WEBVTT

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When you’re depressed the thoughts that go 
through your head range from

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life’s not worth living... it can go to the 
extremes of feeling suicidal,

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just from one dispute.

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Asperger's Syndrome is a 
social communication disorder.

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I struggle to socialise, make friends, keep friends 
and get on in daily life.

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The most important thing is you find it hard 
to get along with people.

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You can feel lonely sometimes.

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A teacher making a comment, 
or muttering something under their breath,

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everybody would leave that,

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I would want to have it out with them.

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Teachers would turn around and 
they would start muttering

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and I would respond to that with, 
"If you've got a problem, say it."

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They would tell you to shut up

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and I would respond with something else 
and it would enter into an argument.

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If I have an argument, I'd like people to tell me 
what I've done wrong,

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how could I improve and really run it through.

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That never happened at school.

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It would be a case of someone would have 
a go at me and then they'd walk off.

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I'd bring it home and worry about it 
and need to find out more

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which could lead to me persistently 
texting someone or calling them

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to find out what I'd done wrong 
because I'd always want to resolve it.

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I would do different things.

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Other kids were into Power Rangers 
and I would be more academic.

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I always had to be doing something 
with my hands and I still do.

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I can't sit still for long.

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You'd expect people who have been in the army 
to be bossy and authoritative,

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but I got on with that better than 
I did with teachers who would

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be completely different and I 
needed a structure to the lessons.

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Definitely, structure and routine. 
Now, I can vary my routine a bit.

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I've learnt there is a bit of leeway in life.

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Asperger's affects what you do day to day 
in so many ways

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that it's a really crap question 
and you can't even answer it.

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- Other people will ask that, people will ask, 
does it affect you every day?

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It definitely affects you every day 
in certain things,

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 it depends what you do and where you go.

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If you sit at home it will affect you 
because you feel lonely and depressed

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and your mind will start to wander.

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It can affect me if I'm on my own,

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because I'll stay up all night and then 
sleep during the day.

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There's no cure for Asperger's but it's possible 
to learn to live with it and to,

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not so much change your ways, 
but be accommodating to other people,

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to understand other people and train yourself.

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It’s not a case of there's 
going to be a magic drug

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that I'm going to be able to understand
and get along with people instantly,

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but I can learn through counselling 
and training, social coaching,

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how to make friends and get along with people.

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It will change, it's just a learning process.