Michigan teens with Asperger's named National Merit semi-finalists

From the intro to a feature in the Courier Leader in Paw Paw, Mich.:

Two area high school students, both with Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism, have been named National Merit semi-finalists. Each scored in the Top 1 percent of high school students nationally on their preliminary SAT exams, qualifying them for the National Merit Scholarship Program.

Jacob Gritter-Dorr, 17, a junior at Lawrence High School, and Robert Brindley, 18, a senior at Gobles High School, were both recently notified of their academic success.

Gritter-Dorr's mother, Kathy Dorr, said her son was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome when he was in fourth grade.

"They told us right away it was Asperger's Syndrome," said Dorr. At the time, there were no programs in place for Asperger's Syndrome, according to Dorr.

Being mainstreamed to public school, in sixth grade, Gritter-Dorr was enrolled in seventh grade math.

Next year, Gritter-Dorr will take Internet online trigonometry and pre-calculus courses through the Michigan Virtual High School.

Dorr said her son plans to attend Kalamazoo Valley Community College, then transfer to a four-year smaller college, either Goshen College in Goshen, Ind., or Hope College in Holland.

Dorr said her son will pursue a career in the sciences or biology, although he "likes math a lot."

At home, Gritter-Dorr enjoys video games, reading and listening to music.

His mother said he was also involved last fall in the Barack Obama presidential campaign in Paw Paw, where he did data entry, while she made phone calls.

Dorr said there has been an increase in the number of people being identified with Asperger's Syndrome, with one out of 169 people have some type of autism spectrum disorder.

Dorr said that concerns her."There is a perception that they don't express themselves as other people do. Jacob is a very ethical person, concerned about people around him, even though he may not show it," she said.

Dorr said her son is probably among only a handful of other LHS students who have received such honors. A 1978 LHS graduate, Dorr scored in the Top 5 percent on her preliminary SAT exam.

Robert Brindley, a senior at Gobles High School, who turns 18 today, hasn't fully comprehended what a big deal it is to be a National Merit semi-finalist, however, "he's proud of it," said his mother, Beth.

Beth, a single parent, said her son has been accepted into Alma College, in Alma, Mich., on a full ride scholarship, including tuition and room and board. She said the college offers it to National Merit semi-finalists.

While there, he plans to pursue a mathematics degree. "On the way, seeing what he wants to use it for," said
Beth.

At Gobles, Robert is a member of the school's Quiz Bowl Team. His "pride and joy" are computer games, according to Beth.