New here....here's my story....
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| Fri, 01-06-2006 - 7:07pm |
I've been lurking on this board for several weeks now and thought I'd finally post. My name is Michelle, 32, and have two kids, ds Dakota, age 6; and dd Sierra, age 3. I apologize if this gets long.
We've been having problems with my son since starting school when he was 3 years old. At least, this was the time it was noticed since I really didn't have him evaulated before hand. As an infant, he was a very content, happy go lucky baby. He was more interested on staring on what was going on around him. When he reached for objects, he kept his fingers straight and often didn't grasp anything. He did once and awhile but most of the time he played he didn't. He didn't crawl until 10 months and didn't walk until 18 months. He was always content in one place and enjoyed watching lights and movement.
As a toddler, he became obsessed with light switches, which he would have spent hours if we'd let him turning them on and off. Also, he was fasinated with opening and closing doors. He was very interested in car wheels and his most beloved this and still is is his two containers of Hot Wheels and his simple long car track. He doesn't play as much as he used to but he still does. He sit at high level to watch the wheels turn as they went to the track. We really didn't have any behavior issues until he started school. The only thing the ped doc was concerned over was his speech since he didn't speak at the level he should. He asked if I was interested in speech therapy at the time and, I wasn't.
Then came preschool and at his screening he kept getting out of his seat during their screening. Kept pointing and talking about the huge fan that was in the room. That was another obsession...fans! Anything that turns really. The teachers told me this wasn't normal with the things he was doing and was placed in a special education class, which he is still in today.
Soon after school started is when the major behaviorial issues started and continues today. I can't remember too much of preschool but I know there was problems. He was the only one in his class that remained in special education when he started Kindergarden. The rest actually was placed in a regular classroom. He wouldn't take a nap at school. This caused a lot of problems. He hit the teacher.
Now: He is first grade and has an IEP and is in a special education class since they feel he needs more one on one attention. He is very intelligent and does quite well in school academically if they'd be able to keep his attention on the subject. Math so far is his best subject and can retain his attention for up to 50 minutes. Reading is another matter. The problem is is just as good but it's like pulling teeth to keep his attention on it. The teacher stated that once they can get him to concentrate on his work he gets it done in 5 minutes and it would be all right. They know he can do but he just won't. They do a sentence on the board that needs some grammer correction and they always have to write it down on a piece of paper for Dakota since it seems to be too much having to look up at the board and do the work. At the beginning of school they had his desk next to the paper sharpener and, he couldn't keep his hands off of it. He had to keep turning the darn thing. They ended up having to move him from it and during free time he would play with the pencil sharper. Ugh! Another problem is his handwriting. It's BAD.
He has a problem in line at school. He often ends up in a shoving or hitting ordeal with another student. Often it starts innocently due to Dakota touching. He doesn't understand personal boundries. You can explain it to him but you might as well tell it to a door.
Last year in Kindergarden he had problems hitting the teachers and classmates, which is no different this year. He'd also would throw himself to the ground and throw a tantrum. This year he has gone to throwing chairs around or making a major mess of the room. I talk to him about it but like before I might as well talk to a door.
He also has difficulties riding the bus and listening to instructions to the bus driver. He takes off his seatbelt and won't keep his hands to himself. He as already been suspended from the bus for 2 days. We do our best to explain the rules of the bus.
He has been seeing a counsler since August 2005. His counsler toyed with the idea of ADD. My sister caught wind of the diagnosis and was a little upset. She is a teacher and had many children with AD/HD and strongly felt Dakota really didn't have it. She said she knew of a kid with Asperger's and strongly asked that I'd look into it before settling on an ADD diagnosis.
So I told his counsler and the counsler and I met with the teacher. He mentioned to her the ADD diagnosis but was looking into another possibility. Dakota's teacher out of the blu said that some of Dakota's mannerism/behavior was a lot like Asperger's. She had a student a year back that had it and, Dakota acted a lot like her. That took be by surprise.
I had later taken Dakota to a child psychtrist and basically the appt was a disaster. He stated that he wouldn't diagnosis him due to the fact he was only six years old. He was concerned about my son's weight. (he had gained 20 lbs in one year due to having his tonsils out) He was concerned that Dakota resisted the physical activity he made him do. He stated that Dakota was impulsive and immature due to the fact he drew a tree like a 4 year old and that his handwriting was terrible. Dakota HATES anything to do with a pencil or pen and if someone he doesn't know what him to do something with a pen he'll do even sloppier. So do to the fact he couldn't draw a stupid TREE he was immature and impulsive. The doc also stated that since I drove all the way there (a hour and half) that I must be interested in meds and actually prescribed him something. I never filled it based on the fact he only prescribed it was JUST BECAUSE he drove all that way. I'm sorry but I'm not giving my kid medication just because I drove all that way to see him. He wasn't even intersted in diagnosing him. He said there was no way that Dakota could have ASperger's since Dakota was able to communicate normally to him. I'm sorry but often Dakota can talk to an adult fine but can't too his peers. He often plays parallel. His teacher says that he often plays alone but if a student happens to be playing the same thing as Dakota they sort of play with each other. We will hopefully be seeing a differnet child psychitrist soon.
Other things about Dakota: He loves anything with a motor, trains, and computer/playstation games. He is obsessed on watching Cartoon Network. He has one heck of a memory. He remembers everything! He is very sensitive to loud noises. We went to see a movie and was scared due to the loud noise.
I guess this did get long. Well thanks for reading for who ever did.
Michelle


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Hi, Michelle,
I haven't read the other responses yet, so forgive me if I say something that everyone else has said. First of all, from what you wrote, it does sound a lot like Asperger's to me...speaking only as a mom who's 8 year old son is dx with AS.
I am so glad you are dumping that quack of a child psychiatrist. I'm horrified that he prescribed something without making sure that you had a good understanding of why he was doing it, what it was, what potential side effects were. OMG! When we took my son to a developmental pediatrician, we had four appointments (2 with parents, 2 with DS), and filled out a huge questionnaire, and told her everything we could think of. After all that, she did think that medication was in order because of some serious mood disorder issues, but she first told us to read about the ones she was considering in "Straight Talk About Psychiatric Medications for Kids" and then to tell her what we thought. I'm curious as to what medication your doctor prescribed? Do you remember? When doctors are too lazy to do a *thorough* evaluation and family history, the wrong medication can cause huge problems. In particular, if the child has a form of bipolar, and they are given certain meds intended to treat ADD, without a mood stabilizer, it can trigger a manic reaction, which can have serious consequences.
Oh, and my son who has Asperger's can communicate normally with his developmental ped. With AS, the communication problems can be very subtle. Like, with our son, he totally dominated the conversation and there was very little give and take. We saw that as obnoxious and controlling, but not as a language problem. I really hope you get someone who has experience with Asperger's this time.
So, welcome to the board...and I highly recommend that you read "Straight Talk About Psychiatric Medication for Kids" by Timothy Wilens, M.D., if anyone wants to prescribe anything. It's exactly what the title says it is.
Evelyn, mom of David (8, AS, BP-NOS) and Nathan (4, ??)
I apologize, but I am responding to your post without reading everyone else's response first, I just couldn't help it.
Two questions:
1. Why do they have Dakota in a special education class? I don't see why he shouldn't be in a regular classroom setting with a full-time aide. You said he's very intelligent and does well academically, but needs help keeping focused - unless there's something else going on, it seems he should be able to function in a regular classroom setting. It is the school's responsibility to educate your child in a least restrictive setting, and by being in a special education classroom, he may not be getting the opportunity to socialize with NT children, which is SO important for kids with Asperger's... which leads me to the second question...
2. Who is this doctor that there is no way Dakota could have Asperger's since "Dakota could communicate normally with him"? This guy has obviously never even read his DSM-IV manual, which clearly states that "there is no clinically significant delay in language". It is SO typical of a child with Asperger's to communicate wonderfully with adults, but not with peers.
I'm not a doctor (but I play one on TV - sorry, had to add some humor in there), but it sure SOUNDS like Dakota has Asperger's (ADD is often present with Asperger's).
Now I'll go back and read some of the other responses to your post.
Hugs, and welcome to the board!
Laurie (mom to Alex, age 8, Asperger's, who communicates beautifully with adults, has always had an obsessive fascination with anything to do with cars, LOVED watching ceiling fans as an infant, has horrible handwriting, throws fits whenever something isn't "right"...).
Laurie
Okay, I just read the other posts, and as I suspected, everyone else had the same thought about the doctor you saw! Hmmmm...
If you're into reading books (as I have been lately!), in addition to the one mentioned about medication, I would like to recommend, "Quirky Kids" and the O.A.S.I.S. Guide to Asperger's. I find these books to be very helpful!
Again, welcome!
Laurie
Laurie
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