My daughter Maddie was diagnosed with Asperger's at age 3 (almost 4). She was non-verbal in the sense of communicating in sentences with others. She had an extensive vocabulary. Maddie loved books and memorizing them. There was no way for me to skip any pages during nightly bedtime reading with her because she had the books memorized. She also communicated through singing. She has always had an uncanny ability to sing on pitch ever since she was age one.
Tomorrow, May 30, 2014, she will graduate from high school. She has maintained a 4.0+ grade point average throughout her high school career. She took several AP classes as well and tested out of her IEP which is a huge accomplishment.
Maddie has never been given a chance to sing in front of her peers or teachers...no one gave her a chance. Finally, a week before she graduates, one teacher believed in her enough to let her perform at her Senior Farewell Rally. Her performance was amazing. Her peers and teachers cheered for her, and she couldn't believe the applause she received.
It was a life-changing experience for her. She has had so much confidence and felt great about herself these last six days. She said she finally felt visible instead of invisible and that she actually mattered.
She will be going to college in the fall to study music.
Sacramento, CA