BaffledOwl1970

It seems that there's actually quite a lot of "Autism Awareness". What is lacking is "Autism Understanding".

As an Aspie diagnosed in my 30's I haven't found the NAS to be a great help. Asperger United is interesting enough, but all the rest of their literature seems geared towards NT parents with newly diagnosed autistic children. I did ring for information about driving, but felt patronised and didn't find it a pleasant experience. NAS did used to run a group here for adult AS/HFA, but the leader left at the start of the year. When I checked what was happening, a new volunteer said he was going to get the group going again. This was in June. Nothing has happened since then. When I saw someone from our ADHD & Asperger's team, she mentioned NHS-run local groups. I mentioned the NAS group, and she replied the team had taken them over from the NAS. From my perspective, the NAS has done very little to help me. If people advise not to be involved with the NAS, is there another group others would recommend linking up with?

Hi all - thanks for all the comments and advice. I'm gradually increasing the amount of contact and time I spend with her - if I do too much suddenly she'll start with the "Are you checking up on me?" conversation and clam up even more. She has said she's enquiring about getting some outside help but hasn't clarified exactly what (I'll find out when I next go over - she won't talk much over the phone). The irony is that I work in a care home for people with moderate to advanced dementia and other neurological conditions, so every workday I see what the future holds in the form of the residents there. It might look strange that I can look after strangers but might not be able to look after my own mother. I do have a girlfriend who doesn't live with me, but she's said she'll help in any way she can. Some other friends have also said they'll provide a support network for me. I've found a couple of carers groups locally - one of the above friends pointed out to me when I said mum wouldn't go to an Alzheimers social group, "You need to go to groups for YOU, to help you". I've also discussed it with my psychiatrist who has said she'll provide extra support if I need it. Until then, it's one day at a time.

Hi all - I was wondering if any Aspies here are carers for another relative? My mother has told me she has Alzheimers. I am the only child and the only other relatives live miles away in Gloucestershire (my aunt and my gran, who lives in a care home). My father left 20 years ago and lives in the same village but wouldn't be any use anyway. My mum certainly has Aspie traits, which make her relationships with people difficult. We get on well but we are both adept at hiding emotions and keeping secrets from each other, which isn't helpful. I have contacted the Alzheimers Society, but quite a few of their suggestions are geared towards NTs. Are there any Aspies in a similar situation? All the best

Hi - I'm right handed, but apparently I sew like a left-handed person, and some people are puzzled as to why I wear my watch on my right wrist (always have done) if I'm not left handed. At a push I can write with my left hand, but that's cause I taught myself in case something happened to my right one.

Oh, and when I was given my updated prescription at the GP's I waited three days before taking it to the pharmacist. When I did, I found not only did I have my prescription, I had one belonging to a totally unrelated woman in a nearby village - from which I was able to find her full name, address, age, date of birth, NHS number, as well as what she was taking (and I could tell instantly what was wrong with her). So much for data protection...

Hi - I see a local psychiatrist about my schizophrenia, and when I said I'd been diagnosed AS by the psychologist in the next town after a GP referral she said she'd heard nothing about it. I took a copy of my diagnostic report in myself. This was about 18 months ago. I saw the psychiatrist last week who said there'd "been talk about an Asperger's diagnosis". After a mental facepalm I said this had already happened about 2 years ago... I'm thinking of applying for a job there, as I seem to have to do half of their paperwork for them...

Hi - My special interests include languages (I'm learning Spanish, Dutch, Welsh and Russian), meteors, ornithology, gastropods (it started as a joke that got out of hand), clouds, lepidoptera and cavies (guinea-pigs, though I can't have any right now).

Hi - I suspected I had Asperger's for a long time before I was diagnosed. I had planned not to tell my mother, but she had to give information for the assessment. She and my partner were the only ones who knew until I was diagnosed, then I told people at work. Most had heard of it, but didn't know how it affects people - some said, "That explains alot".

Hi Natasha B - Would be interested in taking part. Let me know what information you need. All the best.

People just don't seem to grasp the sheer effort required to make smalltalk. My partner has "trained" me to be better at it than I used to be, but sometimes it's just too much work and a pointless waste of energy.

Hi all - I'm really enjoying working at the home. The bad bits are really bad but the good bits are fantastic. The management is shambolic, but most of the staff do their best. I was worried that I'd have interaction issues with the residents, but that's largely been OK (I do sometimes with some of the staff though). I was puzzled about this, and have concluded that I am comfortable interacting with people who don't interact in "normal" ways. The average neurotypical baffles me, but people who have communication issues or use alternative methods make sense. I'm considering looking to gain relevant qualifications, specialising in dementia care, but we'll see.

Hi all - thanks to everyone who's posted. Fortunately I can be quite flexible - my main concern is interacting with residents and staff. I'm quite looking forward to it. I have spoken to my disability advisor and she said she'd happily give me in-work support if I need it. All the best

Hi all - I am due to start work in a fortnight's time at a local care home for people with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, etc, as an activities assistant. My role may involve a limited amount of care work. This may seem strange but health issues interest me and I need to have a job. The manager is aware of my AS and asked what support I'd need - I said as long as I had thorough training and instructions were clear everything should be fine. My disability advisor said she'd support me but I'm hoping not to need her. I'm wondering if there were any Aspies here who'd done similar work and how they'd managed it. All the best.

Hi all - I'm aware of alot of AS being highly sensitive to things such as sound, light, smell etc and have heard some people have the opposite and are very insensitive. I have always had an extremely bad sense of smell but when I do smell something it can affect me strongly. Does anyone have a similar lack of this sense and how do you deal with it? Could it be connected to my AS or is it totally different?