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Asperger Syndrome, the Universe and Everything

Asperger Syndrome, the Universe and Everything

Kenneth's Book

Kenneth Hall

Paperback: £9.95 / $15.95

2000, 216mm x 138mm / 8.5in x 5.5in, 112pp
ISBN: 978-1-85302-930-1, BIC 2: VFJD JNSG

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Chapter One: Who Am I?

A few things about me

Hello. I'm Kenneth Hall and I'm ten years old. I am a fair-haired, blue-eyed boy. I like to keep my hair at Number Four length. I am thinnish and smallish and I like to wear smart, comfortable clothes. People tell me that I've a nice smile and I like to think of myself as friendly, kind and thoughtful.
I admire kindness, patience and helpfulness in people and I like a good sense of humour.
I am also very determined which is a good thing about me. People who are easily led never get anywhere.
I am very interested in words and I make a lot of jokes. For instance, recently when I heard my mum saying:
'That's a turn up for the books.'
I said:
'And a potato too if they really want it!'
Mum didn't understand at first. Sometimes people don't understand my sense of humour.

Me and Asperger Syndrome

When I was eight I found out about my Asperger Syndrome or AS and since then my life has changed completely. Before that life was very hard for me. I was always depressed. Life was depressing.

I always knew I was different and that I wasn't quite like other children. It's hard to say exactly how I knew. I detected some differences and I felt that things were not the same for me as for other children. Other children seemed to behave differently, play differently and talk differently, but I didn't know why. At that time, although I felt different I felt normal about being different. I thought I was the normal one and that it was the other people who were different, not me. Which is a perfectly feasible way of thinking.

When I heard that I had AS I was very pleased because I had been wondering why everyone else seemed to be acting strangely. So I felt a bit relieved.

My life has completely changed now and I am much happier. Things are much better and I understand myself better than I used to. Children with AS can do very well if they have a positive attitude, but they also need a lot of positive things around them and this is mostly up to the adults.

People help me and treat me better now. For example my Mum. I can't explain how she helps me. I just know that she does somehow. Lots of other people help me too - like Kate Doherty and Ken Kerr and Leo and Julie May. And the Education Board. (For any people who don't know, the Education Board is a government department which has people who help kids.) Julie Connell for example. She helped by getting me the laptop and she is the one got me started off on writing this book.

Another thing which has helped me a lot is Applied Behavioural Analysis, or ABA. This works by breaking goals down into small steps with rewards like tokens and prizes for each one. It is really good fun.

I like being different. I prefer having AS to being normal. I don't have the foggiest idea exactly what it is I like about AS. I think that people with AS see things differently. I also think they see them more clearly.