I was raised by two people who are probably some degree of autistic themselves. Mom had a demanding career, dad had lots of pain pills. As a result, my home life was completely stable, but my parents essentially ignored me. Nobody noticed the signs or even taught me basic personal hygiene. They let me run around like a smelly train-wreck, even as a teenager, because I tested well.

We lived in the middle of the desert, half a mile away from the nearest neighbor. I was an only child. So from the age of about six I started raising myself with dogs and horses and the internet for company. Nobody ever told me I might have any kind of disorder or that I was behaving strangely. There were lots of little humiliations born out of ignorance. It's only as I've grown older that I've realized how strange my childhood was, and how much my parents failed to prepare me for the world.

I fell into an abusive relationship after that, finally got out of it after a couple brushes with death, and took several years to get over the trauma. My traits were definitely worse during that period. Life is good and functional now. I forgave my parents even as I realized their neglect. I take it as a lesson for any future children I might have.