Asperger Syndrome

Benjamin Nugent's book "American Nerd" might have had its genesis in grade school: "I was in fourth grade when I first observed that people who liked [Dungeons & Dragons]—people like me—tended to be the same ones who liked to play with...

Q: My sister was recently told her 4-year-old son has autism. What does this mean and what kind of future can he have? A: The short answer is: It depends. The autism label refers to a range of symptoms collectively called Autistic Spectrum Disorder. It...

An 88-year-old widow who complained of being trapped for years under the unwanted and expensive care of San Bernardino's largest for-profit guardianship firm has asked a court to appoint her step-grandson as her new caretaker. Helen Jones said she hopes a...

An 88-year-old Yucaipa widow won her independence from the Inland Empire's largest for-profit conservatorship firm Thursday when a San Bernardino County probate judge granted her request and appointed her step-grandson as her caretaker. Helen Jones, a...

On a trip to the art museum, my son, my husband and I stopped in the cafeteria for lunch. "I want chicken nuggets," my 11-year-old said. There were no nuggets on the menu, and I braced myself. "Sorry, kiddo, there are no chicken nuggets here." His...

Fathers always underestimate how mature their children are. In my case, it took a death in the family to show me how much my "babies" have grown. And for my 6-year-old son, Frankie, in particular, the loss of a beloved great aunt had a significant...

The claims are everywhere: on posters and T-shirts, on the Internet and in books, even sometimes headlining the national news. Thomas Jefferson's eccentricities were actually a form of autism. Albert Einstein's genius flourished despite a learning...

In 1973, after the death of reclusive, retired Chicago hospital janitor Henry Darger at 81, his landlord, the well-known photographer Nathan Lerner (1913-97), entered the cluttered third-floor room where Darger had lived since 1947 and made a mind-...

Q: My son just got a diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome. What does this mean for his future? How can I be the best parent possible under the circumstances? A: Before The Family Project answers the question, some background may be necessary for readers...

"Pacific" is a deceptively benign title. Opening Saturday at the Steppenwolf Garage Theatre, this dark and dramatic world premiere by Andrew Case depicts affluent Robert and Susan (James Krag and Rebecca Spence), a California couple whose tragic life is...

Q: My 7-year-old isn't very outgoing and doesn't seem to have many friends. How can I help him be more popular? A: This is one of those questions that proves a lot more complex than it seems, say The Family Project 's experts. But the first thing to...

Life in Southern California, more than most places, means flirting with disaster. If it's not a wildfire, it's a mudslide. If it's not a mudslide, it's an earthquake. If it's not an earthquake, it's the Oscars. Living by the ocean mitigates all the...