I watched a movie that was about a particular boy who is 11 years old and in the 6th grade, at the time, and he read a story aloud, called “All Cats have Asperger Syndrome”. In this movie we discover that he also has Asperger Syndrome and was diagnosed several years ago and is continually having a hard time feeling so “different” from other people. While reading this interesting book, this young boy describes his life, his likes, dislikes, and what it is like to have Asperger’s. First of all we discover that he does not like to touch people besides his mom and dad except to shake hands. He likes to be in small and squishy places and does not like loud sounds or when things pop out/ appear out of no-where in movies. In relation to his likes and dislikes, they become obsessions and he has these obsessions for weeks sometimes months at a time. He has been fascinated by Mario Galaxy and the human body. With topics such as these or sometimes random subjects he can go on and on. He doesn’t like the same things that other children his age do, such as sports, but he “manages- everyday there is at least one person willing to play with” him. With so much going on in his mind, he gets off track a lot.
This particular boy is very sensitive to bad smells and objects/ fabrics that are itchy. He sometime forgets to put on a coat when it is cold out, not realizing the temperature. He is fussy about food and loves breakfast. He discusses his life on a daily basis, his routine. He loves having a set schedule and change is not good. He believes that his Mom is overprotective but his parents really love him. He has a great vocabulary and sense of humor which other kids his age don’t always see. Because of his personality and him being so open to others, he is easy to trick. He has experienced many moments of bullying and even harassing. Some kid once asked him if he wanted to have sex or get into bed with someone else. This boy did not understand what he was being asked and felt humiliated. He sometimes feels very sad and angry and this is when he can have tantrums or as he prefers to call them “outburst”. He has a hard time trying to control his emotions and so he goes into “his own world”. In this own world, that he has been creating since he was little, he can feel better. When he draws pictures of things, he is drawing what is going on in his own world.
He realizes that he is different and that sometimes it is a good thing and sometimes it is bad. He suggested that maybe he is the one that is normal and everyone else is different, “maybe Autism and Asperger’s are the next step in evolution”. He realizes that with others knowing that he has Asperger’s, kids may make fun of him, spread rumors, some made feel bad, and some may avoid him and his relationships will change. So he doesn’t want kids to know. But he doesn’t mind if adults know because they could help. He prefers not to call Asperger’s a special need or disability, he wishes he didn’t have this “syndrome” called Asperger’s. But he believes that you have to work with what you got, stay positive, and keep away from the negative. He is very sad and still trying to get over when he was diagnosed. The advice he has to give to educators and adults out there is that they need to understand that he thinks in terms of black and white, and sometimes he thinks in pictures. Being patient, open, and listening to all students, especially those who have Asperger’s is crucial to their success.
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