Best US locations for Asperger's
I've lived in a lot of places in my life, and I don't think there is such a thing as a city that is Aspie-friendly. Cities aren't really designed around our needs. I think you have to look at the problem in terms of your personal interests and needs. Some things to consider are-
Is it important for you to be near family or friends?
Employment/education opportunities in your area of interest
Cost of living, especially housing
Climate
Activities that you enjoy
Will you need specialized therapy?
How well do you handle noise, crowds and traffic?
How well do the people there accept newcomers, especially if they are different?
You might want to check out the websites bestplaces.net or city-data.com, which have information on some of these things.
Hope this helps.
I lived in Austin, TX for many years and it was fantastic. The motto of the city is Keep Austin Weird and a majority of the locals take that to heart. It's full of musicians, artists, great jobs, great restaurants, quirky people, the University of Texas, tons of beautiful parks and outdoors stuff, great medical facilities, live music every night, and friendly people. Austin also has tons of festivals like SXSW, Austin City Limits, and Fun Fun Fun just to name a few. You'll never run out of things to do. I'm an aspie and I never felt like I stood out in Austin.
I really enjoyed living in Berkeley, CA, for a lot of the same reasons Boo Radley liked Austin. The San Francisco Bay Area is a place that appreciates diversity and individuality, and has a place for people that don't fit in. I loved all the cultural events, museums, parks, aquariums, and interesting landmarks, plus the very big San Francisco Public Library. It's a great place for philosophical and religious diversity too--there are places of worship for practically every belief system, plus groups for alternate religions like Wicca. It's also within driving distance of some lovely National Parks like Point Reyes National Seashore, Monterey Bay, Sequoia National Forest, and Yosemite National Park.
I've also heard that there are a lot of services for people with Asperger's in California, and they mandate insurance coverage for many therapies. I don't know much about that, though--i was diagnosed after I moved East.
The one HUGE drawback is the cost to live there. It is VERY expensive. I had to share a house with 4 other people, which didn't sit especially well with my need to control my personal space, even though my housemates were very nice people. My previous home in Colorado was a one-bedroom apartment that cost almost half as much.
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Diagnosed Bipolar II in 2012, Autism spectrum disorder (moderate) & ADHD in 2015.
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