46
AUTISM
Many people with Asperger’s have quite unusual interests; one of my friends has a specialist interest in bins
Becoming a TV presenter is one of Alex’s main ambitions.
and smells and can be over sensitive to a range of sensory issues. For me, it is the feel of certain items such as the seams in socks and the labels in shirts that really irritate me. I have to have all of my labels taken out of my shirts and my grandma even has to re-sew my socks so that I can’t feel the seams. Certain noises also affect me, like the ticking of a radiator. It may only be a small reoccurring sound but to me it is like somebody is banging a drum right next to me and at the time that is all I can think about. Other noises such
as the clicking of nails or tapping also really irritate me.
Calm and orderly I have a love of routine and when I was younger, I used to have to know exactly what we were doing, when and how long for, so I could feel relaxed and not become worried or anxious. Now I am an adult, I still have a love of routine, to the extent that everything in my bedroom has an exact place. I can tell if somebody has moved even the smallest of items such as a pencil
or has slightly ruffled my duvet. I can tell you where everything is down to the last paperclip. My wardrobe is arranged in colour order and everything in my drawers is positioned in the same direction. Most people with Asperger’s have a specialist subject, such as trains, motorways or certain television programmes, that they know virtually everything about. As I mentioned earlier, one of my great loves is football. I am so obsessed with it that I can name every ground, and its capacity, in the top five tiers of English football. I have around 100 football shirts, 190 football badges and 500 football programmes. My mum always says that she is glad that my specialist subject is something that a lot of people like, as many people with Asperger’s have quite unusual interests; one of my friends has a specialist interest in bins. I have, and will always have, struggles and challenges that are a result of my Asperger’s but if I did not have it, I would not be the person that I am today.
Further information
Alex Manners is 20, lives in Solihull and has Asperger’s syndrome. Alex makes promotional videos for local companies and sports clubs in the West Midlands. He also presents his own TV and radio shows for children, which he is currently pitching to programme commissioners in the media: www.thealexmanners.com Alex is on a mission to visit all 92 football grounds in England’s top five divisions.
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