I WANTED TO KNOW IF ANYONE KNOWS HOW TO TEST A CHILD FOR ASBERGERS DISEASE?

Ann - posted on 09/16/2011

My son Justin has all the symtoms of Aspergers Syndrome, but the school sent up to Easter Seals and they said he doesn't have it. My son has ADHD,Sensory disorder & Auditory Process Disorder, Anxiety Disorder and Social Disorder. Does anyone know in New Hampshire that could help get him diagnosed? Thanks Ann

Paula - posted on 11/13/2009

Hi, my son is 8 and was diagnosed with Aspergers a year ago. He has since been diagnosed with ADHD as well. I live in Kinston and had no family doctor so I started at Pathways. I don't know where you live, I had to fight hard to get people to listen. I figured out Asperers myself and just went and insisted he be propely tested. You know your son best, so keep pushing and don't let the doctors brush your insticts off. Keep trying you will eventually end up with a caring and compassionate person that will listen and help you with your son. I went through much testing to get here but it was all worth it because he is doing well now.

Brandi - posted on 11/13/2009

Do you know if there is an Easter Seals around where you live? This is where I took my sons. They are wonderfull and work with a large range of disabilities. They are also very helpfull when you have questions or concernes. I've read that you are from Canada. I tried to look it up on their web site and I think it says that there is one there,but I'm not too sure where. Here is that web site www.easterseals.com. I wish you and you little ones luck and love.

Heather - posted on 11/12/2009

Firstly, IF your child has Aspergers a psychologist IS the right person to see. You cannot medicate it - it takes years of socialisation and social stories for the child to learn HOW to live in this world.

If the child has other issues (like ADD) then medication can help. I have one child with Aspergers, OCD and ADD. I have another one with PDD, OCD and ADHD. I also got a diagnosis of Aspergers / ADD when I was 40 years old (it's often genetic) and they hadn't heard of it much when I was a kid.

Do persist - see everyone you can. Try googling "A4" it gives you a simple easy to understand (and not too long) overview of Autism, Aspergers and PDD-NOS. Read them and see where you think your child fits - then get him assessed.

Good luck!

Carol - posted on 11/12/2009

First of all you need to find a pc doc that will listen(ours still doesnt even after diagnosis).You will have to have your child evaluated,I started by calling our local mh/mr.They didnt evaluate but headed me in the right direction,and helped me find a psychologist that specializes in aspergers.We had to travel about an hour each way,but it was well worth it.Once we had the diagnosis we were able to get services locally.Dont give up...it took me 8 years to finally get a diagnosis.

Heather - posted on 11/11/2009

You (and the child) need to see a Clinical Psychologist who will ask you to fill out a questionaire (or maybe 3) and ask you general quesstions about your child.
In Australia this diagnosis can only be confirmed by a Clinical Psychologist (who works with kids) OR a Pediatrician.

I would ask why you think that your child has Aspergers Syndrome? What does he do that makes you think it could be that? Write these things down and take the list to the Psychologist with you. He may have Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)? Never hurts to get a second opinion.

Mary - posted on 11/11/2009

Aspergers is not actually a disease at all but more of a condition that many children have. The word disease itself can give the wrong impression of Aspergers and the many wonderful children who experience it. In this article I will give a simple explanation of some of the characteristics of Aspergers and then give some useful tips on how to manage challenging behaviours which are often associated with this condition.



Aspergers is a developmental disorder that affects a child's ability to socialize and communicate effectively with others. Children with Aspergers typically exhibit social awkwardness and an all-absorbing interest in specific topics. Signs and symptoms of Aspergers include displaying unusual nonverbal communication, such as lack of eye contact, few facial expressions, or awkward body postures and gestures. People with Aspergers will often show an intense obsession with one or two specific, narrow subjects, such as baseball statistics, train schedules, weather or snakes. They will appear not to understand, empathize with, or be sensitive to others' feelings and will have a hard time "reading" other people or understanding humor. When they speak it is often in a voice that is monotonous, rigid or unusually fast. They will sometimes appear to move clumsily, with poor coordination and display an odd posture or a rigid gait



Children with Aspergers frequently display challenging behaviors as a response to a world which they cannot deal with effectively. Any attempt to discontinue the behaviors must first consider why the behavior is occurring. The best way to establish why the individual with Aspergers is displaying challenging behaviors is to complete an A-B-C analysis. This includes an analysis of the Antecedent, Behavior, and the Consequence. The antecedent is what happens before the behavior. The behavior is their response to the antecedent. The consequence, and this is the tricky one, is whatever immediately follows the behavior. Often the child with Aspergers will have limited ability to verbalize their needs; you can help them with this once you have identified the cause of the behavior. Remember it will be something that happens either before or after the behavior occurs. Once you have established the reason for the behavior, the child with Aspergers will need a consistent behavior program or method of intervention. Children with Aspergers crave consistency and routine and need to know what is coming, or you will simply create more challenging behaviors.



For children with Aspergers, the behavioral intervention should include consideration of environmental changes that may need to be made. This may include removing items that may be over-stimulating or providing things that they appear to need. For the child with Aspergers, the behavioral intervention should also plan to provide the individual with a replacement behavior. Remember, if you eliminate the behavior without meeting the need, they will find their own replacement behavior! Autism and Aspergers are difficult to diagnose especially in young children where language and cognitive skills are still developing. All children are different, and many toddlers show a sign or symptom of Aspergers at some point.



It's natural for small children to be egocentric, and many little ones show a strong interest in a particular topic, such as dinosaurs or a favorite fictional character. These alone aren't reasons to be alarmed! However, if your child has frequent problems in school or seems unable to make friends, it's time to consult your pediatrician. These difficulties have many possible causes, but developmental disorders such as Aspergers shouldn't be ruled out. Hopefully this article will have provided you with some ideas of what to do next, where to seek help and how to manage your child's behaviors better.



Dave Angel is a social worker with families who have children on the Autistic Spectrum and is the author of a new e-book that answers the 46 most asked questions by parents of children with Asperger’s. To claim your free 7 day Mini-Course for parents of children with Asperger’s Syndrome visit: http://www.parentingaspergers.com today.

Dawn - posted on 11/09/2009

Sorry, I don't have an answer.Hopefully you will see the right kind of doctor to help you & steer you in the right direction. I'm sure it's frustrating . Us moms are not Dr.s but we usually know a thing or two when it comes to our kids.- My youngest (5 yrs. old) is diagnosed being developmentally delayed. I've read up on aspergers & she seems to fit the part in many ways (mildly) . I think because she doesnt fit the description severely and the autism spectrum is so wide, its hard to diagnose. We have seen a neurologist. I would love to hear what kind of Dr. your son will see that will help you find the correct diagnosis.

Lori - posted on 11/09/2009

My son was diagnosed by a physchiatrist. He did tests on him and also had us fill out a ton of stuff to find his official diagnosis which was high functioning aspergers. Peditriticians and pyschologists were no help. It took us going to the pyschiatrist for anything to get figured out and then it was pretty fast.

Cassandra - posted on 11/07/2009

well, first of all it helps 2 have kindergarten/school behind you in believing there is something not right with your child. it is sometimes hard 2 get a diagnosis for aspergers syndrome for a child under 6. my son was held back in kindergarten because there wasnt somethin quite right, then within first term at school he had major issues which led to a referral 2 our local paedatrician who looked into ADHD.the school organised a session with what they call a guidance counsellor (kind of like a child physchologist). she noticed he had autistic like 'symptoms' and didnt totally agree with the ADHD diagnosis. that led to a referral for an aspergers 'test' after a long wait for the test then a years wait for the official results, they confirmed what we kind of already knew ( but couldnt get any official help until we had a diagnosis) so hang in there and dont give up!!!!!! and keep on them doctors backs!!!!!

Jodie - posted on 11/06/2009

my son corey was diagnosed in april this year he is 9, the school may also be able to help u gather information and do testing which makes the specialist testing shorter as they did a report for them to read outlining his behaviour away from home, u still have some testing done but quicker results, they tend to take notice of the school before the mother somtimes (thats how it was for me) good luck it can take some time

Maria - posted on 11/05/2009

Hi! My son was just diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome & he was also diagnosed with PDD-NOS. We are in the process of getting him a TSS which is a "Wraparound" or teacher's side for school -- he's only 5. We did notice some "behavvior" problems last year at pre-k took him to see a psychiatrist & they told me ADHD, his doc said that there was no way that he was ADHD because he wasn't "bouncing" off the walls. His doctor mentioned Aspergers Syndrome but wanted to wait till after summer because he wanted to see how he was in school, school started & he was fine for a week & just everything just went bad. We are now in the process of seeing a pediatric psychologist & we are going to go from there. I wish you the best!

Sarah - posted on 11/05/2009

hi dont know if this helps,i know someone with aspergers the first thing they noticed was she had no arches in her feet,dont know if this applys to all cases?

Shelly - posted on 11/04/2009

I fell your pain, my son now 17 was diagnosed in 4th grade. The school helped us out with the testing, the counseler is the one that suggested it. All the questions that we had to fill out and then the teachers too they came up with Aspergers Syndrum, after the school did there thing we then went on to a psych. for further help. It has taken a lot of work for him and me to get him to the place that he is today. The schools have worked with him sooo much, he has(had) very bad behavior problems(out burts in class, biting himself, throwing desks-chairs, hitting people) but as he has gotten older some of these have gone away. He has an IEP at school that allows him to leave class when he is feeling stressesd, he has to go to the office and has to be back in class within 10 minutes, it used to be longer time but he is learning how to get himself under control. So far this year he has no had a suspension from school, he has been suspended since 6th grade now in 11th grade. He has a remarkable memory, is very good in english and science; he has even helped teach science because the teacher didn't quite know everything on the subject. He gets very bored in these 2 classes, he is 2 grades above his level in all testing that the schools do. I beleive the tramatic stress probably brought out all of the problems that your son is having, my sons all started after his dad was in a very serious accident and was hospitalized for several months. It has taken many years for him to get where he is today but I beleive everything happens for a reason, why it has to be this way I haven't figured out yet though. My son still gets help from the psych. every 3 months for meds, to help control the anger and to help with the stress of new situations, still has problems coping with new things. We were told that maybe he will be able to stop taking the meds but each time we try to go lower all the anger problems come back, he is on a low dose but he needs it. I hope this helps any way and good luck all of us here have been where you are and are looking ahead. Good luck.

Cecilia - posted on 11/04/2009

I don't know how they determine that a child has asbergers, but my 10 yr old son has been diagnosed with it. Unfortunately, he lives with his father and step-mother and I only see him 2 weekends out of the month. They also diagnosed him with ADHD (this 1st, the others later), ODD, OCD, and anxiety disorder. I did a search for asbergers and found several sites with guidelines. One is apbergers.com. There is a link for diagnostic criteria there that might help.

Holly - posted on 11/04/2009

My oldest child has Asbergers and ADHD...you have to go to a Pycholgist to have a test for it...that's how i found out about mine daughters....the have a tendency to repeat themselves..coop up and not alot of interaction with other kids..ect...I hope this has helped...and meds help too...take care you ....Holly a.k.a. Pixie

Samantha - posted on 11/04/2009

sometimes it takes a long while. his school should help u, they do testing for learning disabilities and behavior problems. or you can start at your pediatricians office. hope this helps you out.

Shelly - posted on 11/03/2009

My son has been diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome and has been tested twice by two different psychologists at two different times, also he has stayed in a behavioral hospital for 2 weeks to make sure that was the right diagnosis. Can i ask you what your childs symptoms are and maybe i can help answer you question?

Michelle - posted on 11/03/2009

contact your local Regional Center and request for testing to be done. If the child is in school as the school district to test the child; they have to test the child within 30 days of your request.

Tammy - posted on 11/03/2009

You should be able to have your child tested through either your school district or your local ESD (EducationalServices Division) check there first. You can find other resources online by typing Aspergers Syndrome into your search engine but for local help you are best off starting with your school district. Hope this helps.

Tami - posted on 11/03/2009

Hi Shelley,

Definately have your son evaluated by a specialist and look into getting him sensory integration therapy. Occupational therapist do sensory integration among other techniques in therapy. OT's do work in mental health settings along with the doctors. It sounds like he needs a group of mental health professionals. Your son may very well have have an attachment disorder or PTSD or anxeity. In mental health, with these disorders one of the treatments used is sensory integration because his sensory processing system isn't working quit the way it should. Don't give up, keep working. My nine year old is autistic and has the worst melt downs. We are working on behavior modifications now among other things. It's so furstrating but his school is working so hard to do what's best for him and I'm doing my part. Your son's melt downs are most likely sensory related and there is help just keep asking about sensory integration therapy for him. They can also teach you things to do at home with him.

Marijo - posted on 11/03/2009

A developmental pediatrician can do and A.D.O.S. test. It is basically 2 hours of them talking to the child and rating how they respond to questions, stories, and how they can communicate. There is usually a wait to get into see one but it is well worth it. My son had some issues most of his life but he wasn't tested until he was 9. The test is for Asbergers or autism. Knowing helps.

Tina - posted on 11/03/2009

Hi, my son has had problems that became very apparent in preschool they said it was anxiety and put him on an IEP for that and speech and it remained that way until he started having major problems in grade school and they didn't know how to treat him. It wasn't until I pushed his counselors to find out what was really wrong that they referred me to a specialist and he was diagnosed with PDD-NOS, the diagnosis for Aspergers would not apply even though he has most of the symptoms because he had a speech delay and did not start talking until he was almost 4. So you really need to see a specialist that diagnoses these problems and then get appropriate help, counseling, groups with peers and an IEP for school, that will help teach them how to behave and learn. My son is now almost 14 and is closer to "normal" than I ever would have hoped. He has friends, is doing great in school, and has even gone to school dances and volunteers at games! He still goes to his therapy group and will soon start the independent living side of things- they teach the kids how to apply for a job, how to cook etc... which I think every kid needs to learn anyway. So get diagnosed and then start prepping for the future, these kids can do GREAT things!!!

Julie - posted on 11/03/2009

Start documenting the date, time, triggers, behaviors/reactions, what happens after, etc. so the next time you see your doctor/specialist you can tell them the facts and/or hand them a list (keep a copy for yourself). I will warn you they may not like being challenged, but you are the parent and know your child best. Advocate for them since they can't yet. I've suspected something has been different with my children also since they were in 2nd grade (ages 14 and 10 now) as well as my husband, and his father. I've been reading up on Aspbergers/PDDNOS and strongly suspect that is what I have been dealing with the past 15 years. Thinking in black and white, taking things literally, some impulsivity in my children, light/touch/temperature sensitivity issues, tantrums especially if something has changed unexpectedly or it's a major change in their lives or what they feel to be a challenge, they cannot read emotions, they shut the rest of the world out, sleep a lot, focus on a particular subject/activity for a certain amount of time, tend to monopolize a conversation, don't realize where their bodies are sometimes, don't realize the noises they are making/how loud they are talking/that they are repeating phrases, ....I could go on.... but I won't. Do your research and be prepared when you go into the doctor's office. Documentation is important when you are trying to disprove someone else's theory. Good luck and take care.

Kylie - posted on 11/02/2009

ok it takes a hell of a lot to get them properly diagnosed my son has seen heaps of specialist they said he had seperation anxiety one dr told me every child bangs their head i wasnt happy with that answer my son will bang is head on concrete and well basically whatever is there another dr said to lock him in his room and let him scream and hurt himself so kids can have tantrums for 4 hours and it fine bullcrap so then i took him to the pedatrician and she said it may be aspergers so i took him back to my good psychologist and she thinks he has got aspergers syndrome but i still have to have one more assestment with my son the psychologist and a speech therapist and then i will know for sure. so just persist with it and dont take no for an answer my son is now four and ive known something was very wrong with him before his first birthday so good luck i hope you get the answer you need kylie

Michelle - posted on 11/02/2009

Try a different Dr? If it is asbergers treat him like a normal kid, just make sure he clearly knows the boundrys and whats happening.

Good luck..

Joni - posted on 11/02/2009

First of all, Not to be rude, but Asperger's is not a DISEASE!!! In order to get your son diagnosed, you need to go through a specialist. Either a psychiatrist or a Neurologist. Psychologists are not the right people, nor is a pediatrician.

Gina - posted on 11/02/2009

Quoting shelly:

THANK YOU EVERYONE I LIVE IN CANADA SO IF ANYONE KNOWS WHERE TO GO IN ONTARIO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LET ME KNOW OF ANYWHERE THAT CAN HELP OK THANK YOU TAKE CARE

Shelly,

I just found this on the web.  They specialize in children with Autism and their families.  Hope it helps:

www.autismpartnership.com/test/toronto

AUTISM PARTNERSHIP

1982 Islington Avenue, Suite 102
Toronto, Ontario M9P 3N5

416-410-7125

416-241-7217 (fax)

Gina - posted on 11/02/2009

Quoting shelly:

I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING TO TRY AND HELP MY SON  HE ENDED UP SCORING A 95% IN SCIENCE AND MATH AND A 34% IN AUDIOTORY MEMORY SO U SEE HE DOESNT HEAR WHAT IS BEING SAID WHICH COULD HAVE LED TO HIS MELTDOWNS

Shelly,

My son, Nathaniel, is 4.  He is a genius when it comes to putting puzzles together.  He can put together adult-sized puzzles... and he has an awesome rote memory (he can recite almost anything he's ever heard). He was diagnosed with PDD-NOS.  Translation:  for him, he has a combination of Autism and Asperger Syndromes.  Along with that, he also has what is called receptive speech disorder and sensory integration.   He can repeat things word for word, but he is not able to effectively process the words he hears.

We first noticed it around 2 1/2 when he just "stopped" developing in some areas.  Our pediatrician had him referred for developmental delays.  Last year, he was evaluated by Children's Health Care of Atlanta for speech, occupational, and physical therapies to cover the bases.  At that point, they realized he has hypersensitive hearing.  I knew there was more to it than that, and CHOA agreed with me, giving the receptive speech disorder diagnosis, as well as telling me off the record that having him tested for Asperger was a good idea.  It took a little over a year due to waiting lists, but he is finally getting speech therapy to help his reception, as well as helping him cope with the life skills he needs in dealing with his PDD and sensory integration. 

Marcus Autism Center in Atlanta, Ga, had a two-fold process for him.  He was seen by a clinical psychologist and developmental pediatrician, and went through a 3-hour testing session.  After we received those results, he was also seen by a behavioral specialist to determine the main causes of his meltdowns, as well as giving us best action to reduce them.   At that point, we were able to discover what type of psychological or psychiactric help he needs.   We currently have someone from Marcus coming to our house once every couple of weeks to incorporate behavioral strategies.  It has worked tremendously, though we are still learning how to deal with different triggers that set him off.

My prayers are with your family...

Blessings,

Gina

Gina - posted on 11/02/2009

Quoting shelly:

I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING TO TRY AND HELP MY SON  HE ENDED UP SCORING A 95% IN SCIENCE AND MATH AND A 34% IN AUDIOTORY MEMORY SO U SEE HE DOESNT HEAR WHAT IS BEING SAID WHICH COULD HAVE LED TO HIS MELTDOWNS

Shelly,

My son, Nathaniel, is 4.  He is a genius when it comes to putting puzzles together.  He can put together adult-sized puzzles... and he has an awesome rote memory (he can recite almost anything he's ever heard). He was diagnosed with PDD-NOS.  Translation:  for him, he has a combination of Autism and Asperger Syndromes.  Along with that, he also has what is called receptive speech disorder and sensory integration.   He can repeat things word for word, but he is not able to effectively process the words he hears.

We first noticed it around 2 1/2 when he just "stopped" developing in some areas.  Our pediatrician had him referred for developmental delays.  Last year, he was evaluated by Children's Health Care of Atlanta for speech, occupational, and physical therapies to cover the bases.  At that point, they realized he has hypersensitive hearing.  I knew there was more to it than that, and CHOA agreed with me, giving the receptive speech disorder diagnosis, as well as telling me off the record that having him tested for Asperger was a good idea.  It took a little over a year due to waiting lists, but he is finally getting speech therapy to help his reception, as well as helping him cope with the life skills he needs in dealing with his PDD and sensory integration. 

Marcus Autism Center in Atlanta, Ga, had a two-fold process for him.  He was seen by a clinical psychologist and developmental pediatrician, and went through a 3-hour testing session.  After we received those results, he was also seen by a behavioral specialist to determine the main causes of his meltdowns, as well as giving us best action to reduce them.   At that point, we were able to discover what type of psychological or psychiactric help he needs.   We currently have someone from Marcus coming to our house once every couple of weeks to incorporate behavioral strategies.  It has worked tremendously, though we are still learning how to deal with different triggers that set him off.

My prayers are with your family...

Blessings,

Gina

Shelly - posted on 11/01/2009

THANK YOU EVERYONE I LIVE IN CANADA SO IF ANYONE KNOWS WHERE TO GO IN ONTARIO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LET ME KNOW OF ANYWHERE THAT CAN HELP OK THANK YOU TAKE CARE

Joyce - posted on 11/01/2009

Also depending what state you belong to, they can offer help. State of California has regional centers, depending what county you are attached to Aspergers syndrome with other conditions can also be considered category 5...

Joyce - posted on 11/01/2009

I would definetly have him re-evaluated with a pediatric neurologist, developmental pediatrician, and pediatric psychatrist whose speciality is Austism Spectrum Disroders...

Shelly - posted on 11/01/2009

I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING TO TRY AND HELP MY SON HE WAS IN COUNSELLING ALSO BEEN TO CHILDRENS TREATMENT CENTER AND WAS TESTED FOR ADHD AND HE ENDED UP SCORING A 95% IN SCIENCE AND MATH AND A 34% IN AUDIOTORY MEMORY SO U SEE HE DOESNT HEAR WHAT IS BEING SAID WHICH COULD HAVE LED TO HIS MELTDOWNS BUT U SEE I DIDNT KNOW ANY OF THIS BEFORE I ENDED UP HAVING TO PLACE MY SON IN FOSTER CARE AFTER HE SPIRLED OUT OF CONTROL AND IT TOOK 2 DOCTORS AND SERVERAL NURSES TO MUMMY HIM IN 6 BLANKETS AND HE WAS SEDATED AND THREE HOURS LATER HE WAS ALL ALERT WHEN MOST KIDS WOULD HAVE BEEN KNOCKED OUT FOR AT LEAST 24 HOURS WHEN SEDATED I KNEW THEN HE HAD A HIGH TOLERANCE FOR PAIN MEDICATION SO I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO NOW WE KNOW AS PARENTS WHEN SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH OUT KIDS AND I JUST DONT FEEL RIGHT SOMETHING MUST HAVE CAUSED HIS MELTDOWNS ATTACHMENT DISORDER TO ME SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING ELSE I DONT KNOW I FEEL EMPTY WITHOUT HIM AND I WISH HE WAS HOME I JUST WANT TO HELP HIM BUT RUNNING OUT OF OPITIONS AND NEED HELP TO FIND HIM SOMETHING TO HELP HIM SO I CAN GET HIM HOME TO ME AND HIS LITTLE BROTHER I LOVE AND MISS HIM SO MUCH BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU ON HELPING ME I WILL CHECK OUT THOSE WEBSITES AT THIS POINT I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING ELSE SO WHY NOT THANKS AGAIN TAKE CARE CAUSE I CARE

Sue - posted on 11/01/2009

Hi Shelly, my grandson (I have custody of) is eight and was diag with Aspergers two yrs ago. I knew something was wrong but couldnt get anyone to listen to me! Finally after yrs of begging my GP sent us to a specialist, they got me to fill out alot of questionairs, I mean a lot! They also spoke with Jacob, did some watching behind a 2 way mirror and got his teacher to fill out questionairs as well. They then sent him to counseling for about 6 mths to help with his melt downs (due to frustrations he doesnt know how to deal with approprately). He also has OCD and ODD which can be common with Aspergers.

I was wondering though since he was molested at such a young age if he has had any counseling for that? You dont mention how old he is now, but I think its important to deal with the sexual abuse first and foremost. Dealing with the abuse will help him deal with any stress he feels. It will let him know that he did nothing wrong, that the person who did this to him was in the wrong. It will also help him, so he doesnt end up sexually abusing someone when he is older. I was sexually abused by a cousin as a child, I never got any help for the feelings I had, the pain and betrayal, shame I felt. I grew up feeling that my only worth was sexual and didnt figure it all out untill I was in my 30's.

If you do some research on line, there are some great sites that will describe Aspergers, ODD and PTSD and it will help you figure out which he might have, if any.
Most children with Aspergers are highly intelligent with above average verbal and communication skills and are exceptional in school especially science and math. An interesting note, 90% of those working at Nasa have Aspergers, because of their lack of social skills they have their own community centers, housing etc to help them deal with those aspects of life so they can socialize with each other and not feel judged. Here is a site on Aspergers

http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/tc/asp...

and one on PTSD in children

http://www.hiddenhurt.co.uk/Articles/PTS...

I hope these help you determine what might be a diagnosis for your son and you push to get him in to see a specialist. Good luck

Shelly - posted on 10/31/2009

thank you everyone for the input i appreciate it yes my son was exposed to some serious stressors in his life he was sexually molested at age 3and a half and his aniexties started after all that occured

Michelle - posted on 10/31/2009

Their are minor differences in MRI's of children with autism. If you feel your child may have post-traumatic stress disorder, then the child may have experienced sufficient stressors to develop attachment disorder.

Heather - posted on 10/31/2009

My son was diagnosed with ADHD in second grade and Aspergers at 13. I had to take him to a specialist and he spent the better part of a day in and out of tests. I could tell you about some of the tests but yo really need to have a specialist perform them.

Alice - posted on 10/30/2009

Please find a psychologist who specializes in autism/aspergers. They'll guide you through everything. My grandson has aspergers. He's so wonderful and it truly can be managed at least to some degree. Good luck to you and your precious son.

Renee - posted on 10/30/2009

He needs to see a child psychologist or developmental pediatrician.

Jen - posted on 10/30/2009

I also have a son,7, with Aspergers and ADHD. We had him test by developmental specialist and neuro-psychologist.

Traci - posted on 10/29/2009

Hello Shelly. My son was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome at the age of 6. He was diagnosed by a children's neuro-psychiatrist. He also had a tic disorder but has outgrown it almost completely. He will be 19 next month. His family physician should be able to refer you to a specialist in your area. Good Luck and God Bless!

Shelly - posted on 10/29/2009

thank you so much i appreciate any hope or answers i can get thanks again

Crystal - posted on 10/29/2009

Hi Shelly. My son was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome 5 years ago, he is 14 now. We saw a pediatric psychologist that performed several tests on Christian. He had been diagnosed with ADHD when he was 4. His diagnosis now is autism (aspergers syndrome), ADHD, OCD, Sensory disorder & Auditory Process Disorder. I hope this helps. Good luck.