Understanding Asperger Syndrome

An Insight into AS for Rakyat Times Readers -Anthony Thanasayan

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Created on Thursday, 22 January 2015 07:00

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Written by Anthony Thanasayan

Category: Columnist

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Experts say that there are more than seven billion people living in our world today.

Among them are human beings from all walks of life. They include the young and the old, the rich and the poor, the sick and the healthy, persons with disabilities or disorders and those without any.

Recently, I received an email from a boy living in Selangor. He is 11 years old.

He wanted to share with the readers of Rakyat Times what it feels like to go through life living with Asperger Syndrome or AS.

AS is a type of autism where someone has significant difficulties in the areas of social interaction, communication and imagination.

I have decided to keep his identity anonymous. This is because of some personal things he mentioned in his email.

I shall call him 'TK'. His letter was written with the help of his mother and it has been edited for clarity.

This is what he wrote:

"We, as children, are born different in terms of our shapes and sizes, behaviour and feelings, fortunes and fates, and in our strengths and weaknesses.

"It is sad when people look down or discriminate against a group of people called 'special children'." 

TK went on to point out that "it seems as if some sectors of our society are just not ready to accept people like us, causing us to hide ourselves from the public eye.

"When I was in kindergarten, I was very lucky that the preschool believed in something called, 'Inclusive Education'.

"What this means is that it was a school which believed strongly in mixing 'normal children' with 'special kids'.

"In other words, thanks to my family, I was already introduced to kids like me - as well as to others who weren't - at the early age of six."

TK recalled that, at first, it was a somewhat scary, even awkward experience for him. However, his mother encouraged him on.

"Mum told me that each and every person is not only different - but unique," TK explained.

"We should accept and respect each and every individual as they are," Mum emphasised.

"Mum's main concern was to find the right kindergarten that would help me adjust, to prepare me for regular school."

And "adjust" was exactly what TK learnt to do.

He not only learnt how to get along and play with the other kids but also to care for others when they accidentally hurt themselves and cried.

"Not only did I have great fun in kindergarten, but I also learnt the precious lesson to never look down on anybody or treat him or her as a 'lesser person.'

"Whether we are disabled or not, each one of us has strengths and weaknesses."

After kindergarten, the first two years spent in primary school were fortunately pretty much the same for TK.

However, things suddenly changed when he was nine years old and in Standard Three.

His teacher, for some reason, didn't seem to like him and his disability. She not only labelled him  a 'chatterbox' but had no qualms about calling him unkind names in front of the whole class and other teachers.

She even went to the extent of telling TK's classmates to boycott him, warning anyone who befriended him that they would not be treated well by her.

"As a result, I was avoided, teased or bullied. It became too much for me to bear and I ended up being involved in fist fights with the other kids.

"Things only got worse. She never picked me to represent the school in competitions even though I was more than qualified to enter.

"Her constant victimisation of me only made me even more upset, lonely and depressed. How I wished I could go back to my wonderful kindergarten days when we, as special kids, were understood and accepted unconditionally!

"Once or twice, I even thought of suicide but I thank God for my family and friends who love and accept me for who I am.

"They always stand by me, no matter what. And I thank God for them because God is love and He is my protector at all times," concluded TK.

Note: The letter by TK raises some serious questions about how well-trained and aware so-called "special education teachers" in our schools are, whose job is to reach out to special kids, including children with AS.

(AS, also known as Asperger disorder (AD) or simply Asperger's, is sometimes referred to as a 'hidden disability'. It is not usually visible when you first meet someone with AS.

People with AS do not have a learning disability. Most people with the condition have gone through mainstream school. Some may even pursue higher education and find employment.)