So is your impossible husband actually autistic?
Does your husband seem to lack any empathy for your emotions and yet get mortally wounded by the most light-hearted of comments you make?
Maybe he is clumsy, useless in social situations and seems to have no friends of his own. Is he, well, just ever more impossible?
This could well describe many middle-aged men – certainly, if you ask their long-suffering wives.
But they could be signs that he is autistic, experts say.
Justine Sullivan and her husband Chris, have been together for 16 years but learned three years ago that his 'difficult and frustrating' characteristics were actually Asperger's syndrome
Now research suggests thousands of British men with learning disability autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) have not been diagnosed.
Undiagnosed ASD may be the cause of marriage trouble for many couples, according to a woman who has set up a support group for wives who, like her, are in just this ‘devastating’ situation.
According to UK charity the National Autistic Society (NAS), ASD in adults can often be a ‘hidden disability’ with autistic people simply being thought of by those around them as ‘a bit odd’.
Indeed, Justine Sullivan, 44, admits that it was his ‘interesting and quirky personality’ that first attracted her to Chris, her partner of 16 years.
However, despite home ownership and the birth of sons Conor, seven, and Arlo, four, those ‘endearing characteristics’ quickly became ‘difficult and frustrating’.
At Justine’s insistence, three years ago Chris visited a psychotherapist and was diagnosed with a type of ASD known as Asperger’s syndrome.
The label has brought with it relief: an explanation for their problems, which helped the couple come to terms with their differences.
Alarmed by the lack of support available for the wives and partners of men with Asperger’s, Justine and therapist Krish Nath set up the Giraffe Support Group.
This takes the form of monthly workshops to help couples like them cope with the challenges of day-to-day life.
Justine says the strain that undiagnosed ASD puts on relationships leaves many women lonely and depressed. Some are unable to cope – and leave their partners.
She says: ‘People with the condition are very capable, hard-working and clever, and that can mask the real difficulties that they have.
Click the link for the full story.
Covid 19 Information
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a free information book explaining the coronavirus to children, illustrated by Gruffalo illustrator Axel Scheffler
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Facebook
Autismlinks
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The National Autistic Society
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We are the leading UK charity for people with autism (including Asperger syndrome) and their families. We provide information, support and pioneering services, and campaign for a better world for people with autism.
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Are you Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, or just questioning your sexuality, AND have been diagnosed as having an Autistic or related condition (Aspergers Syndrome, Tourettes Syndrome, Autism, etc.)?
ACE Adult Community Education
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We aim to provide quality education and training opportunities to adults with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and mental health needs...
Act for Autism
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Act for Autism is a non for profit organisation who provide autism awareness training for Schools, Health care professionals, Universities and Parents. We also create projects that help to give a voice to autistic individuals
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Blogs
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The latest blog posts with information, resources and strategies for teaching children with autism. More articles can be found in the top menu bar under 'blog posts'.
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The Autism Page
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Youtube
The National Autistic Society
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We are the UK's leading charity for people affected by autism.
Act for Autism
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Act for Autism is a non for profit organisation who provide autism awareness training for Schools, Health care professionals, Universities and Parents. We also create projects that help to give a voice to autistic individuals in order to promote self
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A short animation which was designed and created by Thomas Cotran - A Practical Approach to Autism
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BBC Radio Lincolnshire
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Stepping Stones Across The Airwaves
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Stepping Stones Radio is now broadcast live on ALLFM 96.9 in Levenshulme, Manchester, for a weekly one-hour LIVE radio show!
The A Word
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Family drama with a boy with autism at its heart
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Story of unbreakable bond between an autistic little gilre and her cat Thula.
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