My 7 year old grandson exhibits some of the things. He has trouble looking anyone in the eye, even when told to do so. He plays sports for one day then quits the team. He has trouble with speech, especially the letters R and L. He has been in speech therapy for 3 or 4 years with little improvement.
Any help is appreciated.

My 4 year old has recently been diagnosed with Asperger's. As you mention he exhibits similar traits.

At his very young age, he speaks like an adult with phrases like "Mom, I am not feeling very well tonight and I don't think I will be joining you for dinner." What 4 year old speaks like that?

Additionally, as you mentioned, while being diagnosed he was given an IQ test. The results were very high, 127 - nearly Mensa worthy. We knew he was "bright" but the results shocked us.

We were initially alerted to the condition by his constant hand flapping and what might be construed as odd head movements. He's constantly moving his hands and head when excited. He also walks on his tippie toes often and when he speaks with you, he gets very close to your face, almost as if he cannot see you standing right in front of him. This is part of the spacial relations problems.

With regard to stimuli, my son also has problems with certain ordinary things. At times when his younger brother cries, my son will just flip out, holding his hands over his ears while yelling QUIET!! Other stimuli seems to trigger reactions as well, like certain foods. My son cannot stand the smell of scrambled eggs. It nearly makes him gag.

Finally, the last tip-off we had was that we found him hanging out with his teachers during play time at pre school. When we asked his teachers if our son plays with other kids the teachers told us rarely he does and prefers to hand out and speak with his teachers instead. That's when we brought him to a specialist who diagnosed him.

My son spoke and walked at a very, very young age. We were always amazed with his progress. We are working with him and professionals to address the social issues. We are sure he will be fine. Our son has an absolutely incredible memory and like you mention, I am sure his precise focus and rediculously accurate memory will help him along in life.

My son and I were watching the SuperBowl this year. He had just turned 4 years old. During one of the commercials he recited word for word a Burger King commercial from the previous year. I could not believe he remembered the commercial. He was only 3 when he viewed it and only saw it live that one time. I had to actually look the commercial up online to see if he was correct or not. I thought he was making the story up. He was dead-on with his recall.

As a parent I can only pray he develops the social skills needed to get through life. I am sure he will particularly because we "caught it" at such a young age. My wife is a bit more concerned than I am as I rather think of these idiosynchracies as gifts rather than detriments. Who can fault someone who is very bright, has an exceptional memory, is overly endearing and has unique verbal skills? The world needs diversity and free thinkers and our Aspie's provide just that. Only time will tell for my son but I would be willing to bet he over-achieves in whatever field he chooses.

Following the steps of other "Stuff People Like" Websites, Stuff Asperger People Like has been started.

Meant as a satirical and humorous approach to describe what is known as "Aspie culture,"-technies, the special interest, etc., etc.

Hopefully, it will shed more light in a casual way and teach people that Aspies, like your son, are highly intelligent individuals who are in fact just different.

Taken from an adult perspective, but adolescents will probably find it useful as well.

Coping with these issues are extremely difficult in the light of living with people who are neurotypical because we Aspies (and Auties) become the forgotten population/ Our way of life and understanding is forgotten if known and we have to suffer from assumptions to be the social whizzes NT's are. I am a 31 years old Aspie who has struggled with these issues. Having the hyperfocusing on my interests as these and so many other things become obsessive. My sensory issues are the hardest for me because they are experienced more by me. I have somewhat worked around my motor issues, but with the social situations in life and everything of that sort I still struggle with.

I scored a 40 on the AQ the first time I took it. (Can't take it any more... too easy to skew).

Didn't suprise me at all.

Unfortunately, it also dd me absolutely no good as there seems to be no one in my area that is willing/able to deal with Adult ASDs - particularly AS.

They all "council" me to "work on being more friendlY".

Yeah. Whatever. How about somthing practical - like how to actually get a professional level job (one that pays more annually than the total cost of my useless BA that keeps capitalizing at 8.5%) other than as an overpaid flunky for Mommy & Daddy (a real resume enhancer that.)

I dispair at ever finding someone who knows how to diagnose/deal with Adult Aspies...

i am a writer, artist & musician who has worked with classic autistic kids (music & art therapist) and myself suffer from some form of AS/asperger's. i am interested to hear how gifted adults with asperger's or anything in AS cope with their emotional relational sexual lives? if u hv something to share, pls do write me.

spunkykitty,
Would you be a little more specific, i.e., "emotional relational sexual lives?"

After reading a few articles on Asperger Syndrome I have begun to wonder about the characters on the TV sitcom "Big Bang Theory." Sheldon, the most "eccentric" of the group of (3) physicists, (1) engineer and (1) aspiring actress exhibits almost all of the traits.

I don't know if I am noticing this because there seems to be so many symptoms or because they truly portray him as person with a mental condition. Either way I wonder what effect would making light of such a character have on those who watch.

Bakari:
The official position of the writers is that Sheldon doesn't have Asperger's - he's just "Sheldony." But you're not the first to see the Asperger connection in Big Bang Theory. I don't know if you caught my post on the subject:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/aspergers-diary/200904/sheldony-or-a...

(By the way, Asperger's is not a mental condition, rather a neurological one. Our neurological systems are wired differently.)

Thanks! I just read it! It is pretty coincidental on the writers' part.

Duly noted on Asperger's being a neurological condition.