You write how you crave structure and sameness as this helps you in everyday life. Having your dog also helps with this structure, as you talk about going for walks together. When did you get your dog? Does she also help to calm you, as a sort of therapy?
Ellen. My dog is my everything. My big girlfriend, as I call her. I got her from a pet asylum, she is originally a stray dog from Spain. Because of her I have to go outside every day, that gives me my daily structure. It is proven that people with pets are less depressive than those without. I believe that too. My dog and cat are always friendly to me and they like to be cuddled. It works like therapy for me.
Finally, has writing your memoirs been a cathartic process for you? Was your aim to help fellow autists by telling your story? On a personal level I think that NT’s will gain wonderful insight into the world of autism by reading your book.
Ellen. It is my goal to give people with autism recognition. That is very important in the process of accepting. To read that you are not strange, merely having some form of autism, can be quite a relief for fellow-autists.
The other goal is to teach NT’s about people like me. To give an insight in daily life of people on the spectrum and hopefully have some more understanding for people like us.
But if my book can create more awareness on the fact that information processing works differently with people on the spectrum, that would be a great achievement!
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What I particularly liked about this book was the message that we are all different and that we should all try to embrace those differences and get along with each other, both autist and Neurotypical. No matter where we lie on the spectrum, if at all, we are all different and does this matter? I think not.
About the author – Ellen van Gelder was almost 40 when she heard she has Asperger’s Syndrome, a disorder within the Autism Spectrum. Although the diagnosis brought along the necessary emotions, it also brought relief – the puzzle pieces of her life finally fell into place. Ellen sought and found other fellow sufferers, and decided to use their input to create a clear ABC about life with Autism Spectrum Disorder/Condition.
I’m Not Strange. I have Autism by Ellen Van Gelder is available to buy from Amazon. In both paperback and ebook versions.