Asperger-ish

Today the school psychologist, whom we'll call Qui Gon Jinn, formally diagnosed Little Dude as "Asperger-ish." Aspergerish is obviously on the autisticish spectrum. This diagnosis was made after Little Dude and Qui Gon Jinn bonded over the psychologist's awesome light saber iPhone app. Qui Gon Jinn may be a little ish himself.

Now, I know they're handing out that diagnosis the way they hand out Little League trophies these days (everyone's a winner!), but it didn't come as a major surprise when the pediatrician brought it up. I'm pretty sure most four-year-old boys can't name every character in all six Star Wars movies plus The Clone Wars. Also, most four-year-olds haven't hit the maximum number of points (4 billion) in Lego Star Wars for the Wii. (I'm hoping his preschool will have an A/V club so he can make some little friends.)

The only outfit surprised by this diagnosis is our school district, which is going to have to provide all kinds of helpful services, and preschool, free of charge. The part that really surprised the school district was my ability to quote Texas Education Code, chapter and verse, to ensure that he gets those services. It turns out that being a thorn in the side of the school district is one of my most enjoyable and rewarding hobbies.

So. Aspergerish. Basically, this means that he doesn't have all of the Asperger's criteria, but he has enough weirdness that he will benefit from therapy.  I am grateful for the diagnosis.  Speech, Occupational, and Physical Therapy will really help.  Little Dude is being given a “provisional” diagnosis, to be re-evaluated in three years. Qui Gon Jinn thinks that Little Dude’s symptoms (quirks) will be resolved, with the therapies, in that time.

Here's the thing: I don’t know that I really want the quirks to resolve. Some of them, yes. You know how sometimes you look at your child and think to yourself, "that boy ain't right"? It's okay, every parent thinks that sometimes. But that's pretty much an every-day, all-day thought around here. Some of Little Dude’s behaviors truly disrupt our family life, and I know that school will present a lot of challenges.

But most of his quirks? I guess I’m just one of those besotted mothers. I find most of them adorable. He does that autistic hand-flapping thing; we call it his “happy hands.” I like that jumping up and down repeatedly is his way of making a nonverbal exclamation point. I know his one-track Lego obsession is insane special, but he is awesome at building things with Legos. He is freaking phenomenal at any Lego game on the Wii. We know it’s weird, but we’re proud of him anyway.

I guess these things will become less cute over time, and I certainly don’t want him to be socially ostracized. We’ll go along with the “clap, not flap” therapy. But I really hope he doesn’t change too much. Little Dude is lacking the social filter that stops most people (although apparently not me) from saying the things they’re not supposed to say. I for one find it utterly hilarious, but I get that his teachers may not. For example, tonight Little Dude (who has a thing about shirt tags) was upset that The Absent-Minded Professor had a little horse logo on his shirt.

“You have to unsew it,” Little Dude insisted.

“Why?” asked the Absent-Minded Professor.

“Because it’s too dangerous,” Little Dude whispered, Sixth Sense serious. “People will think you’re stupid.”

People will think you're stupid.