Learn from the mistakes of others

Commenting on Disability: A Personal Story by Kate, June 23, 2005 @ 12:01 am on Larvatus Prodeo

maelorin says:
June 26th, 2005 at 2:28 am

i can relate to everything you have said here kate. i was diagnosed with asperger’s syndrome a little over a year ago (in my early 30s).

i’m a lawyer. it took four years for me to get employment that actually required my (not inconsiderable) qualifications. apart from a few years as a computer programmer in the early 90s, much of my employment has been significantly below my aptitude.

in some ways i am very fortunate to be at the ‘near normal’ end of the autism spectrum. it has been relatively easy for me to learn better adaptation skills. but it has also been much harder to have my ‘idiosyncracies’ recognised and accepted as something more than me being a ‘little wierd’.

i’m very open about my diagnosis, and am curious that, having finally got past the door, i not only perform as well any anyone else - but until i mention it, no one has any inkling.

when certain people feel the need to express how hard they have to work to overcome life’s little obstacles, i find it hard to resist describing my typical day at the office as i try to deal with them - let alone my own little problems.

my life would be a lot less complicated if i had some job security rather than a series of short-term contracts so that i can become comfortable enough to drop some of the layers of behavioural adaptations i have to use at work. it would also be nice if more people were more tolerant of difference so that i didn’t have to work so hard to keep up with the “appearances” game.