Now Ye're Talking - to an adult diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Boards.ie: Niamh · 19-09-2017 5:22pm #1

Our next AMA guest is a young woman with ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder). She was diagnosed at the age of 15 and she welcomes any of your questions about ASD and what's it like to live with it. Without further ado, fire away with your questions!

mizzieh · 19-09-2017 5:28pm

Hi what would your advice be when choosing a secondary school for a boy with high functioning autism? Thanks

rtron · 19-09-2017 5:32pm

What's the one thing that helps communicate better with children with asd. (I'm sure there are loads) But from your perspective.
Thanks for doing this.

endacl · 19-09-2017 5:35pm

Have you watched Atypical on Netflix, and, if so, what did you make of its representation of life from the perspective of a young person with a diagnosis of ASD?

PTH2009 · 19-09-2017 5:39pm

What kind of jobs do/did you work ???

I have slight Aspergers and work in retail for the last 9 years. I generally get on fine but panic a bit when a few things are wrong such as if the work area is crowded, items are missing or area is untidy, very loud noise or people etc. I come off as rude sometimes cause of this, did u ever have issues like that ???

Here we go · 19-09-2017 5:51pm

Is there a difference in autism carateristics in girls/women compared to boys/men

What type of careers do you think is best for people with social issues to explorer

What advice would you give to kids growing up to make friends or relationships as they get older

Sorry if there's to much there the last two are really my main concerns for my son growing up to be happy have friends and meet someone to love

doolox · 19-09-2017 5:58pm

In my case I was not diagnosed with high functioning autism until the age of 52, 7 years ago.

Many unusual aspects of my life became more explainable once I got my diagnosis and and the realisation that most of the rest of the world think and operate differently to me.

Like referred to in an earlier post I also cannot tolerate chaos or loud confrontational scenarios and do not perform at all well in stressful situations.

My first 2 jobs were in technical roles in large multinationals which became harder to do as change in these sectors accelerated and the work became less routine and more fluid, dynamic and demanding. My aversion to taking on any supervisory or management role, due to my reluctance to handle any form of adversarial interpersonal tasks in my work, telling people bad news, handling disciplinary issues or handling workplace conflict wisely and with an even temper meant that I was stuck in a junior role for far too long and not able to progress or grow as a person in my job.

I took redundancy in 2007 and lost another job in 2009 and got diagnosed in 2010 after a friend of my wife recognised the signs of autism which were similar but not as severe as the signs happening to her son.

While the diagnosis has affected me somewhat I find it good to have an awareness of the condition and being able to seek assistance from professionals in order to get on with my life and get on with my wife and two daughters.

I feel that if I had an earlier diagnosis my troubled and chequered education and work experience might have been better managed, both by myself and with others who had to deal with me. Now I actively seek out and try to put to good use any feedback I can get so as to avoid misunderstandings or bad quality in my work or causing hurt and anguish in my home life.

Here we go · 19-09-2017 6:07pm

Is there a difference in autism carateristics in girls/women compared to boys/men

What type of careers do you think is best for people with social issues to explorer

What advice would you give to kids growing up to make friends or relationships as they get older

Sorry if there's to much there the last two are really my main concerns for my son growing up to be happy have friends and meet someone to love

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA · 19-09-2017 6:22pm

mizzieh wrote: »

Hi what would your advice be when choosing a secondary school for a boy with high functioning autism? Thanks

Hi there, thanks for your question

That's a really difficult question, my first piece of advice is to go and see a few places and see what they're like, bring your boy along too so he can see what each place is like (depending on your location of course). If possible arrange for your boy to spend a few hours there (if not to anxiety-producing for him)

my 2nd piece of advice is beforehand to think of any questions you might want to ask, or he might want to know and write them down, as in the moment we can forget things, as I am very guilty of doing

my 3rd piece of advice is to choose between a normal school with support or a special school with support, the answer will depend on your boy and how much support he needs etc

4thly consider the size of the school and classrooms, again it will depend on how much support is needed and noise levels

and lastly consider transport, (wether by car, bus, walk etc)

A school that has a special place if he needs a break/needs to de-stress would be good but again it depends on your location

I know it's a hard decision to make but I wish you the best of luck

Annasopra · 19-09-2017 6:27pm

Boards.ie: Niamh wrote: »

Our next AMA guest is a young woman with ASD. She was diagnosed at the age of 15 and she welcomes any of your questions about ASD and what's it like to live with it. Without further ado, fire away with your questions!

ASD?

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA · 19-09-2017 6:29pm

rtron wrote: »

What's the one thing that helps communicate better with children with asd. (I'm sure there are loads) But from your perspective.
Thanks for doing this.

Hi there

thanks for your question

There's quite a few but from my perspective, it would be using pictures, easy to use and widely understood

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA · 19-09-2017 6:31pm

endacl wrote: »

Have you watched Atypical on Netflix, and, if so, what did you make of its representation of life from the perspective of a young person with a diagnosis of ASD?

I haven't yet no, it's on my ever-growing 'to watch' list though

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA · 19-09-2017 6:38pm

PTH2009 wrote: »

What kind of jobs do/did you work ???

I have slight Aspergers and work in retail for the last 9 years. I generally get on fine but panic a bit when a few things are wrong such as if the work area is crowded, items are missing or area is untidy, very loud noise or people etc. I come off as rude sometimes cause of this, did u ever have issues like that ???

No I am unemployed, just started in a long-term service for adults with ASD 2 weeks ago now. Going well so far though it's a big change

In my college years (which I'm recently finished) I did a couple of work placements, mostly in IT/secretarial work. Yeah I found my work placements hard going with loud noises/being in a crowded room etc

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA · 19-09-2017 6:52pm

I'm getting dinner here (I live independently) so will be back to answer the rest of the questions later. Interesting ones so far

LadyMacBeth_ · 19-09-2017 6:54pm

Hi there, thank you very much for doing this AMA!

I was just wondering what you think is the biggest misconception that society has about people with ASD?

I have read that girls with ASD aren't as easily diagnosed as they are better able to mask their communication issues, do you think this is true?

fmpisces · 19-09-2017 8:04pm

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

ASD?

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Wanderer78 · 19-09-2017 8:07pm

just been diagnosed with aspergers and add, any advice?

evolving_doors · 19-09-2017 8:09pm

Do you suffer from insomnia?
Do you like any particular type of music or a specific piece?

RobbingBandit · 19-09-2017 8:36pm

Do you tell many people you come in contact with of your diagnosis?

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA · 19-09-2017 8:57pm

god I needed that

back to the questions:

yeah there are some subtle differences, females with the condition tend to be diagnosed later in life as they mask their characteries by copying peers, and often develop interests in literature and music, whereas males tend to be diagnosed earlier

in terms of jobs and work try to work to the person's strengths/interests but a few examples would be computer programming, photography, commercial art or an animal trainer etc

In terms of friendships and relationships, my advice would be join clubs around your interests, online communities, and in school a system could be set up where one person 'buddys' another, and could form friends. For me making friends and relationships has always been the hardest part of my condition, it's taken me a long time but I finally have a few friends and a relationship

hope this helps

Here we go wrote: »

Is there a difference in autism carateristics in girls/women compared to boys/men

What type of careers do you think is best for people with social issues to explorer

What advice would you give to kids growing up to make friends or relationships as they get older

Sorry if there's to much there the last two are really my main concerns for my son growing up to be happy have friends and meet someone to love

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA · 19-09-2017 9:11pm

doolox wrote: »

In my case I was not diagnosed with high functioning autism until the age of 52, 7 years ago.

Many unusual aspects of my life became more explainable once I got my diagnosis and and the realisation that most of the rest of the world think and operate differently to me.

Like referred to in an earlier post I also cannot tolerate chaos or loud confrontational scenarios and do not perform at all well in stressful situations.

My first 2 jobs were in technical roles in large multinationals which became harder to do as change in these sectors accelerated and the work became less routine and more fluid, dynamic and demanding. My aversion to taking on any supervisory or management role, due to my reluctance to handle any form of adversarial interpersonal tasks in my work, telling people bad news, handling disciplinary issues or handling workplace conflict wisely and with an even temper meant that I was stuck in a junior role for far too long and not able to progress or grow as a person in my job.

I took redundancy in 2007 and lost another job in 2009 and got diagnosed in 2010 after a friend of my wife recognised the signs of autism which were similar but not as severe as the signs happening to her son.

While the diagnosis has affected me somewhat I find it good to have an awareness of the condition and being able to seek assistance from professionals in order to get on with my life and get on with my wife and two daughters.

I feel that if I had an earlier diagnosis my troubled and chequered education and work experience might have been better managed, both by myself and with others who had to deal with me. Now I actively seek out and try to put to good use any feedback I can get so as to avoid misunderstandings or bad quality in my work or causing hurt and anguish in my home life.

Hi there

thanks for sharing your story

I knew that it was different from a young age (but didn't know what it was) as things didn't come naturally to me (things like socialising, tying my shoelaces and the noise in the playground in school was overwhelming), this continued on (with different challenges along the way) until when I was 15. A speech therapist in the school i was in noticed my traits and sent me to Dublin to be assessed for AS (Asperger's Syndrome) where I got my diagnosis (to make a long story short!)

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA · 19-09-2017 9:13pm

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

ASD?

Autism Spectrum Disorder

I have Asperger's Syndrome (AS)

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA · 19-09-2017 9:22pm

LadyMacBeth_ wrote: »

Hi there, thank you very much for doing this AMA!

I was just wondering what you think is the biggest misconception that society has about people with ASD?

I have read that girls with ASD aren't as easily diagnosed as they are better able to mask their communication issues, do you think this is true?

Hi there

thanks for asking your question

I think the biggest one is that people with ASD don't understand other people's emotions..but we do..although it make take us longer to understand it than people without ASD

I do think it's true yeah, I know a handful of other females like myself who weren't diagnosed easily

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA · 19-09-2017 9:36pm

Wanderer78 wrote: »

just been diagnosed with aspergers and add, any advice?

congrats on your diagnosis:) here are some pointers:

-take one day at a time, getting a diagnosis can be a shock and can take time to get your head around
-research yourself on the condition, for the first 6 months of being diagnosed i poured myself into reading all I could on AS
-the subject of whether or not to tell people about the diagnosis is a personal one and up to you and family but it can make life easier if you do (for appointments etc)

evolving_doors wrote: »

Do you suffer from insomnia?

Do you like any particular type of music or a specific piece?

Oh god yes, I do, I'm often awake in the small hours

I like rock and pop music

RobbingBandit wrote: »

Do you tell many people you come in contact with of your diagnosis?

I would tell most people yes, it makes life easier and the interaction easier as they generally understand

never_mind · 19-09-2017 10:10pm

I hear that certain people with ASD can be incredibly bright and can obsess over particular topics - is this the case with you?

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA · 19-09-2017 10:25pm

never_mind wrote: »

I hear that certain people with ASD can be incredibly bright and can obsess over particular topics - is this the case with you?

in a way yes, I am very bright, but I don't generally obsess over things, however I do have big interests in things (such as music, computers, and writing)

m'lady · 20-09-2017 7:07am

Hi Op, I firstly would like to say thank you for doing this, I have such an interest in ASD and have worked with people with it (along with many other things) but I won't pretend to know a lot about it!

I would like to ask you, what is the main issue, if any you feel you have come up against in society?
Also you mentioned you are in a relationship- how soon after meeting that person did you tell them you had ASD? (I apologise If that's too personal and you don't wish to answer).
Thanks again

mahamageehad · 20-09-2017 9:07am

Do you think mainstream media sometimes romanticizes Aspergers? I'm thinking of the TV shows/movies where a character is emotionally shut off but a genius and he/she eventually saves the day. We rarely hear about the people in the middles, just those on the top and end of the spectrum. If so, you you feel it puts more pressure on you to fill that "genius" role? Do you see characters like that as role models or a hindrance or neither?

Goat the dote · 20-09-2017 9:17am

Hi there,
I reckon I have undiagnosed ASD, for several reasons, and my son also has diagnosed asd,ADHD and odd.
Do you feel "vindicated"/liberated by the diagnosis. As in, do you feel it explains a lot about yourself?

ELM327 · 20-09-2017 9:28am

Thanks for doing this AMA. As an adult with high functioning Asberger's and social anxiety (amongst other anxieties) it's great to see more visibility given to this topic.

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA wrote: »

I haven't yet no, it's on my ever-growing 'to watch' list though

It's a really good drama series, it portrays very well (imo) the difficulties endured by those of us "on the spectrum", although the character is at the more extreme end of the spectrum to myself. There was also a great program on RTE the other night - might still be on the player - showing a few young adults. I'll admit that I was in tears watching it and am tearing up now thinking of it. One of the other traits I have is a complete lack of empathy unless I relate to the situation - if that happens I get a feeling of complete overpowering.

My question is I suppose a general one, how do you deal with people who you need to deal with professionally, if at the time you don't feel up to /comfortable with discussing ASD? I work in an area where some of clients would be of an older generation and I don't necessrily want to explain my ASD to them but it's difficult sometimes if a meeting is in a loud busy coffee shop for instance.

I'm lucky that -when not off site - my team is very accommodating and are aware of my quirks and in particular, missed social cues and lack of intonation. I'm also lucky to have a partner who is very understanding and has helped me greatly on my journey.

Thanks again for doing this AMA , and best of luck for the future.

HairyCabbage · 20-09-2017 12:21pm

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA wrote: »

No I am unemployed, just started in a long-term service for adults with ASD 2 weeks ago now.

What do you mean by long-term service? I am diagnosed with dyspraxia and highly suspect that I have undiagnosed ADHD and ASD though there is a lot of overlap in symptoms between all 3 so who knows!

Wanderer78 · 20-09-2017 2:47pm

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA wrote: »

congrats on your diagnosis:) here are some pointers:

-take one day at a time, getting a diagnosis can be a shock and can take time to get your head around
-research yourself on the condition, for the first 6 months of being diagnosed i poured myself into reading all I could on AS
-the subject of whether or not to tell people about the diagnosis is a personal one and up to you and family but it can make life easier if you do (for appointments etc)

thank you

my diagnoses wasnt that shocking to be honest, as ive suspected for some time now, the only surprise was the add diagnoses, i really didnt see it at all as im also dyslexic, and i suspect the issues add brings can be similar to dyslexia.

any pointers on where to begin my research, bearing in mind my 'lazy'(dyslexia) attribute?

ive been fairly open about my fairly recent dyslexia diagnoses, and im slowly opening more about this diagnoses to, as i get use to it. i would agree with you on this point, it does make life easier for all concerned if more open about it.

thank you very much for accepting to take part in this, as i think it will be very helpful to all, and best of luck.

Francie Barrett · 20-09-2017 2:55pm

Were there any moments in your early life that were traumatic because of your ASD, and do you think earlier intervention would have improved your quality of life?

PGE1970 · 20-09-2017 3:33pm

Thank you for your insight into this area and I sincerely wish you well.

My question - who did you go to and what was involved in the process of diagnosis.

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA · 20-09-2017 4:43pm

m'lady wrote: »

Hi Op, I firstly would like to say thank you for doing this, I have such an interest in ASD and have worked with people with it (along with many other things) but I won't pretend to know a lot about it!

I would like to ask you, what is the main issue, if any you feel you have come up against in society?
Also you mentioned you are in a relationship- how soon after meeting that person did you tell them you had ASD? (I apologise If that's too personal and you don't wish to answer).
Thanks again

Hi there

thanks for your questions and thank you very much

I guess the main issue I've come up against is the lack of awareness/understanding of the condition but that is improving as time goes on

he knew already when we met (I met him at a place for people with ASD so I didn't have to tell him which was handy), the first chat we had about ASD was a few weeks later after we met

Thanks again

Also thanks to the mods for updating the thread title

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA · 20-09-2017 4:56pm

mahamageehad wrote: »

Do you think mainstream media sometimes romanticizes Aspergers? I'm thinking of the TV shows/movies where a character is emotionally shut off but a genius and he/she eventually saves the day. We rarely hear about the people in the middles, just those on the top and end of the spectrum. If so, you you feel it puts more pressure on you to fill that "genius" role? Do you see characters like that as role models or a hindrance or neither?

Hi there, thanks for your questions

In general no I don't think so, most of the movies/documentaries/TV shoes that I've seen tend to be realistic, although I do agree with you that we rarely hear about the people in the middle and I'd love to hear more about them/see more about them etc

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5 · 20-09-2017 4:59pm

You mention meeting your boyfriend at a place for people with ASD, do you find it easier socialising with other people on the spectrum? Like do you find them easier/harder to read than the general population, or are there any other differences?

When you started the diagnosis process, did you suspect you might have AS or was it just a general sense of difference? Did the diagnosis affect your self image? Some people I know who've been diagnosed with physical or mental conditions have difficulty with that, for example they'd find it very hard and unpleasant to describe themselves out loud as being "disabled" "schizophrenic" etc.

Have you seen Harmontown or are you a Dan Harmon fan in general? AFAIK he's not on the spectrum himself but he seems to have a large fan base who are.

Do you think growing up with ASD might be more difficult in Ireland, seeing as nobody says what they mean or asks direct questions?

Edit: thanks for doing this, it's really interesting!

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA · 20-09-2017 5:03pm

Goat the dote wrote: »

Hi there,
I reckon I have undiagnosed ASD, for several reasons, and my son also has diagnosed asd,ADHD and odd.
Do you feel "vindicated"/liberated by the diagnosis. As in, do you feel it explains a lot about yourself?

Hi there

thanks for your questions

To answer your questions yes very much so, it perplexed me for years about why I was different to other people and getting a diagnosis that had a name was very liberating, it explained so much

Boler · 20-09-2017 5:04pm

Hi OP,

My son has Asperger's, he is 8 years old and we're are unsure of when to tell him. Although you mentioned you were diagnosed when you were 15, did you know something was different when you were younger?

Thanks.

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA · 20-09-2017 5:27pm

ELM327 wrote: »

Thanks for doing this AMA. As an adult with high functioning Asberger's and social anxiety (amongst other anxieties) it's great to see more visibility given to this topic.

It's a really good drama series, it portrays very well (imo) the difficulties endured by those of us "on the spectrum", although the character is at the more extreme end of the spectrum to myself. There was also a great program on RTE the other night - might still be on the player - showing a few young adults. I'll admit that I was in tears watching it and am tearing up now thinking of it. One of the other traits I have is a complete lack of empathy unless I relate to the situation - if that happens I get a feeling of complete overpowering.

My question is I suppose a general one, how do you deal with people who you need to deal with professionally, if at the time you don't feel up to /comfortable with discussing ASD? I work in an area where some of clients would be of an older generation and I don't necessrily want to explain my ASD to them but it's difficult sometimes if a meeting is in a loud busy coffee shop for instance.

I'm lucky that -when not off site - my team is very accommodating and are aware of my quirks and in particular, missed social cues and lack of intonation. I'm also lucky to have a partner who is very understanding and has helped me greatly on my journey.

Thanks again for doing this AMA , and best of luck for the future.

Hi there, thanks for your question

I look forward to seeing it, when I eventually do

I saw that programme as well too, very interesting I found

That's a difficult situation, when meeting professionals a family member comes with me if I need help understand questions, clarifying medical details and so on, but if I am uncomfortable with it/don't feel up to it I ask the family member to act as my 'spokesperson' for me and they answer the question, or if it's a question that I can only answer I either answer that I don't know or I write my answer. I do find meeting with professionals nerve wrecking in general which is why my family member sometimes acts as a 'spokesperson' but it's quite rare for me not to feel up to it as over the years (I'm 28 now) I've become used to discussing it

Thanks again

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA · 20-09-2017 5:41pm

HairyCabbage wrote: »

What do you mean by long-term service? I am diagnosed with dyspraxia and highly suspect that I have undiagnosed ADHD and ASD though there is a lot of overlap in symptoms between all 3 so who knows!

Hi there

thanks for asking your question

It's quite difficult to explain as it's not school/college/work etc but it's where a person comes into a centre (only in certain locations as far as I'm aware) and the person stays there for a few years (or however they want to stay) and the staff develop a 'programme' of events/activities etc based on the person's interests. It's a bit like a day centre but for life, Backstory to this was when we discovered work wasn't suitable for me (during a work placement in college) by me making a mistake and having a panic attack in the back office

we started looking for 'alternative' places for my future (this was about a year before I left college) and we found one that suited me. Sorry I can't be more specific

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA · 20-09-2017 5:46pm

Wanderer78 wrote: »

thank you

my diagnoses wasnt that shocking to be honest, as ive suspected for some time now, the only surprise was the add diagnoses, i really didnt see it at all as im also dyslexic, and i suspect the issues add brings can be similar to dyslexia.

any pointers on where to begin my research, bearing in mind my 'lazy'(dyslexia) attribute?

ive been fairly open about my fairly recent dyslexia diagnoses, and im slowly opening more about this diagnoses to, as i get use to it. i would agree with you on this point, it does make life easier for all concerned if more open about it.

thank you very much for accepting to take part in this, as i think it will be very helpful to all, and best of luck.

Hi there

thanks for your question

Would you consider listening to audiobooks?

Thanks very much:)

Wanderer78 · 20-09-2017 5:48pm

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA wrote: »

Hi there thanks for your question

Would you consider listening to audiobooks?

Thanks very much:)

ive tried audiobooks but they just dont seem to flow for me at all, but i think i will try them again. i much prefer to listen to interviews,podcasts, debates etc, i tend to learn a lot more from them

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA · 20-09-2017 6:00pm

Francie Barrett wrote: »

Were there any moments in your early life that were traumatic because of your ASD, and do you think earlier intervention would have improved your quality of life?

Hi there

thanks for asking your questions

no traumatic moments that come to mind, but because of my noise sensitivity when I was younger things were a lot scarier than usual. I'd say that earlier intervention might have helped improved things but happy that I got a diagnosis (in the end)

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA · 20-09-2017 6:19pm

PGE1970 wrote: »

Thank you for your insight into this area and I sincerely wish you well.

My question - who did you go to and what was involved in the process of diagnosis.

Hi there, thanks for your questions and thank you very much:)

I think the diagnosis took a few weeks, I was quite lucky in that aspect as a speech therapist in my school I was in at the time noticed my traits of AS (there may have been an assessment with her beforehand but not sure on the details), but then the speech therapist rang my Mom who put her concerns to her, and a letter was sent from the school to the Dr in Dublin (it was Dr Fitzgerald) saying who I was and be assessed for Asperger's.

In the meantime my folks sat me down and talked to me about the appointment and that they thought I might have Asperger's. The actual appointment was a few weeks later, I left school early (yay!) and we drove to Dublin, when we got there it involved a lengthy interview with my folks and a short interview with me (I was in the waiting room getting very bored so I came into the room). The following Monday after my diagnosis in school I was moved classrooms to a special class for people with AS and the rest is history as they say!

Wanderer78 · 20-09-2017 6:23pm

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA wrote: »

I think the diagnosis took a few weeks, I was quite lucky in that aspect as a speech therapist in my school I was in at the time noticed my traits of AS (there may have been an assessment with her beforehand but not sure on the details), but then the speech therapist rang my Mom who put her concerns to her, and a letter was sent from the school to the Dr in Dublin (it was Dr Fitzgerald) saying who I was and be assessed for Asperger's.

it was dr fitzgerald that diagnosed myself a couple of weeks ago, it took about 30 mins for the assessment, and i was 300 euro shorter after the fact

downwesht · 20-09-2017 6:26pm

Hi,thanks for your interesting replies.
Do you find peoples attitudes towards you change if you tell them you have ASD?
How do you see your employment potential if you make prospective employers aware of you diagnosis?
What do you see as the biggest challenge to you going forward?

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA · 20-09-2017 6:41pm

Lena Hot Swordplay wrote: »

You mention meeting your boyfriend at a place for people with ASD, do you find it easier socialising with other people on the spectrum? Like do you find them easier/harder to read than the general population, or are there any other differences?

When you started the diagnosis process, did you suspect you might have AS or was it just a general sense of difference? Did the diagnosis affect your self image? Some people I know who've been diagnosed with physical or mental conditions have difficulty with that, for example they'd find it very hard and unpleasant to describe themselves out loud as being "disabled" "schizophrenic" etc.

Have you seen Harmontown or are you a Dan Harmon fan in general? AFAIK he's not on the spectrum himself but he seems to have a large fan base who are.

Do you think growing up with ASD might be more difficult in Ireland, seeing as nobody says what they mean or asks direct questions?

Edit: thanks for doing this, it's really interesting!

Hi there, thanks for your questions and thank you very much

In general, I find it easier socializing with other people on the spectrum, mostly because they're easier to read and we say exactly what we mean!

Regarding the diagnosis, I had no idea I had AS (I didn't know it was a thing), but had a strong sense that I was different which perplexed me for years before getting the diagnosis. Regarding self-image it most definitely did, in the beginning, after the diagnosis, I found it hard to say it and describe it, as it took a while to come to terms with it. These days though I say it with ease, and am proud I'm a bit different to other people:)

No never seen that, another one to add to my list

yeah, in general, it can be difficult sometimes, I do think that the awareness is more there now compared to a few years ago which does make it a bit easier

I'm an adult with ASD, AMA · 20-09-2017 6:46pm

Boler wrote: »

Hi OP,

My son has Asperger's, he is 8 years old and we're are unsure of when to tell him. Although you mentioned you were diagnosed when you were 15, did you know something was different when you were younger?

Thanks.

Hi there, thanks for asking your question:)

Yes very much so, I had a strong sense that I was different, that perplexed me for years about why, until I got the diagnosis:)

Wanderer78 wrote: »

ive tried audiobooks but they just dont seem to flow for me at all, but i think i will try them again. i much prefer to listen to interviews,podcasts, debates etc, i tend to learn a lot more from them

cool, best of luck with it

myshirt · 20-09-2017 6:47pm

How many friends do you have?

How many of these would you describe as meaningful relationships?

How would you describe the progression of you receptive and expressive language skills? At what age could you meet all your own communication needs independently?

ancapailldorcha · 20-09-2017 6:49pm

Apologies if this has already been asked but what signs where you showing that got your parents to get your tested? Did you have to get a specialist to give or confirm a diagnosis?

Now Ye're Talking - to an adult diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

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