Clare realizes that most people don't react to stress in that manner. She also realizes that not everyone is like herself. Clare is autistic. Clare was not diagnosed with autism until she came to university. This ultimately led to a formal diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome, which is thought to be a mild form of autism.
Autism is a neurocognitive developmental disability.
It is a neurologically based syndrome affecting the way the brain processes information. Autism is not a form of mental retardation, as is often mistakened. It occurs in approximately 15 out of every 10,000 births and approximately four out of every five autistic people are male. Some of the biggest problems university students with autism face have less to do with academics, and with social situations they encounter. Parities, class discussions, or even conversations with roommates can be extremely difficult, if not impossible for people with autism.