Christeena Miller

by Christeena
(Idaho)

I found out a few yrs ago that my son, age 6 now, has Aspergers ASD. I was just about to commit myself when my therapist said it's not you, it's your son. He came to the therapy apt with me and immediately started playing with the cars and lining them up in rows. He made no car sounds while playing and seamed very in to what he was doing. I was happy he was not breaking everything. There were alot of things to break in that small room. So the therapist gave me a test and book to read at home.

I was shocked when he tested out at a very high level of being Asbergian/Autistic. Since then, because of lots of therapy, love, patients and by the right people, my son is very functional now. People that just meet him for the first time can't tell he has a problem of any sort. But push one of his triggers and you may find out soon enough he has some issues with alot of things. The IBI therapist has helped tremendously. he is still on a waiting list for OT for sensory desensitization. He gets ST for his stuttering and poor sentence structure, but tested genius level for identifying pictures and telling 2 things about the picture.

I am reading lots and lots on Aspergers and documentaries, to help me help him. He is on a med called Resperidol because of his dif. in sleeping and hyperactivity and sometimes volatile outbursts. I have wanted to use natural remidies but can't afford them. He gets checked for Diabetes frequently as it runs in the family and it is a side effect of the med he is on. I get very protective of him when we are around people and try to tell him how to act prior to going into a situation that makes him uncomfortable. He did 2 yrs of pre-k and is in Kindergarten now and up with the main stream of classmates for the most part. I sit in his class alot and monitor his behavior. He tends to daydream alot, but knows everything the teacher just said when asked.

I think he will be a multitasker someday, like me. I can do and think many things at once. But people try to call it ADHD. They can all go jump in the your-jealous-lake. Although, my attitude on this has made it difficult to keep a job for a long period of time. You would think someone with an RN BSN would excel in life and career. Just the opposite for me. Standing by my fairness and ethical decisions and patient rights, has landed me in the unemployment line for the last 6 mo.

Sometimes I think I need more help than my son. At least for him he has a better start in life than me. I envy his therapy and ability to learn to adapt to many situation. There are so many unwritten rules in society and work environment. I tend to ignore all that and just do my job. But, It has made people think I don't like them and for the most part that is true. They irritate me to the point I can't do my job. I hate making others feel validated when I don't really mean or want to. I do it more now because that is more socially excepted. Well there is alot more to the story but lets just say, It's a continuous work in progress.

I hope my input helps others. Theirs has helped me tremendously. I know I am just as messed up as my son, if not worse. It is hard to admit and deal with. We also live in a very unforgiving and impatient society...