I done mainstream education without problems but then it was only around the time that I was learning to, I started learning to drive that Imy aunt sent some stuff through about Asperger’s and it seemed to coincide with the fact that my driving instructor then suggested that I transfer from manual to automatic. But it was only when my Mum showed me the stuff that my aunt had sent us, and that is what really got the ball rolling so to speak.

What was it about the manual cars that was a problem?

Sort of the coordination between the gears, the clutch and everything else, you know, and driving at the same time.

And what was it in the information that your auntie sent through?

Different kind of articles and everything from magazines. The I can’t remember exactly but it is different stuff that she found that she sent through. We went to, my Mum went to my GP who happily referred me on to… I think it, what was it, yes, I think it was someone in (town), well they couldn’t diagnose me so they sent me back to (town) and then my GP had to get someone from, a psychiatrist from (town) to say that he was happy for me to get a diagnosis and then I was sent all the way to (town) where they finally diagnosed me, after a year and a half.

I went to [name] Sixth Form College and did GNVQ advanced science and then I went on to [name] College to study animal care. But the first few I did an HND but because I was living there at the same time, although I came home at weekends, dropped out after the first year and I restarted on a National Certificate for two years which meant I could travel from home every day which is easier. Then I’ve, after, from the first year of the HND I started work experience in a local rescue kennels and having done work experience at the same place for my certificate and helping out voluntary in the holidays and all that. I managed to get a job that only lasted two weeks at a boarding kennels which I hated so I quit. But then luckily, some paid hours came up back at the rescue kennels and I have been there ever since.