CaseyAllan

[CaseyAllan]

CaseyAllan

Current Age: 32

Sex: Female

Autistic Diagnosis: Asperger's Syndrome

Additional Diagnoses: Auditory Processing Disorder, Irlen Syndrome

Medical Conditions: Migraines, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, IBS, Recurring Renal Calcifications, Bouts of Depression, Multiple allergies (Pennicillan, Ciproxin, Codeine, Latex, Garlic and most dairy products)

Occupation: Data Analyst

Interests: Forensics/Crime Scene Technology, Forensic Psychology, The Autism Spectrum, Animal Behaviours/Psychology, Walking/Hiking, Photography, Pyrography, Sketching and Reading

Brief diagnostic history: When I was seven years old I went on holiday with a friend of my mother (and the woman's two daughters). A friend of her family - a child psychologist - told her I had 'problems' and should be seen by someone. She passed the information to my mother who took me to a psychiatrist. He said I was just eccentric and it was left at that.

Years later, while studying for the Forensics degree, I helped my roommate (who was studying Psychology) with her research. After I'd sat numerous tests for her, she came to me and explained that she thought I was Autistic and made the suggestion that I get diagnosed.

I started doing the research. Read everything I could find on the Autistic Spectrum and, almost a year later, got around to broaching the subject with my Doctor. Within weeks I was assessed and then officially diagnosed.

[CaseyAllan]

Schooling (Primary School): I went to a very small (my class was the largest with 5 girls and 9 boys) primary school. I had the same teacher for five of the seven years there. In all those years there was only one new pupil brought into the class.

I'll admit that I sat under my desk, not at it, due to the lighting but the teacher never seemed particularly bothered (although the obligatory comment in regards to encouraging me to sit on chairs was included on my report card every year).

The report cards also included notes to my mother about the fact that I'd always cry in response to any new changes brought into the room and reminders that she should try to teach me to stop putting my hands over my ears as it came across as rude!


Schooling (High School): The short description is the easiest: Low Level Hell. Loud, bright, and full of far too many people that I didn't know. I had complete strangers approach me in hallways and tell me how much they hated me. I had folk pledging money to school-sponsored charities if I'd stand up and speak in class. I was, at one point, told I was pure evil. This opinion was apparently based on the fact that I was the "school ghost" - silent and able to enter a room without anyone knowing I was there - and capable of seeing all sorts of embarrassing things they'd much rather I hadn't witnessed.

At the same time, I had an amazing French teacher. He went out of his way to setup a very unique way to get me (in my silence) through the French speaking exam! He also brought in a school psychologist who diagnosed me with Clinical Depression at the age of sixteen. As most of my classmates seemed to view my silence as some sort of attack on them - along with the fact that I didn't drink, didn't smoke, didn't do drugs and, generally, didn't see the point of the majority of what they considered Very Important Stuff - this teacher developed a habit of finding random excuses to pull me from any classes that included the most vocal and violent of those my existence offended.

[CaseyAllan]

Sensory Issues (Auditory): I have hypersensitive hearing. I hear frequencies other people either don't hear or just don't notice. Walking by a room, I can tell the difference between the DVD player being on standby and the TV being on standby. I can hear the tick of someone's watch on their wrist, bubbles popping in a glass of coke (even if it's across the room) and I can pick up on some frequencies that indicate issues in computer monitors/tv's, sound systems and the electronics in cars. I can recognise people by the tone and frequency of their voice when they quietly clear their throat, hum or sneeze.

I am unable to block out any noises. There's no such thing as "background noise" for me. Everything is heard and catalogued, although not in any particular order. And everything is LOUD.

In a room with four other colleagues and a radio, I have an extremely difficult time answering any questions directed at me or understanding any conversation around me. I can't prevent the noises from the radio and colleagues A, B, and C interfering with the words coming from colleague D's mouth.

An example:
Radio: It's top of the hour and here's the latest news...
Colleague A: Where's that damn screwdriver...
Colleague B: No! I can't drop everything and change this...
Colleague C: *singing* Spider Pig, spider pig...
Colleague D: You finished that analysis of the beltrine data?...

What initially comes to me is along the lines of "here's the data driver of the latest damn screwpig".

Then I have to spend time separating the tone and frequency of each voice into different groups, thereby managing to get everything each person says into some sort of sentence. After that, I have to try and figure out if the new versions of the sentences I have make any sense, and if so, are they likely to actually be something the people around me would be saying at the time. Only then can I start to work on a reply.

I'm not going to describe the experience that comes from being in a crowded restaurant or even just walking down the street.

Sensory Issues (Visual): I'm photosensitive. Until recently, I spent most of my time wearing sunglasses indoors as well as out. "Normal" (or white) light is made up of three light bands: red, green and blue. I was tested for Irlen lenses a few months ago and those tests proved that I was sensitive to red light frequencies.

In red light I'm completely unable to read, I can't visually sync people's lip movements to the sounds they make and I lose much of my depth perception (which would explain my frequent tripping on stairs, walking into corners of furniture, falling off pavements and banging myself on the edges of door-frames) as well as my sense of balance.

I now have dark blue lenses in my glasses which filter out the red frequencies in light. I have no reading issues and my depth perception has improved remarkably.

Sensory Issues (Touch): I don't like being touched although I can handle it quite well if I see it coming. Surprise touches, on the other hand, are Very Bad Things. I'll accept hugs from immediate family members and can, in fact, enjoy them... when they're firm, tight and crushy. Light hugs, pets and pats just make my skin crawl. Even thinking about that just made shivers run down my spine!