When my son was first diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a mild form of the autism spectrum, the search for essential facts was often frustrating and confusing. When one of the most popular theories on the cause of the autism spectrum disorders is genetics, you would think that more people delivering information might think about who is receiving the information . . . maybe parents who also have a touch of it themselves?

With that thought in mind, I have tried to simplify the data. Hopefully you will not have to get out your dictionary and medical books to sort through this website and I have provided links to more in-depth sources of knowledge for those who need to know more.

In 2000, my son was diagnosed with Asperger’s. He was eight years old and identified as being three to four years delayed in his social development. The choices as I understood them at that time were, I could learn to help him compensate for this alternative learning style or he would continue to fall further and further behind his peers. It has been and will probably continue to be a challenging journey for both of us. (That's him to the right, all dressed up for 8th grade graduation.)

Ryan has worked hard to learn social skills and has done a great job! At 15 years old, he is comfortable interacting with his peers, has good friends, and is successful in high school. If you are reading this because you are on a similar path, brace yourself for the trials, enjoy the successes, and be sure to try to see the world through an “autistic” point of view. It could give you a new perspective.