I was in VRChat and we were talking about autism and I don’t remember how exactly it happened but I ended up calling my dad in VR and asking him if the reason I got taken for “physical therapy” at school for several years after I learned to write (originally it was because I’m left handed but didn’t have enough muscles and motor control to write well) and my dad confirmed that it was to help me develop and I never realized.
They had an inside swing, a big ol weighted blanket, a bean bag, putty of different thicknesses to strengthen hand muscles, fidget toys, and the “teacher” had a cool little glass sphere on her desk that had live coral in it. She said there used to be a shrimp but it died. tbh even as an adult I’d love to go back there and just mess around with all the different toys. I still have one she gave me at the end of the school year.
The person I was talking to in VRChat thought it was so funny I never noticed that he friended me and we became good friends for a while. I even visited him to go to formula drift together (drifting cars but a ranked competition)
Many (still a minority) schools have a room and assigned teacher for this,
Its definitely not just for autism but for any kid that needs a little extra help without the distraction of their usual class.
It even sounds like you did not go for autism either, but it is related.
Last year i learned about Dcd
Its a neurological disorder that makes it harder to learn certain motor and coordination skills like writing, riding a bike, using scissors (being a lefty really doesn’t help either).
Dcd is considered a separate disorder, but 80% of the people who are diagnosed autism also fit the criteria for dcd (some claim up to 90%)
(Edit: added a source )
The good thing is that with proper guidance kids can learn to perform these skills just as good as everyone else. So these special classes in the first years of elementary school are really important. I am glad you had them, I hadn’t and my handwriting shows it.
I knew half my family was autistic for years, but know i recognise many suffered dcd also.
my dad on the call described it as a “we know this one is wonky” instead of a hard diagnosis as you could only get officially diagnosed at 10yo iirc (at least at the time)
that’s really cool and something I will look into but ngl my first reaction was “oh fuck not another acronym of a mental disorder to memorize” because I have so many already xD
I had the same acronym reaction, but DCD is also known as dyspraxia, which has been gaining awareness the last few years :)
Thaaaat’s why I had to spend time kicking a ball on an elastic band and playing with putty!
Also why I confuse left and right a lot and change dominant hands for different tasks!
Huh, the more you know.
Probably also explains why I am near insensate to a lot of pain but will actually kill anyone who splashes me with cold water.
Some kid pulled my hair at work last week. Straight up yanked my ponytail out and dug his fingers up to my scalp. It was an interesting moment to demonstrate my sensory differences, though, as it didn’t hurt - I was just shocked for a moment.
Meanwhile, somebody touches my side in the wrong way, and I yelp. I’m super ticklish and I hate it, because tickling feels like torture to me. I’d rather have my hair yanked out than get casually brushed by someone’s fingertip.
Fuuuck is that why I’m so bad with handwriting, painting and chopsticks?? Given the amount of extra help classes I went to, that, and my general weirdness I’m frankly amazed I never got diagnosed with anything