First day of 5th grade for Conner

Conner started 5th grade today. I am little sad because this is his last year in Elementary School. He is growing up too fast. I am excited for his new teacher, who is also a psychologist. I think he is going to have a good year at school.

Hurry and take the picture mom!! It's too sunny!!

Much better spot for a picture, it's not as sunny!!

Conner's teacher sent me this email today:

Hi Mrs. Hanson,

Just wanted to say thank you again for all of the information about Conner. I have worked with kids with Asperger's before, but really appreciated being able to "know" him before I started teaching him. He has had a good day so far and I think it's going to be a great year. Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is anything else I can do to help him have a successful year in fifth grade. 

What a great teacher!!! I love his school. Every year the teachers get together and look at the kids and pair them up with the kids that they get along with and the teacher that will best work with them. So not only Conner got a teacher that will understand him, he is also in the same classroom with kids that he will work well together. So all the fourth grade teachers got together, since they know their students well, and decided what was best for the students 5th grade year.They are very good at paying attention, Conner's fourth grade teacher knew kids in the other fourth grade classes that Conner liked to play with at recess, so she tooked that into consideration when making her decision. I wish I did not have to pay for a private school and that he could go to public school, but this is what is best for him.

This year I had a thought that I should make a list that might help his teachers understand him better. I don't know why I did not think of it before. His teacher was surprised and said no one had ever done that for her before and she was really thankful. I went online and found a few lists so I picked what I felt was more like Conner.

Most Common Symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome

1) Problems with social skills: Children with Asperger's syndrome generally have difficulty interacting with others and often are awkward in social situations. They generally do not make friends easily.  They generally do very well with other kids on the spectrum, however.


2) Eccentric or repetitive behaviors: Children with this condition may develop odd, repetitive movements, such as hand wringing or finger twisting. This is called stimming. Children do this to soothe themselves. Other common stims include spinning and jumping. Conner likes to watch certain movies over and over again.

3) Unusual preoccupations or rituals: A child with Asperger's syndrome may develop rituals that he or she refuses to alter, such as getting dressed in a specific order. When Conner has a thought or a question he often cannot move on until it is answered or heard. He will continue asking or making the point until it is addressed.


4) Communication difficulties: People with Asperger's syndrome may not make eye contact when speaking with someone. They may have trouble using facial expressions and gestures, and understanding body language. They also tend to have problems understanding language in context.


5) Limited range of interests: A child with Asperger's syndrome may develop an intense, almost obsessive, interest in a few areas, such as sports schedules, weather, or maps. Conner loves to watch Harry Potter and Star Wars over and over again.

6) Coordination problems: The movements of children with Asperger's syndrome may seem clumsy or awkward. Conner seems to have more than his share of mishaps, oftentimes because he is not paying full attention to what he's doing. He also has low muscle-tone, which is common with Asperger’s.


7) Sensory issues: many kids with Asperger's syndrome are either extra sensitive or less sensitive to sensory issues. For example, Conner doesn't like certain smells and has problems with food textures.  He only eats certain foods and for lunch he will only eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

8) Difficulty with regulating emotions: Conner is very sensitive and has a hard time using words to express himself. He has a Speech Therapist working with him.


9) Lack of empathy: children with Asperger's cannot empathize with other people.


10) Difficulties with transitions and rigidity: This is a biggie for Conner. If he has to stop doing what he wants to do or do it in a different way then he wants to, it can cause problems because he doesn’t deal with changes very well, he is too rigid.


11) Difficulty with imaginative play: children with Asperger's can be very literal and can have a difficult time with doing things like pretend play. This can be very difficult for the child with Asperger's with playing with other children. Form the time he was a toddler Conner had difficulty playing with blocks, cars etc., he just could not do it. He is getting a little better.


12) Skilled or talented: Many children with Asperger's syndrome are exceptionally talented or skilled in a particular area, such as music or math. Conner is very smart.

Conner is hypersensitive to smells and food.

There can also be problems with organizational and time management skills and explaining thoughts and ideas using speech.

The person with Asperger’s syndrome may perceive errors that are not apparent to others, giving considerable attention to detail, rather than noticing the ‘big picture’.

The person is usually renowned for being direct, speaking their mind and being honest and determined and having a strong sense of social justice.

The person may actively seek and enjoy solitude, be a loyal friend and have a distinct sense of humor. However, the person with Asperger’s Syndrome can have difficulty with the management and expression of emotions.

Children and adults with Asperger’s syndrome may have levels of anxiety, sadness or anger that indicate a secondary mood.

There may also be problems expressing the degree of love and affection expected by others.