Daniel was diagnosed with autism when he was three. My wife kept telling me there was something wrong with him, but I kept telling her that many of the traits he exhibited were the same as those I had exhibited as a child -- all except the language delay, that is. And it was this that convinced me that there was something wrong, which we need to look into.
When Daniel was diagnosed, I immediately -- and obsessively -- began researching autism. As I reported my findings to my wife and my brother, they each, independently, asked me if I didn't have autism. I thought that was ridiculous -- after all, I had spoken early. I had even started reading when I was about 2-1/2. But as I read more and more, I came to learn about Asperger's. The descriptions of Asperger's fit me exactly -- from my obsessions to my making lists (especially as a child) to my social and work problems. They also seemed to describe maternal grandfather. In other words, autism ran in my family.
We put Daniel in PPCD, and he seemed to do quite well. Daniel is now 6 and in a regular Kindergarten class -- accompanied, of course, by his entourage of specialists. Still, he loves school. He has had some problems in his after school program, but we are getting them educated about how to deal with Daniel.
For me, Daniel is a special gift. I have spent my life feeling like someone watching an alien species whose behaviors only sort of made sense, but not really. Daniel makes sense to me. He has given me the gift of having someone I can finally fully understand, and he had given me the gift of finally fully understanding myself and my place in the world.
Richardson, TX