(DELAINE) OPEN (ON CAM) NEW AT 10.. THERE'S A MENTAL DISORDER THAT COULD BE AFFECTING YOUR CHILD - AND YOU MAY NOT EVEN KNOW IT. MANY WHO HAVE IT -- ARE OUTCASTS IN SCHOOL AND TARGETS FOR INTENSE BULLYING. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ASPERGER'S SYNDROME -- AND ONE SAN ANTONIO FAMILY SHOWS US HOW THEY'VE TURNED THE DISORDER -- INTO A POSITIVE ASSET FOR THEIR FAMILY. (PKG) (PKG SOT FULL) THESE ARE THE ALLEN'S. JENNIFER, HERB, CHARLIE AND SAM. PRETTY TYPICAL FAMILY. THERE'S JUST ONE ASPECT THAT MAKES THEM A BIT UNIQUE...THAT WOULD BE SAM. (SOT) Sam: "Well, I came up with a revolutionary idea last week..." Delaine: "Oh, yeah? tell me about it." Sam: "To start the Hover Car Era. I call them hover orbs." SAM HAS ASPERGER'S SYNDROME...HIS MOTHER SAYS HE'S VERY BRIGHT -- BUT SOCIALLY HANDICAPPED. THAT WAS THE FIRST RED FLAG SHE NOTICED ABOUT HIM WHEN HE WAS VERY YOUNG. (SOT) Jennifer/Sam's Mom "He did not mesh with the other children or the other children maybe you could say rejected him." JENNIFER REMEMBERS THE DAY SHE KNEW IT WAS TIME TO GET HELP. SAM -- WAS OUTSIDE PLAYING WITH SOME NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS WHEN HIS BROTHER SCREAMED FOR HELP. (SOT) Jennifer/Sam's Mom "I went running outside and it just broke my heart, but Sam was standing there being pelted by rocks and just standing there allowing the other children to just throw rocks at him." (SOT) Doctor: "These are children that may know that they're different and may not understand why they're different." ASPERGER'S SYNDROME IS OFTEN DESCRIBED AS FUNCTIONING AUTISM. PEOPLE WITH ASPERGER'S CAN GO TO SCHOOL, THEY CAN WORK, LIVE ON THEIR OWN -- BUT THEY HAVE A VERY DIFFICULT TIME INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE, (kill this track: AND MIGHT BE A LITTLE PHYSICALLY AWKWARD, OR CLUMSY.) ONE OF THE FIRST INDICATORS... A CHILD USING ADVANCED LANGUAGE: (SOT) Doctor "In fact, some people call it, um, the little professor's language." (smiles) AND NOT EVERYONE FINDS THE DISORDER TO BE, WELL, A DISORDER AT ALL. (SOT) Doctor "There are many, many, many adults with Asperger who feel their Asperger is a gift." IT'S THOUGHT ALBERT EINSTEIN, ISAAC NEWTON, MOZART..GEORGE WASHINGTON...ALL HAD SIGNS OF ASPERGERS. EACH ONE...CONSIDERED A GENIUS IN THEIR OWN -- VERY SPECIFIC -- AREA OF INTEREST. (natpop) Sam "I'm doing virtual knee surgery..." (vo: sam doing knee surgery) FOR SAM, HE'S LASER FOCUSED ON TECHNOLOGY AND ELECTRONICS. HIS CURRENT PROJECT... NOTHING LESS THAN A LITTLE VIRTUAL KNEE SURGERY. (SOT) Jennifer/Sam's Mom "A richness has been brought to all of us. I feel like I'm a much better person, and a much better christian, because of Sam." (DELAINE) ON CAM JENNIFER SAYS GETTING A DIAGNOSIS MEANS GETTING A WHOLE NEW LEVEL OF SUPPORT FROM YOUR CHILD'S SCHOOL AND THE COMMUNITY. AND NO MATTER WHAT OUTSIDE PRESSURE YOU GET... ALWAYS CHOOSE YOUR CHILD. SHE SAYS IT PAYS TO STICK TOGETHER. (SUPER) YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ASPERGERS AT WOAI.COM.

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