Ask someone with Asperger's syndrome.

[J a c k]

Thank you so so so so much for this. He loves his space and I let him have it, but I do tell him how much I love him every time I check on him. Right now we live in a small studio, so when he needs to be alone, he closes the kitchen door and he sits on the floor under the table. I check up on him and remind him that I love him. It’s good to know I can keep doing that.
He didn’t used to be sweet, but after so much therapy, he has become very sweet with me. Just with me. He doesn’t seem to like a lot of people. He doesn’t socialize. He doesn’t play with other kids. Well, there’s one girl in school that he does feel comfortable with. He talks to her on the bus. She’s autistic and hard of hearing and they talk and also communicate with sign language. My son talks about her at home a lot. I wish his teachers could hear him talk. I’ll be patient Thank you for your feedback. This was so helpful. I always hear advice from teachers and therapists, but it’s good to hear it from someone who actually knows what it’s like by personal experience.

You're welcome. One other thing, please don't do a recording of him talking at home and then sending it to the teachers to listen to along with the whole class. My parents did just that, and it was embarrassing as hell for me. I didn't go mute for attention. I did it as a way to cope with the outside social world with which I had not yet been too familiar with. Teachers kept saying "So you DO talk! Why don't you ever talk here at school? Come on, talk to us? please?"

Oh my laaaaawrd!!!!! The teacher had just suggested this! I’m so glad you told me in time. Poor baby! One teacher heard him at the grocery store talking (very small town) and she went and told all the other teachers. They always bug him with that, “Cris, you do talk! Stop playing. Let’s see it. Talk to us.” And he just stares at the floor. They wanted videos of him saying the numbers and letter sounds. I definitely won’t do it. Thank you!