Deep thinker

The story

Deep thinker

The openness with which Wanda spoke her first sentences was striking and intriguing. Not too long ago, she had been diagnosed with high-functioning autism. At that time, it was sometimes referred to as ‘Asperger’s Syndrome’. The fact that she had only recently received this diagnosis became part of her story.

She had known for a long time that she was strange or different. I assumed that she was still trying to figure out which of her quirks she could attribute to high-functioning autism and which could not.

She had realized that something only became real for her when she wrote it down. She found it difficult to remember things when she only heard them. The diagnosis gave this a place. She tried to eliminate the constant stress she experienced in her past by being careful when she felt she was crossing her limits.

But having to constantly slow herself down was very unpleasant for her. More than anything, she just wanted to be normal. At least, most of the time. She felt the need to express this, to talk about it openly.