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Fionn Hamill is a 12-year-old boy who has Asperger’s Syndrome. Fionn says that he understands the condition he has and that he is just “wired differently”. This is why he says he wants to be an advocate for autism, so he can help the world understand how it looks through his eyes. Here he explains why he likes to be different…
When I was really young I didn’t understand other children and I hated big crowds like family events or football matches. Mum explained to me that I was wired differently, that it wasn’t a bad thing. She said that I could just do things differently, but I would still get everything done. And she told me that what I had was called Asperger’s.
I learned to enjoy my Asperger’s. When people call ASD an autistic spectrum disorder or a disability, I don’t like it . It doesn’t make me any less capable to do anything. Asperger’s lets me look at things from a totally different perspective – I can think outside the box. It makes the world kind of complicated and you have to keep figuring other people out.
When people say smile, I don’t quite get them. I didn’t used to get sarcasm and I used to have to question when I heard it, like “was that it?” When teachers tell me to answer the question on the board – and there is no question mark – I wouldn’t understand. Sometimes teachers need to explain more to me than they do usually. Sometimes when people say something and they mean something else, that’s confusing.
It really confuses me if someone shouts at me – I used to think that meant that they hated me. But now I realise it’s just that they want me to do it a bit better at that time. I get confused when a class gets a punishment because I think I am a good child and if I wasn’t doing the wrong thing, why should I get punished?
I don’t get racism. I would never be racist but I don’t understand why you can’t say what colour somebody’s skin is, the way you can with their eyes. Another thing I find confusing is emotions. I made up a word “emotious” and I use it to describe when lots of different emotions are all stirred in together.
For instance, if I am watching something like Les Miserables, I need to be able to chat with mum to tell the emotions apart. I often have to be careful about what I say. Before I say something I often say “no offence” in case I do offend someone. When I was little I never used to get jokes, but now I have a good sense of humour – I love sitcoms like Father Ted, Miranda, Spongebob and Mrs Brown’s Boys (but it can be rude).
People with Asperger’s are very sensitive with all their senses. I call it “sensatious” when there is a really strong sensation. Certain things can bother me, like I used to hate sound of the crowd roaring at a football game so I would cover my ears and scream. My parents kept bringing me and now I don’t notice the noise and I roar too! I also hate the feel of baked beans. If there is one in my food it makes me actually get sick. I don’t like the feel of some clothes fabrics. I always like cottony ones and I’m really sensitive to smells. I can’t deal with the smell of anything agricultural or anything to do with a farm.
There are lots of other things that can bother me like the smell of cigarettes, babies’ drool (I don’t really like babies until they are a bit more mature and have dried up).
I often can’t sit still, so at home I’m allowed play a ball and hit it against a wall to work off steam. In bad weather, I like to spin around like mad a few times which I call helicoptering.
When I feel nervous, ‘emotious”‘ sad or a bit hyper I need, what I call a ‘squish’. A squish means Mum gets me in really tight hug and squeezes – it’s a bit like Temple Grandin’s hug-machine. It really settles me down. In school when I need a squish I do things like roll up my sleeves or tighten my shoelaces.
I find it difficult trust people or new things. I know my autism makes me do whacky things and we get a laugh out of them, but I can do a normal things too. Overall, I like being different. My friends like me just the way I am too. I like the world through Asperger’s eyes.
When you get older, you can see that everybody is different somehow, that’s what makes the world interesting. I keep on learning at every new stage of my life. My Mum says she can read me like a book, and I say I use her like an encyclopaedia.
It works out good.
Fionn Hamill is 12-years-old and writes a blog called autisticandproud.
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Never thought I’d see the day that a Republican or Nationalist would lead in the North. Especially since it was a very cold place for Catholics when I was a kid.
@Jos: a bog state for a bog people:)
@Ratko Mladic: are you talking to yourself again. I see another new profile yoday mr green
@brian madden: it’s the cancel culture……lol
@John H Green: As regards meaningful power – yes.
As regards changing attitudes and perceptions, it is perhaps the most important institution there is.
@brian o’leary: Shame on you.
@John H Green: Same as Scotland and Wales, bills have to be run by the King first.
@John H Green: knuckle draggers not agreeing on anything “ that sums up politics worldwide, look at the US now there’s knuckle dragging
Great to see at long last. But how long before the DUP get the hump again and dissolve parliament? Less than a year be me my guess.
@Big D: I guess with the way it’s set up that’ll be an option for both sides. Maybe link pay and pensions to a working parliament?
@Big D: They already have the hump by the looks of it
@Big D: No. Its the shinners turn to fold it this time!
Comments section should be renamed Troll section. Gone to the dogs.
@Anthony Curran: It only takes one or two with multiple accounts.
It’s best just to ignore them.
Trolls, and toddlers, thrive on attention.
Hopefully they just all get on with it now. Try putting the public first rather than their individual brand of politics or religion.
Deal with the reality of everyday lives for the entire community.
Hopefully both sides have learned at this stage that their ridiculous squabbles are pointless and unnecessary and unhelpful
About time little kids there like carrying on up there in beautiful northern Ireland, that little thing under Ur nose guys is for speaking get in wit it..
The problem is that neither side is committed to making the Assembly work and actually running NI. SF won’t even say ‘Northern Ireland’, and can’t wait for it to end (there’s a large dose of wishful thinking there, as in McDonald’s ‘touching distance’ comment the other day). The DUP just want NI to be an ‘ordinary’ part of the UK. Both are bored by the Assembly, basically, and don’t see the point of it. So they have no compunction about collapsing it on a whim.
If all the United ireland guff was removed they could just get on with building a half decent country for everyone who lives there. Don’t focus on britain or Ireland all the time. Think more about cost of living, standard of living. Sf and dup are a real impediment to any genuine progress.
@Mr Inbetween: I think the tone of your comment answers your own question
@Mr Inbetween: I think the way forward involves ditching this obsession with republicanism and unionism (as if there is no alternative
Well done Sinn Fein
Can somebody tell Mary loo to stop sticking her beak in at every opportunity and just let them get on with it.
@Hotirish: you do realise that Mary Lou is the leader of the largest party in assembly?????
Norn Iron is a great wee country. GSTK! GSDAR
@Coc Caled: GSDAR????
Hopefully make some impact to build bridges and increase peace and harmony.
But time will tell I have my doubts
Imagine what combining NI and ROI would be like!
Big Brother (aka UK) doing the hand holding and throwing in a few billion after every spat to sweeten the deal.
Welcome to the Mercs and perks…
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