Autism Talk

If you've ever read "Explaining My Son" (I don't have the bitem right at my fingertips), it notes that my son was never officially diagnosed with Asperger's. But I believe...

He was almost an adult before I ever found out about Asperger's and the "system" was so stupid that they really wanted him to sit in a room waiting with other people - mostly adults - who were waiting to be diagnosed with some kind of "mental disorder." He was scared to death to sit with a bunch of folks of any kind, let alone a bunch of strangers who might be prone to...who knows what (in his mind). They would not let him sit in the outer waiting room with me. They would not let me wait with him in the other waiting room. They would not give him a quiet place to wait alone. Grrr.

Anyway, he's 23 now and stil undiagnosed. For the past 2+ years he worked at Target at night (10 pm to 6:30 am) helping unload trucks and stock shelves. He was obviously a good employee. They kept trying to make him a manager!

Recently, he quit, though, because his boss had threatened him (with a knife!!!) on many occasions and the upper management would do nothing about it. I guess my son had spent 2 years telling the upper managers every time something wasn't quite right. (He's so into rules, you know?) And I guess perhaps they thought he was, what??? lying? Crying wolf? Who knows.

Okay, that was bad, and he quit. Only after he did, did I find out that for the entire 2+ years that he worked there, he was scared to death to go to work. Not because of anything in particular...but because he had first day jitters each and every day of his 2+ years.

I've tried to explain that no one should (or does, usually) have first day jitters for years.

I wish he would agree to being tested now and that he would consider getting some government help - disability income, college funding, something.

He's stil so brilliant. I cannot believe what he has learned, what he knows.

Surely there is a way for him to find the "right" career choice for someone as smart as he is and as socially afraid.

Any ideas???????