ADHD and ASPERGERS

[helpYOUiWILL]

hi, hope someone can help!!

My son recently had into his school the educational psychologist and a man from the county autistic team. The EP lady said she could see aspergers traits in him (but she also sees them in "normal" children) but the man (who was doing an ADOS assessment???) said he thinks my son has ADHD and ASPERGERS. They came on different days.

We now have to wait for an appointment to discuss the results further as they are unable to officially diagnose a child. However, if these professionals think he has got these conditions how likely is it that he definetly has?

What i am concerned about is that my husband and i really do think he has these problems but are worried that the pead consultant will say that he doesn't.

Also what do they do for an ADOS assessment?

Ask alot of questions in a questionaire...detailed ones from different people and then compare the results to see if they are more or less the same. You would be one and a teacher from school.I'm sure I filled in one.

ADOS is a wellr egarded,validated toolused as part of the diagnosis of Spectrum Disorders.Part. It should also be (not always is, but should) be part of a multi disciplinary evaluation at least including a SLT and a PAed, but also optimally with an OT, and PT and Ed Psych.

ADHD is really common as a comorbid with Spectrum Disorders. Indeed,teh attitude around this way is that a child on the spectrum willalmost always have some form of comorbid disorder, its whether you can separate it that matters.

So is ds3'slack of wriintg becyuuase he is stubborn with his autism,orbecuase he ahs dysgrpahia? I think the first but who knows?

DS1 (AS / HFA as a dx, although technically that'sa non existant dx- long story,linked to an absence of properSLT assessment so Paed hedged her bets....) has dyslexia, hypermobile wrists, semantic pragmatic issues,eating disorders (now managed)....with ds3 they are debating whether assessment for adhd is worth doing (as educationally he gets enough input in his SNU anyway).

make your feelings known to the PAed; some people are reluctant but paedsusually prefer the openness.

many thanks. Is there a website i could access that would have a copy of the ADOS assessment that they use. Would just like a preview really.

Hmm
you may find a copy on a support thread somewhere, but genrally the toolsare soldunder licence for £++++ and carefully guarded.Ihad one at univeristy to study but it was collected after the class.

Sometimes someone on an ASD thread gets hold of a tool and puts it up but can take afair amount ofdedication totrack it down.