There are many people in Australia and overseas who have Autism Spectrum Disorder and who have written or talked about their experiences.
For people with an ASD, it can be very helpful to hear directly from others with the same condition, and for those who are not on the spectrum, it can help to get a better understanding of some of the challenges they face.
Temple Grandin PhD
Dr Grandin did not talk until she was 3½ years old. She was diagnosed with autism and her parents were recommended to put her into an institution. However, she has gone on to become a specialist in the design of livestock handling equipment and is Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. She speaks on both autism and cattle handling all around the world.
Donna Williams, Author, Artist, Autism Consultant
Donna was born in Australia in the 60’s and after tests for deafness and leukemia at the age of 2, was deemed “psychotic”. It wasn’t until she was 9 that her language processing disorder was understood. At 10, the word autism was mentioned, but it wasn’t until she was in her 20’s that it was finally confirmed. Despite the early chaos of her life, Donna has succeeded in becoming a teacher, autism consultant, international speaker, author and artist.
Wendy Lawson
As a toddler, Wendy was diagnosed as being intellectually disabled and didn’t talk until after her fourth birthday. After an attempt to take her life at 17, she was committed to a mental institution and labelled schizophrenic and treated with anti-psychotic medication. She didn’t receive an assessment of autism until she was 42.
Alex
Alex is a 16 year old with Asperger’s Syndrome. His video on YouTube explains what this means to him and how he sees life.