Our Recent Vacation

My youngest son, who has recently been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, and I just got back from a two week vacation to visit my mother. This was full of firsts for him. His first time being away from Daddy for more than a weekend, the first time being on a shuttle for four hours, and the first time flying in an airplane. I was so very nervous thinking about all the people he would be coming into contact with, being a very small space with lots of people and noise, how would he react?

He did really well, even when we missed our flight due to being held up at security and had to wait three hours for the next flight. I did learn that if I am to fly with him again I HAVE to have non stop flights. On our way home we had one stop to let some off and others on and he had a MAJOR meltdown. It got so bad that the captain got his attention and asked him to stop, told him, "that's not how we act on his plane". Now the captain's comments did offend one of the flight attendants, who apologized to me, but it really didn't bother me because it took my son off guard just enough for me to get him calmed down.

Going out in public

If you think that dealing with a young child with Asperger's at home is tough, try it in public!  So what do you don when your Gifted child has an episode?

I remember when my oldest was around two years old and we were shopping at Wal-Mart.  My boys have always been big for their age and he did look like he was five or six yet he was only two. He wanted a toy from the baby isle and I told him no. I didn't know at the time that he had Asperger's. There was an elderly couple in the baby section as well and the wife was offended by my sons tantrum, she even said "How can that mother allow her son to behave like that? She is a terrible mother." I was very angry at hearing this and I turned to the woman and as politely as I could said to her, "How else do you expect a 2 year old to act Ma'am?" She was embarrassed and mentioned that she didn't know he was so young. I replied with, "With all do respect, perhaps you shouldn't pass judgement when you don't know the circumstances."

A friend of mine shared with me what her sister does for her Autistic Gifted son. She carries around business cards that on one side say, 'We are sorry for the disturbance of our special needs child.' and on the back it says, 'For further information please feel free to call me at...' and lists her phone number. I love this idea as it allows a calm and rational way to explain why the Gifted Mind is having an issue (or issues) in public and prohibits making more of a scene than is already being made.

Going out in public with your Gifted Mind doesn't have to be a nightmare. Some days are better than others and I hope you can enjoy your Gifted Mind as much as I enjoy my two. Remember that it takes a Loving Heart to care for them.

Dealing with two

I have recently found out that BOTH my boys have Asperger's Syndrome. The oldest is 10 and the youngest is 4. It amazes me at how alike and different they are, and I don't just mean as siblings. They share the same diagnoses, but they prove to me everyday at just how different children can be in the same diagnoses. Now granted, they are 6 1/2 years apart, but my oldest functions at a higher scale on the Asperger's spectrum. I am grateful that I know what is going on in their heads and that I am reaching out to get them the help they need.