Atlanta Observer
An Eleven Year Old Genius with Aspergers
Meet Jesse,
Jesse seems like a normal 11 year old girl to anyone who lays eyes on her, but there is something unique about her. Jesse has Asperger's Syndrome, which is a brain developmental disorder. Asperger's syndrome is one of the three main types of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). People with an ASD usually have a hard time communicating and a hard time focusing. They usually cannot easily hold a conversation and they sometimes lack facial expression. Jesse, on the other hand, just does not communicate, and she can focus really well, especially in math. Joanne and Tim (Jesse’s parents) say that from an early age they began noticing her lack of communication. They state, “We were worried. She was about to turn two and she had not even began showing signs of social skills, so we immediately took her to the doctor.” This is when they found out that their child has Asperger's. As she progressed in age, she still failed to communicate but acquired a love for math. Ever since then, Jessie has become a kid genius known around the world. She excels in math classes and has a very high IQ for her age. Jesse's home school teacher states, “Math makes her happy. She loves it and she never wants to stop doing it."
Meet Ryan,
Ryan has recently been diagnosed with Autism. He is beginning to learn his alphabet and numbers. Considering his condition, he is doing a very good job, and is improving greatly.
Meet Jenna,
Jenna is an eight year old normal girl. She has Asperger's, but it does not really affect her very greatly. The only problem she really has is with social interaction. Jenna is doing therapy and seems to be progressing.
Meet Shelton,
Shelton also experiences Asperger's. He has his everyday struggles but that does not stop him from his academic excellence.