Well it is officially Asperger's/

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Registered: 04-07-2003
Well it is officially Asperger's/
6
Thu, 07-20-2006 - 9:36pm

I will probably post in another day or so once i gather together my thoughts.
But right now I kind of need to just spill out my feelings.

But My 11 1/2 year old son was just diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome last week. This was not do with a half hour visit.
In some ways it lets me know I wasn't crazy from when I sense at age 2, maybe even younger
that Josh marched to the tune of his own drummer. That child who when he had his mind set on what he wanted nothing else mattered. The child who can pass a test but yet won't read it just so he can be first despite no reward for doing so. My stubborn. F** you to the world kid.

We saw a child neuropsychologist. He put just through a battery of test for approximately 8 hours broken up over 3 days. This was not including the questionnaires that Josh's teacher and myself filled out. I will probably put all of this info on my post.

I feel that Josh is an outgoing kid for the most part. And like i guess from the many of the other postings here is also not unusual for and Aspe kid in that aspect. He does have a major issue with his social skills such as not realizing when to change the subject or not giving someone else a chance to talk. Immaturity etc. But he does seem to like to try and joke around but yet will not realize when someone is just
kidding around versus truly being teased. Because of this he tends to be a loner at times. But he truly wants to please. But yet will get repetitive. He also doesn't always realize when he is getting the brush off and will sometimes "haunt' people does that make sense. He does seem to aim more for the adults when trying to plan things. He also when has something on his mind he has to say regardless of its validity to the subject at hand he will say it. And is very hard to deter. It is like he will give me that F*** you look and do what he wants anyway. I try to treat Him normally like my younger kids but it is getting harder to constantly tell him to wipe his mouth after he eats or wash his hands after the bathroom.
I try to give him chores and most of the time he will do them other times he will be resistive.

I just don't know any more. He will be in an inclusion class finally next year when he goes into 6th grade. But our middle school has open classrooms (no walls). Not good for him but no choices right now. He will be in a social skills group which is a carry over from last year. And OT another carry over. I had always kept him on the school's radar. He had an ADHD label or rather other LD. And up until this [past year. Had never been considered special ed enough to be in the inclusion class. But not regular student to be placed in it that way. But now finally I had one teacher agree with me. So now they listened.

I have always tried to treat him like the rest of my kids. I may have been even harder on him. I am not sure if I need to change my methods. But so far it kind of helps. But I guess right now i just need to learn more.
Sorry for blabbering. I guess I need this forum to put my thoughts together and to just rattle on.
I hope you survived this. I will hopefully post again .But with more information and better clarity.
Rina
Josh age 11 1/2 new aspie
Ethan age 7 the charmer
Jeremy age 5 the trip

Avatar for insideout418
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Thu, 07-20-2006 - 10:13pm

(((Rina)))


I totally understand what you are going through.

Follow me
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-11-2003
Fri, 07-21-2006 - 12:01pm

Welcome. I hope you stick around. I have an 11yr old Aspie boy too.

Samantha

Samantha
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2003
Fri, 07-21-2006 - 2:28pm

(((((((((((Rina))))))))),


Thanks for posting and welcome aboard "officially" (not that anyone needs a diagnosis to be a member).


It sounds like your head is spinning a little bit with all of this, and I know that feeling very well.

-Paula

visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 07-21-2006 - 3:05pm

Just wanted to say Hi and Welcome. I look forward to learning more about you and your family.

I have two boys: Vaughn is 8 with AS and Jack is 2 and is NT (as far as we know) but he is a handful - we live in Ohio.

(SMILE)
Christie

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-07-2003
Fri, 07-21-2006 - 3:06pm

I have been a lurker on this board for a while. This has been very helpful for me to say AHA! This board is part of what helped me figure out what was up with JOsh. Plus also reading a book called Quirky Kids by Perri Klass and Eileen Costello. Both of whom are MDs. So much of that booked has helped between the nonverbal learning disablitiy stuff the helping me to figure out wether I was looking for more thanjust ADHD or if there was more to the picture.

I even asked one mom whose son has Asperger's wether it was posssible.But she had said no. You see her son, who is 19, presented a much flatter affect if that makes sense compared to Josh who will just talk and shows emotion. He will show humor, laugh get annoyed etc. Granted he seems to have lesss tolerance for his brothers over minor infractions. He will make mountains over mole hills.ETC But she didn't see my son like her's.
Is there different degrees of Asperger's? Are they aytypical versus typical symptoms. I have a website frm a pamphlet the doctor gave me about ASD and PDD I still need to go look at. It is supposed to help me find a support group.

I mean like Josh gets by. He did well with Cub Scouts and has moved up to Boy Scout and shows interest in it. Positive note my friend's son with Asperger's just made Eagle scout at age 19. He is going to Sleep away camp with Scouts next week. He did okay at a camp called Camp Invention which lasted 4 days,. We have been giving him a drug holiday. It is funny I told my husband I really did not see that much of a difference.
He also can read in Hebrew, he goes to Hebrew school 2x/week. Plus he really likes to bowl.So even before the diagnosis I have aiming him to areas that lend itself for him to succeed.I have him with OT and social skills group during the school year. I am not sure there is much more time in the day for much else.

But at the same time, has no problem trying to make a play date with someone he just met, while I know better. He will spill out anything on his mind. Those are just part of his quirks. He can be a good big brother and is capable for watching his brothers for maybe an hour so I can work out. He can let himself into our house after school that includes using a key and turning off an alarm. Plus remember the right phone numbers to call us to let us know he is safely in the house. I guess for me is the confusion of it all.

One day at a time.
Rina

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 07-21-2006 - 7:30pm

If you have met one person with autism you have met one person with autism. There are many degrees and differences though there are some core symptoms which are similar.

I have 2 Aspies. One 10 (Mike) and one 12 (Cait). They are both vastly different. Cait has a flatter affect but is easier going and no problem in public. Mike is much more expressive but needs constant supervision. Cait has more academic challenges due to poor organization skills, Mike has more behavioral and social challenges. Cait was language delayed but Mike has a harder time with conversations now. Cait was developmentally delayed but Mike is more autistic. Cait has never been outgoing, Mike was extremely outgoing as a toddler and preschooler and still can be in the right situation and mood. Cait has the stereotypic 1 obsessive interest but you can have conversations with her about other things and is more interested in talking with adults. Mike changes obsessions but he is much more rigid about them and rigid about everything in general.

A person who thinks your son can be AS because he is not like her son probably hasn't met alot of AS kids. I have met tons and each one is vastly different from the next. The core symptoms are there but some have eye contact and some don't. Some are sensitive to touch and others seek out touch.

Renee

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