Stress/no stress

Today rocked.
It truly did.
My Aspie had an appointment with his beloved paediatrician who not only gives him great support and reassurance but today he saw Aspie teen's new anxiety manifestations in constantly clicking his fingers.
I know it's anxiety-driven but I can't figure out if it should be labelled a Tourette's tic or a stim...or even an OCD behaviour as he's sort of able to stop (sometimes) but he's got this overwhelming urge to keep going.
Anyways, the paed saw it and saw that verbal reassurance, coupled with hugs, back rubs and cuddles didn't cut the mustard, either.
It's interesting to note that while Aspie teen denied that he felt any anxiety or worry at the increasing noise of new patients in the waiting room his clicking increased when we walked out there.
I don't know if he's actually able to identify feelings of anxiety or stress as he's lived with them as a constant for so long it's like background noise.
We talked, oh so briefly as he was getting prickly, about stress on the way home and I tried to explain that many people don't realise they're stressed out or anxious until these behaviours appear.
At least I've sown the seed for him to think about and we might be able to discuss it further another day, soon.

The coming of the Aspergians

While we know we have a clever child we have never told him as such.
Yes, it sounds odd but it's not, really.
He knows he has Asperger's, he knows all about the Autism Spectrum, Tourette's, ADHD, OCD, etc, but he doesn't know he is what some call 'gifted'.
Because we have never used that word.
We have always encouraged him in his interests - mummifying the fish at age 9 (which I just found again in the cupboard the other week), completing several archaeological digs on the backyard, building mudbrick pyramid tombs for the deceased chooks (as you do), completing 5 university subjects so far, etc - but we've never referred to him as 'gifted' or 'a genius', he just is.
He knows he can prattle off the names off the geological ages of the Earth, explain what the climate is like on each planet in our solar system, describe the process by which iron ore is formed within the earth and extracted by man but he still takes awhile deciphering analogue time, tying laces is a slow process and his handwriting (like most Aspies) is akin to chicken scratchings.
Some people assume that because he's 'so clever' that everything comes easily to him - it doesn't.
Nor is he a novelty, a nine-day wonder or a freak act in the sideshow of the circus as some people tend to parade their 'gifted' kids.
He is Aspergian, he's an Aspie with ADHD, Tourette's and OCD (don't ever bump his things out of line!!!!!!) and he's my beautifully wired pumpkin-pie who subscribes to the Big Bang theory (and tv show) and thinks most people are bizarre little freakazoids.
No, the Martians won't be taking over; it'll be the Aspergians.
Be afraid, bizarre little freakazoids...be very afraid!