I live in Atlanta, GA (USA) and was diagnosed with Asperger's in the mid-90s when I was 13, although my diagnosis today would probably be ASD. However I feel conflicted about the hierarchies in saying Aspergers, ASD, PDD-NOS etc., so I more often just say I'm autistic. I work in a facility that teaches life skills to people with disabilities, which can be interesting in a lot of ways. Sometimes I work with autistic people who I feel more of a peer to than my NT coworkers, and that causes a bit of internal conflict, but I like being able to help people and this is one thing I'm actually really good at! I've had other jobs that did not work out well, but I used my experience because in school I was in special education classes for behavioral/social reasons even though I'm very intelligent and so I didn't need the remedial curriculum, so the teachers treated me as more of a student helper, and that has led me into this field. I am also a nationally-ranked slam poet and I love to write and perform. It's provided me a way for me to express myself and connect with other people that I never had before.
12 Jul 2013, 2:54 pm
