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IMAGINE ELIZABETH

Imagine being depressed at age eight. Imagine having few friends because, in social settings you lack the ability to "read" people, resulting in hurt feelings. Imagine not being able to look people in the eye because it makes you uncomfortable. Imagine being in a school lunchroom, panicked because of the commotion and noise. This is what it's like to be a child with Asperger's Syndrome. Then imagine being the child's parents and learning there is no known cause, there is no cure, and no two cases are alike.

My niece, Elizabeth was eight years old and doing homework with a friend when she announced she was depressed and no longer wanted to live. Her friend immediately informed my sister Mary. Depression runs in our family and Mary recognized the seriousness of this profound statement from her young daughter. Mary, with her husband Bill began the long journey to help Elizabeth. They began by treating the depression. Through several years of therapy, and as new behaviors surfaced, they eventually learned she had Asperger's Syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism of which depression is one of the symptoms. As her extended family, I watched her grow up never really understanding what made her tick. I remember a time when Elizabeth was young I brought her a small gift of a notebook. She told me she didn't like notebooks. If I had known then what I know now, I wouldn't have been offended.

Austrian Pediatrician Hans Asperger wrote a research paper in 1944 describing children he treated with autistic "like" behaviors. He noticed they lacked non-verbal communication skills and had limited empathy for peers. Unlike autistic children, they were of normal to high intelligence with normal language skills, leading Dr. Asperger to name them his "Little Professors." It took 50 years before this discovery was recognized as the neuro-biological disorder that it is. Now it is one of five disorders identified as Pervasive Developmental Disorders, or PDDs, and listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM, which is the "bible" used by physicians and mental health professionals. Many famous people are believed to be so-called "Aspies," such as Albert Einstein, Ben Franklin, and Ludwig van Beethoven.

In addition to high intelligence, people with Asperger's Syndrome have poor communication and social skills, avoid eye contact, and thrive on rules and routine. They suffer with depression, anxiety, speak in monotone, and have obsessive interest

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