Tasks are carried out everyday for various reasons, including the aim of trying to solve particular problems, and making life more manageable for people in various ways. 

Here, I’m choosing to talk about why I chose to start this blog regarding my experiences with autism. 

I know from personal experience how difficult it can be not only for the person with the condition, but for those who may support them. These can include parents, carers, friends, those in teaching capacities, and employers. 

I want to show that it can be possible for autistic individuals to overcome barriers related to having autism. I also wish to show that it can be possible for them to do certain things that they may find difficult. Some examples are shown below.

Learning to drive.

Learning how to cook.

Gaining meaningful employment.

Positives

In addition, I aim to show what there is to  like about autism, especially related to unique and special interests and strengths. These go a long way in helping me to see the positives of being on the autism spectrum and being more accepting of who I am, and to help others be more accepting of the condition. 

Education

More importantly, when it comes to mainstream education, I want to show that by having appropriate support measures in terms of certain teaching styles, activities and other related educational opportunities, autistic children can fit satisfactorily into a mainstream environment. 

Social

From my experiences, autistic individuals can find it hard to fit in. Whenever there were periods of myself being on my own, it left rather sad and frustrated about not being able to fit in easily. This was especially true when I could see other people do it. 

As I progressed throughout my later teens, the more I wondered whether or not my autism had something to do with it. Over time, whenever I got chances to be in social settings, the more I began to understand how to behave in social situations. 

I want to share my personal experiences of this here to make such situations more manageable. In addition, I aim to show from an autistic person’s point of view, how people can relate to autistic individuals. 

An important issue is that autistic individuals can be targets for bullying behaviours mainly due to their differences in terms of how they behave and interact with the world in general. In a post concerning this, I talk about how bullying risks can be reduced.

Interests

I also see my blog as an opportunity to talk about things in relation to my interests(particularly science matters), in order to keep improving my communication. There’s a miscellaneous section for where these can be found. Maybe this might lead to opportunities to link up with individuals like me with similar interests. 

Employment

Job interviews can present significant barriers to employment for autistic candidates, especially given their literal interpretation of language and effective communication. Here, I wanted to write about things that prospective employers could do to better accommodate the needs of autistic candidates in interview situations. They may even find that autistic candidates are well equipped do the jobs themselves.

This blog has also enabled me to revisit and redevelop old skills and interests in the form of web development, design and programming. This reminds of years gone by, when  I once designed and maintained a website for a Member of Parliament until they stood down. 

And finally

Autism shouldn’t be a barrier to brighter and more prosperous futures. With the right support, understanding and set up, there is hope one can flourish out there in the world.