Hi everyone. I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to get round to joining an aspergers/autism forum. Maybe it's because I tend to use chat forums mainly to 'escape' from my problems, but I decided it was time I gave it a go so here I am. I must add it looks like a nice friendly place
I'm 51 and divorced. I have three kids - two boys 29 and 27 and a daughter 22. The oldest boy has Aspergers, though we didn't even suspect it till he was in his teens, we just thought he was odd. Of course, he was born in 1975 and Aspergers was not generally known about at that time. Also, like my other kids, he was educated at home, which on reflection I think was a mixed blessing - less bullying, but also less 'normal' reference points. He was eventually diagnosed at 18, but unfortunately felt very alienated by the whole process (I have to confess I felt like punching one of the psychiatrists who dealt with him, and I'm not a violent person). As a result, since then he has refused to acknowledge his problem and becomes aggressive if anyone even mentions it. He also refuses to have anything to do with the health or social services. He won't register with a GP and won't claim any of the benefits he's entitled to. Consequently I am keeping him at the moment, although I can't really afford to. The divorce ended up very messy and unpleasant in spite of my best efforts, and his father now does nothing to support me or the family.
Okay, enough moaning! What with this and the divorce, and the fact that my daughter was ill with ME and depression for most of her teenage years things have been pretty bad and I've been suffering from depression myself for the past few years. However, I hasten to add that I am generally an upbeat cheerful sort of person, and much of the time life goes on and we muddle our way through it. I'm a great believer in the power of humour, and I'm not sure I'd still be here without it! My son is a very keen birdwatcher and I have to say that's our lifeline really. It gives him something to focus his energies on and gives me a channel to reach him on. And we now live in a beautiful part of Wales, so it's a good place for him.
Anyway, I won't say any more here, as I'm sure everything else will spill out onto the boards over the coming days/weeks/months.
Thanks for being here, and I look forward to getting to know you all.
