My son Derek is "Autistic". He is actually right between "true" autistic, and "Asparagers" (Which means more a high functioning Autistic). My daughter had the diagnosis of "Asparagers", my son the diagnosis of "Autistic" (but he was high functioning too). She was super mild. My son severe. Today both show few signs. He has many traits, but copes pretty well. She shows nothing.

I rarely write blogs on this, but for no particular reason. I know with it, comes "incredible" strenghts as well as weakness. many thought I should keep that from them (Derek really), but I didn't. He grew up knowing. I raised him as a single parent many years. He is well aware of all his traits.

I am going to concentrate on "Derek" here. Early on, the school seen signs. I didn't want him into anything "special". I felt it would change in time. I hate "government intervention" into family life. I will avoid it all a costs. Finally, after a few years I guess I needed some.

Derek.. well lets go into the good first... At 2 years old, he had to look into every "drain" he saw. He had to look under "sinks", he had to know how the water went down. At 3, he knew "every car" in existence. If Derek saw a car on the road, he'd say "That's a 1999 Corvette ZR1, with Yokohama tires". He knew the "year, make, and everything about every car he seen". He has "to this day", a near photographic memory. Later, he got into Chemistry. He learned every "element" on the "Periodic table of the elements". He can say everything about every element. How they react to eachother, properties.. all that. If your in college or anything (and he was maybe 7 then) you could've asked your professor to test him. Likely he knows more. In 5th grade, he went to the "regional" spelling bee. Now Derek can spell "anything" (unlike me.. lol). At that time, all the teachers and social workers fell in love with him. He had beat over 600 other kids in spelling, and we was on the last. So me, maybe 5 of his teachers, and 2 social workers went to see him compete.

It came down to 6 out of 600. Derek was called to the stand. He was supposed to spell. He grabbed the "microphone".. he tapped on it a few times.. and went on to say "My name is Derek, and I am a "Chemist" (nothing about spelling, he didn't care about that). The room busted up laughing, especially me and his teachers. We knew Derek. To him, the spelling thing was "stupid", he just wanted to talk about his current passion "Chemistry"..

They told him he couldn't do that, he listened. He spelled a few things. This is a "regional level" (to remind you). They came to the word "choir". Probably the easiest word they mentioned. Derek "REFUSED TO SPELL IT". He wanted another word, they wouldn't give it. He could spell that, he can spell anything. But with his "Autism", he has an adversion to "music". He didn't care if he won or lost. He wanted nothing to do with Music. he came in 6th.. he was out of the contest. He couldn't care less.

Later in life, he was on TV a few times for "fact quizes". Derek was always in a group, and he always "carried" the group. He was the one who knew ALL. Derek is "Einstein", but probably the good and bad.

He is now 17. He lives with his mom now. He lived with me many years. The "social" problems, he cannot deal with. I always felt he needed "school" more then "learning" because he is so smart. His mom decided to let him drop out...

He is 17. Now he comes over. Not all the time, but I see him. When he was 15 he said he wanted to learn the "Russian" language. Why, I don't know. He asked me to print it on my computer. (His mom hates computers, and won't let him on internet). I printed all the letters. He looked at them for no more then 5 minutes, and proceeded to write them all on paper. He got everyone right. Just by memory, within minutes. Today, he speaks "Russian", and can speak alot in other languages too.

Derek is a "High School" drop out. Derek will have problems his entire life. Derek has more "true smarts" then any kid in his schools, and most teachers too.

Derek CANNOT handle "social" situations. He is "Way better" today then he was as a kid. But it's still hard. He was teased in class, he was awkward. Derek never swears, he never lies. He is VERY factual. He loves "Adults" (teachers and whatever), but hates young kids and other teens. They are "non-predictable to him"...

The "social" problems are super "intense" to him. Today, as a near adult (he will be 18 in Nov), he deals with it all better. If around adults that respect his needs (no noise, no teasing, whatever) he does well. Derek has NEVER swore in his life. He (when younger) has got frustrated and "attacked" other kids.

I remember once, I had an IEP meeting at the school. Well Derek told them about the "two bullied" that have been picking on him. So the social workers, teachers and etc.. decided to ask me about it. Derek was 9 years old. The two "terrible" bullies were my brothers twins. They were 4 years old. Derek didn't see a difference, they were "mean to him".. and he attacked at them.

I couldn't in a million years give you all a "true" sense of "Autism". I'll just say it was/is an experience. It's different now as he is older, but there are still "things".

I raised them alone for like 6 years. Before that, I did with my first wife. She decided she couldn't "deal with it" and I did alone. So I had like 12 years or so.

I was in Florida, and I started having "seizures". I had 7 major ones. The "State came in" and said.. Gary.. "Your house is clean, food, all that". We just can't have you watching "special needs kids" when you may have a seizure. So they went to their mom, who wanted to try now. I could've fought the thing, but Derek was getting big. Plus he missed Michigan. Michelle was coming into "Puberity", and well I felt "mom" was better then if she was ready. They went back to Michigan, and I soon left Florida too...

I am in Michigan. Me and Roxann (her 2 kids, and ours Sebastian). So much more I could say... but this is part.

I guess my reluctance to really write this, is I can't tell enough "facts" in simple blogs. Here's one anyway...

Gary :)