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?

Possibly or High Functioning Autism. Try not to be too hard on yourself. You are getting him help now. Don't think there is a person on this board who doesn't feel bad about something to do with their child's special needs. I spent 8 months trying to steer my ds, who has High Functioning Autism into being "normal" and I deeply regret that now.

Sure someone will come and talk to you soon who has much more experience than me. I am relatively new to this .

Hi Sarah876

Sorry not much to say about AS as all new to me also, but big hugs as I know how scary it all seems at the mo.

What are your sons problems in school, Sarah876? Your son sounds very much like mine, (who is not diagnosed with Aspergers, but his last 3 teachers have suspected he has) and I'm wondering what to expect when we have to deal with high school.

My GP wasn't keen to refer my son, but his school was very happy for him to be seen by the educational psychologist (who can't actually diagnose)- Lot's of schools aren't prepared to fund this, though.

Hi Sarah, My son has both ASD (Aspergers) and ADHD, so it is possible to have both.

The first port of call is to go to the GP and get a referral for a pediatrician and an educational or child psychologist.
It takes a long time to get a DX and also a statement to get him extra help at school if and should he require it. My son only got prompt assessment as his behaviour was so bad he was almost permanently excluded in reception class, at 4 years old!

Has school said they are struggling with him? IS he on an IEP do you know?

Hi
I have an 11 year old who only got a formal diagnosis of aspergers in May.He also has dyspraxia.
Yes it does sound like your son could have aspergers...but best thing is to get the referral thing up and running because it can take a long time.
The gp was more than happy to refer my boy...one tip is to go armed with lots of info...and be very concise about what you believe the problem to be. My gp just basically said 'i have no experience and little idea what you are talking about ...but you sound like you do...so i'm happy to refer'.
Does your boy have funding at school?(he does not need a dx for this).And what have they put in place to help him at school?
My boy now gets 15 hours funding a week...it has made a huge amount of difference.
The dx has also made a huge amount of difference for both of us.
Ooh good luck...it's tough...and yes you need to let yourself off the hook re the guilt thing. He's a lucky boy to have you in his corner.

thanks everyone for your advice.the problems my son is having at school are simply he does not do his work , does not bring his planner home so i have no idea what he is up to at school. Is getting detention all the time , has already had a exclusion within one month of being there. Has made racist remarks and does not realise what the problem is , it is everyone elses fault and when i ask what does he mean he says he doesnt like them because they are all cocky.i just hope they speed it up for me ive been asking for help for well over 3 years now.

If things are getting problematic at school, I would really push now to get your DS seen by a specialist ASAP. The earlier he gets help the better IMO. Go to the GPs and get a referral. Good Luck Oh and remember if he does have ASD etc then he can't usually help his behaviour and the way he acts, it's not his fault, and should never be made to feel that way by the school.

Have a look at the checklist here and see if any ring bells from his early years. This is officially a document for health professionals so it's quite hard to find.

Troutpout
You mentioned that a child can have funding for support in school without a dx, how does this happen, who do we need to talk to get get this in place. There is an 18month waiting list for our dx, although all the professionals have said son is hfa, as or dxspraxic.