Since there are no replies yet, let's start with my life experiences with Asperger's Syndrome. As a little girl, I was physically developing normally, but my speech was delayed. My parents took me to a special-ed center and I was taught sign language to speed up my language skills. My parents knew I was smart because when I was 2, instead of making a peace sign to show how old I was, I would hold up my two pointer fingers instead. By now, my parents had learned it was best to treat their special needs child like you would a normal child. I started talking after my sister was born, around my third birthday.
After this, my langauge skills grew in leaps and bounds, I was also an early reader. According to mom, my preschool teacher called her one day and said, "Julie, I think Lea is reading!" At this time, we have just moved to a new city and I would rattle of street names to remind her of how we got to the grocery store, cleaners, etc. Until then, Mom thought I memorized the street names. Was she surprised! As I got older, I would make up stories and talk to myself. I also began retreating into books because I felt safer. In the fifth grade, I was bullied by the mean girls so much, that my body shut down and my doctor told my folks to sue the school.
I was transferred to a smaller, private school where I blossomed and made real friends. When I was 12, Star Wars was re-released and thus began my lifelong love of Star Wars and Science Fiction. At the time, I had a classmate who was also an Aspie, but she was so much into dinosaurs that it was she would ever talk about, even insisting that the plastic toy she once brought in was a real reptile. My friends and I tried to get her to talk abut the Texas Rangers (I am still a fan to this day), but no luck. For a while, I was embarrassed about even mentioning Star Wars because I did not want to turn into my classmate. My parents and sister understood, and this has become a family joke.
After moving to Northern Virginia, I went back to public school. I made friends, joined some after school clubs and studied Latin because I know everything about Greco-Roman mythology, history and culture... and I still pulled low C's. Now a days, I am working on my associates's to become a teacher.