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I'm lucky enough to have 3 (now) biggish kids who are on the Spectrum, all having High Functioning Autism, and they are all very loud & proud of their ASD and the strengths it gives them.  Unfortunately ASD can also lead to some other special challenges that other people and families don't experience.

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For the person on the spectrum,

their experience of the world is somewhat different to that of someone who doesn't have ASD.

  They usually have a different experience of:

​their emotions and emotional control;

of communicating and of nonverbal communication;

of relationships and socializing (which can often be a bit of a struggle) -

they may have little interest in socializing;

 they may want to socialize only on their own terms, topics & times,

or they may not understand why others struggle to interact the way they want or expect them to

& may feel very isolated & lonely. 

They may have funny little quirks and ways of speaking,

moving or doing things that may make them look a bit unusual.

They may know more about certain topics or be more obsessed with them.

They may need strict routines, rituals and predictability,

& may really struggle with transitions & change.

While they may appear oblivious to some things,

they are often very sensitive about sensory aspects of the world around them,

which can lead to sensory seeking and avoiding behaviours

which can create a lot of stress or

(if handled well) can become a rich and lovely source for coping &  calming.

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All in all their brains are "wired differently".

It's not "wrong" or "broken"

just quirky & different.

This can make some things an absolute breeze,

but other seemingly simple things an insurmountable challenge.

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Unfortunately, our world can be really tricky &

not accommodate the ASD individual & their unique differences very well.

However, by simply trying to understand that

their world may be a bit different from ours.

Accepting that the world is unlikely to change to accommodate them,

we can start to help them learn how to "think outside the box"

to cope with the world for the times it won't cope for them.

Using Quirky/Qworky Strategies we can then spend more time

enjoying & celebrating the good bits of ASD,

& less focusing on the weaknesses!!!

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PS.  In our current technological world 

we are living in the time of the Spectrum

so their are far more chances for people on the Spectrum to shine,

but this does have to be managed with care due to obsessions!!!

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