Hi Nigel Alastair
First, I wish to express the sorrow I feel for you having suffered so much in a world that generally doesn't take the time or possess the ability to understand the unique nature of each and every individual person. Second, I cannot help but wonder what abilities someone on the autism spectrum possesses, when I first meet them. There are always certain abilities, some which I deeply admire.
I'm a 52yo gal who tends to see the autism spectrum more so as containing spectrums, rather than there being one single spectrum. To offer an example, one spectrum can range from pure feeling through to pure analytics. Another can range from the natural ability to completely detach from sound (completely tune out) through to the natural ability to hear just about every sound. Another can range from seeing nothing but the facts through to having the most vivid imagination, to the point where you can easily envisage just about any scenario by seeing it through the mind's eye. The list goes on. So, purely analytical can make someone a truly brilliant accountant, the ability to feel sound can make someone an astounding musician and the ability to naturally see solutions through the imagination points to someone being a seer/true visionary. On the down side or the challenging side, outside of the ideal environment such abilities can be deeply taxing and seriously misunderstood or misinterpreted. Not being able to feel, especially not having the ability to feel for others, comes with social issues. Being able to feel just about every sound can generate incredible levels of ongoing dis-ease (unease) for the nervous system and everything that's attached to it (including the heart). Regularly and easily tapping into the imagination can create focus issues, when it comes to everything outside of the imagination. In an overly emotional incredibly noisy world that largely lacks imagination, for some on the spectrum/s it can feel like hell on earth at times. Some abilities can lead to incredible sufferance. Finding those who can fully relate can offer much welcomed relief.
