*Interviewee: Female (F) *Interviewer: N/A *Location: *Date: 00/00/00

F: This story was a contribution to the Asperger syndrome project from someone who would like to remain anonymous.

Asperger's is a condition that can be debilitating if it is not managed, and it is up to the person with Asperger to determine how they want to live their life. Change is one of the major difficulties for people with Asperger syndrome and transitioning from school to university was daunting for me.

You see, I am a person with Asperger syndrome. When I was a student and after completing my last year of secondary school, I went through a transition stage which means that I moved on to further education. I actually enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts at university. Some people go to TAFE or do a traineeship. The transition stage for me meant that there were things in my life that were changing, that I was not familiar with. During the days of my new environment, I was not familiar with the other students. My new peers seemed different to my old peers and that is probably because they were.

During this initial transition period it was often daunting for me as I was a new student in a new environment which did create anxious feelings for me. Anxiety is something that people with Asperger syndrome often have to cope with.

Before I started my tertiary studies at this new environment, my parents decided that we should all go for a worthwhile visit to the new campus where I would be studying for at least the next three years. We only went once but as many times that it is possible is better. I wish that I could've gone many more times because I could not memorise everything in one visit. I was pleased we did go though because I was able to memorise and acquaint myself with some of the layout of the campus.

We had coffee at the café. My mother drove right to the main gate which I remembered because she said that this would be a useful icon and it was useful because for the first few weeks my father picked me up when he could. The front gate of the campus became the pickups and drop off points for me, at least when my parents could pick me up and drop me off. My parents gave me a map of the campus so that when we started walking around things began to fall into place. I located two of my lecture rooms. I even stood outside one of my classrooms but I didn't go inside because there were people inside the room. It was a good visit because I visited the library and found out quite a bit about the library rules and opening times. There are also facilities like ATM machines, shops, bookshops and disability units that I found out about, that are on the campus, and of course all these are marked out on the campus map. I also made a point of finding toilets.

My dad suggested finding a nice quiet spot, a place he said that I could come if I felt really anxious. There I could do deep breathing exercises when I felt overwhelmed. At the same time, I was observing the people and what they were wearing, in other

Transcribed by audio.net.au 1 words the dress code. All the younger students had jeans on and casual tops so that was fine. I had jeans and tops just like they wore, in fact I had jeans and a top just like they did so I almost felt part of it.

Traditionally, students in higher education are expected to work more independently than they did at secondary school. In the first few days, I learnt about being much more independent. The lecturers just seemed to thin that I knew everything they were saying but I did not, they didn't give me as much direction as the teachers at my secondary school. I thought about this a lot for the first few days and told my parents. They said that I should tell my course co-ordinator because they should already have information about my condition. They also said I should tell them how I was feeling so I did and the co-ordinator sent me across to the learning support department and they really did help me out. They also told me to tell my lecturers about my condition. I did just that and that made all the lecturers realise that I wasn't stupid but I needed a bit more assistance or extra help. I am pleased that I did this immediately because it meant that I did not waste my study time. The lecturers were okay about it.

Before I started my Bachelor of Arts degree, I read about the things that I should and should not do. My parents also discussed this with me. Some of the things that I learnt was that I should introduce myself politely and join in group discussions in an independent manner, but not to become too familiar with my peers too quickly or tell them everything about myself, my family or other things that I believe in, such as God. I knew already from what I had read about people with Asperger syndrome, that if I did not introduce myself to other students and join in group discussions, the other students would begin to think that I did not want to join them. They would think that I was not interested in making friends and meeting other students and that I probably preferred my own company.

I am pleased that I had read a lot about social skills and Asperger syndrome because sometimes it is hard to know when to hug and not to hug someone. I decided that I would not hug any students that I met, that way I was safe from making things difficult for myself. I remembered that not everyone wants hugs and that everyone needs their own pace. I did not stand too close to other students either. I was overall very careful not to be too excessive when introducing myself or taking part in group discussions. It was really difficult but I tried to remember to give other students the chance to answer questions and was always thinking about how many questions I had asked so that I did not ask too many questions in one session. I limited myself to five or six questions and that's about right for each session. If I couldn't get all my questions answered during a tutorial, I would either email my tutor or ask someone from the group.

Clubs and associations are a good way to meet other people. I don't like noisy places so that was difficult but I managed okay. My parents think that by participating in something at university, you can include it in your resume eventually. It is also good for students that become involved in clubs, sports and associations during university because it helps improve interpersonal skills and develops a broad interest in other things. I was also told that future employers consider students that become involved in extracurricular activities as team players and they have good organisational skills. Group work is a part of further education. Students are asked to choose a group and work together on a particular topic. Each student is given a component of the

Transcribed by audio.net.au 2 assignment to complete. This was difficult for me at first. We use to do this at school and I didn't like it then either. I have grown used to it, now that I know the rules. One rule is that students forming a group expect other students to come forward and join a group with other students. Everyone is new to each other during the first few weeks. The next step is, once the group is formed each student should be given a role to play and work to complete. Students are asked then to think of what they think they're good at. It helped me know what I should do and should not do.

I told my lecturers about my condition, I didn't tell my peers. I just tried to fit into their culture.

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Transcribed by audio.net.au 3