Hi and welcome to this week’s blog post.

Thank so much if you helped with the Aspergers survey as it’s given me some excellent information to work on for the new project (more on that as it evolves).

This week’s post covers the following question:

My son is 15, he knows he is different from other children, he wants to know why? And how would you start explaining sex, and changes his body is going through?

Why am I different? This is a difficult question to answer, but at 15, your son is ready for some explanation of his condition. No one knows for sure how anyone gets Asperger’s Syndrome. We do know it is not a disease, and you can’t catch it from anyone.

Here is a guideline for you to follow when you answer your son’s question:

Lots of people have problems and challenges in life to deal with. Some of them can be seen and some cannot. You have a condition known as Asperger’s Syndrome. We don’t know why you have it. Sometimes it is inherited from other people in a family. Asperger’s Syndrome has something to do with the genes that are in our bodies and something may have happened to some of them before you were born. Kids have Asperger’s Syndrome from the time they are born, but some kids are going to school before the doctors diagnose Asperger’s Syndrome. More and more people are being diagnosed with Asperger’s, but that’s probably because doctors and psychiatrists know more about Asperger’s and what to look for than they did in the past. You are not the only teenager with Asperger’s; a lot of kids have it, so you are not alone.

Here are some websites for teenagers with Asperger’s and maybe you can find some information for yourself. The first one is Asperger’s Teens at www.aspergerfriends.com/AspergersTeens.html. Also, try WrongPlanet.Net at

www.wrongplanet.net/. These two websites can help you understand Asperger’s and convince you that you can do well in life. Also, you might be able to meet other kids your age who have Asperger’s online and talk with them.

Groups of children and adolescents can be very cruel to someone who doesn’t act, talk, or think like them, and a child can easily take that to mean that they aren’t as good as or “cool” enough to be with a particular group of people. It is important for you to stress to your child that “different” does not mean inferior.

In addition to giving him your support and referring him to the internet, you might want to read the book Aspergers Syndrome and Adolescence: Practical Solutions for School Success by Brenda Smith Myles (Author) and Diane Adreon. This book contains many tips on how to help children transition from childhood to adulthood. The book addresses adolescent sexuality as well as how to disclose an Asperger’s diagnosis to peers.

One of the most important aspects of your relationship with your child at this age is for you to be open-minded and available to answer his questions regarding Asperger’s and how it affects him. If there is an adult male role model available, he should also provide counseling and support for your child. Your son will be most successful if he knows that you and your mate are supportive and available to him.

Take Care

Dave Angel