Lara:

I read your post with much interest. I have followed Tony Atwood's writings for many years!!!

He wrote and made many points about Aspergers.

Now let me hit you with a mom's point of view about Aspergers. And this will be my final word on Aspergers because I went through a private hell and now me and my hubby have had to re-route our thinking process in regard to our son.


ASPERGERS

Severe meltdowns, severe tantrums, as early on as age 2 and they never stop. Severe rages. Very rarely following rules and regulations because they do not apply. Being incorrectly diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, and oppositional defiance disorder.

Telephone calls home every single day from teachers, principals, and social workers because your child is disruptive at school or at an after school program.

Being suspended from kindergarten because from the first day of school on, when the teacher says "gather round children, it's story time, and your child says to the teacher "get real, I want to play with the blocks".

Being suspended from absolutely every after school program, every single day camp. etc. etc. even Karate classes.

Bullied at school because the aspie never fits in anywhere.

Brilliant in school, getting 100 or more on every single test that they take.

Will not obey a teacher, will not do what they are told, etc. etc.

Arrogant to the point of annoyance!!!

And an inability to have any empathy whatsoever about what this does to a parent.

Lara, I lived this. And I correspond with many many moms of kids with AS who have gone through and are now going through the same behavior that I dealt with.

It is an autism spectrum disorder. Very hard to diagnose and even harder to treat. There is a therapy called Applied Behavioral Analysis but the person has to want to change.

Many aspies do not consider themselves to have anything wrong so why try and change them.

It's kind of like a belief system. You either think the way they do or you don't have a relationship with them.

I can't tell you how many moms I speak to who have children who are now in jail because they, and I quote "the rules do not apply to me"!!!! And all of these young adults have been diagnosed with Aspergers Disorder.

I get e-mails every single day because I belong to an aspergers support group!!!

In my case, I found absolutely nothing positive about having a son with Aspergers. The moms I correspond with, well let's just say, we are of a mind set.

It's a real challenge to continue to have a relationship with a young adult who couldn't care less about his parents' feelings.


Sorry to include this off-topic on a neuropathy board but because of the link with JL to Second Life, and your most interesting post, I just had to give a mom's perspective!!!! And I have no idea if you have Aspergers, or a relative has aspergers.

And I mean no disrespect. I just wanted to give a point of view from the parent's perspective.

life can suck sometimes, believe me.

melody

P.S. I promise, only neuropathy and funny stories from me from now on.