Any other autistic riders?

[User10119]

That probably ties in with the publication of DSM 5 in 2013.

That possibly makes sense - it was at the stage where the professionals involved in assessing were saying "autistic spectrum disor-sorry-condition", although I thought that they don't usually use DSM criteria for assessment in the UK?

Bloody awful piece of faux science in my opinion but that probably deserves it's own thread.

Not something I know a huge amount about tbf, although I've seen a couple of articles about it probably 'missing' large numbers of slightly atypical presentations or something.

 

[Blue Hills]

But yes, I'm sure the focus and perseverance that many "autistic" people possess can be an aid in cycling as in so many fields - and I wouldn't be at all surprised if a disproportionate number of people at the top of all sorts of achievements were "autistic" to some extent.

Anyway, that's just some non-expert rambling - but that is what I do best.

By the by, viv albertine, she of the slits, is on record as saying that she now thinks a lot of folk on the punk scene were on the spectrum.

 

[Chris S]

I've probably got Asperger's Syndrome but it's never been formally diagnosed. A good thing to, otherwise it would have probably held me back.

 

[CyclePikel]

My mild autism/dyslexia/dyspraxia bundle was diagnosed when I went back to university at nearly 40. Everything suddenly made sense!
When out cycling I too find it hard to take an unscheduled stop.

 

[bpsmith]

My Son is Autustic. I say “is Autustic” rather than “has Autusm”, as it’s a fundamental part of who he is and not something he contracted. He’s awesome btw!

Going through the process, and seeing him growing up, I have recognised lots of scenarios where I was the same growing up. Some things now make sense, where they hadn’t before.

Some say it’s hereditary, others disagree. This thread appears to already suggest a pattern.

With respect to the label, I personally don’t have an issue either way tbh. It can help some people and hinder others. It should be a choice as to how the individual uses the label I think.

 

[User10119]

Going through the process, and seeing him growing up, I have recognised lots of scenarios where I was the same growing up. Some things now make sense, where they hadn’t before.

Yeah - when the Cub was going through the process of assessment I remember there were a couple of meetings filling in parent questionnaires where the responses by my ex* were mostly "well, yes of course he does that, but then so do I". Eventually, after the second meeting, I think he clocked that the reason for these similarities might not have been that our son wasn't autistic...



*who wasn't absolutely convinced about the desirability of assessing, took quite a bit of convincing that there might be a diagnosis of anything there to be made and was deeply uncomfortable about the potential for labelling. Credit to him though, when the impetus for assessment came from the school rather than me he did engage with the process.

 

[mikeymustard]

Some interesting comments here. All three of my kids display some traits of the spectrum, as did my father-i-l (who was a proper wartime "boffin"). Our youngest - who's 23 now - had real problems at school, particularly socialisation and dyslexia, but there was real resistance to a diagnosis, which we felt would've helped in his case. The EP would only look at him for his behaviour, which was obviously a response to his frustration at trying to force his square-peggedness into a round hole.