Aspie

Does anyone but me find this nickname for a kids with Aspergers to be just strange, "Aspie". I came across it while doing some reading on Aspergers Syndrome. Why does there have to be a nick name for this diagnosis? I have just never heard of people giving nicknames to diagnostics before. perhaps I am too based in the research field to grasp this concept I don't know.

Today Noah went to the occupational therapist for an evaluation because we had noticed some delays in his gross motor skill development. The poor guy cant even skip or hop on one foot! Well at least that is what I thought was the only thing wrong. Do you remember an earlier post where I may have sounded like I was in denial that Noah even had Aspergers? Well I have had feelings of this lately that he doesn't have it kind of like finding out I am pregnant and not really believing it until they were actually born (yes even while they were kicking me from the inside out I found it hard to believe I was really pregnant - all three kids!). One of the notes from the therapist came back with something that I found to be revealing.

Noah had a lot of trouble in understanding and taking verbal direction. The more the therapist spoke to him the more aggravated he got. I am in the meantime having flashes of Rain man float through my head of him holding his hands over his ears. Now, Noah has mentioned in the past that there is too much noise, someone is talking too much or too loud, etc. This may be a start to a wake up call and realization for me that there is something different about him. Yet I am one to understand and recognize that we are all entitled to be different heck I encourage it! But being different with a diagnosis is something that is new to me to grasp and understand.

It would almost be easier to explain to individuals around me that if Noah had some disease or blatant rash that they would understand there was something wrong about him that needed to be treated. But, a behavioral disorder like Aspergers is much more challenging to explain to family who see Noah as, Noah. So the evaluation report has opened my eyes and allowed me to draw upon some comparisons of his behaviors to the background reading that I have done. Being sensitive to his surroundings, noise, smells, not being able to interpret feelings of others, yet gives out a lot of love and attention to others around him. It all sounds contradictory doesn't it? I can never put my finger on it I cant place my thoughts in order the symptoms, the diagnosis it all adds up and does make sense but at the same time I remain confused and bewildered that there is actually something negatively wrong with him. Should I continue with the therapy that eats away 6 days a month of my work schedule? or just let him be the child that he wants to be? the child that he is? Hes just a special different.