Topic : 01/17 Extreme Disorders

set a camcorder up for a few hours in your house or somewhere that your child would normally lose control of thier behavior... then you can show to your doctor.. we looked back at videos of birthday parties and things like that after we got our diagnosis.. it's amazing what you see that you didn't remember :-) 

I was very happy to see something about Aspergers Syndrome.. My 9 year old son is going to be tested for Aspergers Syndrome. My son is nothing like the young man on todays show.  Ty is very gentle and non aggressive. An extremely loving boy. There are times though that he will say that he wishes he was normal. In the eyes of the mother you only see a perfect child that you love with all your heart.  Ty is very smart and has an almost photographic memory. He loves the computer and goes wild for Roller Coasters. At least that was the fixation this year. Last year it was 3D movies.  

Tys Socialization is behind, He lacks confidence in himself . And believe me he gets support from his father as well as his 2 sisters. Ty also has hand ticks when he gets nervous. He hates being the center of attention. But you know he has made great strides this year. He has joined the bowling team and plays the cello. In fact, he participated in the winter concert. We were all so proud of him.  

So after years of being told nothing is wrong with your son we are hopefully going to get an answer to our many questions.  

If any readers have any helpful suggestions please let me know. 

Thanks for listening 

Thanks Dr.Phil for such an informative show 

Good for you for carrying on.  As I've said on other postings, my nephew, now 23 and about to graduate from University has AS.  So does his father, who earned a PhD in Philosophy and is teaching at an Ivy League school.   

AS is what makes him charming, unique and and so focused. It is also what made the early years so difficult for his mother (my sister).  My nephew had delayed speech, until at the age of 3 he started speaking in complete sentences with an extensive vocabulary.  He didn't like toys, but prefered to dismantle anything mechancial in the entire house.  We used to have hide anything he could use as a screw driver.  At 18 months he could dismantle a door handle in 5 minutes flat.  He didn't like to be held or coddled.  He never, ever held his own bottle.  He didn't like the texture of foods and my sister had to blend everthing for years!  He had his "topics" that he became an expert in.  He taught himself to programme in C++ as a pre-teen.  He had an odd, monotone inflection in his speech--without expression or excitement (unless it was about his favoritie "topic" du jour).  He disliked sports - all sports.  He prefered to read history books and became more isolated from his peers.  Yet he had this unrelenting ability to pick himself up and get back in the saddle.  Kids were cruel.  He was invited to parties that didn't exist.  He was bullied by little thugs half his size and he would never, ever defend himself.  He has a strong sense of right and wrong and follows "rules" to the letter.  This made him an excellent employee on little part time jobs.  Thankfully, like your son, he made a good friend that saw him through the rough teen years.  We always told him, that he only needed one friend.  Yes, he had panic attacks and episodes that had in trouble with the law - although the police always figured out there was something no tquite right with him and sent him home.  It's a long and bumpy road - no question - but there is hope.   

Good luck to you and your family - your son will be just fine with you to guide him. 

Debbie in Canada 

I am glad this episode finally made the bill, because Asperger's isn't talked about much in the media.  However, I am very disappointed that it was put in such a negative light.  I have Asperger's, and I feel like I am blessed just as much as I am cursed.  Dr. Phil did not mention all the benefits AS can have.  I have always been very successful in school.  In fact, I'm about to get my Master's degree.  I consider myself very intelligent and creative, and I owe those kind of things to my disability.  Also, it really bothered me that Dr. Phil repeatedly refered to AS as a "disease."  In my mind, he is saying there that it is bad and it needs to be eradicated.  I do admit, I have several problems because of my disorder, and I understand those related to AS people who go through a lot of stress.  Still, I fear that "curing" AS may take away some of its better aspects. 

When and if Dr. Phil returns to the subject of AS, he needs to include some success stories.  Read "Freaks, Geeks, and Asperger's Syndrome" by a young man named Luke Jackson.  Better yet, it would be cool if Dr. Phil can fly him in and talk about Asperger's more positive side. 

My grandson, Jack, has autism - Asperger's Syndrome. His condition has touched our family and made us think about life in a new way.  

I launched our website, Linking Our Hearts.com to offer a service and give hope to the many families that wonder about the future of their child. Linking Our Hearts offers a line of tagless children's apparel with original designs created by Jack.

Like many children with autism, Jack is unique and gifted. He has a high IQ, a photographic memory, and a expressive skill in art. Please visit us at www.linkingourhearts.com and enjoy Jack's artwork. The artwork will warm you heart and loudly proclaim that children with autism have endless capabilities.