I dont have a child with aspergers syndrome but a friend of mine does..he is handsome, remarkable, intelligent child.. As an outside observer there are times when I want to scream..I hear her talking on the phone about her kids..my daughter is perfect..always happy always perfect..but my son is very difficult...it kills me because I know this ..he is getting straight a's in a mainstream class..heis respectful and wonderful...I try to tell his mother not to blame everything on his medical condition..every time he gets upset and has a fit..she blames his aspergers..like "normal" 5 year old always walk around with smiles on their faces.. MY ADVICE TO YOU..watch your child..always love him and encourage him..and keep him on a good routine..lunch at the same time..if he/she has comfort foods and will not eat anything else...just give in..dont force it..bedtime routines are important to help him sleep...and find a good pediatrician that has experience with his condition...AND ABOVE ALL..REMEMBER EVEN "NORMAL" KIDS HAVE ISSUES...PLEASE DO NOT BLAME EVERYTHING ON HIS/HER AUTISM....kids have fits..kids have attention spans of 5 seconds sometimes..do your best to treat him just like you would if he was "normal"...btw I hate that word normal..who the hell is normal anyway??

I don't have a child with autism but I diagnose and set up programs for kids with autism for a living. My best advice is to connect to a parent support group if there is one in your area. I have set one up in East Texas and it is wonderful. The parents share so much information. Pick your battles. Let him be unique but try to find replacement behaviors (other behaviors that are more socially acceptable but that address the same needs) for less socially acceptable behaviors. You can read my articles at http://dobanautismpage.blogspot.com/ I would also recommend books written by Temple Grandin (she has high functioning autism) and any conferences she is at. She gives a wonderful look into the mind of a person with autism.