My Experience with Aspergers Syndrome
By Chris Jones
For a long time now I have had a condition that not many people know about. It’s a condition that really has not many physical signs and can sometimes be put down to just being a bit ‘weird’. It’s a condition too that hasn’t really been out in the public for a long time, but still is fairly serious that it gets its own title. As a condition it really isn’t entirely bad, I mean growing up I was sometimes referred to as a ‘little genius’ and have even been given titles such as a ‘human encyclopaedia’, which looking at it that way isn’t the worst thing that I could be called. However it still can be a fairly difficult thing to live with. The condition I have is called Aspergers Syndrome, a type of autism that isn’t really publicly known about too much. From what I know, it was named after an Austrian paediatrician called Hans Asperger who studied a wide variety of children like me and named the condition after himself.
Well that was a pretty cool start for the condition all those years ago and great that it has its own name, but I’m sure you are wondering what the condition actually is and what it means. Well put it simply I have trouble talking and associating with other people and don’t particularly like being in social situations. This I think isn’t really as bad as it sounds, as to me it isn’t really a big deal, but for many people this apparently is an issue. I think has been the most difficult aspect of having this condition my entire life because on a personal level I couldn’t care too much about socialising with people and making friends. I do seem to find it difficult interacting with other people yes, but as far as I see things this isn’t an issue. If people don’t like it then they probably should bother with me as I am quite happy being the way I am. I did mention of course people referring to me as a little genius didn’t I? Well this is simply because I have great knowledge of subjects that I find amazing. One such subject is insects.
I absolutely love all things to do with insects and whenever somebody talks to me about insects I can easily get swept away in talking about all the different facts and figures that relate to the creatures. This is the same when it comes to flowers. I have a passion for flowers as well and can find myself talking about them all day non-stop and not get sick of them at all. But this apparently is apart of the condition of Aspergers. But I can tell you that living with it; I don’t feel too much like it’s a condition. It really is what I’m used to and just what I have experienced all my life. I actually remember my mother getting worried when I was young and taking me to doctors who diagnosed me with the condition. My mother has been supportive of me ever since though but the initial diagnosis I think was very hard on her. I have constantly had to calm her and make her aware that in no way is this something that I regret having and I am extremely happy in the way I am living my life with Aspergers. I think that for people looking on the outside in to somebody like me it could be seen as something difficult to live with, but I can really assure you that it isn’t and that I do truly feel blessed to be able to be the way I am. If anything having a label on me is kind of cool as that way if people don’t like the way I am I can blame it on the condition and then people back away.
