I watched the show to see how Aspergers would be presented. I was shocked. The punch of music with regard to "rage" "outbursts" sends the wrong message. My son was diagnosed at age 14. He is now 22 yrs old, in college and will be getting his associates degree in May.
When my husband and I first heard the word "autism" I just about fell out. I couldn't believe it. For the next three years, we went into family therapy. Thank God we had good insurance. The doctors tried prozac, wellbutrin.....and our son refused to take medication. Said he didn't need it. We listened to our son. He was right and has been med free almost 5 yrs. We didn't put him on any goofy diets, gluten free, or that crap. He ate what we ate. We didn't put him on massive doses of vitemins or minerals either. We accepted him for who he is.
His personality is made up of Spock, Data, Monk, Rainman and yes,.....Bill Gates and Albert Einstein. No, he will not light up a room when he walks into it....."if" he walks into it. He makes no bones about his desire to be "alone". It is "his" happiness, just like our is to be the center of attention.
We were worried when he sister said he was picked on in school. He never told us. When I asked him about it, he said, "They don't clothe me, feed me, put a roof over my head, nor do I live with them, why should I care what they think". Hmmmmmmmm....sounds "logical" to me.
It wasn't until the video game craze was in full swing, did the kids at school went out of their way to check my son out. He is the modern day, "pinball wizard" of video games. He took several HONORS classes in high school, but found poetry and literature a bore and struggled to pass them in the regular curriculum. Because of the way he thinks, he cannot respond to "how do you feel" questions. How he feels is not as important to him as it is to us.
He was called all kinds of names in high school. He enjoys college because he said the students that are in college, want to be there. High school is social club.
We were told he could get SSI supplements. When we sat him down and explained what SSI was, he said, "Why should I get money, if I didn't earn it?" Another "logical" response. He got a part time job, and paid for his summer semester. He drives, and makes his own car payment and pays for his own insurance. He knows AutoCad like the back of his hand. We praise these accomplishments, all done without drugs, without SSI, without changing who our son truly is.
When his job ended in October of last year, we noticed that he did "feel" something. When pressed, he said he felt bad that his father and I had to pay for everything again. I almost cried.
Like the mom on show, I could relate to the lying around in bed all day. That is part of it. The isolation. It is a comfort zone. One thing I learned from my son, was..."don't make "feel" things....I don't".... If he answers a "how was your day......??? with FINE. Let it go. He will not elaborate and fights ensue when pressed. I have learned not to press. It is difficult, but I give it my best try.
I have asked my son, Do you know any pretty girls? He responds, "mom, I have nothing to offer a girl right now. I am in school, I need to get a job, besides, dad says girls are expensive, I have plenty of time, at least 60 yrs." He has such a dry, sarcastic sense of humor and knows how to push my buttons....lol.
I know someone who has a son, just diagnosed with AS. She has him on one of those goofy diets. I told her to stop wasting her time and love her son for who he is. I told her she is going through, "I don't want other ppl to thing my kid is weird"...stage. I told her that somewhere, Bill Gates' mother is smiling.
Does your child rage, scream and kick doors? Is his or her behavior the typical brattiness of a spoiled child, or involuntary behavior beyond the child's control? Dr. Phil sheds light on a pair of widely misunderstood extreme neurological disorders. First, he looks at Asperger's syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism which can cause a person to lack control over his or her emotions, including anger. Rich and Karen's 15-year-old son, Alex, was diagnosed with Asperger's at age 6. His sudden fits of rage and erratic behavior have put a strain on his whole family. Should his parents be afraid of Alex, or is there something they can do to bring his behavior under control? Plus, Craig, 37, can't control his physical tics, nor can he keep from constantly uttering obscenities, literally hundreds of times a day. Craig suffers from Tourette syndrome, an affliction that's gotten so bad, he won't go into grocery stores, movie theatres or any public place for fear he'll be kicked out. What will the disorder mean for his plans to start a family? Talk about the show here.
