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My life with Aspergers
Has been, a bit difficult
It's been good and bad in someways
It's taught me a lot..
if I had to say one thing about living with Aspergers Syndome it's like
Growing up I had a lot of difficulties in making and keeping friends
Middle school was brutal for me
But then again for quote unquote normal kids it is.
I felt like an outsider an high school, I didn't belong
I never knew what to do around other people it was always very awkward for me.
Yeah kids picked on me
I was fortunate I didn't get made fun of because it was assumed that I was that weird smart kid.
I did have problems with certain social situations.
I threw fits sometimes
It was nice that people left me alone, but..people left me alone.
Hi, My name is Joyce Harding I am the director of the Coffee House Program of Bucks county.
Our program supports young adults with Asperger's Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder
It's for young adults 18-26 years old who have graduated from high school
And need to continue to receive supports in order to successfully transition
from their school environment into their communities
Coffee House is a great place for people who have Asperger's
I was always so anxious and nervous around people that I'd do something wrong
Just eventually, it took a lot of hard work and a lot of coming here and I realized I just had to let go.
Up until I joined the coffee house, I had nowhere near the social life I have now.
It's a good program for me because
I can benefit from learning new social skills.
And I can make new friends
They just understand our feelings, and won't turn us away for the problems we have.
I let go of my fears and coffee house helped me learn that.
Everyone's so kind and generous and everyone's accepting.
I've just become so much more out going and happy and more proud and confident of myself.
You feel like a normal kid, you don't feel any different..you're just like..
More satisfied with who I am
It's hard to explain.
I don't worry about my disabilities I mean I used to downplay everything, all my good points.
But now I have learned to embrace them and stretch them
Because you know what? We all have our disabilities in our own ways
And it's just all in our mind.
It' makes us unique
You just can't let that stop you, and this program has helped me learn that.