AS Interview Part 2

6A.) Did he transition out of high school into the “real world”?
- Well, he wanted me to write a check then and there when he was accepted to UTI’s Motorcycle Maintenance Institute. I thought it would be valuable for him to work first so he understood the value of his education. This worked very well for him. He was a carpenter for Farmington Construction and then he told me when he was ready to go to school and be willing to study.

6B.) Is AS different for girls and boys?
-All I have read is that is more prevalent in boys.

7.) How do you feel about the education and knowledge in our society of AS?
- It stinks.

8.) How do you feel about our current educational system in relation to students with different abilities? (AS, learning disabilities, emotional, mental, etc.)
-Some are better than others, however with all the new cuts to education I am sure it is this population of students that will suffer.

8A.) Do you think society labels AS wrong?/Do you think society sees AS as something that hinders people from doing things- educationally, socially, etc.?
-Absolutely, high function AS is not really any different than anyone else, just different strategies.

9.) What does AS NOW mean to you?
-It is part of my life, I don’t know any different.

10.) If you could educate people on your son’s experiences or on AS- what would you say?
- Believe in the person, not the diagnosis. Teach them young to advocate for themselves and to find someone to trust to advocate for them. Public school system is brutal to parents if they do not understand the diagnosis or the student. Shame on them.

11.) Is there anything else you want to include about you or your son?
-He is a great man and I am so proud of what he has become. Although, he still needs to call me to translate what he doesn’t understand. I am his sounding board, however he is completely self sufficient.