Asperges or not

[Animalmad40]

My son is 11 years and for the past few years I have had the feeling that he is Asperges. A few years ago his teacher mentioned to me that he has tendancies towards it as he struggled every year when changing class. He hasn't seen a doctor or had any tests as he eventually made a good network of like-minded friends and his behaviour at home was improving. Over the last few months with the worry of SATS and a new school looming his behaviour at home has got much worse.

The thing is my son has a great sense of right and wrong and his behaviour at school is excellent. He is way ahead in his maths and was in his reading when he was younger. However, all his worries and frustrations are taken out on everyone at home and the teachers cannot comprehend this!

He is obsessed with the computer, making you tube videos, Minecraft and programming. If we do not allow him on there he struggles to play and will often only play games organised by myself or his little brother. And then he takes over, changes the rules to suit him and has a meltdown if his brother decides he wants to stop playing. He hates change and has a meltdown if I tell him one thing and we do another. He struggles in large groups of people where we have to talk and prefers to talk to one person (mainly me) and often gets into my personal space and wants my total attention, rather than me talking to others. His little brother is very outgoing and loud and he struggles with the volume and can't block it out. He also doesn't like his brother watching him when he is on the computer.

During one on one time my son is like a different child and can be very considerate, affectionate and generous. He also does lookout for his little brother, if he has hurt himself or is upset.

Is this just a moody, stroppy pre teen, that is stressed out as his SATs are coming up and he has to go towards different school etc. Or are they signs of mild Asperges? My main concern is secondary school as new children can be nasty, especially if someone is a bit 'different'. Also the overall change of new school, new everything - how will he cope with it?

Any help would be much appreciated.

[Animalmad40]

Any advice would be much appreciated 😊

[blaeberry]

As you are concerned, I would make an appointment with your GP. Take along a list of concerns and ask for a referral to whatever the autism diagnostic pathway is in your area. You may want to go to the first appointment alone (it is easier not to talk in front of your son) although you will probably need to take your ds before you could be referred.

You don't really have 'mild' aspergers - you just have aspergers. The newest diagnostic manual also doesn't include aspergers as it is now included in autism spectrum disorder. What you say does put up some flags so it is worth investigating.

[taratill]

My son 11 has this week been diagnosed with ASD, in our area they no longer diagnose Aspergers but he is more HFA/ Apergers as there is no learning difficulty.

If you are having concerns about transitions then you should raise it with your Senco and possibly also with your GP. We have ended up having a nightmare as our Yr 6 son is now unable to attend school, I do think the new SATS have a lot to answer for.

A lot of our DSs symptoms have been masked very well and I would say there are definitely some similarities with what you are describing.

I would suggest you look at getting his educational needs met even without a diagnosis as you don't need a diagnosis if you can show there is a need for measures to be put into place.

Good luck.

[taratill]

Also a lot of LEAs run transition courses. You can also ask for a referral to a SALT in your area who will have a view as to the social communication issues. That might well help you too.