The Reasons I Don’t Like People (Thoughts from an autistic 9 year old)

Some people like lots of friends and team sports and doing lots of activities with others. I am not like that at all.

I quite like my own company. I don’t really like people at all to be honest.

I don’t like little babies. They make me felt helpless when they cry. When people cry it makes me feel very sad too and I want to cry so I want to stop them crying but they can’t tell me what they want so I can’t stop feeling sad. I also worry they might be sick. I hate sick. It makes me feel sick too. So I don’t like babies much, except maybe when they are sleeping or smiling or laughing but just a little bit.

I don’t like toddlers. They don’t understand personal space at all! They touch things that aren’t theirs and move things. They put things in their mouths and wander about and I can’t even cope with that. They don’t wait their turn, they try and do things that are dangerous and they throw tantrums when you say no. So I basically don’t like toddlers much. Plus they are still fragile and babies really but walk about like they are the boss which is so confusing! They look cute and makeup words but it doesn’t make up for the other stuff so I’m not a fan of toddlers at all.

I don’t like nursery kids or those who have just started school much either. They look at me like I am clever and follow me and copy me and I hate that! I hate being looked at. I hate other kids watching me. It’s like they think I am God or something. Just do your own thing please and leave me be. No you can’t play with me and no I don’t want to show you what I have. Just find other friends or go away. Don’t play football near me either or in parks. Balls are so dangerous in parks! See that age is so annoying!

I don’t like children my own age or a little older. The problem with that age is they notice my differences. They notice my brothers differences too and laugh at him. Thats so wrong and makes me cry.That’s all I want to say about that.

I don’t like teenagers. They don’t follow rules like they climb up slides you should slide down and show off to friends. They say naughty words and laugh at me and that is wrong. I can’t work them out much either as some times they can be really moody and grumpy and other times nice. Just be the same all the time please. Be the nice one actually.

Adults are not good too. They think they can boss children even when they are not my mum or dad. They shout, change rules, move things, walk over my stuff and sit beside me. They interrupt, have phones that they talk to all the time when I need them and forget my routines. It’s like they forget children even exist sometimes.

Old people are even worse. They talk when I am talking, touch me when I don’t want touched and ask me things that are personal like ‘awwww how old are you then?’ I mean what does it matter how old I am it’s not like you are buying me a birthday card is it?’ Plus they never have a clue about what I like and then just say ‘when I was your age…’ I hear that enough from my dad as it is! I know the world was black and white and flat and there used to not be iPads. I even learnt about Vikings and Romans at school but I live now so that’s what matters to me.

Another reasons I don’t like people is the fact we have people rules but it’s like everyone just forgets them. Isn’t there meant to be rules about who goes first? Some people just forget that queue rule all the time. Then there’s the talking rule thing. Mum says don’t speak to strangers but strangers speak to me when I am a stranger to them so they break the rule! Then I get told off for not replying…ahem…they broke the stranger people rule first not me! Then there’s the truth rule. Aren’t people meant to tell the truth? Even children break that one sometimes and I am like what? That didn’t happen like that why are you making that up? Remember imagination and make believe are for stories people not real life. Tell the truth. That’s the rule.

There is so many rules I wish people lived by that would maybe make me like them more. I’m just going to tell you them because this is my story and the rules say I can say what I want in my own story. So:

Give me space

Give me time

Give me peace

Don’t touch my things

Let me finish talking, writing, watching, listening or whatever else first before interrupting me.

Never laugh at me

Don’t stare at me, copy me or point at me

Don’t touch me

Don’t hurt me

Just let me be me and I’ll let you be you.

Then it doesn’t matter if I don’t like people because we can just do our own thing anyway.

That’s exactly how I like it actually.

The end.