By the time Matthew was four years old, something was different. His speech, which was developing fervently as an infant slowly faded until it vanished completely. He was no longer interested in playing with Jordan; instead he played beside him. He would take his toy cars and trains, hold them to his face, and spin the wheels. He would run his tongue along the bumpy parts of his videos. He would circle the living room as though he were chasing his shadow. His appetite was next to nothing. He would chew holes through the seams in his shirts. When Momma told him she loved him, he would run down the hall crying. When someone would try to hug him he would pull away and fall to the floor as though he were in pain Momma and Daddy were told that all children develop at different stages and not to worry. Finally Matthew was referred to a pediatric neurologist who diagnosed him with autism.
Unlike Matthew, Jordan was able to speak and speak remarkably well for such a young boy. He was social, outgoing, with an infectious sense of humor, and could make everyone around him laugh. Like Matthew he also played with cars and trains and would play appropriately with them. He would also line his toys up according to category. One Christmas, he took all of the ornaments off the tree that he could reach and lined them up according to what they were. As he got older, he had a difficult time relating to kids his age. He didn't understand two way conversation and taking turns. He didn't understand about respecting the other person's space and had to be reminded about keeping hands to himself. He didn't understand figurative language and would take certain phrases and word usages literally. He seemed to respond better to older kids and adults. When Jordan was eight, Momma and Dad enrolled him in elementary school after being home schooled for two years. A series of tests led to an evaluation which led to a diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome, an autism-related disorder.
Petoskey, MI
