When he was 3 I could feel that something wasn't right with my son and I told my mommie. She told me to pray and always said "What is normal?"As an educator I just knew that my little man was missing something but what? When he entered kindergarten he had a rough time. He was the 1st kindergarten I knew to get suspended. After he got suspended for the 3rd time I knew I had to do something because I wasn't raising my child to be disrespectful & defiant. So I was very stressed and at the same time I was having serious health issues. So at the beginning of 1st grade I got him a therapist and he started taking Adderall xr. Still the puzzle was not coming together for me. I was determine to to get the pieces to fit. Finally, last summer his therapist suggested I get him tested for Asperger's Syndrome. It didn't matter that I was an educator I had no clue what his therapist was talking about and that stressed me out even more. So I got him tested and found out that he was on the Autism Spectrum Disorder due to him having Aspergers. At that time I also found out that I had Lupus and had no clue on how I was going to deal with a child that had Aspergers. Lupus is a very debilitating illness and on the days I have no energy and my joints hurt it is very frustrating dealing with my son shouting at me & throwing things. Many nights I cried myself to sleep asking God why me? My support is my family, close friends, & my church family. God has put the right people in my life to help me with Tre' and he has come a long way. The day Tre' made a Lego ambulance he told me he would get me to the hospital when I was sick. That day I knew God was letting me know I was the right mommie for him. Lean not on your own understanding 1 Timothy 4:12.

Terri Y. Smith-Flemming
St. Louis, MO