What were some typical childhood things most kids have done but you couldn’t (and still can’t)?

[Progster]

Cursive handwriting
Algebra
Breast stroke
Dancing
Acting
Friendship groups

 

[Ken]

Play games. I can't stand games - never could. I think it may be because I can't stand competition. Not that I'm afraid to loose, but the fact of competition itself. If I am in a situation, where I have to play a game, I will always loose on purpose. I guess another reason may be that playing a game seems to be such a total waste of time. It seems that that time could be doing something constructive or beneficial. Just guessing here as I don't really know for sure why I hate playing games. Sometimes I think its because of my social anxiety, but then I remember I can't stand games even if it is solo - by myself.

Could never do sports, I think for the same reason - feels too much like a game. Don't even like to watch sports.

I also can't throw a ball or anything with accuracy or distance.

Lots more, but can't think of them at the moment...

 

[Ken]

Cursive handwriting
Algebra
Breast stroke
Dancing
Acting
Friendship groups

Yep, all of that - me too.

 

[SPEED RACER]

Cart wheel,summersault

 

[ChrisCRISPR]

I hadn't even thought about this in years and years but this thread unlocked a memory from my childhood. I'm not sure what grade it was, probably 2nd or 3rd, and we are learning to do cartwheels in a PE class and all the other kids can do them pretty well and I even THINK I'm doing them normally but the teacher is getting onto me telling me I'm not doing them properly and the other kids are making fun of me because I'm just sort of rolling over on my side real fast.

I also never had enough motor coordination to ride a bike, still can't even though people have tried teaching me. I stopped letting people try to teach me also because I get tired of NT's just making fun of me or getting a rise out of the situation.

Same goes for swimming. I can kind of dog paddle now but still can't swim under water with my eyes open and able to breathe under water like other people can.

Couldn't do headstands, can't dance and can't do algebra and couldnt cimb a tree.

Also I can't drive a stick shift / manual vehicle.

Thanks for making this thread it's really interesting seeing other things people here struggled with it helps me feel less alone.

 

[Misty Avich]

Same goes for swimming. I can kind of dog paddle now but still can't swim under water with my eyes open and able to breathe under water like other people can.

Nobody can breathe under water. It's physically impossible (unless you're a fish).

 

[ChrisCRISPR]

Nobody can breathe under water. It's physically impossible (unless you're a fish).

It's the breath holding and breathing technique people have for swimming under water, something about breathing out air though the nose while under,

Thanks for clarifying.

 

[Misty Avich]

It's the breath holding and breathing technique people have for swimming under water, something about breathing out air though the nose while under,

Thanks for clarifying.

Oh I see lol.

 

[Outdated]

I always had excellent fine motor control and superb balance. I have very fine manual dexterity as well and I had no trouble with a lot of sports, bike riding, swimming, surfing, skiing.

I can't catch a ball. Completely hopeless at it.

 

[Crossbreed]

I learned to ride a bike late, around 9yo.
I can ride no-handed on an adult bike,* if I am accustomed to it, but I cannot "pop a wheelie."

I took a long time to learn to swim.
I do not enjoy it.
I am bad at it, and treading water.

I am unable to whistle.
I could somersault & reverse somersault, but none of the other named maneuvers. I do not think that I am flexible enough, now...

*I could never ride no-handed on my first bike, a stingray.

 

[Dagan]

The desire to be popular. Spotlight, limelight, whatever you want to call it. Most kids have or always did have that desire to be the most popular and want to be liked and talked to by everyone. And I've been the flipside to the things several of you mention. I taught myself to pitch, hit a baseball, kick a football far and straight, can still shoot a basketball with both hands (can't do the fancy dribbling at all, though), throw darts pretty well, archery decent enough...those kinds of things. I got scouted for a few sports positions by a couple of colleges before getting hurt, even. Still, I never wanted or tried to stand out and be some kind of star athlete. I didn't go to campus days or mini camps to try and wow any coaches or such. I had thoughts and wants to do some sports for a job if I could because who doesn't want a job doing what's fun, right? I don't have that cutthroat mentality it takes to fight for attention and be noticed more or only, though. It just doesn't feel right. I don't think that I ever lacked confidence...just arrogance to the degree that I saw so many others display. I was ever the quiet kid that could play in the same game with the loudmouths and often match or best them. Very oddly, a lot of times, I would be on the second place team to some kids that did go on and achieve sports popularity at high levels. It's weird knowing that in our youths, I could win against them about half of the time.

I've talked about this to some people who seemed to get upset and tell me that I wasted my talent and chances, and I think that's BS. Maybe because I didn't push to have corrective surgeries and take on lots of grueling rehab at the time...fault for that perhaps..? I don't know. Overall, it seems like it wasn't meant to be because I would have this strong regret otherwise.

 

[NDR2]

I’m not sure I remember other children doing it, but I’ve never been able to wink my eyes.

 

[bard]

Throw a ball accurately, or catch one reliably.
Look cool.
Have lots of friends.

Look cool; Have lots of friends

These are absolute mysteries

 

[FoxLovinPat]

1. Snapping
I never could figure out how to snap and even to this day I still can't snap. I guess no Infinity Gauntlet for me ;p
2. Whistling
For the longest time I couldn't figure out how to whistle.. I did eventually figure it out in my late teens I believe, on accident too as I was actually trying to mimic the sound of the wind. Nowadays I whistle often on kinda a stimmy way.
3. Swimming
Iirc I took longer to learn to swim than other kids and while I did learn how to eventually I still can't do more advanced swimming, such as the different styles or being able to swim underwater easily.
4. Bike Riding
It also took me longer to learn to ride my bike, much to my father's dismay. I recall him urging me to learn so that could ride my bike places like he used to do when he was a kid. Which I never did even once I did eventually learn how in my early teens because we lived in the country so not really anything in biking distance so dunno what he was on about.
5. Reading Analog Clocks
Much to my father's annoyance I couldn't properly read "traditional clocks", unless it was an 0'clock or 30, those were easy enough. He honestly made me feel awful about it because he'd be like "C'mon you were supposed to learn that in Elementary School! What were you not paying attention in class when they were teaching how to tell time?!", which since my memory is poor sounded plausible to me that was the reason. I only recently learned this is a common thing for people on the spectrum.
6. Math
I've always struggled with math, like even the basics which means that the advanced stuff was next to impossible for me. Again My father wasn't too pleased about this and claimed I'd use math regularly in my life so I better know how to do it. Funnily enough he also would say "You need to learn to do math without a calculator! You won't always have access to a calculator!" but I literally do, as our phones have a calculator function built in same with our computers, which has been a lifesaver for me because I use it a lot x.x
7. Making calculations in my head.
Technically this could be linked in with the previous one but figured I'd make it separate, but I struggle to do math calculations in my head. Seemed like all the other kids were able to calculate math problems in their heads just fine but I really struggled with it. Once again this annoyed my father who would throw random math problems my way and be like "solve that right now using your head!' and when I'd reply "I can't!", he'd be like "Well you should be able to! C'mon this is basic stuff!"
8. Jump Rope and Hula Hoops
couldn't do it, not much to say on this one.
9. Cartwheels and Handstands
I guess I can include this since others did, though honestly I always saw it as more of a talent thing. Like some kids had the talent and some didn't and I was just one of the kids that didn't have the talent which was fine.

 

[Misty Avich]

I couldn't read properly until I was 7, but it might be because I didn't want to.

I couldn't say the whole alphabet until I was 8, thanks to a preschool video I used to watch that sung the alphabet at the beginning but went A B C D E F G H l J K elamenapee, elamenapee Q R S T U V W X Y Z. That middle bit always threw me and was responsible for making the alphabet confusing to me after K.

I was behind on math. When I was around age 6-8 we done math using these plastic cubes that you click together, but I spent more time playing with them than I did at learning any math. I'd often get detentions because I was the last to finish any math work if there wasn't a teacher's assistant in the classroom to help me.
When I got older I was put into a small group for math with other kids who also struggled at math.

I wasn't the brightest kid at school, which is why I doubt my diagnosis.

 

[Crossbreed]

I wasn't the brightest kid at school, which is why I doubt my diagnosis.

ASD & IQ are independent of each other; that is, ASD does not promise a high IQ, but you are probably very knowledgeable of your special interests, if you have one.

 

[Suzanne]

Whistle ( can if I talk sometimes, which is very annoying)

Swim. Watched in fascination at my peers whilst they swam, to wonder how on earth they managed it? I was even thrown in once, and had to be rescued. However, I have an aversion to water.

Play with my peers ( and as an adult, associating)

Was never athletic anyway, but could do the splits and a bit of arching of my body, which I was quite proud of.

I have no coordination for ball games.

Math ( my first math lesson, my first and happily, last severe migrain).

Seeing another's answer. I still cannot tell time properly. But, insist on having a proper watch, in the hope that one day, it will happen, but end up looking at my devices anyway and it frustrates my husband, from me taking too much time. I can do the quarter past. But get stuck with the quarter two ie the left side of a clock.

I am good with words; but terrible speller.

 

[Misty Avich]

ASD & IQ are independent of each other; that is, ASD does not promise a high IQ, but you are probably very knowledgeable of your special interests, if you have one.

I've never even been knowledgeable of my interests. When I was 12 I developed an obsession with Spanish and really wanted to learn the language but no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't remember it, even though I was so obsessed. I was obsessed with Spain too but couldn't retain much information about it. In the end I found myself losing interest because of the frustration of not knowing how to be very knowledgeable about it.

It's just that because I had no speech delays as a child and was as articulate as any 'normal' child, I get the impression from being on autism sites that I was supposed to prefer having my head in a book rather than playing imaginary games, but I was always playing imaginary games, even with other children, and hardly ever spent any time reading. I had 3 encyclopedias in my room that were only good for using as a foothold to reach the higher shelf lol. I never read them.
I was interested in jungles as a kid (not obsessed though), but when my grandparents took me to the zoo when I was 7 to see real safari animals, thinking I'd be really fascinated and will like to learn a lot, all I was interested in was the children's playground.

I wasn't really the type of child who wanted to learn. I just wanted to play all the time, like most children. But to me it seemed that all the NTs were the geniuses and I was the dumb one, because the other kids seemed so able to focus on their work and complete it, while I often say there daydreaming and just wanting to play or draw.

 

[Misty Avich]

I found PE classes daunting as soon as the team games were introduced, because I could never understand the rules of the game. So I'd just absent-mindedly do what I thought was right then let the team down in such humiliating ways. I remember one sports day when I was about 9, I was doing one of those obstacle courses, with lots of parents watching, and no matter how hard I tried, everyone else ran ahead of me and through the obstacles, while I was miles behind, feeling hopeless. I think it was the anxiety of being watched by lots of children and parents, as normally I quite enjoyed obstacle courses.
After that, my mum always let me have sports day off school because she knew how anxious it made me. I don't think children should be forced to participate in team games. They should be extracurricular activities. In mandatory PE classes children should be doing real exercises and games that don't involve harsh competition.

 

[Crossbreed]

...while I often say there daydreaming and just wanting to play or draw.

I am in Mensa, but had a C average in high school because of daydreaming and drawing, instead of doing homework.

What kinds of things do you like to draw?