English 125
Asperger’s Syndrome
When I was in preschool, I was taken to Madera County Behavioral Health Services clinic, and was evaluated for signs of a mental illness. The clinic diagnosed me with a form of autism. My mom didn’t know until the doctor came in and told her, and she had no idea how I got it. Research found that autism is in the father’s genes. So, what form of autism do I have? How will it affect my future? The doctor told us I have a mild to high functioning form of Asperger’s Syndrome, a type of autism. Asperger’s Syndrome affects me in different ways. Autism affects my learning, socialization, and behavior.
The first area autism affects is my learning, so I started to have trouble with learning back in elementary school. I got held back in preschool because I didn’t meet all the requirements for kindergarten. I kept going from point A to point C instead of going from point A to point B. My mom said for me to stay another year and get extra help before moving on from preschool. I started out in a Special Ed (education), and then I went to a regular classroom. A Special Ed classroom consists of two teachers and ten students. A regular classroom consists of one teacher and twenty-two to thirty students. I was struggling in a regular classroom, so the school put me back in Special Ed. I managed to pass fourth and fifth grade without the help from a Special Ed teacher. However, Special Ed was a better classroom for me to function in because it is quieter than a regular classroom. I am a visual and audio leaner, so I can see and hear instructions along with reading them. I am an excellent reader; however, sometimes I get distracted and it makes it harder to get back to work. My mom has to remind me to quit talking to Sally and Mr. Callender. Sally and Mr. Callender are my imaginary friends. Mr. Callender is a male Marie Callender’s Restaurant & Bakery. My mom tells me to do my homework first, and then I can talk to them. Sometimes I get overwhelmed and start to feel frustrated when it comes to homework and assignments. I usually ask my teachers for extra help on assignments, and sometimes I ask the teacher to explain the questions so I can get a better understanding of the given assignment. My teachers enjoyed helping me with assignments. My sister sometimes helps me depending on the assignment, and whether she is busy or not. My teachers, mom, and sister are more than happy to help me because they all want me to succeed and get a good job.
Autism also affects my socialization. I had trouble talking to people that were around my age. I mostly talked to people who were older than I was. When we have company, I would go off into my room and not interact with anyone. I had a habit of talking to inanimate objects instead of actual people. I even gave the furniture in my room names and created an imaginary family. My classmates made fun of me, and thought I was crazy because I had an imaginary friend named Sally. Sally is a brown and purple dollhouse that my parents bought me at the Madera Swamp Meet when I was in fifth grade. The truth is no one outside the family really knew that I was autistic. The only person who did know that I was autistic was my mother. I had a few friends in elementary school, and some of my friends were in the same class with my brother. Most of them were in Special Ed with a different teacher. The only friends I had were the teachers at Washington Elementary School. When I was at Washington Elementary School, my sister introduced me to a couple of her friends when she was at Thomas Jefferson Middle School. However, for the most part, my autism caused me to not have any friends because people didn’t understand me.
The final area affected by autism is my behavior. My behavior is a little different than those who also have Asperger’s Syndrome. I shut down on people, and I don’t talk to anyone. When this happens, I usually go into my room and stay there for a really long time. I often repeat things like a broken record. Most of the time, I don’t realize I am repeating what I already said. At times people get annoyed and agitated because they are tired of hearing to same thing over and over. On some occasions, people yell at me, but it’s not my fault. I don’t get violent because I am not a violent person. Violence is not part of my autism. I usually get upset and talk to my mom about my horrible days in school. Sometimes I go to my room and listen to the radio because it helps keep me calm.
Today, I have learned many things about my autism. I learned how it affects my learning, socialization, and behavior. My autism has pushed me to become a stronger and more determined person. I also have support from my family and friends because they all want me to graduate college and get a good job. My mom is doing the best she can to help me succeed. My dad is doing the best he can to understand it, but he lets my mom deal with it and wants me to graduate college as well as get a good job. My siblings are trying to understand me and my autism. My therapist is also helping me understand autism, and how I can develop coping skills to help me succeed. My psychologist gave me medication to help me with my autism and the anxiety that comes with it. With a lot of support from family, friends, and medical professionals, I am able to cope with autism one day at a time.