The year was 1998 and I just started 4th grade. I was in a meeting with a group of people. Unknown to me at the time it was a school examination. My father was there, and some of the staff from the elementary school I attended. We sat at a round table and the mediator of this meeting was a psychiatric therapist named Dr. O.
I answered some questions and was excused to go to the corner to play my Gameboy. I wasn’t paying attention to what they were saying. I was too immersed in my game. Eventually I was called back into the group. I paused my game and returned to the table. Everyone was looking at me. I was oblivious to what was going on at the time.
Dr. O looked me in the eye and said, “You have Asperger’s Syndrome.” I had no idea what she meant at that time. Now, I realize, it was the signal that my life was soon to become more challenging.