| I watch as my son's eyes glaze over and I know | | | | Asperger's Syndrome is part of a sub group which is |
| that for a little while at least I have lost him to the | | | | part of a much larger category called Autistic |
| splendor of his world. My son suffers from | | | | Spectrum Disorders or Pervasive Developmental |
| Asperger's Syndrome and it has taken us as parents | | | | Disorders (PDD). Asperger's Syndrome (or Asperger's |
| a long time to accept that there are certain things | | | | Disorder) is a developmental, neurological disorder |
| that my son does that we will never really | | | | characterized by severe impairment in social |
| understand. | | | | development, obsessive traits causing repetitive |
| When he travels around the house doing what the | | | | patterns of behavior and very narrow and focused |
| doctors call "stiming" he looks at us like we are the | | | | interests. They are usually very clumsy and have |
| strange ones that don't do this that we don not | | | | awkward movements. Unlike with Autism, children |
| require such activities in order to survive. "Stiming" is | | | | with Asperger's show no delays in the development |
| self-stimulation, which can be opening and closing the | | | | of language skills. Once we actually knew what was |
| window blinds for extended periods of time, watching | | | | wrong with my son a whole new avenue of |
| the tap drip or carrying around a shoe. In my son's | | | | opportunity opened up for us. As a mother the first |
| case it is flicking a soft cloth right in front of his | | | | thing I did was research. I spent hours with my nose |
| eyes, which is visual stimulation. Sometimes it calms | | | | in a book or staring at the computer screen. The one |
| him and other times it gets him all excited but it is as | | | | piece of hope that I found in almost all of my |
| necessary to his existence as air is. When he is | | | | research was that with treatment children with |
| stiming he leaves our world and goes into his. I've | | | | Asperger's can grow up to have fulfilling lives as |
| asked him what makes his different and he says in | | | | adults. Of course the earlier they receive treatment |
| his world he is popular, understood and feels happy. | | | | the higher the rate of success but my son only |
| It saddens me that this world cannot offer that to | | | | started receiving real treatment when he was 11 and |
| him. | | | | we have still seen great improvement. |
| I knew that there was something wrong at a very | | | | I know from personal experience that the frustration |
| early age but it took me years to convince the | | | | of trying to find out what is wrong with your child is |
| doctors. I was just another mother over reacting to | | | | at a level that only parents who have gone or are |
| what was perfectly normal. As an infant he was colic | | | | going through can understand. It seems like the world |
| and it wasn't only at certain times it was 24hrs a day. | | | | is against you as doctors treat you as nothing but |
| The first time I slept through the night was when I | | | | paranoid parents looking for a reason to excuse their |
| purchased a jolly jumper for him and he basically | | | | bad parenting. Of course that is where the blame will |
| jumped himself to sleep. I curled up around the | | | | always be placed by others...that as parents it is |
| bottom of him and we stayed there for 5 hrs. To | | | | YOUR fault. There is no blame when it comes to |
| this day sleeping is still a big problem for him. | | | | Asperger's or any other PDD disorder. There has |
| As my son grew there was more and more strange | | | | been some research that shows a possible genetic |
| behavior. He never played with toys or with other | | | | connection but that is still not an excuse for blame. If |
| children for that matter. He walked on his tiptoe | | | | I could offer any advice it would be to never give up. |
| never flat foot. He was always flapping his hands and | | | | If one doctor won't help you find another and do |
| would spend long hours playing with a pen that made | | | | research especially on-line. There is excellent advice, |
| a clicking noise. If he became overly agitated I would | | | | support and resources to help you help your child. |
| put on high-heeled shoes and the clicking sound of | | | | Saying that you need to mourn for your child |
| the heels on the floor would calm him. As long as he | | | | probably sounds ridiculous because you have not lost |
| was awake he was either rocking or bouncing. We | | | | him or her. I advise the mourning as a way of dealing |
| had to put his high chair up against a wall so he | | | | with the fact that that perfect child you always |
| wouldn't tip it over he rocked so hard. Once my son | | | | dreamed of having who would be so popular and a |
| reached the age of 4 his behavior turned aggressive | | | | star athlete just is not going to happen. That is not |
| and out of control. It was a nightmare of hospitals | | | | to say your child will not accomplish great things but |
| and doctors and he became a guinea pig for various | | | | it may not be in the way you had hoped. Once you |
| medications. Over the course of a few years he was | | | | accept who your child is you will be much better |
| diagnosed with various disorders such as Attention | | | | equipped to help him focus on all the special qualities |
| Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), tourette | | | | he has. It will never be easy but with treatment |
| syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder and Non | | | | programs and a lot of love, the life of an Asperger's |
| Verbal Learning Disability (NLD). Finally at the age of 9 | | | | child can be one of great joy and fulfillment for him |
| he was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. | | | | and you the parents. |