April is Autism Awareness Month, and as a mother of an autistic child, obviously this month, and this cause, is near and dear to my heart.
My oldest son was diagnosed three years ago this month, at the age of seven, with Asperger’s Syndrome, which is on the autism spectrum. Generally speaking, he suffers from ASD, or an autism spectrum disorder.
While every child with autism presents differently, there are similarities within the different categories. The one I can speak about fluently is Asperger’s Syndrome.
Asperger’s Syndrome doesn’t present like classic autism. My son had no delays developmentally as far as his verbal or motor skills were concerned. What I did notice is a lack of empathy, a rigidness in play, the inability to make friends or play with other children, and the frequent exhausting one-sided conversations he would hold.
I began to suspect something was a bit “different” with my son, but I had no idea what ailed him. I thought I was a bad mother, to be honest. But then I heard about Asperger’s Syndrome, and the signs all seemed to describe my son.
He’s a smart boy, very loving and caring, protective even, but he suffers from emotional and social delays that cause him to present as somewhat of a “nerd”. Asperger’s Syndrome is typically called “Geek Syndrome”.
When we finally got a diagnosis, instead of being discouraged or heartbroken, Iwas happy. Finally, I knew what was wrong and I could do something about it. I quickly learned there is no cure for ASD, but in time, my son can be taught the social and emotional cues he doesn’t naturally recognize. He’s already made tremendous progress in the three years since his diagnosis.
There is hope.
Autism facts from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention:
• There is no medical test for autism.
• There is no cure for ASDs.
• ASDs are often misdiagnosed as ADD or ADHD.
• The CDC estimates that an average of 1 in 110 children have an ASD.
• If you are concerned about your child, contact your doctor.
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