10 Results in Uncategorized

What is my personality and what is my autism?

I was once asked by someone, "How do I know if my behaviour is because I'm ASD or is it merely who I am?" It was a good question and one that I have many times pondered over myself. There's not a clear or easy answer.

Social inclusion vs social acceptance

Inclusion is a very big word these days in society. We are all being motivated to include others into our daily lives and the lives we have in society, disregarding gender, race, age, illness, disability (mentally, physically or both) sexual orientation,…. However there does lie a difference between inclusion and acceptance. Social inclusion “Jeanne, 43, ASD, works at an office. There is a massive summer event coming up, organised by the general staff of the office. Everybody is excited and talking about it. There will be a BBQ first and then a dance at a big venue. Even though Jeanne is comfortable around her colleagues, the thought of going there frightens her and gives her anxiety. She tells her colleagues she will not be attending and uses the excuses that it is too far away from her home and the travel time will be too long. Her colleagues immediately offer to come pick her up and drive her back home after the party, so she won’t miss out on all the fun. Jeanne feels terribly distressed by this.”

Doing the same thing over and over again

I have a little theory which I want to write out! I've been thinking about how I experience pleasure. A friend said to me, "I like doing something for the first time, it feels so fresh and is the most enjoyable." It was an interesting statement and I challenged it. I said, "What about after the first time? Does something get less enjoyable the more times you do it?" He said, "Yes, sort of. The first time is always the best." My reaction to this was: "That's a shame. The number of times I do something has no effect on how much or how little I enjoy it. In fact, if I like something, I will enjoy it just as much as I did the first time." He said, "I love that about you."

Negative reactions to the autism label

‘Roxanne (29, ASD) has a group training session that would help her to find a job. During the training, her fellow trainees start to talk amongst themselves. The chatter becomes very loud and affects Roxanne greatly. She decides to leave the room for a while. She finds a quiet place to relax for a little… Join The Curly Hair Project Community Today This article and our podcasts are available only to members of our community. If you would like to continue to read this artic…

Anger and frustration in ASD

It is well known that people with ASD have problems regulating their emotions. One thing that affects me greatly in my day to day living is that, I feel angry often. I feel angry more often than I feel frustrated. Frustration is probably one of the most common emotions felt by people with ASD. It is easy… Join The Curly Hair Project Community Today This article and our podcasts are available only to members of our community. If you would like to continue to read this article, alo…

Being alone versus feeling lonely

There is so much to do around it, feeling lonely and not being alone, or being alone and not feeling lonely. So what is this all about? Being alone Being alone for someone with Asperger’s syndrome is vital. Our social energy batteries run dry a lot quicker, than those of neurotypical people, and so we… Join The Curly Hair Project Community Today This article and our podcasts are available only to members of our community. If you would like to continue to read this article, along w…

‘High functioning’ autism

It is internationally recognised that the description ‘high functioning’ refers to a person with autism who has an IQ above or equal to 70. I am fine with this description but I also have another way of looking at it. I would say this: there is a process that every autistic person has to go through before… Join The Curly Hair Project Community Today This article and our podcasts are available only to members of our community. If you would like to continue to read th…

People with ASD – excellent theory of mind

The connection between theory of mind and ASD has been studied extensively and is strongly suggestive of people with ASD having impaired theory of mind compared to their neurotypical counterparts. One definition of theory of mind is: ‘Being aware that another person may have a different point of view’ Theory of mind is developed during childhood. So, if people with ASD have impaired theory… Join The Curly Hair Project Community Today This article…

Celebrating the spectrum – 10 positives about ASD

1. People with ASD are passionate as well as driven A lot of people are either passionate or driven, it’s a lot less common for someone to be both. Passion is a genuine love for your hobby or work. Passion isn’t the goal, it’s the journey. If you want to be good at anything you have to… Join The Curly Hair Project Community Today This article and our podcasts are available only to members of our community. If you would like to continue to read this article, along with receivi…

The Line Theory

Another way of describing rigidity in thinking and behaviour of people with ASD is using the Line Theory. As individuals, we have complete control over our thoughts and behaviour. In a sense, that means we can live our lives how we want to. Have you ever played the computer game, The Sims? This sort of… Join The Curly Hair Project Community Today This article and our podcasts are available only to members of our community. If you would like to continue to read this article, along…