A wider spotlight for Asperger’s awareness

As someone with Asperger’s autism, I appreciate the awareness for those with special needs; their challenges and their gifts via reporting by the Daily Herald in “Burt Constable’s Suburban Stories” and “Suburban Standouts.”

My observation has been that those with more intellectual impairment in great need of services or those who exhibit a savant capability get a lot of press while someone less affected intellectually and less savant-like in ability is only a news story if they plan on going to college.

I think there is more work to be done about those of us who are considered intellectually “high-functioning,” have no “American Idol-esque” talent, but who are low functioning in other cognitive areas such as social and communicative skills and sensory integration.

I am a personal witness to the ignorance and apathy generated by lay people, health care professionals and police treating me sarcastically, apathetically; plain negative all around, because of the way “high-functioning” is both portrayed and misunderstood.

I would say right now my life highly depends upon further awareness.

Allison M. Kramer

Carpentersville