Can someone have Aspergers and a low IQ?

[cornflakegirl]

A friend of mine has been tested by some psychologists recently and they have suggested she may have Aspergers. I was really surprised when she told me, as I though people with AS were high-functioning. She has an IQ somewhere in the 80s, and would be described by most people as a slow learner (eg no GCSEs over a D grade).

I wouldn't be surprised to learn she was on the autistic spectrum (because of her social interaction), but I never would have thought AS. Is it possible?

Well, if there are care proceedings impending she MUST get a solicitor! They will advocate for her, but also be very aware how the system works.
the citizens advice bureau can direct you and her to one, also they can point you in the directions of proper disability advocates (we use an educational advocacy service for the boys). it makes a whole lot of difference.

Something isn't quite right here, they seem to have an agenda.

bullet - she was allowed - encouraged - to talk to her daughter - but she wasn't supposed to talk to anyone else. I guess they wanted to make sure she was focusing on her daughter, but I found it really unnatural.

Peachy - she has a solicitor - she says she has three!

I don't know if anyone's got an agenda. Her social worker has seemed genuine when I and others have talked to her. The court-appointed guardian also seems very professional.

I don't really have any input into the process. But I'm torn about how I should be reacting with my friend. She believes she'll get her daughter back. I'd love that to happen for my friend's sake, but I want the best for her daughter too.

Ok, I take it back re the talking if she could talk to her daughter. Does seem odd not to talk to anyone else though.
I'm presuming Social Services have given her, or her solicitor a written report of their findings detailing eactly why the measures to take her daughter into care were taken. If the solicitor looks through it and can find that unreasonable expectations have been placed, or things have been misinterpreted, then they may have a case. You spoke of too high demands, perhaps they could argue that point. All babies are different and many parents don't abide completely by the governmental guidelines on things liek breastfeeding and weaning for example, but their children still grow up healthy and well adjusted and loved. I hope that things get resolved.

bullet - it felt very odd!

The expectations felt too high to me - and to my friend and her family - but when I spoke to her social worker, the issues weren't to do with her not being a perfect mother, but about whether her daughter would be safe, and whether my friend could keep up with her changing needs.

My friend was doing really well while she was in the centre - no problems with changing or feeding, kept her daughter clean and warm. But she apparently needed quite a lot of input to get there. At one point, they were concerned that the bottles she was giving her daughter were too hot - she said no-one had shown her how to check.

I guess a lot of the problem is common sense and experience. My friend is fine in situations were she's been shown what to do, but has more trouble adapting if something new happens.

I know that everyone has new situations suddenly arrive - the baby falls off the bed because you didn't know he could roll etc. But I (and you from the sound of your posts) can prepare for a lot of them by research. And that's not something my friend is inclined to do.

If she were living by herself, she would have a big support network - and she'd probably spend a fair amount of time with people with older children, which would probably be a good substitute for research. But I guess there would be no guarantees that we'd be there for all the new situations.