Asperger Syndrome

[paquits]

I am the mother of a forteen year old who has Asperger Syndrome, he functions at a high level. He is bilingual and he can play the clarinet. Every time I read New Era and Ensign, everybody seems to be 'normal' but I am sure many LDS parents are living some of the same experiences my husband and I are living with our son. We also have a daughter who is serving a mission in Argentina. I would love to have an LDS support group to talk about our concerns, etc. I just talked to a friend of mine and her sister has a son who has Asperger Syndrome. Her nephew is 19 years old and he is serving a mission. They first sent him to a three month mission in a near by mission, and they realized the transfers were hard on him and it would be hard to serve a regular mission. He insisted he wanted to serve a mission, since this is what his parents taught him from the time he was little kid. Right now he is serving a mission doing genealogy for two years. I also wonder if my son will be able to serve a mission, we are preparing him to also serve a regular mission. Our daughter is been very successful on her mission, she has taught many people who have decided to get baptized, but she is also growing from this experience. I know a regular mission would help my son grow socially and prepare him for life- get married, get and keep a job, this is what he really needs, the future is uncertain for everyone but more yet for children like my son. Please if you have a child that has Asperger Syndrome, write me a note. I would love to hear from you.

[Maya]

Hi welcome. Kids with Asperger are just great kids. I hope you will enjoy the forum otherways too.

I had one in my class. She would not talk to anyone stranger and started to talk to me after a while. Clever kid was the best reader in the class and helped me to teach the otherkids letters and stuff.

Edited August 9, 2010 by Maya

[Suzie]

paquits, in the past the Church used to send young men with Aspergers to regular missions but they no longer do as well as other related special needs (please ask your Bishop for a reference on this). They do however, encourage them (those who are high functioning like your son) to serve service missions in their own area.

[Mahone]

I was diagnosed with aspergers when I was 14. When I was 21, I was told that due to this I could not serve a proselytizing mission. Instead I served a 10 month temple mission. It was not a home based mission, as I lived on the temple site.

The official stance is that the church feels people with aspergers could not cope with the emotional and psychological strain that is placed upon them by serving a "regular mission". Personally I do not feel this is true, but then aspergers is a very big label and covers a wide variety of people.

[Wingnut]

I was diagnosed with aspergers when I was 14. When I was 21, I was told that due to this I could not serve a proselytizing mission. Instead I served a 10 month temple mission. It was not a home based mission, as I lived on the temple site.

The official stance is that the church feels people with aspergers could not cope with the emotional and psychological strain that is placed upon them by serving a "regular mission". Personally I do not feel this is true, but then aspergers is a very big label and covers a wide variety of people.

I don't personally know anyone who has Aspberger's, but I can tell you that many people without it can't "cope with the emotional and psychological strain that is placed upon them by serving a 'regular mission.' " How much more difficult might it be for some with a textbook case? Again, I don't know anyone personally, but I served a mission and I saw what it was like even for people without it, and it is tough.

[FairChild]

My yongest son has Aspergers, my sister has 4 children diagonsoed with various forms of Autism. I think of Aspergers as well as my son's ADHD more as a learning style than a disability. Everyone has a problem with something. Our children's something just happens to have a diagnoses of Aspergers. I believe a big part of it is learning to bloom where you are planted and doing the best you have with whatever resources you got. Glad to meet you. Hope to chat more soon. FairChild

[WmLee]

A mission, no matter how you “label” it is a mission. I hope to serve a mission soon as a senior missionary. Will I serve in a proselytizing or a service oriented mission, I don’t know. But dedicated yourself, your time and your talents to serve the Lord is a mission and I am proud of all who serve. Don’t get caught up in the title of the mission, let him serve! There is genealogy work that must be done, or our temple work would be for what?

[Mahone]

I don't personally know anyone who has Aspberger's, but I can tell you that many people without it can't "cope with the emotional and psychological strain that is placed upon them by serving a 'regular mission.' " How much more difficult might it be for some with a textbook case? Again, I don't know anyone personally, but I served a mission and I saw what it was like even for people without it, and it is tough.

It is arguable that a person with aspergers might be able to cope with such a mission better than a "normal" person. Anyone with aspergers has a long history of failed social encounters and rejection, far more than the average person. So what missionaries usually experience for the first time on their mission in this respect won't be anything new to someone with aspergers.

I think of Aspergers as well as my son's ADHD more as a learning style than a disability.

I agree. People with aspergers generally have difficultly with social interaction, but they do not have learning difficulties. If they do, there is generally another issue involved that doesn't fall under aspergers. A far more accurate way to describe someone with aspergers and learning is a more limited scope of interest than the average person. While they are capable of learning whatever you'd expect the average person to learrn, they usually focus most of their time on just one or two subjects, learning to excel in these subjects (even if they are worthless in the real world) and tending to neglect other subjects. Usually the subjects they choose to spend more of their time on are the ones which require less social interaction with other people (music, science, maths, IT etc).

[Wingnut]

It is arguable that a person with aspergers might be able to cope with such a mission better than a "normal" person. Anyone with aspergers has a long history of failed social encounters and rejection, far more than the average person. So what missionaries usually experience for the first time on their mission in this respect won't be anything new to someone with aspergers.

Fair point. We're thinking of different aspects of the mission, though. You're thinking of tracting and rejection by potential converts. I'm thinking of being joined at the hip with a companion, and transfers, and ward leadership, and a general lifestyle of uncertainty.

[Mahone]

Fair point. We're thinking of different aspects of the mission, though. You're thinking of tracting and rejection by potential converts. I'm thinking of being joined at the hip with a companion, and transfers, and ward leadership, and a general lifestyle of uncertainty.

I see your point, but regarding the companion, I think I'd have preferred a transfer every two months or so, rather than spending 10 months living with someone who I had a bit of a personality clash with from the very beginning. Basically, in the UK there is very little option for someone who is honourably excused from serving a full time proselytizing mission. The mission I served was effectively created for my companion and myself by our respective stake presidents and the temple president. He has ADHD and I have aspergers, both of which excused us from a proselytizing mission. But the general missionary rules still applied, so we had to live together as companions. Of course, there was no option for transfer as there was no-one else in the mission.

The mission plan was actually rejected by salt lake, but at that point it was too late as we had already started. I understood after 10 months why it was rejected, and honestly think the "normal" mission would have been easier.

[Guest Ssgtin1999]

We are taking our son who has AS to LDS social services for a mission evaluation. Our bishop suggested that.

[skippy740]

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