A message to those without hope

Post Reply New Topic

I send this message to those without hope. To those who believe that they will never succeed in the world because they have Aspergers or something similar. This message goes to those parents in despair because their children have recieved an ASD diagnosis. To their children, who are discouraged by the onslaught of pessimism they endure on a daily basis from their parents, teachers, and peers. This message is for all who have lost hope, and its purpose is to rekindle that hope.

Thirteen years ago, after a particularly rough kindergarten year, my parents recieved the news that I had been diagnosed with Aspergers. It was not a pleasant day. Lack of understanding of this disorder, coupled with the pessimistic recommendations of psychologists, school officials, and neighbors, all contributed to a negative stigma that my parents and I lived with for the majority of my school life. Teachers said I was unteachable. Many tried their best to have me expelled. Far from giving me the assistance I needed to function properly, the system fought my parents every step of the way.

Luckily for me, my parents happen to be two of the most stubborn and obstinate S.O.B.'s that I have ever met in my life. They didn't back down. They learned as much as they could about everything: my disability, my rights, what the school could and couldn't do to me. They got together with parents in similar situations to discuss advocacy. They learned more about advocacy in those thirteen years then most lawyers learn in their career - and they used that knowledge to our mutual advantage. They exploited every loophole, navigated the complex school policy like a taxi driver through New York City, and entrenched themselves so firmly into the ground during their conflict with the school system that they probably would've impressed a WWI veteran. Believe me, it wasn't easy. There were some people in the system who didn't want me to succeed, and they were willing to twist school policies as much as my parents to further this cause.

The conflict lasted nine years, throughout my entire primary school career. Finally, at the start of my freshman year of high school, we transferred to Arlington High, on the outskirts of Memphis. The school was only in its second year of operation, and the staff was considerably more open-minded because of this. For the first time in my life, my teachers were willing to accept me for who I was. And soon it wasn't just the teachers. Through the help that my parents had won for me, coupled with the discovery of a new talent on the stage in my school's theatre department, I finally broke through the shell that had confined me for so long. When I entered high school, I was an anti-social child with a pessimistic outlook on life, brought about by years of conflict. Now, as I prepare to leave, having graduated with Arlington High's Class of 2009, I am a happy, sociable young adult with even a slight semblance of popularity. I'm well known, liked by many, with several friends and even a girlfriend.

I made it this far because my parents and I refused to give up hope. Now, the baton passes to you. Don't be intimidated by those who would say "You'll never make it." You can, and you will. Be stubborn. Tell those sons of b*****s that you are worth something. Never give up hope. The future - our future - rests with you.

Roxas_XIII
Class of 2009 AHS

Hear, hear!