Hi all,
I'm just going to cut/n/ paste a response that I posted to a lady who had a son with Asperger's Syndrome - one of the many guises of Autism. I note that many of you have very young children with Autism, and if I can offer any advice, as someone who actually has Asperger's Syndrome, I would be more than happy to share my experiences and give you an "insiders" view.
Here is the post I made on one of the other boards:
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I'm 27 I live on my own (all my family live on the opposite side of the globe!), and I was diagnosed with Aspergers when I was about the same age as your son [14]. There are many different variations of Aspergers, from mild through to severe, and similarly with Autism, at the other end of the spectrum. [I am classed as mild/medium]. Whilst we all share a the same type of "brain wiring"(!), our problems and difficulties can be very varied. It would be helpful to know what issues your son has. If they are similar to mine, then I can tell you exactly what not to do (from personal bad experiences!), and maybe offer some better suggestions of things you can do.
Most of my issues stemmed from bullying at school. My parents thought that it was too late to move me to a different school, but my best friend did (also an Aspergers, and now a Doctor at a London Hospital!) move to a different school. He was no longer bullied, but I was. As a result, he got good grades, I didn't. Thus, find a school which suits your son's [or daughter's] requirements.
Having said that, 13 years on, since my diagnosis, here is what I've accomplished with no external help.
1. Held a record contract (I play piano - Grade 8, but still can't quite get my fingers around Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto!)
2. Qualified as a Sound Engineer
3. Managed hotels and pubs.
4. Spent 2 years as a Company Director
5. Got married
6. Got divourced
7. Should have my Commercial Pilot's Licence by the end of this month
8. Have toured both the UK and Australia, also parts of Canada, as a pianist with a well known BigBand.
9. I'm a member of the Australian Institute of Management, entitled to use the post-nominal "AIMM"
10. As a party piece, I will complete a Rubik's Cube in just under a minute.
11. As a result of all the above, I have been able to spend the last two years on holiday... (thinks: Must be time to do some work again!)
See? It's not all doom and gloom! If I am interested in something, I will see it through. Your son [or daughter] is probably the same. These are the things you need to encourage, some of which may eventually make him [or her] a very rich (not just financially) person.
Generally, a high IQ tends to come as part of the Asperger's "package" - at no added cost! There are so many possibilities for him. If it would help to be able to speak to someone who has Aspergers, I will furnish you with my contact details. I would be happy to give you any help I can with a view from the "inside".
Kindest Regards,
~Matt
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