On the spectrum

DR STUART NEILSON dislikes tying his shoelaces, walking through crowded streets, and refuses to take off his jumper on sweltering sun holidays because he hates the feeling of air on his bare skin.

Every time he goes shopping, he rehearses the infinite number of ways in which the shopkeeper may interact with him, and he prefers predictable daily events, like having a daily schedule of activities and checking out unknown destinations on Google Streetview before he leaves the house.

Dr Neilson also has a PhD in Statistics, and lectures in the Disability Studies module in University College Cork. When he was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome four years ago, he felt nothing but relief.