Living with autism by Ing. Henry Curmi
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LIVING WITH AUTISM
AS AN ADULT
Ing. Henry Curmi Dimech
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Introduction – who’s talking?
Late diagnosis (Age 26)
Tell tale signs: odd behaviours for my age
Did not reach certain levels of social
development
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Reaction to diagnosis
Diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome was not a
shock or a trauma, but a justification to me
being ‘different’
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Early Education
Schooling with NT children, no distinction
Focus on academic matters
Evidence of struggle with languages
Student-teacher relationship: formal
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Middle Education
Bullying – a common problem
Needed some intervention from certain
members of staff
Basic methods worked: assertiveness,
attitude
Noticeably different from classmates
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Middle Education
More evidence of better grasp of fields
involving logic and/or memory work
Struggle with languages much clearer (no
logic)
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Middle Education
Some however excel at visual arts
Artist: Candy Waters, UK
Source: Facebook
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Higher Education
Almost exclusively focus on academic
matters at the expense of socialising
Stick to logical fields of study for best
results
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The Job Hunt
Lots of marketing involved – a difficult area
Best bet: jobs involving analysis and
attention to detail, or solitary jobs
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At the Workplace
Not capable of adapting to any workplace
Needs environment governed by rules, clear
specifications and defined roles &
responsibilities
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At the Workplace - Pitfalls
Avoid office politics!!
Exercise caution when joking/making
remarks – look before you leap
Mind-reading
Confirm understanding, ideally in writing
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A Member of Society
Likely to be lonely with no contacts outside
work or family
Friend-seeking is a conscious process:
involves making enquiries
Greater success with people in same
situation
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A Member of Society
Important to have an easy-going attitude in
public
Is something worth fighting for?
Feelings and empathy – a difficult area
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A Member of Society – Pitfalls/Dangers
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Personal Life
Loneliness becomes a problem later in life
Mitigated by being used to solitude, keep
busy
An ongoing challenge
Personal development takes place but on a
different time scale
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Interacting with others
Hit-or-miss
Best conversation has a specific purpose
Eye contact is possible but requires
conscious effort
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Interacting with others
TOXIC PEOPLE
MANIPULATION
OPEN-MINDEDNESS
PURPOSEFUL, SERIOUS CONVERSATIONS
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We use Facebook for communication and to
find out what’s going on.
No selfies
Facebook group
“Asperger meeting group – Malta”
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Routine
A common symptom which diminishes with
time
Non-sensical routines can be overcome with
logical explanations and real examples
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Sensory Overload
In confusing situations, it is helpful to split
the scenario into smaller, manageable
pieces, or modules.
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Conclusion
People with Autism or Asperger Syndrome
are just as capable as anyone else to
contribute to society.
We simply request acceptance that we
learn, think and have fun differently.
Many of us have trouble conforming to
society’s trends and pressure to ‘fit in’.
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Recommendations
We also need to be independent, like
everyone else.
Ideal careers: involving numbers, logic,
detail, working alone. E.g. IT, Mathematics
& Sciences, Engineering
OR: Visual arts, for those who express
themselves more freely with images.
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THANK YOU FOR LISTENING
Any questions?