When I posted my review on the book about autism I got quite a few comments including one from Cassydoodle. Here is an excerpt of her comment:

What I've noticed from kids with autism is they're extremely intellegent, but they are very quiet and don't work very well with other kids. I've only been around one or two people with autism, but I know for certain that they are very intellegent, but have special needs.

Is there a difference between Asperger's Syndrome and Austims.

I'd like to try to answer this, if I can! Those of you with more knowledge and experience please feel free to correct me (politely please!) or add to my answer in the comments!

First of all Asperger's Syndrome IS Autism.  Autism is a spectrum of disorders that range from mild to quite severe.  Asperger's is on the high-functioning end of the spectrum.

Many children with Asperger's Syndrome are misdiagnosed with ADHD.  They are often not recognized as being in the Autism Spectrum right away b/c often they are highly verbal as opposed to their less verbal and non-verbal counterparts further to the other end of the spectrum. 

I didn't know that Jordan had AS until last year, but from the time he was maybe 2 or 3 I have always thought that if we sent him to public school they'd be trying to talk me into meds by Christmastime.  I was exactly right.  We tried public school (just to get some evaluations and figure out why this child cannot write, among other motor skill difficulities) and by December we had a school psycho-babbler...er, uh...  I mean psychologist (no offense intended, my dad is a psychologist, but this situation was very frustrating) was trying to convince us that (and I quote):

"THIS type of child can NEVER be  home educated."

and

"The only thing that helps THIS type of child is meds."

Aspies, as they are often called, tend to focus their "brain power" into specific areas, which makes them seem adult-like (pedantic) in their speech patterns and "VERY INTELLIGENT".  They can be geniuses at numbers, for example, and not be able to tie their own shoes (as an adult).

They also tend to focus on areas of interest like computers, numbers, maps...  etc.  Because they focus a larger part of their mind on a smaller group of interests they become little specialists in those "pet" areas. 

For instance, an AS child may be able to recite the name of every brand of vehicle in a given parking lot at age 2, but be unable to write his name at age 10. (This was true of my cousin who I believe has AS, but has been misdiagnosed with ADHD).

My son taught himself to read at age four, but still can barely draw a figure 8 with his arms.

When and AS child is younger they are viewed as smart, but hyper.  The problems become more pronounced as they become older and have not developed age-appropriate skills. Its adorable when a two year old can tell you the capitals of all major countries, but annoying when an 11 year old tells you how many fat grams are in the candy bar you are eating.  (True life example!)

Most AS children also experience some degree of Sensory Processing Disorder/Sensory Issues.  They dislike heat, light, loud sounds, crowds, etc. Or on the flip side...  some are extremely sensory SEEKING and must have noise, sound, motion, activity all the time.  (My son is a sensory seeker!)

Another "quirk" in this category would be what is known as "stimming"...  basically indulging in repetive behaviors like lining things up, rocking, spinning things, etc. Sometimes this just looks awkward (like my 8 year old who is not yet diagnosed, but has MANY of the traits) who obsessively puts each finger into his nostril over and over again.  Or my friend's AS daughter who spits because she is afraid of germs ever since they studied bacteria in their homeschool lessons.  But it can also be semi-distructive, like my 12 1/2 year old who loves to swirl strings and pulls threads out of carpets (ruined a part of our church's carpet when he was 5), loose strings from clothing and blankets and cuts every rubber band he can find so he can twist and twirl it in his hands.

AS children sometimes/often fall into the diagnosis of Non-Verbal Learning Disorder, as well.  This name is misleading, because what it means is that they are very verbal, but all the other areas are lacking.  They understand clear, concise, LITERAL instructions, but fail to respond correctly to facial expressions and other normal SOCIAL CUES that most of us learn without even realizing that we are learning them!

For instance, when my husband JOKINGLY said, "Choke yourself" (quoting a line from some movie, which he likes to do!) About 30 seconds later we were shocked to see our son welling up with tears in fear as he was literally choking himself and becoming panicky with effort to breath!!!  I yelled, "Daddy was kidding!  Let go of your neck!"  And as he let go he began to cry with a confused look on his face!

My 8 year old needs VERY clear instructions.  Last night he was playing with his mashed potatoes at the dinner table.  When I said, "Stop that!" he looked at me with true consternation and said, "Stop What?"  He was not being a smart aleck.  He really needed me to say, "Stop playing with your mashed potatoes."

AS children often HAVE to finish what they are doing.  They need a little more a LOT more time to "change gears".  If I interrupt my 8 year old mid-sentence he will still finish his sentence before he is able to engage his ability to listen to what I am saying. 

Biggest drawbacks: AS and all autistic children do not purge toxins from their bodies as easily as the average child.  At least, this is my theory based on my readings. Therefore, while they may WANT to be highly selective about their food choices (textures, smells, etc.) the foods that are unhealthy for everyone are "TRIGGERS"/allergens to their bodies b/c they do not process out the toxins as readily as a healthier system. 

If Jordan eats corn syrup he will be more impulsive and "hyper".  I can tell he ate something he should not just by this alone.  He once put Karo syrup on his waffles (the waffles were gluten free, dairy free organic waffles) without my knowledge and was bouncing off the walls, so to speak later that day! 

MSG is a trigger for Jordan also.  We are still learning!

Biggest benefits: AS children really have a special and beautifully unique viewpoint on the world.  Jordan and Noah have insights and ideas that would just AMAZE you!  Sometime I ought to type up the notes that Noah writes when he listens to the sermons in church.  If I did not see him do it I would not believe an 8 year old wrote these things. (And yes, while my 12 1/2 year old can barely write at all, my 8 year old writes fairly well and legibly but holds his pencil in a fisted hand instead of with a tripod grasp.)

Another benefit: I am made more aware of my own failings by these two children, b/c they need consistency so much more...  both in their food and in their training/discipline.  They are the "canaries" for our whole family.  What is bad for them is bad for us all, but they show the effects faster!

I meant this to be a short entry, but *oh my* I had more to say on the issue than I realized! 

I'll be looking forward to what some of you can add! 

Post A Comment Send to a Friend!