I have been finishing a book that is near & dear to me titled "My Life Is Not A Label" by Jerry Newport.  He is an adult who is diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome.  It is a book that is so full of wisdom & humor -  it is a must read for anyone familiar with Aspergers.  It is not the 1st book I have read & most likely will not be the last - you can be sure of that.  This is a topic I have become extremely passionate about supporting.  It is the foremost area I have been encouraged to write about myself.

See our middle son who is 15 also has this same diagnosis.  It is this journey from when he was 1st diagnosed at 7 yrs old to now that is a success story because he has truely come a long way - By God's Grace.  I hardly know where to begin.  Today he amazes me more often then he frustrates me.  I love to tell the most recent of his accomplishments like he has taken a year of Culinary Arts classes & spoils us with gourmet meals but on the same token, truth be told, getting here was concerning & scary.  And that too I believe is important to write about. Although much more difficult to share- someone reading this can know I do relate & that there is hope for growth.  Hang on. 

Our son has become one of my heros.

I guess a good place to begin would be to help define Aspergers & for the sake of space - you can read about it here at www.aspergersmn.org.

Today there are so many wonderful resources available. Tony Atwood, Lliane Wiley, Stephen Shores, Jerry Newport  & Temple Grandin are just a few of the incredible speakers & authors that through their testimonies have held my hand.  The internet has been a life-line.  To all that have been rallying together to get the word out about Aspergers Syndrome - my utmost gratitude. 

However - there is still much to do to get the word out & create awareness.

There is still so much support needed!

I guess that's why I know I need to write - I am still so surprised when April which is Autism Awareness Month can go by without even a blip in our state's news.  In fact I work with a gal who told me a producer said it was not newsworthy enough to do a story - hmmm.  

We as parents are overwhelmed.  We have all we can do to manage our 1 sometimes 2 or 3 children affected.   I needed then to focus on my son & whatever little change I could effect to help him.  I look back now & can only describe it in terms of feeling desperate, misunderstood, & oddly alone. 

OK - There's a whole puzzle to put together.   My sons picture is emerging more quickly now & as I said earlier (if you've stuck with me this long - points for you ) it is more amazing than I ever could have imagined.  At least since he was about 3 yrs. old - that is when - well - we began to notice our son was somewhat different.  He had a very noticeable aversion to different fabrics, required very little sleep, spoke very few words & was easily outsmarted by his 18 mos. old brother.  In fact it was because of our youngest son that these things began to concern us. As he would hit his growing milestones head on - our middle son did not.  At first I just chalked it up to it being a boy thing.  Since we had a girl 1st & she zipped along without any delay - I thought maybe boys were slower until our youngest took off.  Then again I thought "they're all different so we'll see what happens."  He was after all what appeared to be a very content little guy.  Usually smiling & happy to be either bouncing on something or going around in circles.  It looked like play to me. 

I know better now.

Little did I know then what would be just around the corner.  If you saw me right now you would see tears streaming down my face.  I would change everything if I could then again I wouldn't change a thing.

I need to stop here.  I can hardly see  the screen.  It all seems like a lifetime ago yet in this moment only yesterday.  This writing at night when everyones in bed can be a little too cathartic.  Didn't expect that.

So to where I began this post - I'll do my best to post where we have been & where we are today on this adventure with an Aspie in the family.  Maybe I can even get my son to write some (he has some cool insight).  Also I'd like my youngest & oldest to include their feelings.  It is why so many different decisions were made in our lives. 

I'll end with this for tonight - for Mother's Day the kids got me this rather large plaque that now graces a wall all it's own to remind us everyday:

"God doesn't give us what we can handle; God helps us handle what we are given"

AMEN