Asperger's Syndrome

In the past, I've written a little about Asperger's Syndrome, but I would like to expound on it a more. It's a form of autism, but also quite different. Children with Asperger's are more verbal than you would typically associate autistic kids to be. Here are some characteristics of kids who have Asperger's. Of course, they're all different, but many have these in common. They have challenges in a social setting, especially with peers. They may lack eye contact and have trouble reciprocating conversation. Sometimes, they talk to you, instead of with you. They may have a narrow range of interest and obsess over their favorite topics which many times are unusual for kids their age. They may have poor motor skills and low coordination. They also take things literally and have excellent rote memory.

I have 2 reasons for sharing all this. First, my 9 year old son, Omar, has Asperger's. Also, one of the characters in my current manuscript has Asperger's.

Omar is an amazing boy who surprised us with his intelligence at an early age. He read his first word at age 1. He memorized the pattern of letters: T-A-X-I from one of his toy cars and read the word once. I was astounded. By age 2, he had memorized the license plates from almost all 50 states. He also knew the makes of cars and could walk through a parking lot and recite all the makes. By age 4 or 5, he was obsessed with numbers and memorized the list of phone numbers for our church congregation. I could ask him almost anyone's phone number and he would tell me. His rote memory was amazing. He also learned to read by age 4. By age 6-7 his most prized possession was the book of maps of San Antonio. He knew his way around town better than most adults. When we moved to Corpus Christi, he had already memorized the map and could tell me how to get anywhere in the city. This was very handy because I didn't know my way around and I have a tendency to get lost. He loves maps and geography. Google Earth and the GPS are his favorite toys.

However, this extensive knowledge is not so handy when dealing with peers. They really don't want to hear how to get around town. He could, however, tell them how many minutes some of their favorite movies are. Hanging out and fitting in with peers is difficult for him, but he tries. He really wants to relate to them, but it does not come naturally for him. He has a social skills group he attends once a week with other kids like him. This has been helpful, but it still takes a lot of work. I have been pleased with the therapist who runs the group because he always seems to pick the exact topics they need help with.

I don't write about him very often because he hates when I talk about him, and this would be so much worse. However, I do think that Asperger's Syndrome needs to make its way more into the mainstream so people understand it and don't roll their eyes or judge these kids when they run into them. These kids are amazing, smart, and so much fun. They have so much to offer the world. They just think differently than their neurotypical peers.

For some great reading, check out Look Me In the Eye by John Elder Robinson. I hope to one day have my book alongside his and many other books that focus on Asperger's Syndrome and the incredible people that have it.