Hi, new here, and need advice.....

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-29-2003
Hi, new here, and need advice.....
4
Thu, 06-02-2005 - 10:20pm

My DS age 9, has had "issues" since he was a baby. As a toddler, he was a brilliant boy, who cracked everyone up. My family called him a "40 yr old man" because of how articulate and literal he was when he talked.

When he started school, we started seeing that even though he was very bright, his fine motor skills and gross motor skills were impeding his learning. In 1st grade he was put on an IEP, because I was fortunate enough to have a Dr. Dx of SID for him. He would not of qualified based on academics.

He has come along way since then. He is in 3rd grade now, and he stopped seeing the OT and PT in December, because they felt he was at grade level. His IEP still stood for his fine motor skills.

Now, we are dealing with anxiety, he has always been a little worry-wart, but he is getting out of control with how he handles it. My husband and I decided that it was not something he will outgrow, it will only get worse as he gets older. So, I talked to his ped. about getting him councelling, and he referred an excellent child phsycologist.

In the meantime, while researching anxiety in children, someone sent me info on Asperger's.
I went to the Diagnostic Scale, and was blown away! That was MY CHILD on the computer screen in front of me. They could of developed the scale using my son as a model. I printed it out, and scheduled time with his teacher, I had her fill it out, and she couldn't believe it either. Her answers also showed he could be Asperger's. She then shared with me a conversation she had with a teacher in the school. This teacher has the autistic kids. She observes my son on the playgound regularly, and one day, went up to his teacher, pointed to Patrick and said "He's one of mine." She now makes it a point to interact with Patrick when she has a chance.

My question is this. Where do we go from here? My mind is racing in 50 million directions since learning all of this. I cannot believe that after 9 years, my child is NOT just rude. There could be a reason he is like he is.

Is Aspergers treated by a nueroligist? Phsycologist? Regular ped.? How do I bring this up to his ped.? I guess I just call him and tell him what info I came into to. At this point, I now want an official diagnosis, or I want AS ruled out.

How and when was your child diagnosed? Thanks for any info.

My name is Marie, BTW!

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-31-2003
Fri, 06-03-2005 - 4:13pm

Hi Marie-
Talk to your pediatrician and get a recommendation fromhis or her for a good developmental pediatrician. A dev. ped will be able to make a diagnosis, or tell you if something else could be causing the behaviors you are concerned about. In addition, the dev. ped. will be able to send you in the right direction for therapy, or at least give you some options.

In addition, if you get a diagnosis of AS, contract your scholl district to find out what sort of resources they can provide for your son. The problem with treating autism/AS is that it is not viewed as a medical condition by insurance companies- it is viewed as a developmental disorder, so many treatments are not covered by insurance. However, the school district should be able to provide you son with some assistance if you get a dx of AS.

Good luck and keep in touch. There is a lot of information and support here.

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-24-2004
Fri, 06-03-2005 - 6:01pm

Marie,

Hi. I am a psychologist and I have a son with PDD-NOS (similar to Aspergers). Kids with Aspergers are often not diagnosed until much older because they show such excellent language development and may impress adults with their intellectual capabilities. I am not at all surprised that your Ped did not notice the problems. Peds are not trained for this unless a parent gives them the right info, setting off red flags. Your concerns about anxiety are the first red flags you have given your Ped to go on.

As for anxiety treatment, you may find that there are sensory issues involved, and cognitive-behavioral treatments may help your son. You may also end up using some antidepressants to ease his anxiety, if you and his psych want to go that route. My son, Cassian, is 5.5 yrs, and we are just now trying SSRI (specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors) treatment on him with good results. SSRI's are the family of drugs that Prozac belongs to. If you have people with depression in your family or DH's or anyone with obsessive compulsive tendencies, it is a good bet that these medications will help your son. We are seeing much better social interaction and general functioning in our son since he has been on Lexapro (one of the SSRI's). We also use many other cognitive-behavioral treatments.

Good luck to you and your son. He sounds like a very smart kid, who will find his place in this world.

Suzi

Avatar for maresgood
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Fri, 06-03-2005 - 10:14pm
Hi, I am an R.N. who was unfamiliar w/Aspergers. My dd's 4th gr. teacher was the one that brought it up & after doing research, I too was like OMG that is my daughter! She had social issues, fine motor issues from the time she was in pre-school & we just thought that she was quirky & couldn't put a finger on it. I took my dd to her pediatrician after the recommendation of her teacher & also to 2 child psychologists specializing in Asperger's who interviewed her & gave her some tests. They all came up w/ the same diagnosis. I agree w/ the other ladies who said try the dev. peds but also find an Autism /Aspergers specialist & see what they come up with. My dd also has alot of anxiety & has trouble sleeping @ night. I let her have her de-stressing time after school where she goes in her room & listens to music or rides her bike & make sure she keeps her same routines & I give her sleepy-time tea @ night & a stress ball to squeeze etc. We shy away from drugs-but whatever works for you & your son. Good luck to you. Things do get better as they get older. My dd is now 12 & has come a long way since age 9. Take Care, Mary Ann
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-24-2005
Fri, 06-03-2005 - 11:00pm
The same thing happened with us last year. My son was just beginning 1st grade and was dx ADD/inattentive in kindy. I always felt there was something else going on and I came across an article describing Aspergers as it presents in the classroom on the OASIS website and was floored. We took him back to the neuropsych who had ran a battery of tests before. In their original report the doc said he couldn't rule out a PDD with Chase. They did some add'l testing(ADDOS test I think) and he has "mild" Aspergers. His abstract reasoning is relatively strong and he reads at a college level but is showing some possible deficits in math. His social skills are getting better but it's obvious that he needs help in that area.
I agree that most ped. just don't pick up on Aspergers because they spend so little time with the children. School is where it typically presents as a "problem." Chase does well in school but with a bunch of prodding and ques from teachers and classmates. He attends a private catholic school and will only go half day next year and I will supplement at home. Good luck and know that you have found a group of very supportive and knowledgeable women. Regards, Vicky