the present, and also check out "Everyday Asperger's" (if I haven't already purchased it and - like most of my self-help books - haven't actually read it yet!! ... but hope springs eternal!)

Hugs and smiles and enduring patience and understanding to all who travel this path. And, as always, thank you Mayo Clinic Connect and all the folks here for so many life-saving and peace-of-mind, comforting posts, guidance and genuine sharing.