I was diagnosed at around 5, quite early for some people--because I kept running into furniture. A family friend suggested I get tested since I may have been seeking sensory input.

I ended up a pretty weird kid. I wouldn't make eye contact, only talk about particular subjects, ask inappropriate questions, I'd have meltdowns in public, I'd stand too close to people, I'd plug my ears at my own birthday party (I was mad that the nerf war was too chaotic), I'd touch random surfaces, I one time ran up to a tractor spraying pesticides because I wanted a shower, I often pantomimed and acted dramatically and cartoony, and instead of sighing, I would literally say "Sighhhhh" because I learned my social skils from comic books.

What did my parents do to socialize me properly? Homeschool me, of course! All 12 grades. I remember always wanting to go to school like a normal child and have a normal childhood, but my parents insisted the public education was shit and I'd get bullied. They may have been right, but as an adult I still wish I had a normal childhood, like picking a table at lunch, studying for a big test, asking my crush out, etc.

As I've gotten older, I've gotten very good at pretending to be normal, although I still slip up from time to time. Many people don't know that I'm autistic because I just started getting good at acting like them. It sucks sometimes, that I can't say what I really feel, that I have to pretend to be what I'm not. I still struggle with work and finding a relationship (I think only 11 percent of autistic people get married. Real encouraging.). I'm glad I'm not alone. I'd love to direct a film or series about autistic people--I don't know of any autistic directors.

What's your story?