My own son, with Asperger Syndrome, has come further than any doctor or teacher in his past, ever thought he would. When he finally received the proper diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome at the age of 11, I was told by the pediatric specialist that he may never care about other people’s feelings, come out of his own world or learn. She was probably preparing me for the worst… but I didn’t want to hear it.
There have been numerous teachers in my son’s past who never thought he he could learn, let alone graduate high school let alone go to college. That was event when he was isolated 7th through 9th grades. Just minimal school work with an aid in a small private room every day. No regular classes to learn in and no high school credits.
Even in the high school that finally gave him the tools, understanding and encouragement to learn, few thought he would accomplish all that he has. Despite any personal opinions, everyone still gave him the help, resources, regular classes and education that they gave every other student. They never gave up on my son learning!
However, every once in a while, I would get wind of a negative comment made by a staff member at school and my ‘momma’ claws would come out. I didn’t want anyone working with my son to have an attitude that he could not learn or succeed. Or even more, I didn’t want anyone talking about my son behind ‘our’ backs and causing negative attitudes to effect how he was treated. I had seen that happen at his previous school. Of course now, he is a Hugh success story and I would hope no one there doubts he can learn or his future anymore!
I always knew he was smart and could learn. That he just needed the tools, or assistive technology in his case, along with the understanding of the anxiety associated with Asperger Syndrome. My son needed understanding and the confidence to learn and was lucky enough to finally find an awesome school with incredible teachers and staff that truly believed that everyone can learn!
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