Eight-year-old with Asperger's aims high

Next time your child doesn't believe you when you tell him that his particular disability gives him special strengths as well as challenges, tell him this story: In November, an 8-year-old from Washington state became probably the youngest person ever to climb the 20,300-foot Island Peak in the Himalayas. Where does Aidan Gold get the kind of focus needed to scale such summits? The Asperger syndrome with which he was diagnosed at age 3 probably has something to do with it. According to the Associated Press article, "His parents say Aidan has an uncanny focus, and is undaunted by the effort and the monotony of climbing for hours at a stretch." He also applies that focus to his "passion" for origami, and designs his own intricate figures. You may not want your child to head off to climb Everest, but you can help him apply his own extraordinary focus to something that interests him. Check the Autism Spectrum section of the Harried Parent's Book Club for more tales of extraordinary children and adults.