I've recently been allocated a dedicated key worker by the Doncaster Adult Support Team Autism and Asperger's Department. He reckons he'll be able to offer me an advocate with a dedicated budget some time early in the new year; in the meantime he's going to get me a travel pass though so that I'll be able to access services that are available in Sheffield.
I've got an appointent with the Disability Employment Advisor on Monday and he's going to attend with me. I was explaining how my previous meeting hadn't gone very well because she knew nothing at all about Asperger's syndrome; he suggested I prepare an information pack for her...so I have, and have produced it below.
Living with Asperger’s Syndrome
From my own experiences and observations:
You’ll be lonely and socially isolated: you’ll have few friends and will probably never have had a relationship.
You’ll want to reach out to people but find it difficult without encouragement and understanding.
You will most likely have a deep knowledge of a subject but won’t know how to put this knowledge to any practical use.
From early childhood, and right up until your diagnosis, you will have always felt that there was something slightly different about you…and will be aware how others behave differently towards you.
You will most likely be of above average intelligence, but because of the attitudes of others and lack of appropriate opportunities you will be frustrated by your lowly status in society.
There is a very high probability that you will be unemployed and possibly will have never had a job.
You will take comfort in a regular routine and will therefore lack ambition and be inappropriately risk-averse in many situations.
You will likely be clumsy and have an unusual physical presence – especially your gait and mannerisms.
Your choice of clothing will often be inappropriate.
You could well be the regular victim of abuse, ridicule, exclusion and bullying.
You might be perplexed by the concept of personal choice.
At times you will be overwhelmed by an excess of sensory stimulation.
You will either be overly sensitive to sensory input, or conversely, you may well be totally unaware.
On occasions you might retreat into your own private world – both physically and mentally.
Many people will be judgemental and therefore consider you to be arrogant, uncaring, disinterested, rude, cold and heartless…or even threatening.
You might find certain visual patterns or noises disturbing [or soothing.]
You will understand everything said to you in a literal sense and will therefore behave appropriately. Your philosophy and decision making will be governed entirely by logic…and nothing else.
You will find it difficult to experience and express emotions.
You could have problems in following conversations, or dialogue and narrative in books and films/TV.
You struggle to enter and leave conversations or discussions at the correct moment.
You will only know what is expected of you in any particular situation if someone explains it to you in a honest and straightforward manner: body language, intuition, insinuation and many aspects of humour are beyond your comprehension.
You could experience problems with really short-term memory [maybe only a few seconds] and so it may appear that you are not paying attention.
When in a room with other people you will always be unsure as to where to stand.
Certain geometric patterns will attract you to distraction.
You might perceive colour differently to most people.
You will find it easier to perform tasks sequentially and will struggle with multi-tasking…this will drastically limit your employment opportunities.
Because you are uncomfortable when it comes to approaching strangers you will naturally appear not to be interested in members of the opposite sex and so predatory homosexuals or lesbians might attempt to take advantage of you.
You may have an unhealthy diet because of the limited range of food items that you eat.
Whatever the situation, you will always be the outsider.
Your unusual and ungainly gait and physical appearance will always draw unwanted comments and attention.
It is more likely than not, that even if you are in your 30s or even 40s, you will still be living with your parents…and will be involuntary celibate.
Because your life experiences are likely to extremely limited you will have little incentive to improve your circumstances [by leaving home and seeking employment, for example.] This lack of life experiences will mean you will be naïve and could be open to exploitation or place yourself in potentially dangerous situations.
By other people’s standards, you will always be an underachiever.
There will be few opportunities in your life, and even if one materialises you might not recognise it.
You will be regularly reminded how many of the world’s geniuses who contributed to the wellbeing and development of humankind probably had AS; and how the syndrome actually has many positive aspects…however, this will be of little comfort to you.
