Asperger’s is Just a Word: Focus on the Right Services for Your Child

Our son started off in a local private preschool. He was bright, energetic and engaged. But his teacher noticed that he didn’t always follow directions. She thought he might have a hearing problem.

So we took him to our county’s early intervention program and had him tested. His first diagnosis was “pervasive developmental delays.” He was 2½ years old, and we were in shock.

My husband and I rushed to get him every type of support available. There wasphysical therapy, occupational therapy, sensory integration sessions and speech therapy. We played with him, read with him and loved him.

We started him at a public preschool program for kids with special needs in the morning. In the afternoon, he continued at the private preschool. There, he could see his friends and interact with kids who were more developmentally typical.

We also hired an educational consultant to learn about our school options. By the time our son reached age 5, he had a new diagnosis: “Asperger’s syndrome.” We knew about learning and attention issues, of course. But we’d never heard of Asperger’s. To read more about our journey, go to Understood.org.