A Mother of an Aspergers Child
By Penny R Rainbolt
Aspergers Syndrome has been around for a very long time however, it was not medically diagnosed until 1944 by an Austrian pediatrician named, Hans Asperger. He discovered that with this disorder, people had difficulty socializing and they had obsessive behaviors as well as repetitive actions.
I recently learned about Aspergers Syndrome and I am here to share my story in the hopes to help other parents of Aspergers Syndrome children. It is not a disease but rather a special gift that these children possess.
My daughter, who is 5 years old, has finally been diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome. We first started this journey when she was a mere 1 year old. It was then that I had noticed that she was not reaching average milestones like my previous three children. Of course, in the beginning the doctor just passed it off as something she will do in her own time and persistently told me that there was nothing to worry about. But, no matter what he said, my mothering instinct knew something wasn't right and I continued to worry.
Finally, a year later, I convinced my doctor to refer me to a neurologist. My daughter went through all the neurological testing as well as had an MRI performed. To my relief all the test came back normal but, I was still left without answers.
As time went on her Aspergers symptoms had gotten worse. The sleepless nights, uncontrollable emotions, sensitivity to touch, sounds, lights, the speechlessness. I didn't know how to comfort my child and I didn't know how to make her happy. What a heart wrenching feeling for a mother to have to endure. I literally lost my own confidence as a mother because I didn't know how to help her.
When she was 3 years old, I enrolled her in an early intervention program. 
I also had psychological testing done. First, she was diagnosed with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and was put on one medication after another. One medication made her so groggy and depressed that she wouldn't even get out of her bed for the whole day. Another medication made her violently aggressive. Yet, another medicine made her extremely hyper.
After all this, I said, no more. This is not the right diagnosis. She is now 5 years old and I got the doctor, her school teachers, the school councilor, the school principle, her speech therapist all together to have a meeting. Her school records were put out on the table, questions were asked of the teachers to explain what my daughters day was like in the school setting and what symptoms they see in her throughout the day. Many of them said she would "zone out", she showed high anxiety in social situations and she had no friendships. This was already the middle of the school year. They also said she never initiated a conversation and she always wanted to play by herself. Arrangements were made that day to let her have her lunch in a private room because she was not eating in the cafeteria which resulted in her losing weight. The doctor took the information he learned from the meeting and scheduled us to come in for an appointment.
It took me 4 years to get my daughter properly diagnosed. Although there is no cure for Aspergers it is manageable and she can lead a near normal life. People with Aspergers Syndrome are very intelligent because of there obsessive interests. They have gone on to become some of our greatest scientists, architects, computer experts and many detailed oriented fields. They are known as perfectionist and we are the lucky ones to have them in the world.
Do you feel disconnected from your child? Would you like to know what the other Aspergers symptoms are? Don't wait to see if your child will reach there milestones in there own time. If your motherly or fatherly instincts are telling you something is wrong, then most likely it is. Find out now what you can do by visting http://hubpages.com/hub/Aspergers-Symptoms-in-Children-and-How-to-Control-it
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