If your child has just been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome or an Autistic Spectrum Disorder , here are 6 important facts to remember.
- You Did Not Do Anything Wrong. Asperger’s Syndrome is a neurological condition that a certain percentage of children are born with. It is usually not noticed for a few years since the primary characteristic of the condition is fact that people with Aspergers have trouble in social interactions especially with strangers . It is NOT caused by something you did. It was NOT caused by a vaccine your child got. The vaccine theory has been totally disproved numerous times by neurological researchers. However, the lie that vaccines cause autism just will not die on the internet. Be prepared that there will be idiots accusing you of having “damaged” your child.
- Your Kid Is Not A Genius – There are many successful people with Aspergers’ Syndrome. People theorize that Albert Einstein probably had Aspergers, and possibly so did Steve Jobs. However, having Asperger’s Syndrome does not make someone a genius. People with Asperger’s Syndrome are on the Autistic Spectrum. Their high intelligence helps them to find mechanisms to cope with their autism. Their autism is not what gives them the intelligence
- Other problems like Anger and Depression often accompany Asperger’s Syndrome. People with Asperger’s Syndrome have the same social desires as everyone else. They want to be well liked and popular. They want to have friends and they want to be loved. However, their condition makes it much more difficult for them to achieve these basic human needs. Constant social rejection can often lead to depression and anger.
- It Does Not Go Away – Your child is not going to outgrow Aspergers. It is not a childhood disease, and you need to help your child to prepare to be an adult with Aspergers. A sad statistic is that 80% of adults with Apergers are unemployed. There are special programs and some companies that work on hiring people with Apergers. You should find out about these before your child enters the work force.
- The Internet is the best and worst thing to ever happen to people with Asperger’s Syndrome. The internet can be good since it can allow someone with Aspergers to interact with people they would normally be too awkward to meet. However, the internet can very easily become a crutch used to avoid any real interactions with real people. Despite the terminology internet “friends” are not the same as real friends. It can lead to someone becoming completely isolated from the real world. People with Aspergers need to force themselves to experience real life and real social situations.
- You Are Not Alone –Estimates are that 1 in 500 people have Aspergers. Extrapolating that means that over 647,000 people in the United States have Asperger’s Syndrome. And Aspergers is just one part of the Autistic Spectrum. There is much more awareness and many more programs available than there were a few generations ago. It should be remembered that when Doctor Hans Asperger himself was practicing medicine in Vienna Adolf Hitler was still in control of much of Europe. Imagine how brave a man Hans Asperger must have been to care about children who were considered “different”, at a time when Nazis were trying to kill everyone considered “inferior”.