My daughter is 19 years old and is presently in a school that specializes with children and young adults with Autism. She will be in that school until she is 21. Don’t know if I consider that mild, but maybe you do. In a world that is socially so messed up, is it a disadvantage to not be able to pick up on “social cues”? I have witnessed my daughter and her Autistic friends in an academic environment as well as social environment, some being in our home for parties. They are laughing and understanding each other, most of all they are comfortable and very happy young adults. Totally unaware of social cues that make most people of their age in present day society anxiety ridden. I find my daughter’s inability to be an asset.
My daughter was seen by a pioneer genetic physician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He told me that these deletions or multiplications are there in the embryonic stage by the division of the 8th cell. That makes me think, what could all the mothers’ be exposed to that has cause this, or is simply evolution. If nature has decided that the world needs to be fixed and this is the way to do it, why is that so “horrible”? We need to change not them.
So she’s not seen the Real World yet. Sorry if this upsets you, but it is a disadvantage, to some extent.
I wonder if we’d see differences in someone’s genes before and after the autism presents itself. A lot of parents see normal development before the child becomes autistic.
I think I would give my life if it meant my 12 yo daughter could be free from Aspergers. She knows she doesn’t know what to say in social circumstances. She knows she is looked at as weird. She knows she doesn’t fit in. She is fully aware that she isn’t invited to parties and sleepovers.
As a mother, it’s so painful to watch. It’s painful not knowing how to help her.
If these changes are present by the 8th division, then they should certainly look at prenatal factors in South Korea with an estimated 1 in 36 rate.