I currently live in Warrington but am Scottish.
Yes, I was worried too that I wouldn't be diagnosed as AS as that would have left me wondering why I was broken. Also, I was worried about the fact that i have learned a lot of coping strategies and might have looked NT (which apparently I don't to those who know what to look for, which is good, I suppose).
Of course, the label doesn't change who I am but rather helps explain why I am like I am. I'm not sure about Bill Gates and Stephen Spielberg, there's no confirmation of a diagnosis and I'm not comfortable with the public outing of anyone. Sure, Gates, Einstein, Newton and a whole raft of famous people exhibit some symptoms (Newton more than just a few) of AS but there's no way we can diagnose AS by distance let alone those who are now dead. I don't think it helps either.
Anyway, I'm comfortable being me I just don't like the label of 'disabled', indeed when people at my canteen at work found out of my condition their attitude to me changed. I am being treated differently now and I think they might be treating the 'poor special bloke' with misplaced sympathy. Leave out that I am a successful scientist who is doing well for himself and more successful than they are. I suppose they don't know how to treat non-NT's and feel uncomfortable around the 'disabled'. I don't know. All I know is that they treat me differently and sometimes give me things free now and ask how I am in an odd way. I can see the change but not what the change is. I might ask one of the NT's I work with what it means.
Meh. I don't suppose it matters, really.
12 May 2008, 11:17 am
