being stigmatised

[sarah876]

My son is going through the process of assessment to see whether he has Aspergers syndrome....I think that he does but I am beginning to wonder if I should continue....will a diagnosis be beneficial?

i would say if he's struggling socially or at school not sure how old your ds is but a diagnosis can open doors to all sorts of help to help him

if he is coping at school etc and not affecting him as such then maybe if you didnt want to then dont but in my opinion having a dx for my ds was the best thing as there are explainable reasons on paper for his behaviour at times his not expected to perform as "normal" children do which would cause him distress and struggles

so for him he needed that dx to open doors for help as he would other wise struggled my ds is 4 with HFA and speech problems

My son is 12.....he is not doing well at school as he just does not concerntrate on his work through being distracted by just about anything....he is though a very clever boy and would do well if he had more one to one.He seems to have friends but the common interest is computer games so not what you call true friendship.I thought a diagnosis would help others understand his rude behaviour sometimes.....im not so sure he is that bothered....its a hard one to decide....dont want to make life difficult for him when he is older.

Agree with Bubbla, Sarah.

My DS2 has a dx of an asd.

A dx provides an explanation to why he is behaving in a certain way, why he finds things like moving from topic to topic difficult in school, why he has difficulty communicating with his peer group.

My DS is statemented and attends a communication unit in a ms school so all his learning needs are attended to because of his dx and the statement itself.

Socially and at home, because he finds it overwhelming at times, noise, hustle and bustle (not as structured), playing games, joining in - all things that create difficulties, I can say to his older brother and sister, as well, as any of their friends that come round "well, DS is autistic and that means he finds the rules of such and such difficult to follow" or whatever. Kids like a concrete explanation to things, even if that also needs explaining somewhat.

As a family we have found it enormously beneficial to have a dx even though going through it is horrible and scary x

i think now days to be honest its not a case of if his bothered that would be part of the dx anyway my ds has no concept and doesnt care about others etc there thoughts or actions

if his schooling is affected his not getting the necessary help required this cannot be given without a dx also when he enters adult hood a dx would help him alot as he wont fit society as others will and the dx will open doors for help etc and he as he gets older will understand more about it and will be able to work with professionals to get the best out of life

i think it would be worth doing for his own sake and for his future

if hes at primary level and coping it might be worth doing just in case needs more support when reachesjunioursor secondary school

We have seen the paediatrician and he has now referred to the ed psychologist for a report so he can make a diagnosis....the school are pushing for one too.Its a shame it wasn't picked up before....he is my eldest son and I had nothing to compare, just thought he was hard work and got on with it....I do worry for him esp when he is older....I feel reassured though by your comments and hopefully by the end of the year we will have our answers ( takes sooooooooooo long)

Tried to get help before he went up to secondary school but as you all know it takes so long in anything getting done...so still waiting

good luck please let us know how he gets on

If your ds was coping fine (sometimes this is hard to guage anyway isn't it) and everything was going dandy at school then i would question it too...but if he is having problems and is getting no help then i think it's different.
ds (nearly 12) only got his diagnosis of aspergers and dyspraxia just over a year ago .
He has funding now for 15 hours a week help at school. The school has been brilliant tbh (i am amazed how much easier/better it is at secondary ...he had a really tough time at primary.
The funding has changed our lives...but the diagnosis has also helped.He was beginning to ask questions about himself too (about why he was different) and turning it inwards on himself...the diagnosis has helped him understand much about himself.
I see the diagnosis as a signpost for others ...and also i see it as 'protection' (iykwim)..for when i'm not around. It guards him against getting all the wrong labels.

Sarah876, I just had a home visit from our ED-Psych to discuss wether to seek a DX for DS2 (who is 8 and prob has AS), and ended up with her agreeing to assess DS1 who is almost 11, as he is having increasing problems these days, though mainly at home not at school, I always thought he was a bit different, fussy and sensitive but like you he was my first and i just got on with it, he makes eye contact and has strong friendships so i dismissed ASD at first but now I'm not so sure... anyway I'm hoping for some advice about teaching him to cope with anxiety before he goes to high school in a year... and the descision about DS2 has been put off for another year.
It is very difficult to decide on seeking a DX if you have managed for a long time, probably easier to decide if your child has problems at an earlier stage (mine coped fine with playgroup and nursery and only really struggle with a few bits of school, the annual scottish poetry recitation competition is HELL!)

PS
I have always answered DS2's questions and the questions of teachers and family as if DS has an official DX of AS (he has DX of social and communication disorder from SALT and ed-physch).

We have been having all sorts of problems partially with his behaviour ( being excluded 8 times in six months) and also the added pressure on his siblings having to cope with him at times when he is being loud and anouying....I agree I do not want him having the "wrong labels" and that was my argument with the paediatrician, i did not want to excuse his behaviour at times but to at least have an explanation for it and an understanding from others as to why he is speaking inappropriately...etc. I will keep you all informed x