blessed 2 (two); culture

today, my son was reassessed. and, according to the consultant community paediatrician, he displays a good deal of the symptoms first described by one dr. asperger. well, y'know... yeah.

given today's findings, a further meeting will now be coordinated with the primary school that he is starting in september to discuss rudy's individual differences; a gameplan that takes into account what he will need for educational and pastoral support in this new phase of his education. at present, it is acceptable that all rudy wants to do is watch, construct and take dismantle robots. shortly it won't be, so the transition is to be made as smooth as possible. for this measured approach i am extremely grateful. and also for this... no formal diagnosis. and the reason for this, despite this long list of typically aspergic behaviours, is because, and again i quote, it is not in his best interest at present to do so. he's four.

i have been made very aware that this may not always be the case.

the paediatrician proclaimed that, unless his keyworker (also present) is significantly downplaying rudy's apparent differences, he is quite a different child at nursery than he is at home. i don't think that this is the case; i just think that there are different stimulii, and that rudy is by nature an easy child that does not attract attention of the sort to cause problems. it was conceded by the nursery staff that he behaves in obsessive and repetitive ways, and often plays by himself. it was noted by the doctor that he is, and once again i quote, exceptional ... precocious in his ability to engage with adults. his occasional verbosity was noted. the doctor, asking me a number of questions about myself, our family set up and my background, wondered aloud whether rudy's aspergergic tendencies may be - broadly speaking- attributed to his environment. he seemed intrigued.

this reminded me of this post, in which i blogged about the napoleon dynamite phenomenon, specifically this, in which a "real napoleon" responded to bewildered rumination of the character's cult status:

"the "cool" kids label the "geeks", but tell me again, who calls it a disorder? if you had [victimised me] i would have become abnormal....I suggest you... meet the family... and learn about ancestors and traditions before you go calling comeone's behaviour an illness; because one day the asperger's geeks will be labelling your lifestyle a disorder".

i have no anger from this meeting. some people already have reacted to the outcome of today's meeting with enraged confusion (the whole gamut, from "but there's nothing wrong with him!" to "why not just get on with it and diagnose him?", *big sigh*). i am pleased with the way that my son is being handled by the medical and educational bodies that he is encountering. i am proud of him, and also the way that they are working together to ensure his best interests. i have no problem with my son, or indeed my daughter, or indeed myself, being identified as "different".

but i am still processing the doctor's implications in regards to environment; more of this anon.