Hi,
I am a 26 year old female from the North of Scotland. Been advised I have Asperger's but haven't been officially diagnosed due to lack of adult services at the time Asperger's was mentioned to me.
Being told I had Asperger's was a big thing for me, as my whole life suddenly made sense. Speech therapy when I was a toddler. Being assessed to be sent to school earlier as I was bored at home. Difficulty making friends with people my own age. Being bullied constantly (by pupils and teachers). Anxiety problems (from agrophobia, crowded places, and disrupted routines). Hightened senses, sensitive to light, colours,and smell mainly. The list goes on, but I was always trying to be 'fixed', as if there is something wrong with me, but being given the provisional diagnosis meant there is nothing wrong with me, it's just who I am, and I need to use these autistic traits in my favour. I sometimes think of them as super powers.
My life has definitely not been easy, but I don't regret any of it. So far. Everything I've been through, good and bad, has made me who I am today and I wouldn't change that. Now that I'm focusing on my traits as positives instead of negatives that need 'fixed', I can use them to my advantage. I now have a job as an IT engineer, who is also in charge of the IT asset database, because of my inane attention to detail.
My granny had Asperger's too so we had a very strong bond, but after losing her and my granfather this year to illness I've found it difficult to cope without her. Luckily, I've found support with the National Autistic Society. To keep my mind occupied I have even started fundraising for the NAS, and I know my granny would be very proud I'm raising money for a charity she would approve of. I loved her for her autistic traits, but not everyone else thought the same. It got her into trouble a lot (because apparently elderly woman can't be autistic, just rude and horrible apparently), but she was incredibly caring towards things she was passionate about and only people who have, or understand, autism, could've appreciated the person she was.
I hope to become more involved on here and offer advice I've learned over the years. I completely understand how hard it can be to live with ASD and if I can help even one person feel better it will be worth while, because I know how dark times can get. I've been there. My family has been there. I say this because when I first came on this site it made me feel quite sad because a lot of the posts are about what pain people feel and go through, and I know what that's like, and it reminds me.
Hopefully the more work and fundraising I do, and the more help we can give the NAS, the less people will have to live with these pains, or at least know there is support there for them.