I have the joys to do something everyday that I love doing and that to me is important. As a young adult with Aspergers I tend to see the world differently to most of those around me, one which is simple, but complex at the same time.
It has to be said that the world baffles me and I am sure it does many others too. I see something wrong and suddenly I want to come up with a way of solving the issue, instead of sitting back and letting the experts and those in the know get on with things. I don't think that is a bad thing.
I set up my own community organisation to help those living in our society in need, not a normal thing for a person at the age of 24 to do (26 now), but after two years it is going from strength to strength and it now provides more services and support than any other organisation of its size in the area. Which goes to show that the demand to solve issues in an area like mine is needed.
I began my working life after leaving college and joining the apprenticeship programme which aimed at getting young adults into work by training them within the industry. Mine was not so worked out as I took the only available slot as a gravedigger, which did have it's benefits but wasn't an industry going anywhere. So after working for pittance for many months and slogging it through one of the coldest winters, I was let go from the programme due to "personal performance" this of course took sometime to sink in that although I was working efficiently and effectively, my opinion on how to do things better and faster was of course not wanted.
From there I entered into a bit of a stage where my mind was all over and I couldn't think about working, but there was always something to fall back on ... History. In the town where I live it has a fascinating history from being a Aerodrome to building ships and creating pottery. For many years I got hooked and by the age of 20 I created my first website to help document the history and to have a portfolio where people could research their local area and after two years I decided to expand and start promoting the region where I live (Cleveland, Teesside, North Yorkshire) on social media, going out day after day taking thousands of images over the years to show the world that we are an up and coming place to live, work and play ... of course national media would like to tell you otherwise.
I still continue to do this and I also continue to promote the town where i live in my spare time, searching archives and talking to archaeologists. But my main focus is currently with the Organisation in which I set up to help those in the town aged 0-102.
I got told at the time I first mentioned what I wanted to do that it has been tried before and it wasn't worth trying to repeat it and that it wouldn't pay a salary, well in the two years since I first launched it, the Organisation has managed to get 309 young people into sport, opened and continues to operate a Food Bank and launched the Community kitchen with Adult Learning courses thrown in for good measure. Better still is that this year looks to be our busiest and best yet. I am still working on the salary part.
Of course through all of this is one factor and that has been the support that I have been given from those who involve themselves in what I am doing. Supporting people like myself is key to the success of those with Aspergers and without the support from friends and family I wouldn't of got to where I am today, in fact my friends and family now volunteer for me to show more of that support that is needed.
If you have a son/daughter with Aspergers or you are an Aspie yourself, then allow me to say that what you have is a gift and by using and harnessing that gift amazing things can happen, I have chosen to help my community and to show that no matter how we are defined there is a place for us within society.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
It has to be said that the world baffles me and I am sure it does many others too. I see something wrong and suddenly I want to come up with a way of solving the issue, instead of sitting back and letting the experts and those in the know get on with things. I don't think that is a bad thing.
I set up my own community organisation to help those living in our society in need, not a normal thing for a person at the age of 24 to do (26 now), but after two years it is going from strength to strength and it now provides more services and support than any other organisation of its size in the area. Which goes to show that the demand to solve issues in an area like mine is needed.
I began my working life after leaving college and joining the apprenticeship programme which aimed at getting young adults into work by training them within the industry. Mine was not so worked out as I took the only available slot as a gravedigger, which did have it's benefits but wasn't an industry going anywhere. So after working for pittance for many months and slogging it through one of the coldest winters, I was let go from the programme due to "personal performance" this of course took sometime to sink in that although I was working efficiently and effectively, my opinion on how to do things better and faster was of course not wanted.
From there I entered into a bit of a stage where my mind was all over and I couldn't think about working, but there was always something to fall back on ... History. In the town where I live it has a fascinating history from being a Aerodrome to building ships and creating pottery. For many years I got hooked and by the age of 20 I created my first website to help document the history and to have a portfolio where people could research their local area and after two years I decided to expand and start promoting the region where I live (Cleveland, Teesside, North Yorkshire) on social media, going out day after day taking thousands of images over the years to show the world that we are an up and coming place to live, work and play ... of course national media would like to tell you otherwise.
I still continue to do this and I also continue to promote the town where i live in my spare time, searching archives and talking to archaeologists. But my main focus is currently with the Organisation in which I set up to help those in the town aged 0-102.
I got told at the time I first mentioned what I wanted to do that it has been tried before and it wasn't worth trying to repeat it and that it wouldn't pay a salary, well in the two years since I first launched it, the Organisation has managed to get 309 young people into sport, opened and continues to operate a Food Bank and launched the Community kitchen with Adult Learning courses thrown in for good measure. Better still is that this year looks to be our busiest and best yet. I am still working on the salary part.
Of course through all of this is one factor and that has been the support that I have been given from those who involve themselves in what I am doing. Supporting people like myself is key to the success of those with Aspergers and without the support from friends and family I wouldn't of got to where I am today, in fact my friends and family now volunteer for me to show more of that support that is needed.
If you have a son/daughter with Aspergers or you are an Aspie yourself, then allow me to say that what you have is a gift and by using and harnessing that gift amazing things can happen, I have chosen to help my community and to show that no matter how we are defined there is a place for us within society.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
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