INTRODUCTION

So, you have Autism. You likely feel confused, lost, and have no idea where to begin. Being diagnosed was likely lengthy and complicated, as professionals probably had a difficult time finding out “what was wrong with you.” Perhaps you were diagnosed with ADHD in the past and have had focus and impulse control issues. You may have had difficulty understanding the emotions and perspectives of others. In your view, has the world has been a strange and challenging place, full of anxiety and stress?

Now, being diagnosed with Autism, you feel lost, as many doctors and mental health professionals have no idea how to help you. Many give an empathetic look and say things will “work out” while looking for a referral as they have no idea how to help. Have you searched for doctors or therapists in the past but could not find ones that understood you and your perspective? Are you angry, scared, and afraid for your future because you have no idea what to do or where to begin?

Right now, you have two choices. The first is to deny the diagnosis and pretend you do not have Autism. You can decide you will live any way you want, and ignore the problem. You can continue to do what you do, even if, in the past, you have had limited success. You can refuse help, decide you do not need it and go into your future alone.

On the other hand, you can choose to accept the diagnosis and learn how to combat your Autism symptoms. You can discover who you are as a person and what you want for your future. Finally, you can make changes to what you do in your life so that you can complete your goals.

The question is, which path will you choose? Will you fight to be a part of the world, or will you hide from it? Will you accept your diagnosis and decide to become better, or will you give up and quit? As you are reading this book, I will assume you have decided to accept your diagnosis of Autism and wish to find ways to improve your life.

If you are going to get help adapting to life with Autism, then you need someone helping you who understands Autism well. You need someone who not only treats Autism but has personal experience with it. To that end, instructions are in order. My name is Nathan Driskell, and I am a therapist in the Houston area who specializes in treating High Functioning Autism. Not only do I specialize in treating Autism, but I am also on the Autism spectrum. For years I always knew I was different, but when I was a child, Autism was relatively unknown. My parents put me in a special school for kids with learning and behavioral disabilities, which helped me learn how to problem solve and communicate. I did not even realize I was on the Autism spectrum until seven years ago, when I decided to treat High Functioning Autism as a specialty.

After reading numerous books and research studies, I realized I was on the Autism spectrum. In my past, I had problems understanding the emotions of others and was isolated from my peers. I preferred adults to children as adults are more intellectual and kind. I can become obsessive, sometimes to the point of forgoing sleep and food. I had numerous stomach issues as a child and was an extremely picky eater for my first ten years of life. I have focus issues and can block out all stimulation if focused on something inside my head. If I were a child today, I would fall on the Autism spectrum, as my symptoms are numerous.

So, How Can This Book Help Me?

You may be thinking, “So, the author has Autism, so what? How can a book help me when others have not?” The point of this book is to educate you on what Autism is while giving you real-world skills to better adapt to the world. Each day, you will read a chapter of this book and will complete an activity to help you learn about Autism, yourself, and how to make positive changes in your life. Some chapters may take more than a day to complete, which is fine. As you go through the book, you will learn more about Autism, more about yourself, and learn real-world skills to help you gain what you want in life.

I will be blunt, as I do not believe in playing games. At times, you will find this book challenging to complete. Some of the activities will be difficult. You may have social anxiety and find some of the activities stressful. You may not see the point in some of them and feel they are stupid. The activities in this book are ones I use with my clients on the Autism spectrum. Most find these activities challenging but rewarding to complete. If you find an activity too difficult or stressful, take a break and return to it later. If you try at an activity and fail to complete it, that is not a failure! All I expect is you try to complete the activities in this book.

This book consists of three parts. The first section focuses on you as a person beyond the Autism diagnosis. The second covers the symptoms of Autism and how you can begin to adapt to them. The third section focuses on creating a healthy lifestyle. Spend as much time as you need to complete this book; there is no timetable.

This book is NOT designed to replace therapeutic services from a qualified mental health professional! Therapy is a relationship between a therapist and their client, which this book cannot replicate. Using this book in conjunction with seeing a therapist is recommended. If you are seeing a therapist, I recommend going through the activities in this book with them, as their insight will be helpful. If you need help finding a therapist, I will cover finding a therapist later in this book.

Time is precious; let us not waste any. To that end, let us begin in discussing what Autism is and who you are as a person, as knowledge is power!