Autism/Asperger's Syndrome

[Whitegloves]

Is anyone familiar with Asperger's Syndrome?
I know it is at the high functioning end of the autism spectrum.
My teenage son has been recently diagonosed and I am trying to learn all I can.
I would love to talk to other parents who have encountered it.
Any info will be appreciated.
Smiles,
Diane AKA Whitegloves =0)

 

[bsnyder]

I have a 12 year old neice who has Asperger's Syndrome.

There's a multitude of information, support networks, etc. on the web. I'd suggest starting with Tony Attwood's site. He has some excellent books.

http://www.tonyattwood.com.au/

 

[MN Dis Fans]

Our DS10 has Asperger's. I read a book called the OASIS Guide to Asperger's when we first got a diagnosis. There is lots of knowledge and support on the disABILITIES forum!

 

[UnderTheMistletoe]

Hello-

I did a lot of work w ith Asperger's in my Pysch program at school. Additionally, my high school had a branch that was devoted to children with learning disabilities that ranged from ADD/ADHD to Aspergers to Schizo and back again.

There is still a lot of debate about Asperger's being a "high functioning form of autism." If you pick up several university level textbooks, you will get different things from each. I am NOT sure what the DMII says any longer for the medical diagnosis.

You might find great help here on the DISabilities! board as far as support and whatnot. Doing a Google search should bring back a wealth of information and possible support networks within your area. A book search on Amazon.com might be beneficial. If you have a university nearby, considering contact the Chair of the Psychology department by email and asking what textbooks they use for "Psychology of the Exceptional Child" type courses. May also want to contact the Education department and see if they are using a different text book. The education textbooks are more based on enabling and tailoring classroom experiences to fit their needs. You'd be interested in what books they're usig for Special Education and Learning Differences.

I remember that the Asperger's children at school were really not all that "different". Three quarters of the time, I never really knew who was and wan't Asperger's. I think it's so important that they aren't made to feel "different" or "abnormal." In reality, who the heck is the judge of normal? "Normal" is awfully hard to define! During high school, some of the top academic performers were Asperger's. Many of them are at 4 year Universities and loving the experience... and there's no reason that they won't become fully functioning, independent adults.

I am hoping a mental health professional might be better able to answer some of the more medical, etc. questions. Please know that they are academic programs out there that do not ostracize or isolate children because of learnig, social, ad fuctional differences. Know your child's rights under the American Disabilities Act. With love and patience they'll remain just as wonderful as they already are




Textbook I have used in both Psych and Education programs at school is called "Huma Exceptionality: School, Community, and Friends." Authors Michael L. Hardman, Clifford J. Drew, M. Winston Egan. ISBN 0-205-40601 (last 5 become 99990 for used). It deals a lot with the Educational routes and ADA statutes. I hated it as a Psych. student becuase there wasn't a lot of science in it. Found that I love it as an Education student though!

 

[SandiH]

I have a child - diagnosed with Asperger's (and another one who's not diagnosed but close!). I also am a Special Education teacher with students who have Autism and Asperger's syndrome. There is a ton of information out there - the OASIS site listed above and Tony Attwood are two great places to start. If you would like to e-mail me, I'd be happy to "chat" with you regarding your child, the diagnosis and offer you support. I know it can be both a relief and overwhelming to get the diagnosis. Each child is different and each child on the Autism spectrum is so different. The disability manifests in many different ways.

You can reach me at sandi at showland dot org.

 

[Tuffcookie]

Underthe Mistletoe wrote:

I remember that the Asperger's children at school were really not all that "different". Three quarters of the time, I never really knew who was and wan't Asperger's. I think it's so important that they aren't made to feel "different" or "abnormal." In reality, who the heck is the judge of normal?

You said a mouthful!!!

My 14 year old was diagnosed with AS 2 years ago. None of the teachers picked up on it but I knew something wasn't right. To look at him, and on the surface, he doesn't seem any different than any other 14 year old boy. But, if you are with him for any length of time his social "backwardness" comes out more. He is very smart, which is why I think the teachers did not recognize.

Anyway, to the OP, O.A.S.I.S. has a WONDERFUl web site:

http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/

It has lots of useful information.

One of the things you may have noticed
with your DS is that when you get into an argument with him he can be quite stubborn and sometimes the argument can get rather heated. After you realize it's AS you're dealing with you can learn ways to manage the arguments so they do not get out of control.

Aspies are very disorganized. Is your son in middle school? That can be a difficult thing for Aspies because they have trouble with constantly changing classes.

I'm lucky, in that my son's middle school has a program called Q.U.E.S.T., where he stays in the same room for most of the day. He mainstreams out for language arts and phys ed and band. The main thing I want to point out is that this is not a class for slow learners. He is doing much better in school now. He is made all A's last grading period! He will be at the high school in the Fall and he will be in a similar program there, as well!

The most important thing you can do is just love your DS (I'm sure you do! ). If he is anything like my DS he doesn't want anyone to know for fear they will treat him different. I try to respect that but do relay that information to the educators at his school and to anyone who I feel needs to know.

If you need anything, please feel free to PM me anytime.

That said, I think I will go now and empty my message box!


TC

 

[Whitegloves]

Thank you all for the information.
I look forward to finding out all I can.
Smiles,
Diane =0)

 

[Evil Queen]

DS10 has Asperger's too.

Yes, he can be very difficult in arguments, I normally have to ignore the argument, until he's ready to "talk" about it. I hate ignoring him, but hate arguing worse.

There are things that really bother him, mainly loud noises. We have a hard time at the local parades, fireworks shows, movies even. I had to buy him ear plugs, which helps somewhat. Even Disney, this past trip for the 1st time he wanted to meet characters, after 3 previous trips to the world before.

Also, he can not be given too many instructions at once. I have to break them down. I can't say go to the dryer, pull out the clothes, put them in a basket, bring to the living room and fold. I have to break it down to about 2 steps at a time for him, he also acts like I give him more to do with breaking it down. Where as I could give that same ENTIRE directions to someone else, he thinks they are getting less chores.

He's fairly social, but just acts out "oddly" sometimes, not bad behavior, just a bit over the top to most folks. But mainly at home and with family. He doesn't act out at school, except recess.

He excels in Math and Science (many Asperger kids do) and most go on to have highly successful careers. Mine struggled in reading for few years of school, but 3rd and 4th grade he has made a major comeback. Matter of fact, on his FCAT Writing test this year, he scored a 396 out of a possible 500, with the state average being 296.

Also, many become "obsessed" in one area. My DS does this, but does change the interest from time to time. When he was 2 to 3 years old it was letters. He didn't know the alphabet in order, but you could write any letter down and he knew it (and he didn't watch shows like Sesame Street nor did they work on this in his day care), he just knew them. Then it moved over to Pokemon, then Yu-gi-Oh, for about 2 years football (kid knew every stat, player, etc-he can even tell you a score from a game YEARS ago), then back to Pokemon, and now it's WWE wrestling.

They really like routine. Goodness, if we are running late in the mornings, he's gets bent out of shape, due to how things go & can get "changed".

 

[_tinkerbell_]

DS10 has Asperger's too.

Yes, he can be very difficult in arguments, I normally have to ignore the argument, until he's ready to "talk" about it. I hate ignoring him, but hate arguing worse.

There are things that really bother him, mainly loud noises. We have a hard time at the local parades, fireworks shows, movies even. I had to buy him ear plugs, which helps somewhat. Even Disney, this past trip for the 1st time he wanted to meet characters, after 3 previous trips to the world before.

Also, he can not be given too many instructions at once. I have to break them down. I can't say go to the dryer, pull out the clothes, put them in a basket, bring to the living room and fold. I have to break it down to about 2 steps at a time for him, he also acts like I give him more to do with breaking it down. Where as I could give that same ENTIRE directions to someone else, he thinks they are getting less chores.

He's fairly social, but just acts out "oddly" sometimes, not bad behavior, just a bit over the top to most folks. But mainly at home and with family. He doesn't act out at school, except recess.

He excels in Math and Science (many Asperger kids do) and most go on to have highly successful careers. Mine struggled in reading for few years of school, but 3rd and 4th grade he has made a major comeback. Matter of fact, on his FCAT Writing test this year, he scored a 396 out of a possible 500, with the state average being 296.

Also, many become "obsessed" in one area. My DS does this, but does change the interest from time to time. When he was 2 to 3 years old it was letters. He didn't know the alphabet in order, but you could write any letter down and he knew it (and he didn't watch shows like Sesame Street nor did they work on this in his day care), he just knew them. Then it moved over to Pokemon, then Yu-gi-Oh, for about 2 years football (kid knew every stat, player, etc-he can even tell you a score from a game YEARS ago), then back to Pokemon, and now it's WWE wrestling.

They really like routine. Goodness, if we are running late in the mornings, he's gets bent out of shape, due to how things go & can get "changed".

This sounds exactly the same as my 8 year old brother, he's also been recently diagnosed with Aspergers. yes its really hard sometimes, especially because we didnt understand it at first.. but hes the best brother ever and extremely intelligant, which is noticable even a his age....it wouldn't be the same without him

 

[isyne4u]

My DS6 was diagnosed a month ago with High Functioning Autism but that if his speech were better he would be considered Aspergers.

I found a book at B&N called "All Cat's Have Aspergers" and it described my son to a T!!! It is an awesome book.

Also, I have read "Ten Things Every Autistic Child Wants you to Know". It is a quick and easy read but it has some seious aha moments.

some good sites Autism Society of America and Autism Speaks.

Good luck!!

 

[Keggy]

My 12 year old nephew has Aspergers. He was misdiagnosed with ADHD at first. He has only beedn diagnosed for about 1 and 1/2 years now. He excels in Math - he could balance my checkbook! EvilQueen pretty much outlined my nephew perfectly when decribing her son. It is very tough to get him going in the mornings - it is a huge challenge for him (and my sister). He can get very upset when he does not have plans outlined for him. If plans change it really affects him.

He is such a great kid - walked me down the aisle when I was married!

Kelly

 

[VirtuallyMe]

My son is almost 19 and was diagnosed with AS when he was 8...

The resources listed already: OASIS and Tony Attwood- are probably your best starts...

Barb Kirby is wonderful and I believe there is more than one anecdote about my own son in her book- I substituted in the Autism class at a middle school that had her book and saw at least one in there lol.

Also- look in your community for a local chapter of the Autism Society of America... our local chapter is fabulous- and although they serve all areas of the autism spectrum they will still be helpful for your Aspie...

A previous poster mentioned some discussion still being out on whether Asperger's is Autism- in the DSMIV it is listed in the PPD spectrum along with autism- but really I find it much easier to explain to others as all being on the autistic spectrum- but there can be a difference between someone with Asperger's and someone with high functioning autism- but really most of the difference is trivial and symantic...

They tend to feel that Aspergers is more of a genetic cause than other forms of autism- it tends to run in families- I have two nephews (one on my side and one on dh's side) that both have strong symptoms but were never diagnosed with aspergers/autism- One of the nephews has said that my son is the only person in the world that understands him...

Another thing to note- is that medications usually don't do more than help with some symptoms of aspergers- so there is no real cure. Some do have relief of symptoms with diet changes. But the best for an aspie is to learn social skills- because that is what is lacking the most in these kids- they have to be taught more out right how to act and respond in social situations because they do not tend to pick up on it on their own. they tend to mimic characters on tv and will even use direct quotes from movies and tv shows in normal conversation-

My son seemed to have a big improvement when HE decided that it was ok to be different and he didn't have to be like the other kids- and really made almost a complete turn around. I suppose when he was 10-12 he was at his worst- (suicidal, trichotillomania, very depressed, lots of aggressive behavior, etc) but we first saw symptoms when he was a newborn and he started to have "trouble" in day care at 2 years- but didn't get an Asperger Diagnosis until he was 8 and in the 2nd grade. He is now in college and by the time he was in high school very few people really could pick up on his Asperger Symptoms and many were shocked to find out he had it in the past (especially the parents of other kids at a AS/Autism camp he would act as a counselor at)... I can still see it- but I'm his mom- and I've asked if he wants help to declare the disability at college- but so far he wants to get through with out having it declared- but there are so many freedoms in college that I see him having some troubles resurface...

good luck with your child- and feel free to pm me if you want to talk any more- I swear- for many things I can easily say- that I have been there, done that and have the battle scars to proove it.

 

[Whitegloves]

Update :
Just a quick update to let you know that my son is doing very well. We are adjusting to life with Asperger's. It is so much easier now that we know what we are dealing with. He is currently being home schooled via cyber school and his grades are better than they ever were in public school. It is harder to find peer interaction for him, especially in the Winter time but we are working on it. Socialization is his biggest problem. We encorage him every chance we get and he has improved dramtically.
Feel free to PM me if any of you want to talk or discuss Asperger's.
Smiles, Diane =0)

 

[PixieDustTink]

My son has NLD which VERY similar to Aspergers but, seems to not get diagnosed as much. If were not for the Aspergers community here I would've had VERY few other parents to network with.

We homeschooled too for a while in grade six the year he was dianosed, that's when I KNEW I was right and that even though we kept being told that everything was "ok" it definately wasn't. These disorders often don't get dianosed till these kids are much older and part of the problem imho is that even when you do get a diagnosis they are not much at ALL like right brained based disorders that most schools are familiar with and are much more complicated yet the child looks "ok" and especially if you have a child with a high I.Q. this can complicate getting them the help they really do so desperately need. My son crashed and burned from his disorder when the pressures of high school became too much and developed secondary OCD and panic attacks and depression. That's NOT uncommon for our kids if they don't have a really, really good team in place during their high school years.

In grade seven and eight my son went to a school for the arts! The kids were all very artsy and being a bit "quirky' there was accepted with open arms. It met his intellectual needs AND by doing all that music and art and drama he learned to EMOTE much better!! He LOVED it there!! I would suggest that some drama classes are VERY helpful in getting these kids to relate better. My son still has a very "flat effect" but, is much much better with his social skills than he was. ALL left brained functions are over the top great to compensate for the fact that the right brain is impaired. *sigh* I wish this disorder was more completely understood in our schools. DS graduates this spring!!!

It's been a LONG haul and now it's higher education to focus on.

 

[JulieWent]

PixieDustTink,
It's so nice to hear that your son has responded well to the arts. My DS (who is 11) has NLD as well and is in 6th grade this year. His arts classes have been a HUGE motivation for him. He has love music and art, and I can't wait for him to be able to take a drama class. (He has always responded to being in plays and skits in school.) I hope he has a similar response.

Sorry for the quick hijack of the thread. Just wanted to say thanks for the good news.

Julie

 

[PixieDustTink]

PixieDustTink,
It's so nice to hear that your son has responded well to the arts. My DS (who is 11) has NLD as well and is in 6th grade this year. His arts classes have been a HUGE motivation for him. He has love music and art, and I can't wait for him to be able to take a drama class. (He has always responded to being in plays and skits in school.) I hope he has a similar response.

Sorry for the quick hijack of the thread. Just wanted to say thanks for the good news.

Julie

Julie it is SO good to hear from you. You can email me at ANY time at ruthannefreeborn@gmail.com. I am always happy to talk to other parents about this and how things are going for them with their NLD "stars"

I'd say the drama classes did more to help DS than almost any other thing we've done. You won't regret having your son in the arts classes at all. Wish MY DS had stayed in the school for the arts but, all his friends were going on to reguluar high schools...so he did too. That hasn't been the best choice at all in his case. Tough going the last two years in particular. He's just to GULLIBLE compared to other high school kids. I'm sure you know all about it. Email me Julie!! And anyone else who is parent to one of these great kids! Aspie or NLD.

 

[SeaSpray]

Just want to give a quick comment. My DS15 has a very mild form of Asperger's (in my opinion it's mild because it's never really impacted his life, he's never needed medication, therapy, modification to his education,etc.).

But when I read that the OP is now home-schooling her child, I have to say that for MY child, that would've been the kiss of death for him. Especially when he was in elementary school and middle school (he's a sophomore in high school now). If I had allowed him to stay home and not constantly be around friends at school, teachers, etc, he would've become agoraphobic. I am fully convinced of this because of many reasons, the main reason being that if he stayed home for a sick day, or a school vacation, he'd have a VERY difficult time going back on that next day. Imagine if I had decided to keep him home every day, I believe he would've/could've gotten to the point of being fearful of going out into the public.

Anyway, my point is to show that what works for one child/person, does not always work for another. What's a right course for one situation/child, could be the wrong course for another.

I'm also curious if anyone else has noticed this in their child? (Being afraid to go back to school after a break, even a short break). At any rate, I recognised the potential for a problem back then and made sure to not back down when he'd want to stay home, or appeared fearful on the first day back after a sick day or school break.

Strangely enough, he's gone in the complete opposite direction now and has not missed a day of school for the last 2 years. He feels strongly now about being at school every single day (partly for academic reasons, but also due to the social aspect of school). Fortunately he's been healthy enough, and he seems to have outgrown (for lack of a better term) his problem with returning to situations after an absence (even though he hasn't been home for a sick day, he's still had school breaks and vacations these last 2 years).

I think it's great that these days we can be our child's best advocate and get information, and take the time to learn our children well enough to make the right decisions for them, whether it's the same or different than what works for others.

 

[PixieDustTink]

Hi Seaspray, sometimes our kids can get school "avoidant" because it's really a challenge for them to navigate their day there. It think we have all had enough judgement from those who don't live with this every day that we know what works well for one will not work for another at all. And we know that we are all very, very dedicated advocates. We have to be!! My son had some of the school avoidant behavior in high school but, it was related to him being overwhelmed there. Support are pulled away at the upper grades here when for NLD kids that is JUST when they need MORE support not less! I say whatever works best for your kid at the time is the best you can do!! The wonderful thing about a network of other parents is that no one else really can know what struggles we face. There's comfort and information in numbers!! Kudos, you post
really points up very well how I almost always find parents of kids with any issue like this to be, UNDERSTANDING.

I only homeschooled the one year...and when DS exhibited the avoidant behavior around school I sought out what was causing it. He was overly stressed so we started taking "wellness days" He'd know ahead of time when they were comeing and they really helped.

Sometimes with our kids they have a lot of trouble with anychanges in their routine at all!! DS went through that when he was in daycare!! OMG he could hardly adjust between daycare days and off days. He was waaaay over stressed at daycare alot of the time but, was "coping" by white knuckling through it. One weekends he'd notice a "change" and liked it better! I think this difficulty with "changes" pretty common for our kids. I'm glad your daughter has an easier time with this now.