How to recognise autism.

I decided to make my first blog about how to recognise autism because it is often very difficult to spot and thus there are many people who are thought to be "Weird" or even "a freak" because of this.

I understand that it can be very difficult to see autism - especially with my diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome - because the signs are often very subtle and easily written off as personal quirks.

But that's all autism really is, a personal quirk. An eccentricity if you like. However, there are several common "traits" which can be used to recognise autism. Firstly, the most obvious sign is if you see a person who walks on their toes. This can vary in severity from constant tip-toeing to a small rocking on the toes instead of the heels. Some people (including an acquaintance of mine) have leaned to completely neutralise this trait. However, he has countered this by a very noticeable swaying of the shoulders and an obvious slouching of the back, both of which become increasingly severe when he feels watched, nervous or angry.

Aside from walking, there are several other, less prevalent signs. One of which is the way we talk. Its not that we have a specific accent or even dialect, its rather that we have an accent that, though recognisable as being from a certain area, is indescribably different. The best way to describe it is like hearing the same note from a xylophone and a glockenspiel. Despite being the same note, its easy to tell that they are different.

Now I don't expect for you to be a musical critic, I'm simply asking you to try.

We also have a tendency to be a socially nervous bunch (perhaps due to being rejected by many people) thus are afraid to actually talk to others. Very often we hide this. Some people use humour, others use manners. There are many different masks we wear, but all to many use a facade of confidence which (all too often) can come across as over-confidence or even vanity and arrogance. If you are able to continue talking to us for a few minutes, an hour, a week, then I'm sure you will find that there is not such an arrogant person hiding behind the turtle's shell.

Have you ever talked to someone who cannot follow the flow of a conversation and continues to return to previous topics and yet still manages to fly around the place within that topic? They may well have been autistic. Even if they did not know it.

I'm not saying for one second that every autistic person displays every one of these symptoms, nor can I say that every autistic person displays none of them. All I'm saying is that if someone displays combinations of them, they may well be autistic.

I hope you have found this interesting and helpful. I sincerely desire to answer many questions on what I have discussed and of course any other queries. That's what I'm here for!

The first blog

I have been bullied for the biggest chunk of my life. The bullies have now backed off however, the expience has affected me profoundly. I want to - I need to - help those in a similar position as I was. I was bullied for being who I am, bullied for something I could not, cannot, control. I was bullied for the way I talked, walked, and on my views. I was bullied because of Asperger's Syndrome.

I only found out I had autism a year hence, and I still struggle to come to terms with it. I think the best thing i could do is to help those in a similar position, as a kind of closure that I am not alone. I also urge people who are not autistic or "normal" people to read this. I put inverted commas around "normal" to emhasise the fact that we are all different - none of us are "normal". The biggest difference for austistic people is that out differences are more noticeable.

Please help me help you to face autism. Please help me help you to understand.

I intend to post every week or two and check more regularly than that. Please ask questions in the comment box and I will do my best to answer.