Editorial from a parent of a teen with Autism.

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I thought the first paragraphs were weakest but that it got better further on.



Adolescence, Without a Roadmap

By CLAIRE SCOVELL LaZEBNIK
Published: October 16, 2005
AT least he's good-looking," I say to my husband whenever the subject of our oldest son's dating future comes up. And he is good-looking, our son, with his blue eyes, wavy hair, broad shoulders and warm smile. He's also got a deep voice (he works at it) and a gentle manner. It's hard to believe girls won't fall in love with him. And maybe they will.

But he also has autism. When he's tired or sick, he forgets words or uses them incorrectly; often it requires enormous effort just for him to maintain a conversation. It's as if he has no native tongue and essentially has had to memorize our language word by word.

Now he's working on our customs. You see him eagerly watching other kids, looking for clues and lessons, signs he can follow into the world of the average teenager. It's a world he's desperate to be part of. He dresses like them, adopts their gestures, mimics their rudeness and even douses himself, as they do, with Axe deodorant body spray. ("Look at the other kids," we're always telling him. "Watch them, play like them.").

Full article here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/16/fashi ... ERFEATURES

As a HFA Guy, I found the article quite insightful of my own experiences when I was a teenager.

I tried to establish relationships with a couple of girls when I was 12 and 13 and got rejected. Throughout the rest of my teenage years I decided not to try and establish romantic relationships with members of the opposite sex.

Since then I have probably become even more socially inept, less self-confident and weirder and I would be hitting a brick wall if I tried to do that now.

I could have written that about my son...it brought tears to my eyes....

He too finally noticed when I am upset and give me a hug. It is the little plateaus that give me hope that one day he will find peace within himself and happiness.

I know that there is someone out there for him and I continue to tell him that one day the right women will come and understand....I did for my husband....I didn't look at the outside or his mannerisms but into his eyes and I saw something so sweet and tender to come out and it did.

So as I tell my son, wait there is someone out there it took your step-father 35 years to find us.

BeeBee, thanks for posting this article. I really enjoyed reading it and it started to bring tears to my eyes.

It sounds familiar.

That's a wonderful article. Thanks for posting the link, BeeBee.