Looking for info on Asperger's.

Kerry - posted on 01/29/2009

another great site i found from a link on tony attwood's site (considered a world leader in AS and autism) a group i didnt know existed in my state (i gotta look harder into this one too)

http://www.mindsandhearts.net/resources....

Kerry - posted on 01/29/2009

hi Kimberly, Its a long hard road to figure out any of the autism based difficultiys.  The extreme of the behaviour can be the thing that tells you that it is Autism happening.  It might take a long time to spot the things that you would have come to see as eccentric traits of your child in a lot of cases.  So when the research is done as you read things will click for you as something your child does.

When my Asperger S daughter was little she would not walk out the front of the house because there were ants. I was hard on her about it, its just an ant they are little and you are big, dont be sooky. She was terrified of them because there was more than one, it turns out that she remembered an ant bite that really hurt her and thought tht if there was more than one they would all run just to bite her (not because she had put her hand near the nest.).

OOps one day i told her just to stay away from the nest and they would not go near her, she walked a long way to go around the nest and the ants left her alone.  She still is not happy about ants but the thought of them does not keep her inside the house anymore.

The good part of having an aspergers child is that you can teach them alternative ways to do things, you can explain logically how or why something works like that, or why someone would think a certain way, if you tell them logically without prettying it up too much, they can understand and will remember to correct that particular behaviour.  The AS kids are the ones who just dont understand some things until you give them the full logical explanation.

read through the  site of wendy lawson an older lady who found out about her own aspergers as she got older, she has check lists and some stories that might help you understand.  Its not as hard to understand if we step oout of what we think of as normal, and look at the world through their eyes for a while.

http://www.mugsy.org/wendy/

also look at information and links from tony attwood site

http://www.tonyattwood.com.au/

good luck K

Kimberly - posted on 01/29/2009

Thanks to all! Unfortunately, the school is lacking funding (california is broke) so i have to move on with it myself. After researching online and asking other friends who are OT/PT/SP I decided to take it upon myself to schedule an appointment with our ped dr. who is also a behavioral psyc. will check the websites you all offered, funny enough i never hit any of those in my search. truly appreciate it. this has been extremely an emotional week and i just can't stop myself from crying about it. am a wreck! just trying to get it figured out i have been told is such a long process....why is that?

Cristal - posted on 01/27/2009

My son is 12 and he has (AS).  I went to meetings and the internet has alot of info.  You will find that alot of schools even drs dont have alot of info on the subject.  I looked mostly on the intranet.  I have some web sites and some books. If you want a list email me.  I would be happy to help you out.  I know I wished that i had somebody to help me out when I found out.  Their is alot more info now then even 6 years ago.

Trisha - posted on 01/27/2009

Hi, Kim. My son is 7 and was diagnosed with Asperger's (AS) last spring. My defense was to learn absolutely everything I could so I could help my son in every way possible. SO, I hope I can share some with you and be of help!



The reason WebMd gave you an Asperger's suggestion for the two items you typed in is because the majority of people with AS have sensory disfunction and also have trouble communication/socializing. Asperger's is a DSM-IV-classified disorder, which means it is a psychological disorder and that there are specific criteria for getting a diagnosis. Some refer to AS as a mild form (or highly functioning form) of autism, and I sometimes even find myself saying that since most people don't know Asperger's but do know autism. HOWEVER, kids with Asperger's are quite different than autistic children. For one thing, kids with AS learn (with help, of course) to recognize some of their "issues" and also learn how to deal with them. Unfortunately, most people with autism cannot do this. That's not to say that all of the symptoms of AS are phased out, but it does mean that social interaction can and usually does improve, and that, as you work with a child, you're less likely to have problems with tantrums and physical outbursts.



I'm not sure where you're located, but even if this organization isn't regional to you, I would highly suggest visiting their Web site; they have a tremendous amount of information, and it's specific to Asperger's, not just disabilities on the autistic spectrum. The organization is the Asperger's Association of New England (based just outside Boston). The Web site is http://www.aane.org/.



What your teacher is seeing with your son's balance is a sign of sensory disfunction (aka sensory processing disfuntion, sensory integration dysfunction). It basically means that when a person smells, touches, hears, or sees something, their brain interprets it differently than a neurotypical brain. There are a LOT of ways that sensory disfunction can present itself. A good Web site for learning more about this is http://www.spdfoundation.net/ (the Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation).



If you read a bit more about Asperger's and think it "fits," you can see a child psychologist for a diagnosis. There are other professionals who can give a diagnosis as well, including a developmental pediatrician.



A great book that I've recommended to another mom here is The Oasis Guide to Asperger's Syndrome. It's full of information, including where to start to get a diagnosis, and how an Aspergian brain functions!

Becca - posted on 01/27/2009

I like www.autismawareness.com and you can just google Asperger Symptoms and you will find so many things to fill out questionaires. We live in Indiana and the County's Social Services center came out and assessed our children when the time came - it's stressful but they make it easier, it's at no cost to you, and they will provide you with so much information.

Stacie - posted on 01/26/2009

I'm not sure exactly what you need but I would start with getting you child tested.  Ask your doctor where to go to do this.  Social issues are a huge flag as are coordination, fine motor skills (difficulty say buttoning clothes), does your son have limited interests?  Feel free to e-mail me,  I'm by no means an expert, just another mom with a 10 year old son who has been through alot!  stacie.wallace@yahoo.com