Thursday morning we went to Fraser Child and Family Services in Minneapolis, and spent about 2 1/2 hours with my husband and I being interviewed by a child psychologist in one room, while our 8 year old son played with another in a nearby play room for observation. After which both of them met with us and explained that he meets the criteria for Asperger's Syndrome. Although his speech and language skills are still not appropriate for his age, they're still high enough that he does not meet the criteria for autism. Although Asperger's is considered to be part of the autism spectrum.

Independently, we'd already come to that exact same conclusion. But now it's official and will go in his medical chart.

So we will soon go to a parents' "Where do I go form here" seminar they hold periodically, and an individual family therapy session as well.Their other observation is that his bedtime anxiety preventing him from falling asleep until after 11 some nights, and often only then because I gave in and laid next to him, may be causing him to be sleep deprived.

I had always intended to just let his little quirks go, but a combination of my long-lost sister's descriptions of her own son's teen years, and discovering how badly my son is being bullied by classmates, motivated my husband and me to decide to decide we need to do something differently for him and find out what all the options are. In fact, my "new" 22 year old nephew took HIMSELF to a psychologist at age 21, just last year, after struggling in college, and was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. He's been very supportive of getting my son help now at a younger age, in hopes that our son won't struggle through his pre-teen and teen years like he did.

I'd yank him out of that school right now, because of the other kids, but his teachers and other staff have been very helpful and accomodating, and the combination of therapies and the IEP we're going to create next Wedneday may cut down on some of the behaviors that call so much attention to him. I at least feel like there's a plan in place, although it's hard for my son to see it that way, at the moment. At this point I can assure you he'd have the same problems with any kids ,anywhere. If his behaviors become more age appropriate AND he still has to live with its legacy, THEN I'd let him transfer to a new school and start over.I don't know what else to say.

We told our son we were arranging some help for him, so that school won't be such a hard place for him to go every day, as he frequently says "School is like death!" to us, and arranging help for him because it's so hard for him to fall asleep without someone with him, and to help him think of ideas other than crying right away when he's surprised by an event happening at an unexpected time, because we really didn't know what else to tell him about all the recent appointments and conferences and notes back and forth in his folder between us and several members of the staff at his school.

Happily for him, we got home at 1 pm, on Thursday, and I declared that too late to send him back to school for the day. I had already requested the whole day off from work. And his school is closed today and Monday! So he's got a 5 day vacation! I'm taking Monday off as a vacation day, to stay home with both my kids, and we'll have to think of something good to do. Most actual MLK day family events take place on Sunday around here.

If you've seen the business news recently (I'm sure you comb it thoroughly ha ha) one of the top stories this week, about failing, almost-bankrupt Moneygram being rescued by an investment group at that last minute, their world headquarters is Minneapolis, and that's where my husband works, so after weeks of antipating that he was about to be laid off (again!), that was very big exciting news for us!