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Being diagnosed with Asperger's was a relief... and made me determined to help others in same situation
Jul 15, 2014 07:36
By Joan McFadden
CAITLIN Meechan reveals why understanding her symptoms lifted a weight off her shoulders and how she now wants to work with children with autism. AT school, Caitlin Meechan was branded lazy by teachers and she didn’t understand her friends’ jokes.
She knew she was different from her pals but not knowing why left her frustrated.
Eventually, Caitlin, now 20, finally learned what was wrong – she had Asperger syndrome, a form of autism.
She is one of the estimated 700,000 autistic people in the UK, that’s about one in 100.
Caitlin, of Garrowhill, Glasgow, said her diagnosis came as a relief.
She explained: “My mum and gran knew there was something different about me from when I was quite small.
“I would react very badly to any changes, especially upsetting ones.
"What I noticed most was that I never got my friends’ jokes but being diagnosed with Asperger’s explained all that and it was a relief because I then understood so much more about why I was different.”
Her family’s persistence with Caitlin’s GP paid off and she was finally referred for an assessment while at school. But she initially found it difficult to tell her friends.
She said: “I didn’t want to be seen as weird or different. Then I realised that it wouldn’t make any difference to them and I wasn’t expecting any special treatment because of it – they’re my friends and that’s not going to change just because we’ve found out why I don’t find their jokes funny.”
Caitlin is now putting her experience to good use and has been working at Thistle Childcare at Stepping Stones for Families, in Glasgow’s Easterhouse, for the past 18 months.
She said: “I love my job as I can help others, so I want to go to college and specialise in working with children with autism.
“I really feel now that I could hopefully carry on and get all the qualifications needed for a career that focuses on children with additional support needs.
“What I’m hoping for is not just using the qualifications and experience I gain in training but to put my personal experience of Asperger’s to good use.
“I really feel sorry for parents wondering what the future holds for their child but I can say to them, ‘Look at me. You’re not alone and there’s lots of support to help you help your child do their best and make the most out of life’. I think you need ordinary people like me to convince them it’s not the end of the world.”
Caitlin is being trained under the Modern Apprenticeship scheme, a programme for young people that is part-funded by national training body Skills Development Scotland.
National training head Karen Murray said: “Caitlin has shown how the apprenticeships provide flexible work-based learning for young people from all walks of life, offering an opportunity to get that first step on the career ladder. She also demonstrated the value of the range of skills that different people can bring to the workplace.”
Caitlin, determined to make her career in this area, added: “It takes me a bit longer to understand new topics but if things are explained clearly I am fine.”
Jul 15, 2014 07:36
By Joan McFadden
CAITLIN Meechan reveals why understanding her symptoms lifted a weight off her shoulders and how she now wants to work with children with autism. AT school, Caitlin Meechan was branded lazy by teachers and she didn’t understand her friends’ jokes.
She knew she was different from her pals but not knowing why left her frustrated.
Eventually, Caitlin, now 20, finally learned what was wrong – she had Asperger syndrome, a form of autism.
She is one of the estimated 700,000 autistic people in the UK, that’s about one in 100.
Caitlin, of Garrowhill, Glasgow, said her diagnosis came as a relief.
She explained: “My mum and gran knew there was something different about me from when I was quite small.
“I would react very badly to any changes, especially upsetting ones.
"What I noticed most was that I never got my friends’ jokes but being diagnosed with Asperger’s explained all that and it was a relief because I then understood so much more about why I was different.”
Her family’s persistence with Caitlin’s GP paid off and she was finally referred for an assessment while at school. But she initially found it difficult to tell her friends.
She said: “I didn’t want to be seen as weird or different. Then I realised that it wouldn’t make any difference to them and I wasn’t expecting any special treatment because of it – they’re my friends and that’s not going to change just because we’ve found out why I don’t find their jokes funny.”
Caitlin is now putting her experience to good use and has been working at Thistle Childcare at Stepping Stones for Families, in Glasgow’s Easterhouse, for the past 18 months.
She said: “I love my job as I can help others, so I want to go to college and specialise in working with children with autism.
“I really feel now that I could hopefully carry on and get all the qualifications needed for a career that focuses on children with additional support needs.
“What I’m hoping for is not just using the qualifications and experience I gain in training but to put my personal experience of Asperger’s to good use.
“I really feel sorry for parents wondering what the future holds for their child but I can say to them, ‘Look at me. You’re not alone and there’s lots of support to help you help your child do their best and make the most out of life’. I think you need ordinary people like me to convince them it’s not the end of the world.”
Caitlin is being trained under the Modern Apprenticeship scheme, a programme for young people that is part-funded by national training body Skills Development Scotland.
National training head Karen Murray said: “Caitlin has shown how the apprenticeships provide flexible work-based learning for young people from all walks of life, offering an opportunity to get that first step on the career ladder. She also demonstrated the value of the range of skills that different people can bring to the workplace.”
Caitlin, determined to make her career in this area, added: “It takes me a bit longer to understand new topics but if things are explained clearly I am fine.”
