Man Becomes Advocate For Adults With Asperger's Syndrome
By: Marlisa Goldsmith
Updated: March 11, 2012
"I really didn't know what it meant, or what it could do. Just kind of filed it away as oh, that fits me."
Mark McDonald may have known something was not right, but what that something was, he could not quite figure out.
"It's not a disease. It is a way of being," McDonald explains.
As an adult, he was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome.
It is a form of Autism and the main symptom is trouble with social situations.
"Getting along and understanding all the social situations and social complexities really left me wondering. I didn't understand what was going on. That made my college experience very difficult," says McDonald.
Course work was never a problem for McDonald.
In fact, his main challenge was what went on outside of the classroom.
So now, his mission is to help Abilene college students who may be going through what he went through.
McDonald explains, "Work with them, get people together to share information, to work together."
He wants people to know those with Asperger's are still people, and should be treated that way.
He says, "If you're born with autism, it's not a mistake.It simply is how you are and you should know it, understand your strengths, use them in working with people, not against people."
Mark McDonald may have known something was not right, but what that something was, he could not quite figure out.
"It's not a disease. It is a way of being," McDonald explains.
As an adult, he was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome.
It is a form of Autism and the main symptom is trouble with social situations.
"Getting along and understanding all the social situations and social complexities really left me wondering. I didn't understand what was going on. That made my college experience very difficult," says McDonald.
Course work was never a problem for McDonald.
In fact, his main challenge was what went on outside of the classroom.
So now, his mission is to help Abilene college students who may be going through what he went through.
McDonald explains, "Work with them, get people together to share information, to work together."
He wants people to know those with Asperger's are still people, and should be treated that way.
He says, "If you're born with autism, it's not a mistake.It simply is how you are and you should know it, understand your strengths, use them in working with people, not against people."
