Re: Is there a point to a DX now?

[Guest guest]

:

Speaking as one who got a late dx for an AS kid and who spent a couple of

years wondering if there was a point, I can say that I do think there is a

point.

Don't know about homeschooling for . It can be a very good idea, but

you have to make the effort to get him in enough social situations. That is

not impossible by any means but may be more of a challenge than you are up

to right now.

In the school system, if it is a decent one, with a good IEP, you are in a

good position to work on many social goals. But the same can be done at

home too, and it is possible to have your child in school and think that you

can just let the school worry about it which is probably not a good plan.

My own experience is that adolescence is the big fat problem for AS.

Enrique was a sweet young child; he is still sweet in many ways but if I had

had an official AS dx it might have been easier.

Also, once you have an official dx you will find that even pediatricians

will be willing to prescribe medications should that ever be necessary.

Just a few thoughts off the top of my head.

Salli

[Guest guest]

i don't think it is too late for a dx at all. i think the average age of

Asperger's diagnosis is 10 or 11. i think i diagnosis may be most helpful in

helping peter himself. that being said i know nothing about peter or how he

would react to discussing such a topic but if it could offer some insight and

answers to the questions he likely has it could be helpful. on the other hand

it may be something he doesn't want to know. i guess it depends on the child's

personality. he is homeschooled now but may not always be - a large percentage

of AS kids go on to university. helping him to understand himself, his

stregnths and weaknesses may be very valuable to him.

michelle mg

Is there a point to a DX now?

I'm sorry this is going to sound so stupid right now but bare with me please.

The more and more I read about Aspergers , it fits . According to the dx

criteria, I can fit him in there without a problem. and I were talking and

even her mother thinks he's somewhere on the specturm.

He's an odd child. He wants friends and wants social interation but once he

has it , he doesn't know what to do. IE: People come visit and he doesn't pay

attention to them. He only wants them to watch what he wants to do. IE: Computer

playing ect.

I've known for a long time was a misfit socially but kept thinking he

was just immature.

is now 8 and homeschooled. (not sure this is a good choice for him or

not, it does save him the ridicule of others and does keep his self repect

intact, well to a point now if I would just stop tearing it down we'd be

winning)

Is there a point to a DX now? What can be offered to an 8 year old? He

doesn't have sensory issues, nor real learning issues beyond lack of implied

meaning. Social cues and such.

In the last week I'm coming to someplace I didn't want to get too. Realizing

that is not normal (whatever normal is, he's never been there) Having

over last Sunday really hit it home for me. Jame's was here and was

excited yet could not even play with him. Mabye could explain it better

Insight from someone other then myself would be helpful

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[Guest guest]

i don't think it is too late for a dx at all. i think the average age of

Asperger's diagnosis is 10 or 11. i think i diagnosis may be most helpful in

helping peter himself. that being said i know nothing about peter or how he

would react to discussing such a topic but if it could offer some insight and

answers to the questions he likely has it could be helpful. on the other hand

it may be something he doesn't want to know. i guess it depends on the child's

personality. he is homeschooled now but may not always be - a large percentage

of AS kids go on to university. helping him to understand himself, his

stregnths and weaknesses may be very valuable to him.

michelle mg

Is there a point to a DX now?

I'm sorry this is going to sound so stupid right now but bare with me please.

The more and more I read about Aspergers , it fits . According to the dx

criteria, I can fit him in there without a problem. and I were talking and

even her mother thinks he's somewhere on the specturm.

He's an odd child. He wants friends and wants social interation but once he

has it , he doesn't know what to do. IE: People come visit and he doesn't pay

attention to them. He only wants them to watch what he wants to do. IE: Computer

playing ect.

I've known for a long time was a misfit socially but kept thinking he

was just immature.

is now 8 and homeschooled. (not sure this is a good choice for him or

not, it does save him the ridicule of others and does keep his self repect

intact, well to a point now if I would just stop tearing it down we'd be

winning)

Is there a point to a DX now? What can be offered to an 8 year old? He

doesn't have sensory issues, nor real learning issues beyond lack of implied

meaning. Social cues and such.

In the last week I'm coming to someplace I didn't want to get too. Realizing

that is not normal (whatever normal is, he's never been there) Having

over last Sunday really hit it home for me. Jame's was here and was

excited yet could not even play with him. Mabye could explain it better

Insight from someone other then myself would be helpful

---

Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.

Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).

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[Guest guest]

> Is there a point to a DX now? What can be offered to an 8 year

old? He doesn't have sensory issues, nor real learning issues beyond

lack of implied meaning. Social cues and such.

>

I don't know what's available. I'm still learning myself. I know

what's available to with her autism dx but if comes back

with Aspergers, I don't know what will be available to him. He has

behavior issues, mild sensory issues that aren't affecting his life

too significantly and mild language delay. Nothing too terribly

serious.

But if there is some way of getting him the help he needs and making

his life a little happier, then I'm going to get the testing done and

see what we can do. He's 7.

I guess I don't really have any advice for . I can only let you

know what we find out with .

Tina

[Guest guest]

> Is there a point to a DX now? What can be offered to an 8 year

old? He doesn't have sensory issues, nor real learning issues beyond

lack of implied meaning. Social cues and such.

>

I don't know what's available. I'm still learning myself. I know

what's available to with her autism dx but if comes back

with Aspergers, I don't know what will be available to him. He has

behavior issues, mild sensory issues that aren't affecting his life

too significantly and mild language delay. Nothing too terribly

serious.

But if there is some way of getting him the help he needs and making

his life a little happier, then I'm going to get the testing done and

see what we can do. He's 7.

I guess I don't really have any advice for . I can only let you

know what we find out with .

Tina

[Guest guest]

> Tina, has never had a speech delay, either. It's how he uses

his speech to communicate. I hope that they can learn to understand

this part for .

>

So do I. School starts back tomorrow and I'm so nervous. 's been

doing beautifully at home and I almost don't want to send him back

because I don't want the meltdowns to start again. :/

(typing that really helped, now I know why I've had insomnia for the

past two days. *sigh*)

uses a lot of big words and uses them appropriately. He stunned

his aide by talking about " humans " and knowing what they were. Then

he told her all about Imhotep. (he loves the Mummy and sneaks to

watch it whenever he thinks I'm not paying attention. It's a little

too violent for him.) His dad watched a show on A & E that talked about

the real Imhotep. was fascinated and remembered every fact. But

he still doesn't use pronouns or verb tenses correctly. He's trying,

but he gets so frustrated because he can't remember the right usage

and other kids make fun of him for saying things wrong.

No matter what the final dx, the school won't provide him with any

more services than he's already recieving, but it might help to have

the teachers and aide know that he really does have some neurological

issues and he's not just being a brat. I understand completely what

you said about the school thinking was just being willful. I

get that from the school and my relatives all the time.

Tina

[Guest guest]

.. School starts back tomorrow and I'm so nervous. 's been

> doing beautifully at home and I almost don't want to send him back

> because I don't want the meltdowns to start again. :/

If he's like , it's the stress of trying to function in school that is

causing this. He would feel stressed, then his sensory system would

overload, then the frustration would happen frequently and he would become

aggressive at home. In school he would just shut down completely and refuse

to work. Fortunately the Zyprexa he's now on has really helped him a lot!

Add to that the fact that he now has a formal diagnosis and the states

autism society is working with the school, well, things are just soooo much

better. :-)

>

> (typing that really helped, now I know why I've had insomnia for the past

two days. *sigh*)

It does help to express your fears and concerns, doesn't it?

>

> uses a lot of big words and uses them appropriately. He stunned

> his aide by talking about " humans " and knowing what they were. Then

> he told her all about Imhotep. (he loves the Mummy and sneaks to

> watch it whenever he thinks I'm not paying attention. It's a little

> too violent for him.) His dad watched a show on A & E that talked about

> the real Imhotep. was fascinated and remembered every fact.

Sounds very aspie like.

But

> he still doesn't use pronouns or verb tenses correctly.

They reported that uses a lot of pronouns, but not nouns.

He's trying, but he gets so frustrated because he can't remember the right

usage and other kids make fun of him for saying things wrong.

Sounds like some very cruel kids for that age :-( If does get a

diagnosis, have you decided whether you would educate the children at school

about him so they might be more comfortable and empathetic with him?

>

> No matter what the final dx, the school won't provide him with any

> more services than he's already recieving, but it might help to have

> the teachers and aide know that he really does have some neurological

issues and he's not just being a brat.

Oh definately! If you notice he has trouble expressing himself or seems to

talk well, but you know he's having difficulty, ask them to to a 'Test of

Problem Solving' on him. It's a speech test and it showed up all of 's

shortcomings. At age nine, his overall score averaged only 4y11mo, and

before this, they all said he had no problems! It's supposed to be the

perfect test for an aspergers type kid. If possible, tell them to do the

first edition of it.

I understand completely what

> you said about the school thinking was just being willful. I

> get that from the school and my relatives all the time.

Unless they spend a great deal of time with kids like this, it's almost

impossible for them to see how impaired they are. My dad learned this about

. Fortunately, is very outgoing (however inappropriate he may

be) and grandpa adores him!

Sue

[Guest guest]

.. School starts back tomorrow and I'm so nervous. 's been

> doing beautifully at home and I almost don't want to send him back

> because I don't want the meltdowns to start again. :/

If he's like , it's the stress of trying to function in school that is

causing this. He would feel stressed, then his sensory system would

overload, then the frustration would happen frequently and he would become

aggressive at home. In school he would just shut down completely and refuse

to work. Fortunately the Zyprexa he's now on has really helped him a lot!

Add to that the fact that he now has a formal diagnosis and the states

autism society is working with the school, well, things are just soooo much

better. :-)

>

> (typing that really helped, now I know why I've had insomnia for the past

two days. *sigh*)

It does help to express your fears and concerns, doesn't it?

>

> uses a lot of big words and uses them appropriately. He stunned

> his aide by talking about " humans " and knowing what they were. Then

> he told her all about Imhotep. (he loves the Mummy and sneaks to

> watch it whenever he thinks I'm not paying attention. It's a little

> too violent for him.) His dad watched a show on A & E that talked about

> the real Imhotep. was fascinated and remembered every fact.

Sounds very aspie like.

But

> he still doesn't use pronouns or verb tenses correctly.

They reported that uses a lot of pronouns, but not nouns.

He's trying, but he gets so frustrated because he can't remember the right

usage and other kids make fun of him for saying things wrong.

Sounds like some very cruel kids for that age :-( If does get a

diagnosis, have you decided whether you would educate the children at school

about him so they might be more comfortable and empathetic with him?

>

> No matter what the final dx, the school won't provide him with any

> more services than he's already recieving, but it might help to have

> the teachers and aide know that he really does have some neurological

issues and he's not just being a brat.

Oh definately! If you notice he has trouble expressing himself or seems to

talk well, but you know he's having difficulty, ask them to to a 'Test of

Problem Solving' on him. It's a speech test and it showed up all of 's

shortcomings. At age nine, his overall score averaged only 4y11mo, and

before this, they all said he had no problems! It's supposed to be the

perfect test for an aspergers type kid. If possible, tell them to do the

first edition of it.

I understand completely what

> you said about the school thinking was just being willful. I

> get that from the school and my relatives all the time.

Unless they spend a great deal of time with kids like this, it's almost

impossible for them to see how impaired they are. My dad learned this about

. Fortunately, is very outgoing (however inappropriate he may

be) and grandpa adores him!

Sue

[Guest guest]

> If he's like , it's the stress of trying to function in school

that is causing this. He would feel stressed, then his sensory

system would overload, then the frustration would happen frequently

and he would become aggressive at home. In school he would just shut

down completely and refuse to work.>

>

Sounds a lot like only he doesn't shut down completely, he

tends to melt down. Screaming, refusing to work, totally unco-

operative. If the aide remembers to keep her cool and talk softly to

him or just allow him a few moments quiet while he composes himself,

he does much better.

And once I put it in writing that the principle was NOT to carry him

out of the room anymore, a lot of the behaviors cleared up. They were

treating him like a spoiled 2 year old instead of an intelligent 7

year old with the brains to understand when he was being treated like

a baby. But I do give the teachers and aide credit for listening and

starting to treat him with more respect. They've been amazed at the

difference in his behavior.

> Fortunately the Zyprexa he's now on has really helped him a lot!

doesn't go for testing until March 28th. I think the doctor

will recommend something for his anxiety but we'll see. It's not as

bad as 's but it's there and interferring with his ability to

work and concentrate.

> It does help to express your fears and concerns, doesn't it?

Yes. I'm so glad I found this group. I can't talk to my husband about

things like this because he thinks I want him to " Fix " everything. I

know the kids can't be 'fixed', I just need to work it out and get it

straight in my head.

> Sounds very aspie like.

Yeah. Dammit.

> If does get a diagnosis, have you decided whether you would

educate the children at school about him so they might be more

comfortable and empathetic with him?

>

His teacher is starting to explain to the other kids, but we've been

talking about holding him back in first grade because he's so far

behind academically there's no way he can catch up. Sooo... he won't

be with any of the same kids next year and I'll have to set up

something to educate his new classmates.

> Oh definately! If you notice he has trouble expressing himself or

seems to talk well, but you know he's having difficulty, ask them to

to a 'Test of Problem Solving' on him. It's a speech test and it

showed up all of 's shortcomings. At age nine, his overall

score averaged only 4y11mo, and before this, they all said he had no

problems! It's supposed to be the perfect test for an aspergers type

kid. If possible, tell them to do the first edition of it.

>

Thanks! I'll ask his speech teacher about it tomorrow. She's been

very open to learning more about his problems and how to reach him.

> Fortunately, is very outgoing (however inappropriate he may

> be) and grandpa adores him!

Same here! Only grandpa is super critical at times and I think a bit

Aspie himself.

Tina

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

The big day for Dillon is Wednesday. He's seeing a psychologist. I don't

really think he's AS anymore, I don't think -- I don't know -- but there's

definitely something up.

I think an evaluation might help to give you a better idea of what's going

on anyway.

At least, that's what I'm hoping for ...

Sissi

[Guest guest]

Good luck? I hope you get some answers.

Jacquie H

Re: Is there a point to a DX now?

Hi ,

The big day for Dillon is Wednesday. He's seeing a psychologist. I don't

really think he's AS anymore, I don't think -- I don't know -- but there's

definitely something up.

I think an evaluation might help to give you a better idea of what's going

on anyway.

At least, that's what I'm hoping for ...

Sissi

[Guest guest]

Good luck? I hope you get some answers.

Jacquie H

Re: Is there a point to a DX now?

Hi ,

The big day for Dillon is Wednesday. He's seeing a psychologist. I don't

really think he's AS anymore, I don't think -- I don't know -- but there's

definitely something up.

I think an evaluation might help to give you a better idea of what's going

on anyway.

At least, that's what I'm hoping for ...

Sissi