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Married with Children AND with Asperger’s
CarolAnn Edscorn
He is finally trained! My husband of 32 years has
not completed a sentence but once this past year.
Like most neurotypical people, my husband,
Christopher, has a tendency to want to finish others’ sentences when there is a pause. That is not
helpful for me.
I received my diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome in 1994, shortly
after the birth of our fourth child.
This was a wonderful event for
me! (The diagnosis, I mean; although, the birth of my child was a
wonderful event too!) Finally there
was an explanation for lost jobs,
lost friends, and lost opportunities. My husband, who is a special
education teacher at the upper
elementary level, spied an article
taped to the classroom door of a
colleague about Temple Grandin.
He immediately recognized her
pattern of thought and behaviors
as similar to those of his wife. We
went to a local specialist. Then I
went to a regional expert. After the
birth of our fifth child, I spent two
years with a psychologist friend,
sorting out my past and healing
my wounded heart.
I never wanted to get married or have children,
and the fact that I have been married for 32 years
and have 5 children amazes me. My eldest son is
28. He experienced what is now termed regressive autism just before his first birthday. I spent
the next 18 months ignoring housework and
playing with him on the floor, invading his space.
He has since pursued an associate’s degree in his
special area of interest—cars. My daughter, at age
25, is much more typical in her behaviors. She is
very social, outgoing, and intelligent. Our third
child is 24 and has struggled with ADHD. Both
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Zoom Autism Through Many Lenses
CarolAnn and her husband of 32 years, Christopher