Things I didn't know about Asperger Syndrome

[pokemon_master]

Thought I'd post here since this is the most obvious place to chat about mental disabilites..

After checking up National Autistic Society I found a couple of things. Children with AS have a number of things in common, here are a couple of things I found:

1) They have "Special Interests" i.e. obssessive interests in things. When we were younger, my brother with AS was obsessed with collecting gun shells that he found in our wood, that is until we told them what they were. I was obssesed about Thomas the Tank engine when I was younger. (Slightly do still; not as much..). I think now I am obsessed with looking stuff up about AS! (Bet you all know what my other obssesion is right?? )

2) They have a "love of routine". This one is a major one for me. About 4 weeks ago my parents told me that we were going to "Brussels" (it was actually Disneyland Paris and they had to tell me later; I'll explain in a moment). I threw a major sulk about this, so much that, yup you guess, they told me. The reason why I sulked was because I don't like things thrusted on me and I like to be told prompt if something is going to happen so I can plan about it.. (Also, I do slightly get worried if people are late to things; once I went on an IT trip and I had to wait 5 minutes after the approprieate meeting time for someone to turn up. I was slightly worried, although I did try telling myself "It's OK, there are ___" to try and keep myself calm.. It didn't work, but at least I kept my dignity.. )

I didn't know either of these were to do with AS.. Most of the stuff that I looked up kept saying the usual communication and social problems and a lack of imagination which I always thought was a load of clobbers for me. In fact, It is my slight fear that I having AS is something like a big dream or a plot to a movie i.e. the Doctor got it wrong when I was 5 and I don't really have AS. For me, it's actually quite a nice sign of relief that I know that there is something there that AS does to me! After all, AS isn't something that is completely obvious.

Sorry about the long post, but what I really think I am saying is that I am glad that I finally can see something that AS contributes to me other than just a fancy label..

 

[minkydog]

You sound a lot like my oldest son, John. He's 20 now,but he was very much like this when he was younger(and still is to a certain degree). He was obsessed with making movies & writing scripts, to the point that we gave him a camcorder and he would spend hours filming Godzilla and Batman in "action". He also was obsessed with digging for jewels--we have a lot of quartz and amethyst in our soil. Whenever he had a friend over, they had to go out and dig. I still have holes in my backyard from all their "treasure hunts."

John could never stand change.He has always been very high-strung. Even things like birthdays and Christmas were terribly emotional due to the change in routine. As he got older, he got more entrenched. He hates surprises to this day. School was a nightmare and he was homeschooled most of his life just so he could stay on track. He even quit school in his senior year to join Disney On Ice, but was able to finish at home and obtained his diploma(yay~)

Unfortunately, John has never been diagnosed with AS. He has been treated for bipolar depression, ADHD, and various learning disabilities. I'm pretty sure he is "on the spectrum", as they say. I also have a younger child with severe autism and a nephew with autism, probably AS(he's still being tested.) Back when John was 6-7 they didn't look so much at autism as they did ADHD.


John has done just okay since high school. He's still writing and performing in local theater. He wants to go to film school, but flunked out of two semesters of college. He works at Blocklbuster and has phenomenal knowlege of the inventory. He could sell you absolutely anything and make you believe you NEED it. He writes for guitar and has friends who are musicians(they're all alittle weird, haha). I wonder if he would have better understanding of himself if he saw himself as a person with autism, rather than thinking he's just dumb. the diagnosis would explain so much.

 

[Starr W.]

My eldest who is 10 has AS. He was diagnosed when he was 4. Has his special interests, right now top of the list is Ripley or Guiness books. He's even started to make a "friend" with a classmate who likes them too. He says he can't stand the kid, but his teacher says they talk a lot and look at books together during inside recess.

He goes to regular public school(and everyone has been great much to my surprise and relief) just gets extra time with his test.

He has no problem travelling, loved WDW, but he knows he's going on a trip.

His biggest problem now is obsessive compulsive behavior. He's been doing exposure therapy since this summer. I think it is helping, but DH just can't get his head around the fact you need to get him to relax and yelling does the opposite.

 

[Schmeck]

What's exposure therapy?

I work with a high school student (male) who seems to have typical AS symptoms to me - but he's not diagnosed with it... Hates change, obsessed with things, not good on the social cues, very impatient when made to wait, etc.

 

[Starr W.]

What's exposure therapy?

I work with a high school student (male) who seems to have typical AS symptoms to me - but he's not diagnosed with it... Hates change, obsessed with things, not good on the social cues, very impatient when made to wait, etc.

He works with a psychologist, they first made a list of things he is doesn't like and obsesses about. Then they ranked them on a scale of 10-100 on how much this bothers/stresses him. These range from someone touching(really just brushing up against his shoes) to the highest one is watching someone smoke. For example, the first exposure was he had to give his shoes to the dr. for her to touch. He then has to try to reduce the stress by deep breathing. He can't leave until he is at a managable stress level. Then we do the exposures at home. Right now he is riding in the front seat of my car(where my DS usually sits), the seatbelt is the problem. Listening to music or looking at a book seem to help him keep the stress down. He'll then say that wasn't bad.

Hope this helps, we took action because the behavior was getting worse.

 

[karynnix]

DS is all into "A Christmas Carol" right now. He will watch any version of it just to see Jacob Marley! He gets fixed on things and it is impossible to get him to change. He LOVES Wallace and Gromit (hence the cat's name!), but it is so hard to find things. I went on Ebay and paid $$$ from a Wallace and Gromit USED playset for him for Christmas. I wish that he would get fixated on something that is easy to shop for!!

 

[Schmeck]

He works with a psychologist, they first made a list of things he is doesn't like and obsesses about. Then they ranked them on a scale of 10-100 on how much this bothers/stresses him. These range from someone touching(really just brushing up against his shoes) to the highest one is watching someone smoke. For example, the first exposure was he had to give his shoes to the dr. for her to touch. He then has to try to reduce the stress by deep breathing. He can't leave until he is at a managable stress level. Then we do the exposures at home. Right now he is riding in the front seat of my car(where my DS usually sits), the seatbelt is the problem. Listening to music or looking at a book seem to help him keep the stress down. He'll then say that wasn't bad.

Hope this helps, we took action because the behavior was getting worse.

It helps soooooo much! Thank you! I'm really wanting to talk to the school psychologist about this, and his IEP team, as I think this would really help. I've actually tried to do a bit of this (not knowing that it was a form of therapy) with my student - he has a need to be first into our room, we're working on others getting there ahead of him, and coping with it.

 

[Starr W.]

It helps soooooo much! Thank you! I'm really wanting to talk to the school psychologist about this, and his IEP team, as I think this would really help. I've actually tried to do a bit of this (not knowing that it was a form of therapy) with my student - he has a need to be first into our room, we're working on others getting there ahead of him, and coping with it.

We work with a psychologist independent from school, as we thought this was a big problem and we could see it getting worse. As my DS, I swear is an undiagnosed 39 yr old AS with OC, I can see what will happen if we don't try to help him.

 

[Judy from Boise]

Pokeman Master, there are some excellent books out there about adults with AS. Google "Future Horizions".My DD is very comfortable with her HFA at this point, and certainly doesen't want to be "cured" even if it was possible, as she would lose some very special parts of herself.
In a few years she will off to Montana State to major in film/TV/Theatre. She want to be a screenplay writer . I beleive she posts over on the teen board, if you want her screen name.