Chef_Eureka on Autisable

Tuesday, 22 September 2009

Being Bright with Asperger's

“Advocates for Asperger's/gifted (AG) children are eager to have them appreciated as wonderful, special children. The presence of dual exceptionality always casts a shadow over this goal. So much of Asperger's Syndrome echoes the behaviors of healthy highly gifted children that some of the first discussions of AS in the gifted community are cautions not to mistake giftedness for Asperger's Syndrome.” From http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/eric/fact/asperger.pdf
In the 3rd grade, my little Aspie struggled with school. “Needs Improvement” and failing grades were common. She would forget to bring home assignments, she’d forget to take them back, or forget to even take them out of her backpack. She’d work extremely hard, only to accomplish a third of what her classmates were completing in the same amount of time.
Can you imagine our surprise when we received a letter congratulating us on our bright child and welcoming her to the ACT Explore program’s equivalent for elementary grade children? Truly, that was one of the major things that lead us to pursuing the proper testing and diagnosis of our daughter. How could she be so creative, so artistic, struggle so much in school and with common sense, but then score one of the highest scores in her grade for reading competencies? The child bounces between reading Pokeman and Journey to the Center of the Earth, though, now she’s reading the Lightning Thief series.
Consistently, her teachers told us how bright she was. How quick she could be, but on paper, test after test, she would fail. It wasn’t until we started understanding how her mind works and discovering where she is so talented and where she struggles. It took a qualified pediatric nueropsych professional to properly evaluate, test and then diagnose our daughter. I can’t tell you of the confusion, angst, and frustration we have experienced over the years before we properly understood her type of mental pattern.
“In addition to the clinical syndromes outlined by Dr. Webb, Asperger's Disorder is another that is becoming commonly mis-diagnosed in gifted youth. Although there can be similarities between a gifted child and a child with Asperger's Disorder, there are very clear differences. Thorough evaluation is necessary to distinguish gifted children's sometimes unusual and sometimes unique social interactions from Asperger's Disorder. In the same way, thorough evaluation is also necessary to distinguish Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) from behavioral problems and inattention that result from other causes such as anxiety, traumatic experiences (e.g., abuse), inappropriate curriculum, or even poor parenting.” From http://www.sengifted.org/articles_counseling/Amend_MisdiagnosisOfAspergersDisorder.shtml
She is a delight and a joy and our lives are much easier to manage now that we have the information we need. Luckily, our school system was very supportive and after running a whole slew of their own tests, they narrowed down the items that are most troubling to her in school. With our IEP plan in hand, we begin the 4th grade with a sense of excitement, anxiety, and hope. Here is to a year where she will feel success and confidence!
Do you know Geri?

The other day I was in the car with my younger daughter, I'll call her Little Bit, and we had a conversation that went something like this.
She says, "Hey mom, do you know Geri?"
I thought for a moment, quickly scanning my memory to see if I know a Geri.
"No. I don't think I know Geri."
"Well, he was married." She says.
"He was?"
"Yes, and then his wife left and she had a baby."
She says. "And then she sent the baby to live with Geri."
My immediate thought was, who the heck is Geri and why don't I know him, if she knows so much about him. I started to feel that little flush of concern. I mean, come on. My 8 year old is talking about some guy... and I have no idea who he is or how she knows him.
"How do you know Geri? From school?" I said."No mom." She laughs. "You know.. Jerry, from Tom and Jerry."And then the lightbulb brightens.
Earlier in the day she had watched Tom and Jerry on the cartoon network. Now, my first response is the desire to debate with her. Explain that Jerry is a mouse and he wasn't married, etc.
But instead, I said, "Oh, I didn't know that."She smiled and told me again that Jerry had been married and his wife left and then had a baby. Because, in Little Bit's world, that's the way it is. She has Asperger's and the simplest explanation we get is... she sees the world differently than the average person. She doesn't think to say, "You know Jerry, from Tom & Jerry?" first.
In her mind, she knows exactly who she is talking about and kind of forgets that others aren't privy to that information.So, even though I want to tell her that Jerry probably wasn't married and that Jerry probably didn't have kids in the majority of the episodes, I don't. I know that if I do, she will end up crying and I'll end up completely frustrated. I never know what kind of conversation to expect with my Little Bit.
A little information I used to become informed.

Asperger Syndrome (also Asperger’s Disorder or AS) is an autism spectrum disorder. A simple way to view AS is that it is a social disorder and children with Asperger’s may display stereotypical behavior and interests.From O.A.S.I.S. website
Asperger Syndrome or (Asperger's Disorder) is a neurobiological disorder named for a Viennese physician, Hans Asperger, who in 1944 published a paper which described a pattern of behaviors in several young boys who had normal intelligence and language development, but who also exhibited autistic-like behaviors and marked deficiencies in social and communication skills. In spite of the publication of his paper in the 1940's, it wasn't until 1994 that Asperger Syndrome was added to the DSM IV and only in the past few years has AS been recognized by professionals and parents.Individuals with AS can exhibit a variety of characteristics and the disorder can range from mild to severe. Persons with AS show marked deficiencies in social skills, have difficulties with transitions or changes and prefer sameness. They often have obsessive routines and may be preoccupied with a particular subject of interest. They have a great deal of difficulty reading nonverbal cues (body language) and very often the individual with AS has difficulty determining proper body space. Often overly sensitive to sounds, tastes, smells, and sights, the person with AS may prefer soft clothing, certain foods, and be bothered by sounds or lights no one else seems to hear or see. It's important to remember that the person with AS perceives the world very differently. Therefore, many behaviors that seem odd or unusual are due to those neurological differences and not the result of intentional rudeness or bad behavior, and most certainly not the result of "improper parenting".
For more information on AS:Asperger Syndrome Mayo Clinic on AS USC Marshall
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