[Rivière]

Some time ago my mum would make jokes saying that she thinks she's autistic. At least I thought she was joking. Then the more I thought about it, the more I started to wonder if she was right.

She takes practically everything I'd say literally. You tell her, 'Break a leg!' and she'll reply, 'Why would I want to do that..?' when really it's just a saying for 'good luck!'. You can't make jokes with her because she simply doesn't get them. Like, at all. The only jokes she sort of understands are those really bad Christmas cracker jokes. She's often quite blunt to the point where it comes across rude. She sometimes struggles to understand how somebody is feeling, especially when you're the one she's upset. She likes routine and dislikes change. Everything has to be in order and if there's any change to a schedule or if somebody is late, she starts getting stressed and terribly anxious. Even if it's only 5 minutes late. She sure as hell has no clue how to respect personal space because she doesn't understand it.

She's never been diagnosed, and I very much doubt she ever will.

Yes, she frustrates me sometimes. Yes, she never really gets my jokes. Sometimes, no matter how much I explain something to her, her reply will always be, 'Nope... not getting it' and I just give up. All these things I've listed about her can be frustrating...

..however, she's still my mum and I love her very much.

The point I'm trying to make here is, it's ok to be autistic. Sure you may think in a different way to others around you but this can also be a good thing. You have a beautiful mind that can be applied to so many helpful and useful things, even if you don't think of it that way. Who cares if you don't get jokes? Sure people might be frustrated by it, but chances are they still like you because you're fun to be around and recognise the fact you don't get those jokes. They'll find a way to work around it.

It might seem like such a difficult situation to be in, but remember that you have a chance to help those around you, understand you better. It's a learning experience not just for you, but everyone else. Help them to understand how to enjoy your company even more. Explain to them your list of issues, your do's and don't's. Give them as much information as you possibly can. If things still go wrong after that, then that's their own fault for not taking on board what you've said.

And for the record, I have a few autistic friends and they happen to be absolutely fantastic. They send me goofy memes they find funny. They send me their version of a joke, or something that makes them laugh. They talk to me about their passions and the things they're working towards. In fact, their dislike for change is something I can appreciate because of my work schedule.

Autism is not a bad thing!