Tally

Ooh er, can you imagine trying to sleep through that in the house opposite?

These are a couple I found. You can buy online, but I expect you can buy these in the stores as well. Woolworths M&S

I use the forum there. I don't agree with all the aims of the website, but I find it useful and interestng to read other people's opinions on things. It helps me to form my own opinions, and to feel stronger. Was there anything particular you wanted to know? The couple who run it have just had a baby, so they might be slow to reply if you contacted them at the moment.

I live in Devon, but I was not educated here, so I cannot comment on that. There is very high unemployment here, so unless you have a job lined up, you might struggle to find work. I also found some people in Exeter very unpleasant. When customers heard my London accent, I was told at least once a week, "it's because of outsiders like you coming here and taking all the jobs that my son/sister/friend/etc is unemployed." That said, I served a lot of other customers in the average week with no problem. Now that I live in a town outside Exeter, I have only had that comment once. The roads in Exeter are very poorly managed, and there is terrible congestion. Something to consider if you were planning to work in Exeter, especially if you were to live somewhere else. This is a part of the country where people think "darkie" is an appropriate term to describe a black person (or actually anyone who is not white). Racism is an issue here, but I do hope that it is one that will change. It's a beautiful part of the world though, and it's home so I do like it. Even though it rains a lot (but rarely snows).

Most (if not all) autistic people have sensory issues, and it's the subject of debate as to whether they are two separate conditions, or whether it is part of autism. It is also possible to have the sensory issues without being autistic though. But the fact remains, your son has sensory issues. It could be useful to have documented evidence of his specific issues.

My brother needed our parents' permission when he decided to leave the 6th form, aged 17. He could have left home, had a child, been married (with parents' consent), worked full time, but he couldn't choose to leave school. Perhaps if he insisted, it may have been possible at this age. I think the child's opinion is important though. If a child were deeply unhappy in a certain school, they might kick up and misbehave until it became impossible to educate them in that environment.

Flora Proactive now do a yoghurt drink that it supposed to help reducing blood pressure. Comes in strawberry and raspberry flavours. It's not cheap at around �2 for 4 drinks, but it might be a short-term solution while you look at his diet.

I like cats. Stroking the cat helps me to relax, because I feel like I am doing something, and not 'just' relaxing. Trying to teach my other cat not to bite, and succeeding in reducing her aggression makes me feel like I can do useful things. Adopting an adult cat from a rescue centre might be best if you do not have the time to looking after and training a new kitten. Most cats end up there because their elderly owners have either died, or have gone to live in nursing homes. There are fewer and fewer abused animals these days, so there are many 'normal' cats, without behavioural problems or health issues. What about something like a gerbil or a fish to begin with? You could see how your child will be with a pet, and if he loses interest, it's not too much for you to take on looking after it.

I took this for 6 months and found it really helpful. It helped to lift my depression and anxiety. After 6 months it stopped working, but this seems to happen with me and antidepressants, and some people take it for years and still find it helps. You should be aware that when you first start taking citalopram, it can cause anxiety to increase. This should die down after a week or so though.

You can't fit as much in a dryer as in a washing machine. If you wash one load, you then have to split it into 2 loads to dry. I've never had one that worked properly (well, I've never had one at all, but when I lived with my parents, their washer-dryer was always breaking down, being replaced, and breaking down again).

I know someone who's 3rd child was born with a disability. She was already a teacher, and after having that child she did an MA in special needs education, and taught in a special school. Then she decided to adopt a 4th child with a disability. This child has complex physical disabilities, and "autistic features." I think it's wonderful that she did all this, but I know that most people couldn't cope with that. It's sad that social workers are not explaining autism better. You'd think they would be keen to place these children.

I've heard about this before. It's interesting because I was given this antobiotic a lot as a baby and child for repeated ear infections. I also have allergic reactions to most antibiotics, but Amoxicillin tends to cause a less severe reaction. It's difficult to prove that this causes autism while the causes of autism are not properly understood, but this definitely warrants more research.

I would also recommend "Asperger Syndrome and Long-Term Relationships" by Ashley Stanford. Aside from relationship issues, it also has a lot of information about AS in adults.

I have AS, and I do sweat more than most people. I never had a problem with tiredness until I was 20. I used to require very little sleep. My mum said I was an insomniac, but I wasn't tired, I just slept less. Since I was 20 though, I have been really tired. I have had a blood test to try to identify a cause, but I don't have the results yet. I don't think it's connected with AS though, otherwise I would always have been tired.

Ooh, that's convenient, there's a massive new Tescos about to open where I live

What I would really like is seamless knickers

Congratulations! You must be very proud of his progress.

It's a lot to process. I have AS, and I often don't react to something until several days afterwards. It can take a while for me to be able to verbalise how I feel about something. Perhaps you could tell her that if she has any questions about Asperger Syndrome, you can help her find an answer. And leave it at that until she wants to talk more.

I am an adult AS female, although without a firm diagnosis (adult diagnosis is hard to come by). Hubby has some AS traits.

I don't really have any friends, but I am usually happy that way. I get on OK with the people I work with. I don't know how much I have in common with them, as we don't socialise outside of work. I would ask their advice if it was about something I thought they'd know about (eg, asking someone who owns a cat to recommend a vet to take my cat to), but I wouldn't turn to any of them for emotional support. I don't really get on that well with people my own age, because I don't enjoy going to pubs because of my sensory issues associated with crowds and noise. The people I get on with best are usually older than me. I'm lucky that my job involves mostly working along side other people, rather than directly with them. I find it really hard to train a new starter, because I have to spend the whole day with them, and to make them feel comfortable, it's good to try and chat. I made one woman cry at the end of her 1st week because she thought I hated her, and I really didn't. I have my husband though. I think that I would feel lonely at times if I did not have him. When I rented a room in someone's house (before I met my husband), I spent most of my time in my room, but there were times when I would go and watch telly with the family for a bit of company. I didn't chat to them much, just being in the room with them was all I wanted. There were times when I felt eaten up by alone-ness, but I had just left home after a huge row with my parents, and was severely depressed, so that probably contributed. I expect that your daughter is content not to see her friends outside of school. I had all the social contact I needed in school, and needed to be alone in the evenings to relax. If she wants to invite friends round, the weekend might be the best time, as after a day at school, it may be too much for her. What does she say about it?

I would be very interested in this if you will consider getting adult sizes.

Yes, you can get humane traps. You have to take Mousey for a long walk before you release him though, otherwise he'll come straight back. Put raisins coated in cocoa powder in the trap - they love this.

As an adult, you will probably not get a diagnosis on the NHS. Most doctors will feel that there is little point as your difficulties cannot be that severe if you've not needed any help until adulthood. (This, of course, is complete rubbish.) You might want to contact the NAS to ask for a leaflet about AS to show your GP. I have one titled "What is Asperger Syndrome?" which would be a good start. You could also give him a link to the NAS website. There is a section on there especially for professionals. If you do get a diagnosis, you will not get a certificate or anything like that. It will simply be stored in your medical records, in the same way as if you were diagnosed with any medical condition. All you really get is the affirmation that, in the opinion of a trained professional, you do indeed have AS. I am not sure how much use a diagnosis is, unless you need to claim benefits, or need access to support groups that require a referral from a professional. Here is a list of people who do diagnose AS in adults. Be prepared that many of them will require information from your parents, and that you will almost definitely have to foot the bill yourself.

Try re-wording the 2nd line to say, "they each take away one card and throw it away."

Congratulations! I've been looking into a formal diagnosis, but the NHS don't seem to be interested in diagnosing adults. I would be interested to know, did you have to go private?