The Asperger's Girl Guide

It's one of the most popular shows on Channel 4 showing Disabled singles hopefully finding love with 'Normal' people.  This weeks episode featured a lovely young man called Tom who along with Aspergers Syndrome also has Tourettes syndrome.  Tom who also plays rugby in his spare time has sent Twitter and other British media into a frenzy with people tweeting to say they would like to go out with him. And actually I would as well because we have two things in common, Aspergers and Rugby.  But despite good media coverage of Aspergers Syndrome and other disabilities is it a good idea to have 'Disabled' people take part in a show where they could be mocked for their disability? I've always thought that positive media coverage of Aspergers Syndrome, Autism and any other disability is the way forward for people to finally understand a little bit more about how we live our daily lives, but it does come with some risks and can hinder rather than help.  ...

2016 has arrived and already the press are talking about how to make this better than the last.  The latest diets because lets face it in the past two weeks you've eaten more than you should, holidays to plan and aspire to and even what facial products you should use to make yourself glow this year.  But before you start panicking thinking I haven't done anything to kick the year off with a bang or even began to plan what you want to do this year because if you have made a resolution or two you're already struggling on what you should be doing before but still have no idea what you're doing with it.  I haven't made resolutions this year as you might have noticed from my last blog post, instead I have just said to myself I want to make this year positive for my mind and body.  What that means to me is that I keep my mental health on a even keel and try not to over react and think more positively and see the world differently. Instead of being negative a...

So it's time to say goodbye to 2015 and hello to 2016. For most people this means a brand new start over with the resolutions that only last through January at best! Whether you love the turn of a new year or not it is going to happen and there is nothing you can do about the pressure of committing to the idea of New Years Resolutions.   Whatever you might be doing tonight, going out with friends or staying in with family even if you had enough of them on christmas day it's time to think what you would like for the new year after all it is a brand new start to turn over a new leaf and try and do things differently.  But don't get pressured into the New Years Resolutions! You know what they are by now and you also know that everyone around them makes them and gives up on them by mid to late January at best due to the fact they made them to difficult or just because they got bored of them.  Instead of getting sucked into the mayhem and madness, enj...

Getting used to Organising your everyday Life can be difficult! Especially as in School they try and teach you it but you don't really put anything into practice until at least you're at University or in Employment!  But knowing that no longer can you be a child and have to step up into Adulthood (which by the way SUCKS) with Appointments, Classes, Deadlines and even just everyday things all need to be Organised to the point that your Computer Desktop is neatly Organised with all your files labelled under different activities and work (Thats me by the way).  We've all seen characters that seem Neurotic and a little bit crazy and lets face it the Queen of this Organisation and Neat Freak that has to be Monica from Friends.  But before you mock her for what seems to be her insecurities or even Aspergers qualities ( I have a theory that Ross and Monica are actually Aspergers Siblings!) what we can take away from the over the top character  is the organis...

Going on Holiday maybe a Great Adventure but before you even get your passport out of the draw ready to fly off to a sunny destination you know you need to pack your suitcase!  Packing is a NIGHTMARE!!! We all hate it and knowing that you can't take more than your baggage allowance permits can be a bummer! But when you are Aspergers there is more than the obvious things to pack and deciding what you need to keep yourself not only entertained but comfortable on holiday can be distressing to say the least!  So before you even begin to panic and refuse to go on holiday, just take a deep breath and relax as I have all the tips and tricks to get you through the packing nightmares.  Packing isn't as simple as it looks, we all know that... everyone stresses over it and if you do it at the last minute you completely forget what you actually need!!! I have packed a week before I travelled & forgot some clothes that I really needed to take with me and so spent money ou...

Although the UK seems to have the best weather ever at the moment! Going away on holiday is everyone's summer dream!  But whether going away abroad to another country or even holidaying in your own country there are stressful situations that can pop up for every Aspergers person!  These situations can be something as simple as packing your suitcase, finding what outfits you want to take with you, baggage allowance (if going abroad), taking things that help you cope and even what books you want to read!  Yep and thats just the tip of the iceberg. As a woman it seems that packing and even going on holiday is a massive challenge to undertake. But when you add the Aspergers in there are other anxieties that need to be factored in.  In this series of special Survival Guides I will try and help with all situations you can face from my own travelling experiences. Covering the Holidays home and away and how to cope with Airport Security, Aeroplane...

I have to get this out because it is niggling at me and if it continues I might drive myself mad.  You might have seen all the publications in the UK press about a certain person who is the most hated woman in Britain at this moment in time but I have to answer to her tweet about the Labour Party leader staring during the Election Debates on TV!!  She commented that he looked like he was on the spectrum - meaning the Autistic Spectrum and that he was freaking her out.  For those people who are ignorant to Autism this might be funny but to someone who lives with Autism who is already under valued and isolated from Society in general this is something that is hurtful, discriminating and humiliating!  So here goes:  1) Autistic People stare because they are trying to deal with too much sensory and social information and cannot process it all at once.  Yes we stare and we don't mean to!!! It's a natural coping mechanism to deal with ...

Everyone has problems with Healthy living or eating and well it's January and we all know what that means: "Tis the Season to Diet!"  We've stuffed our faces over Christmas and really had a little too much to Drink over New Year and after all that food and Mulled Wine has been taken in by our bodies it's common knowledge that January is the time to diet! And it's EVERYWHERE !  If it's not the glossy mags or even your local Newspaper telling you what the best and new fabulous diet is for this year as they all seem to trend then it's the TV and the bombardment and peer pressure to conform and actually lose weight can start to get to every girl whether they have Aspergers or not.  I've talked a little bit about perception of appearance and body confidence before but never fully as a topic on it's own.  And as it is New Year and a New Start to the New You ( Feel free to grab a bucket! ) then it can be a little bit annoying when you...