My life as a ten-year-old with Asperger syndrome

Hi, my name is Charlotte Gilgallon. I am ten years old, and I have Asperger syndrome.

Throughout my life, before knowing I had Asperger's, I always knew something was different about me but I did not know what it was. I was about seven years old when I found out I had Asperger's - but I only remember going into an office and my mum talking to a lady. Afterwards I started to ask questions. My mum answered them but I did not have a clue what she was saying.

My parents found out about my Asperger's when I was six. Now I am older I can understand about it. I am having problems making friends at my school. Sometimes I can be a little hyper in school and I try too hard to make friends. It feels like they already know and are bullying me about it. They make me feel like I'm a fly and they trap me in a bottle making me feel horrible. I sometimes have a few moments when I feel like I wish I never had it. But that cannot be, so that was the part that made me upset.

I have many friends that know about it and I feel that if I told the people I know really well that do not know about it they might treat me different. I am happy to share all my feelings with whoever reads this cuz I know you will understand.

I think that it was a good thing my mum told me about my Asperger syndrome because I would always come home from school and say to my mum, 'I feel different. Other children at school are not what I am like.'

Sometimes people tell my mum 'Should you have ever told your daughter she has Asperger syndrome?' and I say 'Yes, my mum should have told me' because if she hadn't told me, then I wouldn't understand a lot of stuff. I have a very happy life. I live in a nice house, with a garden, have two good sisters and a good mum and dad.

by Charlotte Gilgallon