Yup, another entry, just in case it's ever useful to anyone.
A Meeting with one of the Big Disability Charities.
What's the difference between an NT going for a meeting, and me going for a meeting?
NT: Looks up location/plugs it into their sat nav. Goes there. Meets someone. Has meeting. Says goodbye. Goes back to work. Probably has another meeting. Then goes out with mates in evening.
Me: Two weeks beforehand, start gathering info for the meeting. Satellite pictures, journey times, alternative routes. The people send me pictures of the venue, the car park, the people I'll meet.
On the day: Get up feeling sick with anxiety after not sleeping very well. Get out checklist of things to take: all possible medication in case I feel ill, water, food supplies in case there's nowhere to have lunch or I can't eat what's on offer. Maps, plans, photos. Check directions three times. Check weather forecast. Check travel reports, twice. Check car tyres, water, oil, screen wash.
Check outfit, hair, makeup...this takes a long time if your brain won't 'see' what you look like all at once.
OK, we're ready to go. I leave an extra half hour early, just in case.
80 miles later, I'm there. Note that the actual driving is the easy bit. My music, my car etc etc.
Get to the building, park the car, and re-read the instructions for what to do now. Check my phone for messages, send some texts, check emails. All of this allows me to calm down a bit. Ah yes, it says "press the buzzer" and someone will meet me. They did, too! But then I realised I needed the loo . Well, it was a long drive, y'know . They direct me to one. Oh heck, sensory overload from the perfumes in there, and there's a wet handtowel. Germs, cold, arrghh! Can't go near it. I cope, just.
The executive comes to get me. She takes me upstairs to meet the Chief Exec. A handshake? Heck! And three chairs to choose from. And a map on the wall. OK, think quickly, Amber. You know what you're like with maps - you can't have a seat where you can see the map! I pick the one near the window.
Oh, the other exec wants to be in the meeting too? That's unexpected. And a problem. Now I'm going to have to switch attention between the two of them . She volunteers to leave if I'd like her to, but I think I'll cope, just.
Someone brings us a cup of tea. In a mug! Hooray!!! No hard-to-balance cup and saucers!
We discussed how to get me involved with the charity. They want someone who knows about a particular topic and ASDs, and can explain it. They suggest they could set up a large meeting with people from all over the country as a brainstorming session (which always sounds a bit dangerous to me - do you actually get a storm in your brain??). I said yes, they could, but then I couldn't be there because I can't do brainstorming meetings - they're too random and too scary.
I'm also having huge difficulty in concentrating on looking at the people. There's a chart on the wall, and the blinds are a good pattern of stripes, and my eyes SO want to just look at those fascinating things. But I know that I have to look at the people. No idea if they're happy, sad, angry, puzzled or otherwise by looking at them, but it's polite.
They started to realise they really didn't know a lot about ASD, so then we spent half an hour talking about me, and there was lots of "well I never!" and "really?" and "who'd have guessed that!". And then they realised that half the things I was talking about were things they've never even thought about with the children they help who have an ASD, because they didn't know they were often a big part of ASDs (sensory issues, etc). They'll try to do the meeting in an ASD-friendly way. Hooray!
Left the meeting. Yup, nowhere for lunch. Good job I brought my own, eh? Can't afford that much of a change of routine, or else I can't get home again because I'd be 'shut down' in the car.
Drove back.
Got home. Collapsed into a state of non-communication for the next two hours. No other meetings, nothing. Can't do more than that.