Aspergers and the Infant Child

<P>...I did not want to see problems where there weren't 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...</P> <P>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.</P> <P>This book details Elizabeth's 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!</P> <P>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 don't 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.</P>