Giving ‘voice’ to Aspies...

1. Giving ‘voice’ to Aspies... A few thoughts from ‘the inside’

2. Who am I? • I am diagnosed with Aspergers, ADHD and bi-polar • I am a qualified social researcher with a BSocSc (Honours) • I conducted research into ‘insider’ experiences of AS from a human geographical perspective • I am a part of the Autism community and interact with a range of AS people • I run support/social groups for high functioning Autistic people and sometimes mentor younger Aspies

3. How is human geography useful in relation to services for Aspies? • Human geography focuses on ‘spaces’ and ‘places’ • So, the emphasis is on how individuals are effected by environment • In relation to AS people, it shifts the focus away from changing Aspie people to changing the environment to enhance our lives

4. How else is human geography useful to understanding Aspies? • Qualitative human geographers argue that researchers need to ‘get closer to individuals’ in order to truly understand them • In particular in relation to groups of people of difference or (dis)ability I do not believe it is possible to truly understand Autism by only studying it from the ‘outside’

5. Combining ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ knowledge • A lot of information about AS provided by ‘medical models’ and ‘research studying our behaviour’ from the outsidecontradicts what Aspies themselves feel about how they experience the world It’s time to combine the knowledge of ‘non spectrum experts’ with ‘insider experts’

6. A couple of questions to ponder? • If you wanted to understand the needs of a person in a wheelchair... Or a deaf person... Or a blind person... would you ask a medical expert who could explain the medical reasons for their (dis)ability? • If you wanted to create an appropriate environment for a person with a physical (dis)ability... Would you focus on how to change them or focus on creating a suitable environment?

7. Is it only Aspies and human geographers who think environment is important? • NO! International experts such as Tony Attwood and Simon Baron-Cohen have suggested environment as being a significant factor in making AS a ‘disability’... And that in a different world high functioning AS would simply be a ‘difference’

8. What DO Aspies have to say? • We are not a ‘condition’ or ‘label’... We are ‘humans with thoughts, feelings and desires in life’ • We are all individuals... ‘Look at the whole picture’ • ‘Every person with Autism is an individual, our autism is expressed differently for each of us... And not all our behaviour is Autistic, sometimes we’re just having a bad day’

9. More thoughts from Aspies... • ‘Don’t underestimate us because with the right support we can do awesome things’ • ‘We may not appear stressed, but interacting with NTs is way more stressful than they might imagine’ • ‘AS is a developmental DELAY, meaning just because we can’t do what others do at the ‘normal age, it doesn’t mean we will never be able to do it’

10. Summarising Aspie thoughts... Autobiographical accounts express: • Feeling different • Aspects of both (dis)ability and (extra)ability • A greater desire to be ‘ourselves’ than be ‘normal’ • Frustration at being stereotyped and misunderstood • A need for societal acceptance of us ‘as we are’ • Desire for change of society • Manypositive aspects to being Aspie

11. Final thoughts... • ‘Insider knowledge’ combined with ‘expert knowledge’ has the potential to produce valuable practical ideas in how to assist Aspie people reach their full potential • Often our needs pertain to creating a suitable environment for us to ‘be ourselves’ • Creating the right environment for Aspies means understanding the needs of the individual