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Can you help me help a friend in the Strasbourg area?

by stevesim Sat Apr 28th, 2012 at 09:06:15 AM EST

Hello.  

Sorry for this very personal diary but I have a friend who is German but living in Strasbourg.  She is not entitled to benefits in Germany because she worked in France for the last few years.

She suffers from Asperger's syndrome and she has problems  thriving in society.  She has no job at the moment but has a little money for an apartment to share if it is not too expensive.  She is on unemployment in France.

She could travel to Basel or somewhere else close to Strasbourg for a job or shelter but she needs to be with people who are understanding.  She does not understand people's motives when they are speaking to her, for example.

If you know anyone, or any organisation, company, etc that could help her in getting a place to live or a job, even for a short time, this would really help.

I am not in Europe at the moment, and am having a few financial problems so I am not able to help her as much as I would like.

She really is a nice person, but has been challenged by this difficult condition.

Thank you for your help.


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Unfortunately, I don't see a way for me to help here. But thinking through my contacts it struck me that you do not mention what line of work she has been in. That could be helpful to know.

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by A swedish kind of death on Sun Apr 29th, 2012 at 04:05:37 PM EST
Thanks for your reply.  The fact is, only about 16% of people with Asperger's  in the UK can hold down a job so I assume the number would be similar in other countries.  She has taught German and French in the past but she will try to do anything to make a living.  The problem is, that she really senses things much more  strongly than other people so she easily feels extremely uncomfortable.

She needs to be with people who will give her a roof over her head or find one for her, gain her confidence and encourage her to register with associations which will help her in her wishes to have an autonomous life.

I think I have found some evangelical Christians in the area who will help her for some time.

 

by stevesim on Mon Apr 30th, 2012 at 06:19:38 AM EST
Wow. I'm glad she already found help, because it seems to me that you're asking for someone to make a significant and possibly overwhelming change to their personal circumstances to help this young woman. It sounds as though she would be psychologically compromised in a situation with other than professional help. I hope she will thrive in the situation that has been found for her.

'tis strange I should be old and neither wise nor valiant. From "The Maid's Tragedy" by Beaumont & Fletcher
by Wife of Bath (kareninaustin at g mail dot com) on Tue May 1st, 2012 at 03:26:50 PM EST


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