I started school in 1971.

I do recall a few kids with nut allergies (primary school, pre-grade-5) but back then they were isolated from the nuts and the other 500 kids ate whatever they wanted. That changed in the 80's-90's and schools became nut-free zones to accommodate the few.

As for the Autism/ADHD, I dunno. I have been told both over the years. I did read an article a long time ago that it could possibly be linked to acquired brain injury. I do know most of my "behavior problems" at school (mostly refusal to follow petty rules like snowball fight, candy on the way home, ect) started around grade 2-3. I was born with forceps (mom had pictures of a severely bruised melon) and between kindergarten and grade 2-3 I was knocked the eff out several times playing soccer in the schoolyard by colliding with other kids. I was one of those aggressive balls-to-the-wall players. Don't remember if I was on any drugs but I do recall childhood was a string of one therapist and shrink after another, teachers wanted to put me in a special ed for behavior problems but mom refused. It wasn't that I wasn't smart, I aced the gifted/advanced program in areas that interested me, and failed miserably those that didn't. I just didn't give a crap about those subjects and wasn't going to waste time or effort on them.

Learning French was 'mandatory' here starting in grade 6, another subject I failed miserable and I distinctly recall telling the French teacher that no government was going to tell me what language to speak. I still cant speak a word of it.

By high school I had grown out of most of it, or at least learned to hide my negative reactions a little better in certain settings. Not submit, more of learning discretion and smiling at the time then going and doing what the hell I pleased anyway. Most of the problems those years were smoking related. Late 70's/early 80's was the real start of the anti-smoking bit here and I was having none of it. Still wont. I am a smoker and those who dont like it, dont let the door hit your ass on the way out.

I have learned over past 5 years the "grin-and-bear-it" mentality actually does more harm long-term than just having the argument up front and getting it over with. Grinning and Bearing it is how you end up with a pressure-cooker of a human being ready to snap at the slightest provocation, and also how you nd up socially-avoiding and keeping human interaction to a minimum, just so you dont have to deal with the irritants and arguments.

[This message has been edited by MidEngineManiac (edited 09-02-2022).]

[This message has been edited by MidEngineManiac (edited 09-02-2022).]

When I was first starting out in school, I was painfully shy, introverted, and generally bored shitless.
I was pretty much a complete pain in the ass. It didn't help that I was in Catholic school. The most inflexible, intolerant bunch of MF'ing people you could imagine. I still give them credit for some of the social "effed-uppedness" that I possess.
If Ritalin had been around, they'd have had me pumped so full of it that I would have been able to float between classrooms. I'm sure of it.
In retrospect, I have often wondered if I was... on the spectrum, somewhere. But it's pretty much immaterial, now. I survived for the duration of my career, in spite of myself - and lots of other people.
Now that I'm retired, eff 'em. Whoever they may be.

[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 09-02-2022).]

quote Originally posted by cliffw: I dunno, man... I've read your political posts.

Ha! Referring to mine? Yeah, right... It's so nice not having to wade through all that tired old useless regurgitated political bullsh!t in O/T anymore. Thank-you thank-you, Mr Pennock!

[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 09-05-2022).]