#STELLA ITHINK HOW TO#

When he was three or so, when he was at my mother-in-lawвЂ™s houseвЂ“my mother-in-law who is ChineseвЂ“she was teaching him Chinese characters. But I think in our case we were really lucky with Scott because he had such abilities from a very early age. That feeling of being different and the fear that your child will never find his place.Д«ut I think the early yearsвЂ“the struggles were basically the day-to-day stuff, like bathroom, eating, sleeping, behaviors. He would hide in the basement for two hours. We would go to a relativeвЂ™s house and he would be so scared.

#STELLA ITHINK HOW TO#

I think in the beginning it was really difficult because of just the shock of getting the diagnosis and not knowing how to handle certain behaviors, like going to birthday parties where he was terrified. Can you talk about how your perspective over the years changed and how you came from difficulty to real pride in your son? And your perspective now is so different. He really is a remarkable young man.Дania: You said those beginning years were so, so hard for you. So that turned out to be music, martial arts and sports. From early on, I realized that my job is really to expose him to as many things as possible so that he could find things that heвЂ™s interested in. So heвЂ™s very interested in a lot of things, and I feel really lucky that heвЂ™s always been open to different things. Scott is also very politically engaged and is extremely well read! HeвЂ™s so good at trivia heвЂ™s on the trivia team through AANE as well, which he really enjoys. He likes to play golf, and Scott has a third degree black belt in TaeKwonDo. The fluteвЂ“thanks to the AANE program with the Berkeley student teachers. He plays keyboard, ukulele, guitar, and flute. HeвЂ™s doing well in his job, and also heвЂ™s involved with a singing group. Stella: ScottвЂ™s into his fourth year as a management analyst at MRC and works primarily with data. In the beginning, it was really, really, really rough.Дania: Can you just tell us how ScottвЂ™s doing now? What is he doing? Then the support groups really helped because I didnвЂ™t feel so alone knowing other parents share the same concerns and fears. I think finding AANE was a lifesaverвЂ“finding an organization that understood the diagnosis. So few people understood and knew about it, but I sure was scared and really desperate in a way. Stella: Well, as you know, those are the early days of AspergerвЂ™s. Because those early years were really rough.Дania: When you first got the diagnosis, can you just talk a little bit about what that was like and why you found AANE? I want us to say how grateful I am having the resource and the community I found in AANE from the very beginning. Stella: I recall joining AANE way back, I think in 1997 or 98 shortly after Scott was diagnosed by Dr. Because you have such a long-term perspective, I want to hear some of your thoughts. Executive Director Dania Jekel talked with parent Stella Chin about her journey with her son and what she has learned along the way.Дania: I just want to say how nice it is for you to have known you for so many years and for you to have been part of the community - the whole family. Over the past 25 years that AANE has been working with the autism community, we have had the privilege of staying connected to families as their young children grow to adulthood.

Stella ithink