| Recently a young mother wrote and said, My | | | | learning responses), while the Asperger's mind |
| four and a half year old son has been diagnosed | | | | only ends up there when there is no precise way |
| with PDD-NOS, and more recently, ODD, but his | | | | to understand something they are trying to learn |
| teacher and I think OCD is more fitting. He also | | | | (AS kids love learning, at least about their special |
| shows some ADD behaviors. Confusing? Definitely. | | | | interests, e.g. the insect parts AND the insect |
| And with so many opinions out there, knowing | | | | song; a very typical cross sense AS trait; |
| how to best help such a four year old can be | | | | everything with the same overall title gets |
| very hard. Here is what I wrote back. | | | | included in the same interest.) |
| Thank you for writing and for your positive | | | | Kids with Asperger's and adults with Asperger's |
| feedback. Know I am so sorry it has taken me | | | | also share another quality; throwing tantrums |
| so long to reply, especially as it is for a little boy | | | | when being asked to change the official way |
| you write. In fact, my heart goes out to you. As | | | | things are done, arranged, managed, or learned. |
| you might imagine though, I am swamped with | | | | And while kids with OCD share some of this, they |
| folks writing to me. | | | | do not usually have the "special interest" thing; |
| As for my thoughts, please know, whatever I will | | | | meaning, your son's desire to learn in such fine |
| say is in no way intended to be heard as | | | | detail. This quality; precisely learning about things, |
| professional advice. More, it is simply the shared | | | | differs markedly from the OCD quality of |
| experiences of one human being with another. | | | | precisely arranging things. This in fact would be |
| As for your son, while I can see what might lead | | | | enough for me to tend toward the AS diagnosis |
| you to hypothesize those diagnoses, from | | | | over and ADD or an OCD diagnosis. |
| everything you have described, my best guess is | | | | As for the PDD-NOS, many adult AS clients also |
| your son has a classic case of Asperger's. Why? | | | | have these same odd features; ticks and so on. |
| For one thing he makes what he learns more | | | | However, when combined into a comprehensive |
| important than people. For another, what he | | | | pattern, the AS fractal emerges as the clear |
| learns is rigidly precise and cannot be deviated | | | | diagnosis. |
| from. A quality he no doubt strives for in all his | | | | Finally, you might wonder why I focus so much |
| learning. And for another, when anyone does ask | | | | on getting the right diagnosis. I do this as getting |
| him to deviate from his official "right way," he | | | | help early is one of the main factors in improving |
| bluntly corrects them with no regard for the | | | | the outcome. I, myself, have AS and have |
| effect this correcting has on others. | | | | managed to see past much of what I have |
| Precision, then correction; in this order, are the | | | | described, but only because my "special interest" |
| two most basic qualities of the Asperger's mind. | | | | is human nature, a totally random but useful way |
| And what happens to these folks when they are | | | | out of the usual narrow focus. |
| forced out of these two patterns is that they | | | | As a child, I was very similar to how you describe |
| rapidly spiral out of control, first into a labyrinth of | | | | your son. |
| digressions (actually the correction phase gone | | | | As a man, who else would write thousands of |
| terribly wrong), then into blunt outbursts (the only | | | | pages on human nature simply to help folks. |
| way AS folks have to break out of the | | | | Lincoln, Jefferson, DaVinci and Socrates definitely |
| digressions). | | | | had AS. And while most folks with AS will not |
| By the way, the digressions I have just | | | | achieve anything like what these geniuses did, you |
| mentioned can be mistakenly seen as a sign of | | | | son is way above average in intelligence. If you |
| having ADD. However, the ADD mind begins all | | | | can develop in him an equal measure of creativity, |
| learning situations already in these digressions, | | | | then he may well turn out similarly. |
| then into bluntness (the I am not interested in | | | | |