Blogging with Robyn
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability. People with autism have difficulties in three main areas: social communication, social interaction, and social imagination. These difficulties vary widely from person to person, so we say that people are on the autism spectrum. The National Autistic Society's website gives us a sense of what living with autism is like:
“People with autism have said that the world, to them, is a mass of people, places and events which they struggle to make sense of, and which can cause them considerable anxiety. In particular, understanding and relating to other people, and taking part in everyday family and social life may be harder for them. Other people appear to know, intuitively, how to communicate and interact with each other, and some people with autism may wonder why they are 'different'”
This seemed so different from most of our 21st century, wired-up lives. I mean, here I am with my cluttered inbox, friends’ blogs to read, and Facebook messages to respond to. Stressed out as usual with social information overload. Dreaming of a Zen getaway.
But for people who have difficulties communicating, could the reverse be true? Could these very same channels be a kind of lifeline? Could people blog themselves out of isolation and into community?
Robyn Steward is a 22 year old blogger. At the age of 11 she was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism, and was much misunderstood as a young person growing up. Robyn is currently taking a degree in Internet Technologies at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge and is a self-employed specialist Asperger’s trainer and mentor. She also blogs about her life on the NAS think differently site and on her own site. I recently met up with Robyn to ask what Web 2.0 has meant for her life.
Robyn highlights the social benefits of online actvities for people on the autism spectrum. “For them to be able to find out information about other people who’ve had similar experiences, knowing that they’re not totally alone, that’s really important for them” she says. “Certainly, I’ve benefitted from using online forums.”
But are these benefits limited only to those with autism?
Part 4: Ouch and Boom!