Post by pammar123 on Aug 26, 2005 7:56:48 GMT -5
I love kids on the autism spectrum. They are sooooooooooo sweet and naive and loveable. My son has PDD-NOS, not quite Aspergers. ONly a good NeuroPsych can diagnose Aspergers. It's hard to diagnose. A counselor is not equipped to make a diagnosis, since she has no medical training, but I woudln't ignore it. A child with Aspergers needs intervention badly to be the best he can be. Some, if not a lot, Aspergers adults need help with adult living, and it would be a shame to blame a kid we may think is ADHD for not being able to make good life choices. Aspergers kids can be brilliant and still not "get it" and need guardianship as an adult. Some can be self-sufficient, but it is often a struggle. Do not delay a diagnosis because you are afraid. That is a disservice to your child. Aspergers is often caught at a later age, which ADHD or ADHD/ODD being the first diagnosis. Not all autistic kids are violent. My own son is almost too peaceful. Somebody could hit HIM on the back of the head with a baseball bat and he woudln't even tell me. If I f ound out, he'd say, "But he's my FRIEND!" Everyone is his friend. He is very much unable to "get" real life and the ugliness of some people. My 9 year old recently ran from a man in a car who tried to lure her inside. While we praised her, my PDD-NOS son said, "But, Mom, he probably just wanted to talk to her or give her a ride home." This is after talking to him about not trusting strangers only about 100 times! Yes, I strongly urge you go to a NeuroPsych, the best professionals to diagnose both ADHD and autism, and see. Nothing good can come from not knowing. A lot of good can come from knowing. There are tons of interventions out there to make the child as high functioning as possible. Aspergers kids, some of them, can be independent, but the more intervention they get EALRY the better the prognosis. Please don't be scared. Your child is the same today as he will be if he is diagnosed with Aspergers. The difference is, he will be able to start getting help that will impact his entire life. Note: There are no medications for Aspergers. ADHD like behavior is part and parcel of Aspergers and not a seperate disorder, according to the NeuroPsych who tested my son for twelve hours, over four visits, and spent ten years working at Mayo Clinic. NeuroPsychs spend much more time with the kids than counselors and psychiatrists, many who don't even recognize autism. MY son was diagnosed first with ADHD/ODD and put on stims, then bipolar and put on heavy duty bipolar meds. He has neither. Good luck.
pammar and welcome to our forum family!!!! we are so glad you are here!! thank you so much for your invaluable information!!! you sound like you have definitely lived the experience and done the research. your experiences will provide excellent info to many. thanks again and keep coming back!! 
