December 2009 Member Q&A: asteroids (sara)
Posted by
asteroids
on 2nd December 2009
at 14:13
Ok....here goes....
1. I got involved with autism in a number of ways. I trained as a primary teacher and taught a number of children with ASD in various schools.
In 2006, I was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome. I'd always struggled with social situations and knew I was different to other people but never understood why. My diagnosis helped me to understand some of the difficulties I had and how to cope with them.
I now run a specialist autism consultancy and use my own knowledge and experience of ASD to help parents, teachers, employers as well as people with autism.
2. I found Talk about Autism by chance. I use the internet a lot and I'm always looking for information about autism. I started posting on the forum about 4 months ago and was then invited to become a Community Champion. I have to admit, I was thrilled to be invited and consider it a great honour.
3. My top tip to someone who has just had their child diagnosed? This is difficult as it depends on the age of the child and on how much knowledge the parent already has. I would recommend that people join a support group or a forum such as this one and talk to other parents. They will get lots of good, relevant information and strategies as well as support for themselves and their family.
4. I have had few difficult encounters. Most have been very positive. Helping to restrain a boy who was having a major meltdown was very unpleasant. It was before I had been diagnosed and quite early on in my teaching career. I went to the aid of another teacher. The boy was threatening to kill himself but I'm not sure I'd take the same action again. I know a lot more about autism now and I think I would be able to manage the situation in a better way.
5. Autism in three words: fascinating, profound, exhausting
For fun:
1. My dream holiday is to go to the Antarctic.
2. Three things: a pack of cards (is that one thing, or 52?), pad of paper and a pen.
3. I really enjoy walking. It is the one activity which calms me down, keeps me fit and allows me to think. I can walk with other people or on my own. I can walk anywhere, in any weather.
Posted by
bumblebee
on 2nd December 2009
at 18:52
Hi Sara,
I loved reading this....I think it is a great topic! Thank you for sharing :0)
Claire - Community Champion
Posted by
Leanne
on 2nd December 2009
at 19:21
Hi Sara
Well done for going first and for sharing, its lovely finding out more about you :)
Leanne - Community Champion
Posted by
asteroids
on 2nd December 2009
at 19:27
It was very difficult and I could have posted lots more but decided to keep it reasonably short. People can ask if they want more information.
Asteroids Sara - Community Champion
Posted by
asteroids
on 3rd December 2009
at 11:05
Hi Elena,
An interesting question which I hadn't really thought about.
Before my own diagnosis I knew I had some connection with the autistic children I taught. In some cases, they made much more progress with me than they had before. It didn't bother me that they couldn't make eye contact, I understood their sensory difficulties and their anxieties. I didn't force them out of their comfort zones and would look for other ways to help them approach new tasks and challenges.
Because I had worked with so many children with ASD, I knew that there was a spectrum and that abilities varied widely. I could also see the huge potential of people with ASD. When I was diagnosed, I already knew I had ASD. I had researched it thoroughly and talked to a number of people about it. I was relieved to get the diagnosis as it explained why life had been so difficult for me. What I struggled with was the complete lack of support following that diagnosis. I thought there would be some form of support group, therapy, social skills group etc but there was nothing. In the end, I set up an online group for professional people with ASD. This helped me to get in touch with other people and discuss some of the difficulties we were all experiencing.
It took me a while to feel comfortable about telling other people about my ASD. I told a few close family members and colleagues but I was very reluctant to let everyone know. It's only really in the last year or so that I have felt very comfortable about it and most people have been great: very supportive and helpful. I now need to convince other people with ASD to be more open about their diagnosis as this is the only way we're going to improve public awareness and get the services we need.
Asteroids Sara - Community Champion
Posted by
bumblebee
on 3rd December 2009
at 16:02
Hi Sara,
I totaly understand what you mean. I have a diagnosis (not AS or autism) but although I am not the slightest bit embarrased about it, I am concerned about how people interpret it.....It shouldn't really matter but I never want to give anyone a reason to say I can't or shouldn't do something because of a diagnosis they don't really understand....actually that doesn't sound like a good enough reason now I have written it down! Maybe I'll ''come out'' soon!!....still getting my head around it. Any advice?
Claire - Community Champion
Posted by
asteroids
on 3rd December 2009
at 18:39
Now we're all intrigued to know what it is!
Personally, I would just go for it and tell a few close friends. See what their reaction is then go from there. If they react badly, then what sort of friends are they?
Asteroids Sara - Community Champion
Posted by
asteroids
on 4th December 2009
at 17:00
Elena,
I still keep in contact with some of the group. Occasionally we meet up but they're mainly based in the south east so it's more difficult for me.
Asteroids Sara - Community Champion
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Posted by
Elena Goodrum
on 2nd December 2009
at 13:00
Our first brave volunteer is asteroids (sara). Thank you, Sara! : )
You've probably seen her around by now, and if you haven't already spotted it - definitely take a look at her discussion, "Ask Sara - How does it feel?" It's been so helpful for many of us to have this space where we can ask questions and get some truly unique insights.
In case you're new to Talk about Autism, the Monthly Member Q&A is a way for us to feature our members and get to know a bit more about them by asking them questions over a month. We start off by asking everyone the same questions, and then we open the floor to all of our members for further questioning. To read more about what the Monthly Member Q&A is, or if you are interested in being one of our featured members of the month, please visit this page to find our more: What are the Member Q&A's? ...And how you can participate!
Let's get started with the basic questions and then we'll open the floor to anyone else who'd like to pick Sara's brain over the month of December!
1. What's your story - how are you involved with autism?
2. How did you find Talk about Autism and how long have you been with us?
3. What is your top tip to pass on to someone whose child has recently been diagnosed with autism?
4. What has been one of the most difficult encounters you've had with regard to autism?
5. If you had to describe autism in no more than 3 words, what would they be?
And just for fun:
1. What would your dream holiday be?
2. If you got stranded on a desert island, what 3 things would you take?
3. Tell us something that you really enjoy doing.