We had a pretty easy pregnancy. No morning sickness but toward the end I had high blood pressure and went into premature labor twice. When Michael was born he wasn't breathing. He had his cord wrapped around his neck twice and a thick mucus in his lungs that had to be suctioned out. 1 minute APGAR was a 2. We realized something was wrong at about 2 1/2 when he wouldn't look at us or talk normally (he had his own babble-language that we had to interpret). He was finally diagnosed with a PDD at 3 1/2. By 8 his neurologist had refined it to Asperger's Syndrome. While in the 2nd grade (finally able to talk in small sentences after being in therapy) he was reading on a middle school level blowing his pre-school teachers prediction of "He'll never be in a normal class or get above a C." He is now 16, a mainstreamed sophomore in high school, and in all advanced classes as well as taking 2 online courses getting A's and B's. He still has problems understanding and expressing his emotions. He can't put someone else first without thinking about it or having someone tell him to. But he has ambitions.....he wants to be a pilot in the Air Force. He's in AFJROTC (he really found his place with it) and the rigidity and order of the program has really helped him. He has friends but only because he is really good at mimicking peoples emotions and traits. All in all I wouldn't change a thing about my son because for all of the things that people see wrong there is a lot I see right. He will not knowingly hurt someone or allow someone to be hurt in his presence. He is fiercely protective of his family and goes above and beyond the normal teenage chores in order to help out around the house. He even cooks! We had a rough start but a great result in a young man I am proud to call son.

Anonymous
Panama City, FL