In the real world

Tony Atwood has said that there is indeed a cure for autism. Simply put the autistic in a room, all on his own and close the door. The symptoms disappear when you do so.

This is very true for me. I say that I have no problem functioning in the real world, but it has to be on my terms. Put simply that means that I function reasonably/really well as long as I know what' going to happen and as long as I'm in my little routine of school (lecture, breaks, buying food in the canteen, etc), working at the paper (covering concerts, editorial meetings, conducting interviews), etc. Of course, all of the above have once been unknown and therefore settings where I haven't functioned as well as I do now, after I've rehearsed them and have suiting scripts to go with each of them. Hell, I even seems quite outgoing and socially competent!

So, what happens when I'm thrown into the real world where there are no scripts, no previous experience to work from? Luckily, I seldom have to find out.

Today was the first time I ventured to a auto-repair shop alone. My mom is away on business and took the opportunity to get service done on her car. She handed me an envelope of money and asked me to pick it up this afternoon. After years of driving and thus not using public transportation, I had to take a bus. Noisy, uncomfortable and stressful. Luckily, it was on time; I've got a thing for punctuality. I was also lucky enough to find a seat towards the back and the seat next to me was unoccupied for most of the trip. But still, the people and the noises and the way the bus moved was enough to set of some stimming and make me queasy.

Then I had to deal with talking to unknown people in a noisy garage/office. The smell of the motor oils didn't help my already upset stomach, and just being in there has made me smell. Had to grab a shower the minute I got home.

I've been thinking. Many people have smell-triggered migraines, I know I do. Many autistics also have heightened sensitivity to smells. Is there a connection between migraines and autism? Does anyone know?