Teen DS: Assessment for ASD

[Ujjayi]

Please note: I have already posted this on the SEN board...& then spotted a another thread suggesting to post here for more traffic.

This post is a bit long - sorry. I started off just wanting to ask about assessment procedure but I've also kind of offloaded a whole heap of stuff I didn't know I felt too that just surfaced once I started typing.

After many years of trying to get someone to listen, DS (14) finally has an assessment scheduled for ASD. I was wondering if anyone can shed some light on what we can expect?

DS has struggled with social & physical interaction since at least 2 years old and it has become even more pronounced in his teen years, although he has learned to try and cover his awkwardness as he knows others find it "odd" (his words). He never hugs and never has done and is very uncomfortable with being physically close to others unless he instigates it. He has friends but much prefers his own company - which I had worried about because he was also bullied and I feared he was lacking in confidence or sad at being by himself. I had a chat with him a while ago about these things, together with information I had read regarding Aspergers and similar. Instead of being upset, he just beamed at me and told me "you finally understand!". Apparently, he has always felt different and known for example that his need for order and his "obsessions" didn't fit with the way other children behaved. He tells me that the penny dropped for him when they studied the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. They were discussing Christopher in class and his friends just couldn't understand him, whereas for DS it was a real "wow" moment when he realised he could completely relate to him.

I feel very emotional about it all. He is a truly wonderful boy and I have really struggled with the lack of physical & emotional response from him, tbh. Apologies if that sounds selfish but I do have an overwhelming sense of loss with regards to our mother-son relationship.

[Nibledbyducks]

Is it the ADOS?, DS3 had this last year at 12, we were both asked questions and he was asked to act out imaginative type stories with toys, asked about what came next in stories and how he thought the characters would be feeling.

One paediatrician asked him the questions, and another sat observing and taking notes. It wasn't at all stressful. HTH

[Tunna]

Hi Ujjayi, if you repost on the SN children part of the site there are lots of parents with teenagers with ASD / Aspergers on there who can give you advice and support.