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ability to interact socially, to develop communication skills, and understand emotions. Children with this disorder tend to place themselves in their own little worlds in orderto escape the frustration of being misunderstood.
Just before Summer had turned 2, doctors did a series of tests on her to see if she was deaf. They did this because most times Summer did not show an acknowledging response to someone who was talking to her. Many children with Asperger's Syndrome are automatically titled as deaf and this puts a pause on their chances of development at an early age. At the age when a child normally begins to form short sentences such as "hi mommy" or "I want a drink," Summer was still mimicking sounds in her environment. This restraint on communication led to extreme displays of temper tantrums and episodes of acting out frustration, which included self-imposed arm biting and screaming. This type of display had taken place because she was not being completely understood as she tried to project her feelings.

Now, a little more than 8 yrs. later, Summer is progressing absolutely beautifully. Since her original diagnosis, she has been following strict weekly schedules at the John Heinz Institute of Rehabilitation in our home town of Wilkes Barre, PA. A scheduled agenda of tutoring and schooling was established for her, as well as other children with this syndrome, in order to enhance the extra help that is needed to develop a better understanding of social skills needed for regular interaction. These skills are those that she will need to know in order to exist comfortably in her daily environment. Not only does she learn how to relate to the rules of communication with society, but we, her family, also learn so much more on the level of understanding where she is coming from. This helps us immensely in our efforts to communicate and respond understandingly to her thoughts and ideas. The past 8 yrs. of Summer's life have been dedicated to daily physical, occupational and speech therapy appointments; along with the awesome programs and supportwithin her school at Wyoming Valley West and extracurricular activities. This strenuous agenda enables her to establish a learning discipline that she will need throughout her life. Today, my 10 yr old "apecial" daughter is flourishing in mainstream 4th grade...she is in her third year as a cheerleader...she in in her fifth year on a junior bowling league (without bumpers)...she plays the keyboard...her grades are above average...she is happy!
The information projected concerning this special little girl inevitably attains meaningful attachment to me since it is my daughter's story. More than anything else, I want people to completely avoid the idea that Summer is to be stereotypically titled in any way, shape or form. Correction...she should be titled as follows: A compassionate, expressive and undeniably intelligent little girl who has more love expatiating from her than any one person can possibly handle. She has taught me so much about life in the sense that she has been allowed the opportunity to see things through a different set of eyes than those of the "norm" of society. She has been given a gift that I will never completely have the ability to grasp, yet I will do my absolute best to soak up all knowledge that she is willing to share with me.

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