Autism Speaks Official Blog

I have an autism spectrum disorder – Asperger’s Syndrome – and I’m good with that. I have a passion for science and technology. My parents allowed me to focus on my passions, and did not force me to be “well-rounded.” My favorite book as a child was “How Things Work.” I was lucky to have teachers who motivated me with real life problems and hands-on projects (I attended public school, private school and was homeschooled for junior high and high school.) My mom gave me old electronics to take apart. Because of an opportunity to learn through real life activities, I felt well prepared when I began a NASA internship last summer.

Thanks to the American Association for the Advancement Science (AAAS) I was able to get an internship with NASA. I did computer programming for rocket engines. When I arrived at NASA, I shared a Powerpoint presentation with my team and my supervisors, explaining how Asperger’s impacts my life and how it could impact my work. I provided the list below, explaining to them what I needed in order to be successful, and in turn, what I would deliver when I had this support.

What I Need
* Understanding of my timing
* Help to prioritize assignments
* Understanding of my prosopagnosia (face blindness)
* Photographs and names of team members
* Patience as I learn names and faces
* Understanding of my episodic memory
* Wait time for oral responses
* Understand my difficulty to recall details of events
* Direction
* Accountability

What I Will Deliver:
* Ability to focus intensely
* Team player
* Persistence
* Lack of involvement in “office politics”
* Honesty
* Insight
* Critical thinking
* Problem solving
* Thorough results

My NASA teammates were very supportive and I had an excellent experience. The 10 weeks of independence as an intern gave me hope that I can one day live on my own. Research conducted in Great Britain in 2001 suggests that only approximately 3% of those with Asperger’s Syndrome will live independently. Those are pretty tough odds, but I am determined to be one of the 3%.

People sometimes ask me if I wished I did not have a disability. I’ll be perfectly honest, at times it is very difficult, and sometimes I feel very alone. While autism may be an explanation for how I act or the decisions I make, it is never an excuse. It is my responsibility to learn ways to live in a neurotypical world. (It certainly helps when others will meet me partway.) If I were to answer the question about having autism, the answer is no, I don’t wish that I were neurotypical. When I stop and think about it, autism is a part of who I am, and I like being me.