AFTER AN ASSESSMENT OF AN AUTISTIC SPECTRUM DISORDER… WHAT NEXT?
While you were wondering whether you had an autistic spectrum disorder, you probably read quite a few articles on the
subject. You are an expert on the disorder that the consultant has said you have: you understand the problems of people
who have a form of autism – because you have lived with it all your life.
Quite often, when we know that there is a problem and we know what that problem is, we can fix it. But you should
only attempt to address your own problems if:
�� you understand and accept that you have a disorder
�� you accept that having this disorder means you may have some problems in your life
�� you are willing to talk about your disorder and your difficulties
�� you want to understand other people and how they think
�� you want other people to understand you and how you think
�� you want to understand what is expected of you in certain situations
�� you want to live as independently as possible.
Talking about your autism or Asperger Syndrome with the people you meet will help them understand you better if they
themselves are not autistic, and if they don’t know anybody with autism. It should not become a major topic of
conversation at every meeting or every occasion! But it is very much a part of you and how you function in this world.
For some people the fact that they have had a hip replacement, or cannot see very clearly, or suffer from migraines, is
very much a part of them: it might limit their abilities in some areas, but affect them not at all in others. It is the same
for you: your abilities with factual and technical subjects may well be far higher than average; your understanding of
what others are thinking, however, might be limited.
All of us, after all, are individuals, with very individual likes, dislikes, abilities, limitations and interests. We do not all
have to be exactly the same in order to get on with each other: we would all benefit from becoming more understanding,
tolerant and accepting of people as individuals.
