Now this week, as nice a coincidence and surprise as it is… came back a close result of mine that’s very related. I’ve this received my official diagnosis of Asperger’s. It’s a life long difference and is, regardless of the late diagnosis, something that will and has affected me and my life ever since birth.
After receiving the diagnosis I told Aimee. She had some questions to ask and we thought it would be good to share them with you! So here goes…
Question 1: “What did you think about Aspergers before?”
I’d never even heard of Aspergers previous to my assessment and diagnosis, but now I know, it’s something that greatly effected my childhood in huge ways. I believe my family and me will always wish we had new more about it before. We’ve encountered huge issues and strains in previous years, in fact for as long as I can remember, and always down to the difference in my way of thinking.
We’d have huge arguments and debates, ending with family break ups and me away from home and at my nans for months on end. We now believe all of this to be down to the Asperger’s and it characteristics, something we had never even previously heard of.
But I say never heard of, and that’s really it, ‘heard’. I’d always known that part of what was causing the problems was a difference in my mind, but I could never just say that could I, after all… it was me who was different and I guess I didn’t think anybody would understand.
Question 2: “How did you know you were different?”
I always felt different in those earlier years. The way I looked on life, people, ambitions and work… I’d question everything, even if only in my head, and I’d almost always disagree with other people and their fundamentally illogical words, opinions and rules.
And while this can be a good thing for me in some ways, socially it was not, and in my younger years there was nothing that could be done. I couldn’t change and my parents couldn’t understand, we we’re always at loggerheads, simply because of my difference from the ‘norm’ in thinking.
Question 3: “What do you think of Aspergers now?”
Well, since knowing about it, I’ve researched it a lot. And in fact, I think I already knew a lot about it even before I knew its name. But I feel as for as many bad points as it can have, overall its good for me. It’s enabled me to do great things in my life to yet, things only caused by the effects that it has, and things that most other people of my age will probably never do.
Question 4: “How has/does it affect you?”
While it affected me most negatively while I was younger and my relationships broke down, my school and personal work thrived regardless and I feel this in essence is Aspergers.
I may have been unsociable compared to most others outside of school and I may have had problems with my parents. But regardless of these issues, I also gained some great grades, completed and worked on some amazing projects (Including this website!) and most of all; I nurtured an understanding of the big wide world that’s out there.
I’ve had the mindset and drive to conquer it ever since, and that’s something no one else I personally know has ever had.
And so, that’s exactly why Aimee and I created this site. To inspire and motivate, and to pass on the feel for success that we have both had and felt from such a young age. On reflection, I guess Asperger’s has played a big role in my life to yet, for better and for worse. But I think one day the traits that it has gave me will far out way the issues it has caused and it will aid in my long-awaited achievement of success.
Further Reading from the ‘Aspergers Week’ Series:
Joe’s Post: 20 People Who We All Know With Aspergers
Aimee’s Post: Aspergers or a Label for Genius?
