Aspergers advice please

[sarah876]

Yesterday i went to visit the spcial needs Teacher to discuss my son. He has only just started and is already becoming a problem. I have had alot of problems with him since he was tiny but just put it down to having a child that was hard work and accepted it but now in secondary school he just doesn't seem to be doing well at all. At first i thought it was maybe he might have ADHD as he is very much like that but after talking to the SNT she actually thought he was more like a child with aspergers. He lacks imagination (never played with toys in that way)is the most unorganised person i know and messy! Is never in the wrong even when it is blatently obvious it is his fault,appears to lack empathy and says hurtful things. wriggles and squirms when he is to sit still (ticks) only really one interest runescap and game consoles.Very little friends. i feel bad because i have been hard on him over the yearsbut noe he is older i can see its not his fault and this has led him to have been very down and not likely himself. Im am going to see the doctor to get a referel. i have looked up the symptoms but does this sound like Aspergers to you?

The things you describe certainly fit with a dx of AS. Its good that you are going to see your GP to get a referral. My ds is 8 and has struggled with the transition to middle school. He has a dx of AS and ADHD. I think its quite common for children with AS to struggle when they go to secondary as the schools tend to be bigger and theres a lot more movement between classes. Plus there is an increasing importance of friendships to most children at this age and since children with AS often struggle with social situations this puts them at a further disadvantage. My mum is a senco an d has had several children with AS cope ok with her at primary but then really struggle with secondary.

Hi Sarah
I felt compelled to post on here as I have an AS son who has also just started at secondary school he is statemented and has had avery different start to his new school compared with your Ds.
You are absolutely doing the right thing in asking your GP for a referral but, be warned the process can be long winded and fustrating. My advice for what its worth would be to read up on AS and try out some stategies.
A good book to read is Freaks, Geeks and Aspergers its by Luke JAckson(?) who has a dx of aspergers and was 13 at the time of writing it gives a real insight in to what its like to be a kid with AS and he's full of tips for parents and teachers alike.
Could you and the school help him to be more organised my ds thrives on routine and time tables etc. infact this is probably one of the reasons he prefers it to primary school.

Hi Sarah
I felt compelled to post on here as I have an AS son who has also just started at secondary school he is statemented and has had avery different start to his new school compared with your Ds.
You are absolutely doing the right thing in asking your GP for a referral but, be warned the process can be long winded and fustrating. My advice for what its worth would be to read up on AS and try out some stategies.
A good book to read is Freaks, Geeks and Aspergers its by Luke JAckson(?) who has a dx of aspergers and was 13 at the time of writing it gives a real insight in to what its like to be a kid with AS and he's full of tips for parents and teachers alike.
Could you and the school help him to be more organised my ds thrives on routine and time tables etc. infact this is probably one of the reasons he prefers it to primary school.

Please get him assessed as soon as you can. If your son is getting down then the more you can act quickly the better. It sounds like you know this in your heart.

Can you keep on talking to the Special Needs Teacher, checking in every week or something? It sounds like she is observant and maybe understanding towards your son.

The games sound like they are a familiar and reassuring part of your son's world. Can you sit with him and connect over the runescape?? My son is really into gta4 clips on YouTube. They have been driving me mad, but in good and friendly moments I watch and chuckle with him as I watch them too...

I too had been much too harsh over the years, trying to make my son behave and conform. The deschooling sites (Sandra Dodd in the US) may be about home education, but a lot could be used to destress the household when living with a suspected AS child who is at school during the day. The attitudes are helpful to me anyway.

Both my sons have been diagnosed with High Functioning Autism, though I had thought AS was the likely outcome. So that is where I am coming from. 10 year old is home ed and 13 year old is in year 9.

HTH

it does sound pretty much like AS, have you taken a look at the NAS website and similar to see if you recognise more?
good luck

link to national autistic society what is aspergers