Hi - I am new to the site and am so thankful to have found it! I have a 10yo son with AS. He was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 6, when the meds did nothing for him I kept telling teh DR that I thought there must be more to it. I was basically ignored. Until my mother-in-law (who has taught school for 25 years) found an article on AS and gave it to me, pointing out that the description sounded a LOT like my then 8yo son. We got the diagnosis of AS when he was 8yo and for 2 years now I have felt totally alone with my son in this world, as far as dealing with the AS goes. I saw no other children who acted like he did and wondered if there was anyone, anywhere that saw the world like he did.
My son has always been a loner, preferring his own company to others. He has always lived in his own little world and many have said he "marches to the beat of a different drummer". He doesn't care to be touched and social interaction seems to be more of an annoyance and taxing than a fun exchange. He has recently started to come out of his shell a bit, but his attempts at making friends have not always been successful, so it's hard to watch this, knowing he doesn't understand or know how to communicate the way others do. He goes to a weekly Asperger's group therapy session, where they teach him how to interact with others, join a conversation, deal with bullies, etc. So I am hoping this will help.
But his quirks also bring me smiles and humor. He doesn't get sarcasm, jokes, metaphors - he takes everything literally, and it's interesting to me, b/c sometimes he helps me to see things from a point of view I never would have before. It also teaches me to say what I mean, which people don't do a lot of these days.
It's such a wonderful relief to see that there are so many others dealing with AS too. It's also good to hear/read comments from adults dealing with AS, because I wonder/worry all the time about how he will manage in his adulthood with AS (i.e. have relationships, job interviews, etc.).
I look forward to learning more from all of you.
29 Dec 2005, 10:04 am
