Journal 4
Living with Asperger’s Syndrome
I have always had a problem with fitting in and the main problem behind this is that I have Asperger’s syndrome. Asperger’s syndrome is on the autism spectrum with the main characteristic being social awkwardness. My first memories of being socially awkward would probably be on the playground in kindergarten where I would play by myself. It is difficult for me to make idle conversation with people unless I have something specific to say. I usually do not talk to people and if I do it is usually to an instructor, my family, or my good friends.
I do not do well in an environment that I am unfamiliar with. I like doing things on a set route and easily get angered at the slightest change. I can remember that when I first started driving I would not want to go unless I had someone I could trust by my side to help me through challenges I would come across on the road. I am used to driving to places that I regularly go to like Ivy Tech and meetings with my job counselor at Shares Inc., but I do not like it when I need to drive to a place I rarely drive by myself to.
My Asperger’s syndrome has also made it difficult for me to find a career in college I like because I do not do well in an environment where I would need to talk to people constantly. I prefer to remain quiet and not involve myself with what others are doing because I do not want to get in the way of their business. I want a career to be slow paced and require minimal talking, but with the businesses close to my home it is difficult to find one that meets my criteria.
The transition from going to school in New Palestine to going to college at Ivy Tech was a big step for me. I had been going to school in New Palestine for thirteen years and I was not ready to go to school in a different city. My mom came with me when I made my visits to Ivy Tech over the summer and my grandma accompanied me on my first day of class at Ivy Tech. It took some getting...