From ignorance to embracing—accepting Asperger's is a process.
I have received a lot of positive feedback about my series on the stages of Asperger's awareness.
Note: This is NOT Tony Atwood's four stages of diagnosis acceptance—which may not exist anyway...
Here are the 8 sections collected in one place.
The Seven Stages of Asperger’s Awareness: Background
Bliss: The first stage of Asperger’s Awareness
Inkling: Stage Two of Asperger's Awareness
Desperation: The Third Stage of Asperger's Awareness
Dawn: The Fourth Stage of Asperger's Awareness
Darkness: The 5th Stage of Asperger's Awareness
I wanted to thank you for this series. It has been very affirming for me. I have talked about the process I have gone through since being diagnosed ten years ago and most often I get blank stares (or the online equivalent thereof), even from others who were also diagnosed late in life.
ReplyDeleteThis series reads as if you followed me around my whole life, taking notes. You have hit my experiences spot on! Right now, I'm still in the ooh and aah stage about your model but I can see where it will be useful to me once I get past being simply stunned that someone else gets it. This model provides a framework to help me understand what I've gone through and what I'm going through. (I'm in a sort of stage where I'm alternating between darkness and acceptance, gradually spending more time in acceptance than darkness, with periodic faint flashes of celebration shining through every once in a while.)
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Sparrow Rose, I'm very glad you found this series helpful. Not everyone can see a linear stage theory and still understand the fluidity of being in several stages at once. We are complex people, so naturally our progression through stages will be complex.
ReplyDeleteThanks also for generously sharing part of your story.
Peter
Thank you for developing and posting this sequence - so very true! I SO miss the bliss phase. Desperation was a nightmare, compounded manyfold by our move overseas; our 4-year old son felt like he moved to another planet and lashed out and landed in the principal's office daily; I was the Worst Mother on Earth. I recently moved into stage 6. Husband is still at the depths of stage 5, I hope he is able to move into stage 6 soon.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mom and Wife. I'm glad the posting is helpful if only to connect with others on the path. Blessings as you support hubby's journey up. An affirmation a day can bring the light into play...focus on what's great about him personally. Don't address the Asperger's—love the man.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I doubt you were the Worst Mom on Earth. I know her. Her son graduated from the school where I was principal. She would never be so gracious in her comments. You are not her :-)