The upside of Asperger's

There are many difficult moments when you are a parent of child with Aspergers, but they are also many bright and wonderful moments.

Of course, one of the most well-known aspects of Aspergers and Autism Spectrum Disorders is a need for routine. I know this can become an extremely difficult issue for many parents. For my son, it sometimes become problematic, but there is also something extremely comforting about it too. It is also fascinating to see which things that you do as a family that become a routine which he latches onto.

As I mentioned in a previous post, gastrointestinal problems are a major part of ASD and my son has been no different. It has been an unrelenting problem since he was three. When we were potty-training him, there was one book, Everyone Poops, that we read to him constantly.

It is a charming book. When I worked at Barnes & Nobles, I made it one of my staff recommendations (well before I had any idea that I would ever have children of my own). In one of those moments of divine synchronicity, the book has become a staple of our lives. It has helped him in the difficult time before he was prescribed Miralax.

After having heard the book hundreds of times, he still enjoys hearing it. He has changed much since he was three, but he still has an deep and almost transcendent need for it to be part of his routine.

That's the thing of it, after reading it hundreds of time, I am not bored of it. It is comfort to me.
I could easily go without reading to him, but I am always glad when he asks me or my wife to read it again.

It such a small thing, but in some way it means the world to him. And when you give something very special without having to do much, you can only feel lucky.