Autism and my need to be perfect
“I need everything I say and do, to be perfect”. Are you on the autistic spectrum and does this sound familiar to you? There’s something about having autism that makes me need to be perfect. Everything I say, every social interaction, In my work, every piece of DIY I undertake. There is no in between, no middle ground. It’s either perfect or completely useless. The trouble is that my concept Read More
New services for people with autism?
At last! could there now be new services for people with autism in the UK? The UK autism bill was passed a couple of years ago. It proposed that more services should be available for autistic people and that autism training should be given to doctors, police and others that may come in to contact with autistic people. As yet I have not seen any difference either in services or Read More
Autism did not start in the 1950’s!
Today I heard an autism “expert” talking on the radio. The autism expert said that autism started in the 1950’s. This is just not true. It started to be called autism in the 1950’s, even though the term autism was probably not widely known amongst the public and even doctors. It was only when Leo Kanner followed by Hans Asperger, started to do their ground breaking work, that the word Read More
Autism and super sensitive hearing
Are you on the autistic spectrum and have super sensitive hearing? I was in Mcdonalds this morning having coffee. I could hear every tiny sound so intensely that I could not think straight or relax. The constant jumble of sounds made me feel very agitated. I could hear the sound of people talking, food wrappers being opened and mobile phones ringing. It wasn’t that anyone was making anything than the Read More
Autism and tiredness
Is it just me, or do other people with autism feel tired all the time as well? I try my best to be a vibrant and energetic person, but I often find that I am easily overcome with tiredness and mental fatigue. I have to work extra hard to concentrate on work related tasks, as a result this quickly leads to mental burn out. At these times I cannot think clearly Read More
Autistic children need the chance to try new things
One of the greatest things a parent can do for their children, is to provide them with opportunities to try out as many activities as possible. Through this, their children can find things they are good at, and learn new skills. It seems that from my observation, some parents do not think it necessary to take this view if their child has autism. Whilst there are many parents that engage their Read More
Meditation can work for people with autism
Meditation can work for people with autism I have written about my interest in meditation in previous articles, but I wanted to write more about how it actually makes me feel. I have been meditating on and off for around 30 years and have tried many different techniques. Over the years I have regularly attended Buddhist centres, Raja yoga centres, Sri Chinmoy centres and many other organizations that have their Read More
Autism and self help
Autism and self help: People on the autistic spectrum that are cognitively able, can help themselves and others by sharing their experiences. It occurred to me recently, that practically everything I know about autism, has been learnt through a) my own research. b) self analysis and writing blog posts. c) listening to other peoples experiences of having autism. I have also learnt a lot over the past 5 years, by Read More
Autistic man arrested
Autistic man arrested at train station for violent and anti social behaviour. Yes that is the headline. It is the story of what happened to a 36 year old man with Autism called Philip. I have called him that to protect his identity. I work as a tutor to Philip, and have got to know him quite well. Philip was at the train station one day when he got confused Read More
Autism: A world of extremes
As someone with autism, I live in a world of extremes. Extreme emotions, extreme sensitivity to sound, itchy fabric and social situations.Extreme generalized anxiety, and all too often, extreme depression. There’s more; Extreme agitation when someone sits too close to me on the bus, and extreme anger if I think that someone isn’t playing by the rules, does not listen to what I have to say or calls me stupid and childish. Read More