Lesson 3 – All about me

Lesson Overview

This week we will be exploring all about ourselves, specifically:

• My attributes
• My values.
• My aspirations, purpose, what motivates me
• My interests
• My strengths
• My achievements
• My transferable skills
• My channels – communication settings that make me effective

Autistic people have many unique but positive qualities which which are your your strengths, skills and talents and are extremely important for your sense of self.

You will gain in confidence and self-awareness if you consider your various strengths, skills and attributes, and take time to consider how they are all valuable to you, your family and friends and in the work place.

My attributes

We are going to use a few tools to create a few documents to help on the journey into reintegration into society, and potentially employment.

It is important to understand your strengths and weaknesses, what makes you effective and keeps you functioning at your best, and what prevents you from being effective. We are going to explore this section by section and capture it all in the About Me document – your personal profile.

We are going to start with the All About Me section.

Please turn to page 4 in your NDSA work book to find the ‘All about me: My attributes‘ page and then fill it out step-by-step as you read this online course page.

Filling out this profile will help with progressing in the Project Phoenix Programme, and setting your goals. It will also help to build self-awareness that in turn will help to develop strategies for success.

My values

Think about some 3 to 5 key words that describe what about your character is important to you and make you feel proud.

They are likely to be your values.

List them in All About Me.

My aspirations, purpose and what motivates me

You are more likely to achieve your goal if you are genuinely motivated by it… Write a few thoughts about what your aspirations, purpose and motivations are.

A helpful exercise could be considering Why have you joined the Project Phoenix programme, what are you hoping to achieve?

Write these aspirations in All About Me, it will help you further in the programme.

My interests

List at least 5 of the topics you like to follow, activities you enjoy doing.

For example: gardening, cooking, helping people ,doing research on the internet,  financial markets, big data.

Please fill in these sections in All About Me

My strengths

Consider what skills are you using when you engage in your interests?

For this section, turn to page 5 to fill in the work sheet on ‘Discovering my strengths’.

Go through the list and tick the boxes that apply to you. Ask a trusted family members or friends who know you well to do this exercise with you.

Strengths:

• Problem solving.
• Intense interest in a particular subject.
• Technical ability.
• Specialist knowledge.
• Creativity.
• Ability to look at problems from a different angle.
• Systematic thinking and methodical approach.
• Learning agility (fast learner).
• Ability to Research effectively
• Working in a team
• Working independently
• Following instructions
• Perseverance
• Resilience.
• Resourcefulness.
• Accuracy and precision.
• Reliability.
• Loyalty.
• Attention to detail.
• Honesty

Are there other strengths you posses that are not on this list? Add them to your list.

My talent profile

Please turn back to page 4 in your work book.

We are going to use a few tools to create a few documents to help you on the journey.

We are going to continue with creating your personal profile. We are going to complete All About Me with two sections of the profile: strengths and differences. The differences are not your weaknesses but things you do differently due to your autism and coping with environmental triggers that may put you at a disadvantage. You already reflected on this in the Activity 2 of the Lesson 1. So you may consider the list again and reuse it here.

The template is within the All About Me document.

Filling in this profile will help with:

• Progressing in the Mentoring Programme
• It can be used to communicate with supportive allies such as your mentor or even your employer.
• it will help to develop your own strategies for success

Please fill in your profile and repeat the exercise with a trusted family member or friend.

My achievements

Think about achievements you are proud of. They could be from academic success in education, they could be from your work experience, or your family life, your interests and hobbies. Your achievements could be in sport, in pursuing your special interest, even overcoming your own difficulties.  Think about the problem you had to solve with innovative or creative ideas that made a big difference. Think of obstacles you had to overcome and possibilities your achievements unlocked.

Think about the moment of your achievement, how did you feel? What did you do. What were your thoughts and actions?

Now describe your achievement in All About Me.

It is important that you think of your achievements as results, stated in a specific, measurable way, for example “I learned photography” .

Think of the list of 5 achievements. Make a note of them in the Achievements section of All About Me

Take advantage of the forum and support group to seek advice and discuss how your achievements reveal your strengths and qualities.

https://ndsa.uk/forum/forums/mentees-cafe.42/

Your channels

In our information intensive world we are all engaging and communicating through multiple channels. For example in groups, in person 1 to 1, on the phone, via text messages, via WhatsUp or other social media, via text on the forum. Consider in which channels do you feel in your element? What are the channels that work best for you? Write them down in All About Me.

Which channels are to avoid?

Mentor discussion

Your All About Me profile is a good vehicle to communicate your strengths and achievements, your aspirations and interests to your mentor. It helps you to reflect on those and to provoke a few thoughts that you may share with your mentor in a structured format which you could continue refining together in the course of the mentoring programme.

Continue revisiting and refining your profile, consider it to be an evolving document.