Aspergers and the Infant Child

Book excerpt: "...I did not want to see problems where there werent any, because I was more aware of aspergers than the average parent. Also, teaching children with special needs is quite different than accepting that your beautiful daughter has such needs- a label just makes it all sound so final..." Aspergers is a hidden disability; as it is not a physical disability it does not register automatic understanding. It is a series of developmental disorders known as The Triad of Impairment, including: communication, social interaction and inflexible thought/imagination. My child is aspergers, she does not have aspergers- it is not an infectious disease; there is nothing wrong with her- she merely has different needs. A label has a tendency to emphasize the negative, not the positive and the person. This book details Elizabeths journey (and that of many families) but also provides valuable information for all families of children touched by aspergers. I have found many aspergers books to be of a clinical nature and not accessible to parents who have just been given a diagnosis; often without subsequent advice and support. In my experience, a diagnosis can be like someone has thrown a grenade at you and is then running away- you are left to deal with the fall-out! Hopefully, this book is accessible to all and will help people- it has certainly helped me and when Elizabeth is older, I hope it will explain a few things to her. I also hope that it will enlighten professionals who work with her (and others like her.) My point is that I am the closest person to my daughter and I dont fully know or understand her. How can they? I honestly don't expect them to do so; I do expect them to have an awareness of the condition and to understand that a child who is aspergers has particular needs, even if they are not always apparent.