Psychiatrist/Psychologist?

[Guest guest]

Do any of you guys know of a good Asperger's professional in the Reno,

Nevada area?

My young friend is only with me for about two more weeks, so I'd like to be

able to give his mom a couple of names to call. They live in California,

but Reno is only about an hour and a half away.

Things are going very, very well. We've got him almost off the damned

medication, we've tapered the dose over a period of time to be safe (and I

know a good local psychiatrist in case of any trouble), and it seems the

less he takes, the better he does.

I think the happiest part of this is that he is starting to realize others

have feelings too. While it will probably always be a very intellectual

thing, as it is with many of us, one of the biggest stumbling blocks to him

having the friends he wants to have is slowly disappearing. It even shows

in how he treats the cats--he's never been mean to them, but he would

always pick them up when they didn't want to be picked up. Last night, he

made the rounds and sat with each cat, petting it but not trying to pick it

up, and was delighted that they purred and asked for more petting.

He had quite the blowout with my son two days ago, and I walked them

through negotiating the issue, and they have gotten along just fine ever

since, both of them learning when to back off the other. I see him learning

to put himself in my son's shoes and he's been able to instrospect enough

that when I said the real problem was that he and my son both wanted their

way at all times, he laughed and agreed.

My son is a lot better at working things out because he's always had his

sister and I've always encouraged them to do so, and my young friend is

finding that my son only digs in his heels if he feels he's being treated

unfairly--if you go to him in a reasonable fashion, he is very fair and

often generous.

I am very much enjoying seeing the real child unfold, one who is rapidly

gaining confidence because he is learning that he has the power to control

himself and ask for the things he needs. A couple of times, he has seen my

son or me get overwhelmed and take a few minutes, and he is starting to do

the same, unprompted.

It's a whole new world for him, and he's beginning to thrive. He's gained

almost twelve pounds, he sleeps well and wakes happy. He's begun to realize

that almost any problem has a solution, even if it is unorthodox or

unusual. He has stopped saying he is stupid or crazy. He is really

beginning to believe that he is a perfectly normal autistic person, and

while he might not be exactly like the kids he met in school, the gap is

not insurmountable if he so chooses.

Ideally, the kind of psychiatrist his mom would like to have is one that

has a good understanding of autism who will help him find ways of coping

that work for him. She has no objection to drugs in and of themselves if

they really help, but she wants someone who will not reach for the

prescription pad in lieu of spending time with him to develop solutions that

work.

If you know of someone, feel free to mail me off list.

Thanks!

Zola

INTP

Generation X

68.44181% - Geek Goddess

" Beware when the great God lets loose a thinker on this planet. Then all

things are at risk. It is as when a conflagration has broken out in a great

city, and no man knows what is safe, or where it will end. " --Ralph Waldo

Emerson

[Guest guest]

At 02:00 PM 7/29/2004, Jane Meyerding intoned:

>Sounds great!

>

>I don't know anything about the Reno area. You might try

>posting on the OASIS board? Or I could send a message for

>you to the OASIS non-board (the private list).

If you could, that would be great, Jane. Thanks

Z

INTP

Generation X

68.44181% - Geek Goddess

If you take umbrage, please put it back when you're done - K. Cronin

[Guest guest]

Zola wrote:

>It's a whole new world for him, and he's beginning to thrive. He's gained

>almost twelve pounds, he sleeps well and wakes happy. He's begun to realize

>that almost any problem has a solution, even if it is unorthodox or

>unusual. He has stopped saying he is stupid or crazy. He is really

>beginning to believe that he is a perfectly normal autistic person, and

>while he might not be exactly like the kids he met in school, the gap is

>not insurmountable if he so chooses.

Sounds great!

I don't know anything about the Reno area. You might try

posting on the OASIS board? Or I could send a message for

you to the OASIS non-board (the private list).

Jane

[Guest guest]

<<<Do any of you guys know of a good Asperger's professional in the

Reno, Nevada area?>>>

Here is nationwide list (grouped by state) of professionals claiming

to have experience with AS:

http://www.aspergers.com/asplist.htm

Good luck,

-Lana