matzoball

Happy Belated Birthday - hope you had a great day!! Jxx

That's great! It's certainly a cathartic experience - and gives you a real chance to get help(if it's needed)! One thing I will say - things don't need to be fixed, just improved on

Hi everyone, Have been really busy these past few months! First off, happy new year and all that jazz I promised to keep you all updated on my progress here at Specialisterne - so here goes! It's definitely a case of me having drank the Kool-Aid - I'm almost evangelical about the place now and sing it's praises to everyone! The other 11 trainees are brilliant, all on the spectrum , and all very nice people. We can all say safely that we now have a great circle of friends. We are now getting into the nitty-gritty of software tester training - and by the end of March we will all hopefully be qualified testers, and working for the company proper. The working environment is fantastic, unlike anything I have ever experienced. Although our disabilities are acknowledged, we are seen for who we are - not our diagnosis. Everything is a consultative process at this point mainly due to the fact that this is the first class outside of Denmark to do something like this - I assume we have been successful so far, as they are now opening Specialisterne Berlin, and Iceland! I've already registered my interest in working in the Berlin branch We have one IT trainer, who has never worked with people on the spectrum - but she is doing an amazing job! I guess we are training her as well haha Laura and Maria are our ASD managers, who facilitate our needs as best they can and have essentially helped to validate our experiences here. Although in essence this is a business - they make us feel like people, not units to be shifted in and out each day. David Farrell-Shaw is a very hands-on Director and is very involved with the development of us trainees - there is no 'us and them' situation, no office politics, just a wonderful atmosphere of respect, dedication - and to put it in the most simple terms - hope. I am going to post a few links to some of the media coverage of us (I'm kind of in a lot of it) if you are interested to watch, listen or read. I really cannot recommend Specialisterne enough. You all know the problems I have had work wise - now I truly have hope for the future, I wouldn't have been able to say that this time last year... http://specialisternescotland.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/julie-rad1.mp3 - my radio interview with Newsweek Scotland http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/corporate-sme/industry-urged-to-use-the-skills-of-autism-sufferers-1.1076157 (we weren't happy with the title including 'autism sufferers - but that was down to a sub-editor, not the person who wrote the article) We were featured in a BBC report as part of the UN People with Disabilities Day, but I can't find the link! Anyways - nice to be back

Sorry for your loss Tally. Much Love xx

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Diet, be more positive, take less ###### from people and bake! The last one may have an adverse effect on the first one...

It might be best to perhaps phone the helpline, and ask if it is normal to send out a one page renewal letter - they have records of every letter sent to claimants so may be able to tell you what they sent out?

Tumblr is great - can be as complicated or as simple as you want!

Hi Karen, I hope you find what you are looking for! You will be missed! jxx

Here's the link to the piece i was in last friday - i'm in it about halfway through looking rough as! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11913526

well - they didn't let me brush my hair or take off my hoodie - but the interview went well! They cut it down to one sentence - kind of glad because I looked awful!!

I start Specialisterne on Monday(bricking it), and on the Friday BBC Scotland are doing a whole day of live links from our offices to commemorate United Nations Day for People With Disabilities. They are doing a wee piece on us and 'hidden disabilities' to raise awareness of ASDs - so they are filming some of us going to work for the first time, and interviewing some of us too! My new manager told me that I will be getting interviewed as part of it - so it will be on at some point on Friday! Hopefully I will get to stick it to the Tories and the Fib Dems

I hate to sound like an advert for the National Autistic Society, but you should give Prospects a wee call. They help people like us develop work and interview skills and also advocate in the workplace. You can secure funding from the goverment via Access To Work. It's really worth checking out, as they helped me in my last job, and helped me get into Specialisterne(an IT company that only employs people on the spectrum). They really have your back! If you go on the website I'm sure you can find the local branch.

I've been bouncing about on my tiptoes since I got the keys

After 2 years of waiting I finally have my own house - can't wait to let my freak flag fly when I move in

That's brilliant! Hope it all goes well for you all xx

I agree, it's ignorance at it's worst - because they think it's not as valid a disability as perhaps someone with Down Syndrome or Cerebal Palsy, it's open to ridicule and blatant cruelty. The people who made fun of me (whom I have since defriended if that is a word), couldn't understand even after I spelt it out for them why I found it offensive, how it made me feel and why they need to educate themselves. Nearly every single person told me I was being over sensitive, and used the words 'it's just a bit of fun'. I don't think so. I flagged the test and outlined the reasons why to Facebook - and so far they have not even acknowledged it.

Cat - it's not so much the test itself, as most people are already aware it's the Baron-Cohen test. It's the fact that people on Facebook are belittling something that we all go through whether it be as a parent or someone with an ASD. Nearly everyone on my friends list has now taken it it, and nearly all of them are making jokes about being on the spectrum. That's what all the fuss is about.

That's amazing trekster! Make sure you get yourself some chocolate

Thanks guys xx

I got into Specialisterne! It's a company that only employs people on the spectrum - it's the first time they have opened a branch abroad (it's in Glasgow) and I made it into the first intake!! I think it's worth the while for anyone in travelling distance to go to the website and apply - they are looking to employ 51 people over the next 5 years. http://specialisternescotland.co.uk/ So happy right now! Hopefully this will be the start of something good after the past year I've had

Really sorry to hear this, hope DD gets better x

4 of my friends have got wind of this stupid test - it's actually pissing me right off. One of them passed it on to their friends and they are all making jokes about being 'special' etc. The smart thing to do is rise above it and ignore idiotic tests like that - but it still ruddy hurts to see people making fun of something that all of you on here know is hard to live with. I posted the video on my profile - asking people to watch it to understand my anger(i also put a strongly worded status update hahaha), and asked them to be more understanding. It's all we can do I guess.

sorry i have not replied - not been in the house since my last post - am back now. i have been advised to present myself as homeless as there are no real facilities to help someone like me in ayrshire apparently. things have slightly improved however as i have gotten to the bottom of the bad treatment - mum has been trying to alientate me as she is scared i will leave like my brother. things aren't brilliant but i am pushing forward with finding a way to leave with the relationship mended. she has a lot of mental issues and from what we talked about when we resolved the current argument, she has come to the realisation she is like me e.g. on the spectrum. i'm not sure of that, but won't dwell on something that is making her so unhappy. i have booked an appointment with her doctor who wants us to both attend so we can discuss whats been going on lately and perhaps get my mum referred for some sort of mental help. in the meantime, i just have to keep my head down i guess. but i will be calling the nas about getting help! thanks for the kind words - you guys are awesome xx

situation at home is very tense atm. mother's mental health is deteriorating rapidly and I am getting the brunt of it. brother has wrecked all doors in the house, and used it as his own storage place. also lives with us rent free and chore free. he's moved to my dads as of nearly 2 weeks ago. house is a state - and it's taking a while for me to try and sort it out as mum hasn't been home much. she's been ill in bed for 3 days now during which time i have taken care of her. however she is being very abusive and outright nasty to me (calling me scum, retard, fat cow etc). she was alright with me yesterday as i had had an argument with boyfriend so i guess was giving me a break :S this morning i got up early to get her prescription for the chest infection which i paid for, bought groceries and started to tidy the house. i decided to sit for an hour on the laptop to which she gets up, starts thumping about the house and then comes downstairs saying the house is a tip and its all my fault etc she tried chucking me out at the beginning of the week after a build up of the aforementioned treatment. now it's building up again and i am really worried she is going to throw me out. i have literally no where to go and no money because i pay digs with my jobseekers allowance.