It’s actually really interesting, all the hyper focus stuff, niche interests, unable to function (normally)in social situations, lack of focus in school, acting out to gain acceptance, it’s almost textbook if you can say such a thing with autism, what used to be known as Asbergers.
There’ll be a bit of TNH here I’d say but it’s a grand listen, if you went to any of his schools you’d find it especially interesting.
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In light of his new diagnosis is it ok that I still can’t stand the cunt?
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You do you mate. You may have an undiagnosed condition the predisposes you to hatred. May be a grant in it…
It may be that many of the reasons you despise him are down to his condition.
The plastic bag for example is very easily explained, you should honestly listen, it’s a good story well told
He must be on the fourth or fifth explanation for the plastic bags at this stage
Anything is explainable nowadays if you want to fine excuses.
It’s a variation on the same reason to be honest.
He doesn’t want to be recognised going about his daily business, he wants a career which puts him in the public eye without the consequences of that.
His autism goes an awful long way to explaining and excusing that
I wouldnt say its because of Autism tbf you cant blame the man not wanting to be constantly recognised etc. The curse of fame and he was aware of it long ago
That all sounds more ADHD?
Does he actually talk about the teachers in ASR?
Not by name, he does mention the Vice Principal in a negative light but I don’t remember exactly, I think he told him that he should leave after the Junior Cert.
He was fucked into the dunce class in 1st year and as is typical there was no resources thrown at them, just survival of the fittest, find a way to fit in or get fucked up.
A nun that taught him in junior infants gets lambasted as well.
He talks about his schooldays very well, a lot of it would be familiar to most of us, even if we didn’t experience it ourselves we all know guys like that
You should listen
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I was in his year. I listened to the podcast where he talked about school and it seemed fairly accurate. The example of the teacher coming in to teach his class for the first time and roaring in his face to set down a marker, I wasn’t aware of it but fairly certain I know which teacher it was. Thought blindboy was a tiny bit playing the victim at one point (where he said he was given out to for cursing in primary school and he should have been let speak however he wanted or something like that) but all in all I thought it was an accurate reflection of school and a pretty fair summation of the system failing him pretty much entirely.
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We have it with our young lad with dyspraxia.
He stays up late on school Holidays. We’d head off to bed and he’d be up to 12.30 or 1.00.
No problem.
Some nights at weekend you want to have a few drinks with the missus alone and want him to go to bed a bit earlier.
You’d say “maybe you should go to bed and stay up late tomorrow”
Don’t want to upset him etc
If you say that to him he gets really annoyed etc
We had a chat with him about it.
We learned that you have to stay “go to bed now” and just be honest and direct. He hates being “managed”.
He heads off happy as Larry.
Different brain function. We’re always learning.
The label has helped us as we do adapt and see how it plays out.
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I was diagnosed with ASD at 26. I wish I had the things kids have like ASD suites and all that, but as I always say to people, it wasn’t known about growing up. To ANYONE, ASD wasn’t known about until about late 2000’s as far as I could see.
P. S. If any of you lads are going to get diagnosed, look no further than Professor Michael Fitzgerald. No. 1 in his field.
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Sorry to hear that pal… Life expectancy for ASD is about 40-45 isn’t it?
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Out of interest what made you seek a diagnosis at that age?
I got help when I was in college! I was extremely lucky that I. T. Carlow student services helped me. They had someone who picked up on my exam anxiety. Professor Michael Fitzgerald is someone who you need to go on a 2-3 year waiting list, they got me in within 5 months. It answered a lot of questions.
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Christ fair play for them to cop something and to get you sorted out.
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I’ll be forever grateful to them. I’d say they were able to pick up on it more because they are a small college. If I was in UCD I wouldn’t have a hope.
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