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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday February 15, 2008 - 27 The challenge of Asperger's Syndrome By Marlo Mayers GRADE 11, T. A. BLAKELOCK H ave you ever had a person who just stuck in your head because of their amazing personality? Who liked you for who you are, not who they want you to be, despite the so-called `wiring of your brain'? I had one of those people outside of my family who accepted everything about me, the eccentricity, the crazy thoughts in my head, and something the rest of the school couldn't ever do -- she accepted the Asperger's. Asperger's Syndrome (AS) was first noted by Hans Asperger, who called the children affected by the syndrome `little professors.' The disorder is mostly known for an impairment in social situations. Those affected must learn social skills, whereas many of those skills come naturally to other children. They also exhibit stereotyped, repetitive behaviour. They pick a specific and narrow field of interest and fixate on it, such as trains, or dinosaurs. They can also have trouble with fine motor skills, perception, dealing properly with change, and keeping their emotions in check. Now, with all that plaguing the surface of a personality, as if you are some sort of psychological leper, people can and will ring bells in your face and exile you from society. Believe me, I was as good as banished since the third grade, and even more so after my AS diagnosis. Everybody regarded me as different, until one bright beacon of hope came from an unexpected source ­ Ms. DaSilva. Oh boy, a new teacher. I had been in French Immersion at the time, at a Catholic school not terribly far from where I live. In the program, I had one teacher in the morning then a different one for the afternoon. I knew my morning seventh grade teacher, as I had often seen her around the school, and my sixth grade teacher had introduced us to her class the year before. Meeting new people is the bane of my existence. As soon as she greeted me on the first afternoon in her class, it struck me that she might be different. She was young and looked like Marcia from A Very Brady Christmas. Her voice was firm, yet somehow comforting, compared to the rest of my teachers who could have whispered to me all day and I would still be shaking in my boots. Over the next few weeks, Ms. DaSilva proved that she could do things that my morning teacher and no other teacher I'd had in that school could do. She could engage me in a subject, get me to do my work, help me comprehend math (it was the first time I ever got over a 70 per cent average in math). Most importantly she was a friend to a kid who desperately needed one. I even had the recess coverage schedule memorized, so I stood around and we chatted about things as she cheerily handed out hall passes. When I stood with the only real friend I had at the school since the sixth grade, all the bad moments at that school, simply vanished. I get that same feeling around my friends these days; I can honestly forget all my troubles. My parents had asked during the summer if I had wanted to change schools, get a fresh start somewhere else. I declined, telling my concerned father that I would be able to handle it. I was able to handle it, alright, but not by myself. I got a hand from a dear friend. I hope someday, somewhere, I'll get another teacher whom I can befriend, and who can help me through all my problems, just a little. Upper Oakville Shopping Centre Oakville's Original Lifestyle Shopping Centre WIN THIS FRAMED HAND-PAINTED GORDIE HOWE JERSEY AUTOGRAPHED BY MR. HOCKEY HIMSELF Tickets are $10 each, available at The Niblick Pub. The draw will be held on Feb. 29th, 2008. All proceeds will be donated to charity. Shopping · Health & Lifestyle · Dining