Aspie Dad

The DSM IV code for Autism is 299.00 and Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) is 299.80. There has been some non peer-reviewed press on AS (eg., Wired 1, 2) but we have been becoming familiar with it on a personal basis.

Some time ago (around late summer of 2005, when he was almost 4) our son was identified with AS/high functioning autism (with a bit of attention deficit thrown in) and became eligible for special consideration (AKA, ‘early intervention’) from the school district before enrolling in Kindergarten .

Not long thereafter I was identified with HFA/AS as well. (Block makes chip, which does not fall very far.) With my personal history of various identifications and interventions I must say that I think we’re getting pretty close to whatever is going on with me.

Before my Mother became ‘comfortable’ (and I use that term loosely) with an autism spectrum assessment for her grandson, she was fond of saying to me, “if there is something is wrong with him, there was something wrong with you.” Which was supposed to bring me to my senses about what those people were trying to do to Aspie Boy.

Unfortunately, I knew there was something different about me, I always have. </understatement> Her comments merely cemented my personal assessment that we needed to do something with our son besides her suggestions of ‘be better parents’ or ‘don’t be afraid of disciplining him.’

The nice thing for Aspie Boy is that we have a good idea how to help him. There should be no reason for him to be excluded from any activities. These are good things…

A.J. Mahari has a nice little rumination on Adult Asperger’s Syndrome that I will not attempt to expand upon. For now at least.

This blog is without attribution because I wish to attempt to preserve our privacy. Both of us are research scientists involved with various hard science and types of computer analysis. Having said that, we do live in Las Vegas, NV and are active in some of the local professional and parent support groups.

During our various job searches, and now with monster.com, I keep noticing search queries on our names in the server logs originating from companies we have applied to or are in our industries. So, I want those searches to land at our own research sites and blogs first, and not here. Thanks for understanding that.

I do not publicly shrink away from my autism/Asperger’s (a/A) identification, I just want to retain the illusion of control [and all control is illusory ] of when a prospective employer gets that information. Because, oh my yes, we will all need to know what we’re getting into before a contract is signed…

I put up my first webpage in 1993 and have had a blog (in the current sense of the term) since late 1999. I am more than open to talk with folks about Asperger’s and my experience as both a parent of a son and as an adult who meets the professional diagnostic criteria of Asperger’s Syndrome/High Functioning Autism.

I can be reached via email at ‘dad’ at this domain. (Leave out the quotes.)

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