'Asperger's and Me' - Chris Packham blog...

That was great, thanks Tom, and I feel the same way as Chris. I used to hate the fact that I had a voice and can be quite articulate at times. But my friend who has a husband and two children on the spectrum told me it was a gift and I shouldn’t hate it. It took me a while to see it that way but since getting my diagnosis and having to rely on services and benefits, I know what a struggle it is and I can’t not speak out now.

I’m appalled at how some of us are treated and viewed and it’s not acceptable but by being honest about how life is for me, I have had a lot of positive responses. I have had a lot of negativity, but I’m dealing with that. It does hurt but I am more interested in claiming our rightful place in society.

My support worker called into my autism group today to say hello and she said she thinks I’m going to be a force for change and I told her she’s right. I will stop at nothing to get my needs met and claim my rightful  place in society, and when I say me and my needs, I speak for all of us.   I won’t stop until we get what we deserve, as human beings, so I guess I’m in this for life. My dream of my business is slowly leaving me and is being replaced with a desire to work for us. Before I realised I was autistic, I didn’t think I belonged on this earth, now I know I do and I’m going to make sure people know we’re here, and we’re not going away. They don’t have to ‘cure’ us. We might have struggles but a lot of them are due to the current set up, which can be changed. I’m sorry if they don’t like it, if we don’t fit into a box or behave like they want us to but now I know who I am, I’m going to make sure I get what I need, that I get to create the life that suits me and I’m going to help others achieve the same and force change, but not in the way they try to force us to change. By simply not accepting anything less than our human rights in this crazy world we’ve been plonked in! 

That was great, thanks Tom, and I feel the same way as Chris. I used to hate the fact that I had a voice and can be quite articulate at times. But my friend who has a husband and two children on the spectrum told me it was a gift and I shouldn’t hate it. It took me a while to see it that way but since getting my diagnosis and having to rely on services and benefits, I know what a struggle it is and I can’t not speak out now.

I’m appalled at how some of us are treated and viewed and it’s not acceptable but by being honest about how life is for me, I have had a lot of positive responses. I have had a lot of negativity, but I’m dealing with that. It does hurt but I am more interested in claiming our rightful place in society.

My support worker called into my autism group today to say hello and she said she thinks I’m going to be a force for change and I told her she’s right. I will stop at nothing to get my needs met and claim my rightful  place in society, and when I say me and my needs, I speak for all of us.   I won’t stop until we get what we deserve, as human beings, so I guess I’m in this for life. My dream of my business is slowly leaving me and is being replaced with a desire to work for us. Before I realised I was autistic, I didn’t think I belonged on this earth, now I know I do and I’m going to make sure people know we’re here, and we’re not going away. They don’t have to ‘cure’ us. We might have struggles but a lot of them are due to the current set up, which can be changed. I’m sorry if they don’t like it, if we don’t fit into a box or behave like they want us to but now I know who I am, I’m going to make sure I get what I need, that I get to create the life that suits me and I’m going to help others achieve the same and force change, but not in the way they try to force us to change. By simply not accepting anything less than our human rights in this crazy world we’ve been plonked in!