Singaporean boy with Asperger's syndrome shares his 'mental hell' school journey

When you meet someone with Asperger's syndrome, you might notice two things right away. First, they're just as smart as non-Asperger's people.

Secondly, they have little trouble with social skills. They usually tend to have an obsessive focus on one topic or they will keep on repeating the same behaviour again and again.
 
But if history has taught us anything, people with Asperger's syndrome have frequently achieved great success in the world. From Susan Boyle, Dan Harmon, Daryl Hannah to Sir Anthony Hopkins, there are plenty of examples. 
 
And you will soon see the name Nathanael Tan added to that list.
 
Nathanael is a Singaporean boy who has Asperger's Syndrome.

In the interview with social enterprise Rebound with Resilience, the teenager shared his 'mental hell' journey through school and his aspiration — to be the CEO of SMRT Corporation one day. 

Teenager shares his 'mental hell' journey in secondary school

Nathanael shared that in Primary 1, he was dragged out of his classroom and brought to the principal's office. He had no reaction even after being threatened with a cane.

"That should have been a sign, but unfortunately, no one picked it up because there was no awareness around it," he said.

As most of his classmates and teachers didn't fully understand much about autism, his "mental hell" journey was extremely tough in his secondary school days. He felt disconnected, helpless and even considered suicide. 

But thankfully, he was fortunate to have counsellors who could explain Asperger's syndrome and what he was going through to his classmates and it helped him a lot.

ALSO READ: 'I was labelled 'rude' and 'argumentative'… then I found out I'm autistic'

Interest in public transport

He loved public transport and was fascinated with it. Even though his friends teased him because of this, they also asked him for advice on bus routes.

He memorised them all. It gave him a sense of fulfilment because he started feeling that he was being valued. 

He received support from his teachers who showed concern after his meltdown and guided him in his studies. And thanks to them, Tan graduated after taking his N-level exams.

'Risky change in environment' helped Nathanael

Nathanael said that there's still a lot of misconceptions about autism. For instance, people expect those diagnosed with autism to only be flapping their hands or screeching.

He shared one instance where someone confused autism with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and tried to stack notes just to irritate him. 

However, moving to the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) was the most difficult, says the boy, with cliques and a lack of interaction.

He then switched to a part-time course and had to serve National Service (NS) concurrently too. Despite the additional load, he found the switch rewarding.  

He shares, "I found interacting with older people more conducive and rewarding, and I excelled." 

Nathanael's aspirations in life

The teenager shared that as the CEO of SMRT Corporation, the first thing he'd do would be to take down the parody account SMRT Feedback.

Tan, who completed serving his NS stint and is undertaking a part-time diploma in rapid transit technology in Singapore Polytechnic, shared that he would want to improve SMRT as a company and the island's public transport network in general.

His cheerful spirit, passion for sharing and advocacy for mental health is so contagious and inspiring at the same time. 

Here's wishing Nathanael all the best in achieving his dreams.

ALSO READ: What is Asperger syndrome: How it affects behaviour and social interaction

7 common Asperger's syndrome symptoms

The Aspergers syndrome symptoms are less severe than other kinds of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In order to understand more about the condition and support your child, you must know these in depth. 

Initially, doctors used to think of Asperger's as a separate condition, but in 2013, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) changed the way it's classified.

Today, Asperger's is a part of ASD.

• As a parent, if your child is suffering from Asperger's syndrome, you will find that they can't make eye contact.
• Children may feel awkward in social situations and don't know what to say or how to respond when someone talks to them.
• Your child may miss some social cues, like the expression on people's faces or body language.
• You may also find your child showing very few emotions. For instance, they may not smile when they're happy or laugh if it is funny. 
• They may talk about themselves most of the time.
• Your child may also repeat the same action over and over again. 
• Children with Asperger's mostly dislike changes. For instance, they would prefer to eat the same breakfast every day. 

Treatment of Asperger's syndrome

If you see any of the following signs in your baby, don't panic. Instead, take him or her to your paediatrician. They can refer you to a mental health expert who specialises in ASDs, like a psychologist, psychiatrist or a paediatric neurologist. 

Your doctor will then try a few therapies to find out which one works. 

Some treatments can include:

Speech-language therapy: This will help to improve your kid's communication skills. For instance, your kid will learn to use a normal up-and-down pattern when they speak rather than a flat tone. 

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Cognitive behavioural therapy: This will help your child change their way of thinking, so they can have better control over emotions and repetitive behaviours. 

Medicine: The FDA has not approved any drugs to treat Asperger's so far.

But there are some drugs that can help with related symptoms like depression and anxiety. 

With the right treatment and support from family and school, your child will soon be able to control some of the social and communication challenges they face.

Slowly, you will see an improvement in their school performance and they can go on to succeed in life.

This article was first published in theAsianparent.