My son Noah loves Cars the movie, Lego's, and he loves the American Revolution. When he was around three loud noises scared him to death. He would run in any direction he could to avoid the noise even into the street. It was around this time we began to notice his differences with socialization and his obsession with certain topics. It wasn't until age 8 that we had him formally diagnosed. Through his evaluation we got a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder specifically Asperger's, a Developmental Coordination Disorder, and a Non-Verbal Learning Disability. As his mom, I always knew Noah fell on the spectrum. I never had him formally diagnosed because there is no cure for ASD, and if there was...I wouldn't want to change a thing about my son, he's sweet, loving, and curious. I would however like to change the way society sees him. We agreed to a formal evaluation last summer because with an "official" diagnosis he would qualify for more services outside of the services he receives at school. After his diagnosis, it was time to tell him. I found a wonderful video of a little boy from England with Asperger's. This boy reminded me so much of Noah, he too had a love for Lego and history. I sat with Noah and showed him the video. I said "this little boy has Asperger's, it's the same thing that you have". His first response was "I don't want to have that". I said "well lets watch the video and see what you think after". We sat together and watched when the clip was over Noah turned to me and said "that boy thinks like I think" and I said "yes, he does and he likes a lot of the same things you do". Noah said "well if he is ok with having Asperger's than so am I". That was the response I wanted. I want my son to be comfortable with who he is, to embrace his differences, and to grow into a self confidant young man. Isn't that what all parents want for their children?

Tracie Macomber
Berkley, MA