[rattles465]

Have a woman I know only because I work with her husband. He seems normal enough. Woman seems a bit on the attention-seeking drama side. They have 2 kids. One older girl, one boy about age 10. The boy that I've observed does a heck of a lot of watching TV. I have never seen the mom pay him much attention. If I am over to their house the kids are kind of extraneous. Woman is very much involved in all sorts of volunteering, has her finger in every pie in town. Also runs her own small biz from home. Now, from what I know of autism--which is not much--I thought those kids didn't look you in the eye, maybe didn't even talk. This kid holds a conversation OK, as far as if I ask him what he's watching, he answers me right away. He does tend to tease the dog like a little hellion, or if he's doing something he shouldn't like stepping in the mud in the yard and he's told to get away, he does, but 10 seconds later he's back at it, but frankly isn't that just being a 10year old boy? (I have no kids, so don't know, I'm asking)if I talk to him--notice his mom doesn't talk to him much. Kid looks me in the eye, I see photos all around the house and the kid is looking bright eyed right at the camera.

So what am I missing? Because the mom has her kid involved with this organization that I guess celebrates the kids on the autism spectrum. He gets his photo in a calendar that she's selling for a fundraiser for the organization, goes to outings with this group, etc. Has his picture in the paper with Mom on this thing all the time. Every other word out of her mouth is about the austism spectrum this or that, and yet even after hearing her I don't even know what the heck it is. I'm tending to think, privately, that this is like a Munchausen by proxy. The kid seems like a typical kid. I do think he's in some remedial classes at school, but I'd say that's because his life is watching TV. I don't particularly see him being ADD (I have a buddy who's ADD and know a lot about that) or hyperactive or anything. I'm not assuming I know all about this kid or the family, I'd just like to know what this 'spectrum' thing is. IS this kid really on it or is the Mom just enjoying all the attention because she says he is? I have seen other women there patting her on the back as she decries this spectrum thing as if it's her cross to bear while this kid happily watches TV. Or plays with his toy cars on the floor.

[Eileen G]

The Autism spectrum covers a lot, from kids who can't communicate at all, to things like Aspergers syndrome. It sounds like this could be where the boy is. Asperger kids are often intelligent and do well at school, and can hold excellent conversation, but they tend to be very literal, and have trouble with the emotional subtext of dealing with others.

I'm married to someone like that, and it's sort of a joke that when you ask him the time, he tells you how to make a watch, and has no idea that this is not what you wanted to know or that he is boring you. A child like this may well find that he does not have friends at school and prefers to watch TV or play with toys.

I have an Aspie friend who is pretty severe, and she loves chatting to people on the internet, but can only cope with people one day a week if she's on her own for the other six days. Another friend (Mensa level IQ) is great with people he knows, but literally goes into shock if has to talk to anyone he regards as an authority figure. Neither of them can go to the doctor on their own.

[Wondergirl]

Every other word out of her mouth is about the autism spectrum this or that, and yet even after hearing her I don't even know what the heck it is.

A spectrum is a range of behaviors, from most severe and disabling at one end to the highest level at the other end. There are characteristics that bind the entire spectrum of behaviors together into what is known as one diagnosis, in this case "autism."

I have a son who has autism (hyperlexia, a higher form) and has become an interesting and involved young man who works at a library job that appeals to all his favorite interests (books, numbers, memorizing/remembering, observing). My husband is an Aspie (Asperger's--high level autistic) and is very literal, has poor eye contact, and has to write things down or will forget them. He went to college but never finished because he couldn't focus on things he didn't really care about. He's retired from a long career with one company. His job was very specific and focused, and was one he liked to do. Both he and our son have special interests and tend to obsess over them and concentrate fully on them. Both hate change, so I don't rearrange the furniture or buy a different brand of peanut butter.

Here's an article about autism: Autism and Asperger's

[mamaof2boys]

My son is on the autistic spectrum. He's almost 7. Most people who don't know just think he's smart and quirky. Which he is. He CAN look you in the eyes and hold conversations, but being his mother, I can see it is a struggle for him at times. He doesn't like to be touched but has no awareness of others personal space. He has trouble completing simple tasks but can solve math problems faster than I can. He does not pick up on non verbal ques. Example: if his brother is doing something wrong I can give him "the look" and he stops. My autistic son is oblivious to reading peoples facial expressions. Autism is such a wide diagnosis. No two people on the autistic spectrum are alike. And a lot of times if people are not educated on it or aware that someone is on the autistic spectrum they may never know. It took several doctors to convince my husband there was a bigger problem then him "just being a boy". It's a hard thing to understand.