Yez, yez, and yes, @gingerw. I cringe inside whenever someone says, "Oh, he's a little bit Autistic." What they don't understand is, it's not a disease or condition, or a state of being "damaged goods."

It is a differently wired brain, just like there are PC's and Macs. If an adult or a child suffers severe pain and anguish, it is because we have not figured out which sensitivities are giving them trouble and aporopriate solutions for accommodating their specific needs. To further complicate matters, those who have learned to successfully "mask" throughout their lives are fortunate in that they learned early on to mimc Neurotypical behavior. This takes an enormous amount of energy to do.

I watched tv and read voraciously to try to fit in. But as it has been said so many times before, "Why try to fit in when you were born to stand out?"

My entire family is super "sensitive." Some of us have outed ourselves as being on the Spectrum, when some of our Grands, nieces, and nephews were diagnosed.

As they say, the truth really does make you free. Whether you comment, initiate a conversation, or just scroll through this site, please know that you are so welcome here. This is a no judgement zone. This is a safe place. Grab a cup of coffee tomorrow morning and let's talk!