Introduction

It has been four years since I had my first baby. Like many parents I have watched with delight as my son, let's call him "Twinkletoes," has grown. Along the way I have let my intuition be my guide because, after all, there is no handbook that comes with the birth certificate. I embraced his quirks and I encouraged him to develop his interests. But I had a hard time identifying his weaknesses and knowing what to do about it. I chalked up any developmental delays to the zig zag nature of human development. Now that precious baby is a preschooler and he has been identified as "Twice Exceptional" - he is autistic and he is gifted.

The last two years I have spent too much time wondering about ADHD, Sensory Integration, and Autism. Indeed, all the checklists that pop up look like characteristics of toddlers and preschoolers. It is only through the eyes of professionals that I have been able to reflect and see that the quirks Twinkletoes exhibited when he was very very small were manifestations of neurological differences. I am writing this blog to put a little meat behind the lists of "characteristics of Aspergers." I hope my readers are people who are interested in what Twice Exceptional looks like in early childhood. I hope I can help to calm their wondering and wandering minds. I hope to help readers to enjoy their child's (and their own) strengths and understand weaknesses.