A is for... Aspergers, Appalachian Trail

A is for: Aspergers

It's now called "high functioning autism", they've removed  the term Aspergers from the DSM, but most people know it as Aspergers. The following conversation has happened more than handful of times: 

Me: He has autism.
Person: No! He doesn't LOOK like he has autism! 
Me: He has Aspergers.
Person: Oh yeah, I could see that. 

Aspergers is a form of autism! Not all autistic people are on the low-functioning end of the spectrum. It's called a spectrum for a reason.

What does "autistic" look like anyway?

According to WebMD, Aspergers symptoms include:

• Not pick up on social cues and may lack inborn social skills, such as being able to read others' body language, start or maintain a conversation, and take turns talking.
• Dislike any changes in routines.
• Appear to lack empathy. --- My note: I will tell you that they may APPEAR to lack empathy, but they often have it in spades. Other peoples' pain can be overwhelming for people on the spectrum.
• Be unable to recognize subtle differences in speech tone, pitch, and accent that alter the meaning of others' speech. So your child may not understand a joke or may take a sarcastic comment literally. And his or her speech may be flat and hard to understand because it lacks tone, pitch, and accent.
• Have a formal style of speaking that is advanced for his or her age. For example, the child may use the word "beckon" instead of "call" or the word "return" instead of "come back."
• Talk a lot, usually about a favorite subject. One-sided conversations are common. Internal thoughts are often verbalized.
• Avoid eye contact or stare at others.
• Have unusual facial expressions or postures.
• Be preoccupied with only one or few interests, which he or she may be very knowledgeable about. Many children with Asperger's syndrome are overly interested in parts of a whole or in unusual activities, such as designing houses, drawing highly detailed scenes, or studying astronomy. They may show an unusual interest in certain topics such as snakes, names of stars, or dinosaurs.
• Have delayed motor development. Your child may be late in learning to use a fork or spoon, ride a bike, or catch a ball. He or she may have an awkward walk. Handwriting is often poor.
• Have heightened sensitivity and become overstimulated by loud noises, lights, or strong tastes or textures. For more information about these symptoms, see sensory processing disorder.

Liam has many of these symptoms. His current obsession is Ancient Egypt and he says "canopic jar" and "sarcophagus" without skipping a beat. Eye contact is difficult. He often plays physically with his best friends - who are also very active children - because he knows the physical play rules. They're simple: Don't hit, don't push, don't trip, etc. Playing on a more social-emotional level is hard for him. 

I love him just as he is.

There is a lot more that I could say about Aspergers, but I wanted to keep this on the short side. So here's another "A" theme.

A is for: Appalachian Trail (AT) 

An AT sign in a NJ/NY section

The Appalachian Trail is a long-distance path - over 2,100 miles - that spans from Georgia up to Maine. The completion of the trail usually takes about 6 months - give or take. The white-blazed footpath travels through 14 different states:

1. Georgia
2. North Carolina
3. Tennessee
4. Virginia
5. West Virginia
6. Maryland
7. Pennsylvania
8. New Jersey
9. New York
10. Connecticut
11. Massachusetts
12. Vermont
13. New Hampshire

14. Maine

According to Applachian Trails, the elevation gain/loss of the Applachian Trail (throughout the entire path) is equivalent to hiking Mount Everest 16 times! That's one heck of an ascent in total!

There are two types of approaches when it comes to hiking the AT. You can either hike it in pieces (section hikers) or do it all in one shot (thru-hikers). As far I can tell, you must camp out at designated shelters along the way. People get "trail names" as they hike - usually bestowed upon you by fellow ATers. 

There are two approaches to backpacking as well: Regular backpacking and "ultra light". Ultra light is exactly as it sounds - packing as light as humanly possible. There is a lot of (sometimes expensive) gear on the market aimed for ultra light backpackers. We plan to backpack somewhere in between.

                                        Image from David Burville's AT Page  

Our dream is to hike the AT as a thru-hike. Yes, we are that crazy! It may be in 20 years - when Liam is grown up and when we have the financial means to leave our regular lives for 6 months - but it is our goal! Every hike, every mile brings us closer to being fit enough to do it one day. It may take two decades, but we will do it. John Muir's quote rings through my ears at least once a day: 

"The mountains are calling and I must go."