Scared silly and yet so excited...
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| Sun, 07-01-2007 - 6:04pm |
I've been back lurking (and even made a post or two) after neglecting this board for awhile... I doubt too many remember me... I only poped in and out for awhile a few months ago. I suspect my son has Aspergers and that I have as well. We homeschool already by choice so there are no 'school issues' to worry about... so I wondered (and still do) if it even was worth finding out. But in the end I decided I wanted to know... and well... tomorrow is our 'big day'.
We have an eval set up at a developmental center to find out if he does 'officially' have Aspergers. I have *soooo* many concerns... Am I 'overreacting' and they are going to laugh me out of the place?... Are they going to be 'anti-homeschooling' and tell me any problems he has are my fault?... Am I going to regret having talked to my son about Aspergers beforehand or did I do the right thing?. (There I decided that *I* would have wanted to know as a child and that if he went in to this appointment not knowing why he would freak out.)
You get the idea... 1000+ questions and no idea how to deal with my feelings as I sit down to finish filling out his paperwork for tomorrow... too many questions even there!... I'm just sure that I'll over or understate something that I say there and mess up the whole eval. I guess part of it is that I'm dealing with tidbits of PPD/anxiety (very muted because of my medication, but still there) after the birth of #4 last month... but also because I *DO* think I have Aspergers too... I *never* know what to say and if I said things 'right'... now will I wind up messing up his eval because of something I did or didn't, do or don't say?? Just be thinking of me please!!
Kristy

I can sooooo understand how your feeling! I am sending prayers, white light and postive thoughts your way. I asked for them a few days back because I was so nervous for the same reason!
{{{Kristy}}}
Lainie
I don't know if I can make you feel better, but I'll try......
Am I 'overreacting' and they are going to laugh me out of the place?... You may well be overreacting, but if they laugh you out, I'm coming over there to beat them up.
Ok... the short answer is: It's official! He *does* have Aspergers! (So I'm not a crazy overreacting mommy!)
I'm still worn thin from the whole ordeal (I did take two toddlers and an infant with me to his all day appointment after staying up all night trying to answer the forms *just* right)... but I'll get back here after I get our day started some and let you know how it all went.
There was certainly some validity to my concerns... I got some typical flack over homeschooling which sounded a *whole* lot like "if you'd just send him to public school the sun would come out and he'd figure out the whole social game with no trouble" to a tired and frustrated mommy. But I held my own with them and I didn't let the 'blame game' get to me, cause I knew better! :)
(And I knew that wasn't *completely* what they meant to say... just how it sounded... I kept reminding myself they simply had little experience with homeschooling and the little we had talked wasn't going to explain it to them perfectly... they still thought he was kept in a little box and never *really* saw other children.)
Aaaany way... Talk to you all about it in more detail later!
Kristy
I know how relieved you are to finally have a dx. It can feel so validating after being made to feel like you have been overreacting to things. I remember how overwhelming all that paperwork can be too. I'm glad that the eval went well for you and that you had the guts to stand up for yourself and your son about your decision to home school. I think that parents know what is best for their children and that the "experts" need to respect that.
Amy~Natalie & Lily's mom
Well I am glad it is over for you and you can breathe easier. On the one hand for me it was nice knowing I wasn't crazy, on the other it was very traumatic to get the dx. I remember thinking I wish I was just a bit crazy or they would tell me I was crazy, I would wake up and it would all be better.
As for homeschooling, I know many people who homeschool there ASD/AS children because it is better for them! THey can't handle the social world of school and homeschooling is often a better choice (not always but it can be) so the comments or allusions that social challenges would be rectified by being in school is silly.
If our kids social issues were fixed as easily as exposing them to social opportunities, the diagnosis of AS wouldn't be in existance. Heck it is still hard with social skills groups, etc.
Renee
Kristy,
Wow! what a whirlwind few days!
Welcome "officially" to our world -although you were always welcome here anyway ;).
As Renee said, people react differently to thee DX when it officially comes. Some people are relieved and validated, some are stunned, despite expecting it. Every reaction is valid.
Please feel free to come here and talk as much as you need to while you make the adjustment.
-Paula
visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com