Asperger Ireland

(This site is under rapid construction for Asperger Ireland, the inclusive organisation dedicated to representing the rights and needs of all those who's lives are affected by Asperger Syndrome in Ireland.)

I bet you are wondering "what is Asperger Ireland"?

Me too, because, seriously, I don't really know yet.

Let me explain, and in the course of explaining, I may be able to show you a few things about how Asperger Syndrome affects the real, practical aspects of life.

Right now, Asperger Ireland is pretty much a one man band. That's not the way I believe it should be, and it CERTAINLY isn't the way it will always be, but it is the only way I can handle it right now.

You see, I am an Aspie, I have Asperger Syndrome and the way that affects me right, here and now, is that I can only deal with the problems of getting Asperger Ireland up and running if I can do it without being distracted by any need to maintain interaction with a "team". Because that would be exhausting for me, and incredibly stressful in it's own right.

Writing this, I cannot help wondering if you are reading this and are not an Aspie, are you thinking "but I would feel the exact opposite"? And that isn't a rhetorical question, I would really appreciate it if you took the time to mail me a short answer to that, because the key to what I am trying to do here is for us to try and understand each other better, and half of that involves me in trying to understand you.

There is so much misunderstanding, and misinformation about Asperger Syndrome, I want to try and change that, and I want to try and build some bridges between Aspies, like me, and the rest of the world, because we need each other.

We need each other because the available resources are so inadequate, and that is equally devastating for Aspies and the people who raise us, teach us, treat us, marry us, or look to us to raise them (a lot of us are parents, or even grandparents).

We aren't in competition for those resources.

Whatever is truly effective in helping an Aspie to cope with life, makes life better for everyone around him.

No Aspie will ever benefit from his parents or partner stressed to breaking point because just TOO MUCH is being expected of them.

We should have the same goals, and be partners in fighting for the same resources and the same understanding.

Understanding IS a resource in it's own right you know. Understanding is an essential part of choosing and making the best use of resources. It is a way of avoiding wasting resources on things that just are not going to work.

Anyway, the plan is this. As soon as I have Asperger Ireland up and running and there are enough members I will turn all the decision making over to a board elected by the members, to represent Aspies and Others equally, and, unless I am elected, I will go back to my real life.

I hope you like it, and if you don't, mail me, and let's see how we can improve it.