New here - from France :)

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Hi everyone!

I'm new here. I currently live in France, with my 2 cats and 3 dogs. I'm 29 and I'm doing a PhD in "social psychology". I'v been diagnosed at the age of 27.
By coming here on this forum, I'd like to know what it's like to be an aspie in another part of the world, cause here in France it really sucks : no one knows what "aspergers" is/means (even doctors); and autism is considered as an illness, or at best, a disability. I try to change the view of french neurotypical by blogging, posting videos on youtube and giving talks whenever I get the chance, but sometimes I feel desperate. There's so much to do...
So maybe, once my PhD is over, I'll decide to abandon my country and go elsewhere (canada or USA). But I don't know if things are really better over there

Thanks for your attention

PD : i'm sorry if my english is not that good :/ I never practice

Welcome to WP, your English is excellent; much better than my written French. I live in Normandie, an English Expat. There has been quite a lot on the TV recently trying to change the attitudes (especially of medical professionals) regarding autism. I think things are changing, albeit very slowly.

What a coincidence!! That is SO nice! What are you doing in Normandie? I live in Nantes
Yes I agree, things are beginning to change, but it seems so slow... and there is so much to do. Are you from England? What do you think of the difference between England and France regarding autism? Are english people/professionals more "evolved"?

I'm from England yes, currently unemployed. Difficult for those aged 50+ to find work here so in effect I'm semi-retired. From what I can gather medical professionals are more clued up about autism in England than France. None of the "packing" that I've heard about happens (or happened) in France. There is a thread about it here:
http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt187047.html

Bonjour! I live in Switzerland, in Basel so I can see
France from here (literally, when I'm in my office). Another English expat. I just got my diagnosis via Skype, I didn't even bother trying to look for one in the Swiss system it's so conservative. I saw a Swiss psychiatrist for a while and it was NOT a success. He just did not get me at all.

I have friends who live in France and they say how old fashioned and strict the French school system is. Did you struggle at school?

I get the impression that the English speaking world is much more forward thinking in general than much of Europe, especially the south.

Your English is great and puts my terrible German to shame although I try really hard to break the English stereotype!!

Hi, I'm in Normandie as well - at the very bottom of the Manche. Early retired on health grounds, but thankfully with a fairly decent pension. I'm an English speaker, but also speak Welsh, so my attempts to learn French properly are occasionally muddled by another language with similar grammar but different vocabulary!

Hi, i am Jeff, I'm from the UK, my doctor thought i had AS a few years ago, and said to come in for testing. I didn't, but i researched it extensively and knew that i did. Recently a different doctor i spoke to said that it would be kind of pointless to get tested as an adult, as it takes over a year to get a diagnosis, there are long forms, and lots of waiting, and when you do finally get your result, that's it, no more communication, and no help, If you are a child here in the UK it is very different, schools generally are quite aware of AS and there are legal guidelines and initiatives in place to help children who are on the spectrum. For the most part in this country, unless a person has a special reason to look into what being on the spectrum means, such as a family member or a friend, or interest in psychology then the general perception is still that a person with AS has an odd disability. There are no obvious positive role models of people with AS that are well known, and a vague idea of extreme autism connects itself in most peoples mind to someone who is known to be on the spectrum.
If compared with ADHD for example, the negative stigma attached to AS is very apparent, people can openly say they have ADHD in social situations as there is little negative association in the public's mind associated with it, but people are afraid of the word autism, and a person with AS can soon find themselves viewed as being somehow less than human.
I don't see AS as a disability as such because of the negative associations with the word disabled, although some people on this site seem to. Yes it can make things a lot harder socially as people on the spectrum appear less 'normal' socially, and have a hard time often operating in world that has a a lifestyle largely designed by NT's, in that sense people with AS face a challenge, and in many cases are disadvantaged. I really don't think being on the spectrum is in itself a negative thing when compared with NT's, both i feel have merits, and there is no human ideal by which to compare people, so a class system based on comparison is just prejudice.

Welcome to WP. An aspie psychology phd in our ranks; awesome! This is a great place for support and understanding, and we shall certainly enjoy your thoughts and insights. Look forward to your future posts.

Are there any links you've made that you'd like to share?

Bonjour. Comment allez-vous?

I enjoyed France when I went there. The people, however, seemed irritated when I tried to speak French. Are French people really perfectionistic about their language?

There's a thread which addresses the irritation with French attitudes about Autism Spectrum Disorders right here in this Forum!

Excellent luck in your PhD!

I'm a Yankee from New York City.

Bonjour et bievenue,i dont know how different it is over here (quebec) and most common people seen think of it as the classic autism.the profetionals i dont know i havent really talked to any.il do a little reaserch and let you know.

There seems to be a lot on line society's some camps and quite a bit of info.i do remember a few articles in reputable news papers and magazines.there has been a lot of progress over the last 10-15 years.it could of maybe helped me when i was young as i saw a psychologist and his conclusion was that i had a secret.it surely didn't help that there was a dozen students watching through a Two way mirror.

Welcome to Wrong Planet!

Thank you all for your answers ! I feel very welcome.

I’m gonna try to answer :

TallyMan : It would be nice if someday we could meet! And yes I agree, here in France after 50 it’s difficult (impossible?) to get a job… :/ Thank you for the link, I read a part of the post, it’s really interesting to see how other people abroad see us!

Outsidein : It seems that in Swiss autism awareness is the same that in France… I didn’t know it was possible to get a diagnosis via skype, can you tell me more about it? Was it an English professional?
Yes I struggled in school. I had good grades but I felt really bored (the school system is super boring) and I was the “weirdo”. Other kids would make fun of me…

Hi ChrisP! Are all English expats in Normandie or what?!

ConcretDinosaur : thank you for your testimony. Here in France the waiting lists are the same : at least a year to get a diagnosis. But the problem is, depending where you live, the professionals are either good or really bad. It’s like a lottery. So sometimes, even if you have AS, your diagnosis can be negative.
I see at least for children things are evolving… Here in France even in schools nobody knows what AS/autism is, and 80% of the children with autism are not accepted in school, they are redirected to psychiatric hospitals.
For adults I thought it was a lot easier. I once heard a French aspie on TV saying that in England or USA it was almost “classy” to say “I’m an aspie”, that it was seen as something really positive, and that anyone knew what it was. So I kind of imagined that it was “dreamy” in English speaking countries and I guess I was mistaken.

Aharon : thanks for your enthousiasm! I’m not sure I understand what “Are there any links you've made that you'd like to share?” means. :/ Do you mean “internet links”? In that case, yes, there is my French blog that sould be in my signature. As regards my thesis, I’m finishing my first experiment and I hope to publish it. I tried to demonstrate how stereotypes are built in the mind of people here in France (the theme of my thesis is “discrimination against adult autistic people in France” and I study the social environment and also the professional environment) If my results are good enough, I’ll try to publish in an English periodical, and in that case, I’ll let you know! It’ll be easier for you all to read

kraftiekortie : hi “yankee from NY city!” I don’t know if French people are perfectionist about their language (I don’t think so), what I do know is that they are “snob” and rude… I went to NY city a few years ago and I hated it! (sorry) All the noises, the people everywhere, the smells... I think it's quite a challenge for an aspie to live in such a big city!

IamRob : I loved your anecdote about the psychologist

Now then, I said I was an English speaker , but it doesn't necessarily mean I'm English! (I do have some English blood, but not many English people speak Welsh as well!)

We did look at living in Brittany (because I can understand Breton fairly well - it's a bit like Cornish), but in the end we found the perfect home for us a few miles into Normandy. After a working life of dealing with people we wanted to live somewhere away from crowds, so that if we want social activities we can go out and look for them, but when we have had enough we can retreat to somewhere really quiet and private.

Oops ok sorry for the misunderstanding! You are lucky to have found your home. I hope someday I'll be able to buy a house with a nice garden, away from the crowd. Sometimes when I feel blue I look at the real estate ads on the internet, and I think to myself "one day you'll live in one of those!". Right now I live in an apartement in the city center, and it's a nightmare...

There is a lot of support in place for school age people on the spectrum in the USA. Also the medical establishment is among the most informed/advanced in the world concerning autism. Research into autism here has also grown exponentially in the last several years.

That said, the situation for adults with autism is not too much different from Europe. Once a person leaves school, they are to a great extent on their own. The population at large does not understand it and there is suspicion and a wide spread stigma attached to autistics.