Asperger's syndrome...please help.?

Question

During parent teacher conference yesturday I was told my son may have Asperger's syndrome. I don't really know anything about this and I have been doing research on the internet. Is there anything I can do, any learing books to get him. All I really keep seeing is the word Autisim.

Answer 1

I've known some adults with asperger's and it's really not very obvious. They're usually very, very brilliant people and can be very successful... just socially off-kilter - which can usually pass for eccentric. One of my friends is just generally silent, I guess he's worried about slip-ups.

They just have to try a little harder to remember the things that come more naturally to others. It's very rare though, definitely get a second opinion.

Answer 2

Asperger's Syndrome falls under the Autism Spectrum of disorders. Asperger's is the higher functioning end of the disorder. Children tend to have less severe charactoristics of Autism with Asperger's. That is why you keep seeing Autism when you look up information. It is a form of Autism. Since your teacher and district professionals feel it is possible he may have Aspergers I would recommend having him evaluated by a neurologist before you classify him as Autistic or on the Spectrum. This way he will diagnosed medically and not just carry an educational diagnosis which is better, because doctors tend to know more about his disorder than school personnel.

As far as books to help him learn. How does he do learning from the enviroment? Is he needing help learning in school or is this just going to be used as an extension of his learning in school? I would recommend you go to a web site called Autismspeaks.com. This is a website about Autism and offers many resources, even the opportunity to speak with other parents that are having the same issues that you are or ones that have in the past. They can be a great resource for information as well as doctors, your rights as a parent in the IEP process and what you can do to help your child.

Since your question was so vague and I don't know the age of your son or the severity of his disorder I don't feel it is appropriate to recommend any learning tools. Children that fall under the Autism Spectrum Disorder vary greatly from other children with the disorder. There is such a wide range of abilities from child to child. I think it would be best for you to consult your physician, see what they say and go from there.

Good luck! I hope everything goes well.

Answer 3

You need to see a clinical psychologist to confirm whether or not your son does have Asperger syndrome, they would also be able to advise on the best sort of education for him and coping strategies. As every child with Asperger syndrome is so totally different you cannot generalise with them. They do however share the same triad of impairments as children with autism but usually at a much higher level. Some good books to read are by an Australian psychologist called Tony Attwood. Having Asperger syndrome is not the end of the world and with the right sort of help if your son does have it he could still achieve. Good luck.

Answer 4

The teacher can raise concerns that your child may have aspergers but he has no right to say he has, your son needs to be refereed to a pediatrician to be assessed in the right way, My twin son Thomas has severe Autism, which is the more severe end of the 'spectrum' take in to account what the teacher says but always wait for the right diagnoses before anything
best of luck

Answer 5

Take him to the doctor and have him tested, and if he does have it, there's no need to panic.

AS is a very mild branch of autism. A child with Asperger's may exhibit some signs of autism, but they will be more mild, and like autistic children they may get "stuck" when they don't get their way, so they may pull temper tantrums.

My advice to you would be to give your son lots of love and support and be very flexible with him, but don't treat him like he's really, really different because he needs to learn how to make his way in life on his own (autistic children, including those with AS, are not often independent and rely on family to do things for them). If he throws a tantrum in public, do not hesitate to remove him from the area. You can take him outside and try to talk with him, but if that doesn't work, take him home and give him a consequence. Be sure to let all teachers or instructors know what he has and make sure they are aware of ways to deal with him if he gets "stuck". Kids with AS tend to become somewhat obsessed with very obscure things (for example, toilet paper - can tell you everything about it!) and you can humour him to a certain extent, but after a while if your son passes the mark where it is no longer acceptable to talk so much about this, gently steer him away from the topic. If he has learning difficulties which sometimes come with AS, you can help him get through it, such as if he has trouble with writing, maybe get him a laptop to use for school work (my ten-year-old with AS does this). Good luck!

Answer 6

Autism covers a whole range from severely mentally retarded to PhDs (no jokes please). There is a pretty famous woman by the name of Dr. Temple Grandin who is autistic and wrote 2 books. I read one of them called "Animals in Translation". She was able to better understand and decode animal behavior because of her autism.

What she and others say is that Aspergers are people who are usually on the very highest part of the functionality range for autistics. Some though not all of them are geniuses.

What is going to be best for you and your son is to get him evaluated and in a treatment program of some kind ASAP if he is very young. If he is older, treatment can still be helpful, but I am very doubtful that one of your son's teachers is actually qualified to make such a diagnosis. Diagnosis probably be made by a neurologist, a child psychologist, the Child Study Team at your son's school - someone qualified...... NOT a classroom teacher.

Please do not ignore the situation. Get him tested by the appropriate people. And if it turns out to actually be Aspergers, be assured that he is in rather good shape and can probably function quite well in life.

Answer 7

I'm not too sure about it but there's a book about a boy who had Asperger's called the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. You might have heard of it. I don't know anyone who has Asperger's but in the book the boy was great with numbers and not to great with people. He also had some wierd habits eg. he hated the colours yellow and brown.

Answer 8

I too have Asperger's syndrome. I am a doctor now, and I became one after first getting my PhD in physics.
All my life I have realized that I was different: I associated things with colors and flavors rather than on what those things were. Hard to comprehend this? Then you see what your child is going through.
There are a number of books on this available on Amazon, and I suggest that you read a few. Being married to a girl who is also a professional, she just thought that I was unfriendly, a loner; the books opened her eyes and made our communication better.
My name is Kellen Raid, and you may email me at [e-mail] if you would like; I have busy practices in two locations so it may be a couple of days before I get back to you.
My message is to not despair. Your child is special but not in the sense of retarded per se; your son looks at things differently and relates in ways you cannot comprehend. He may appear slow now, but if you are patient and cultivate his mind, he will likely ascend to greatness.
The thing that haunts our ilk is depression. I had it for years and wondered why I could not be happy like my peers; oh, I did not need their company, but I was jealous of their ability to converse so easily, get along so seamlessly. It was only two years ago that my personal physician, and him not knowing anything about Asperger's, did some research and began me on Lexapro.
After two weeks on Lexapro my life began anew; always creative, now I am without limit.
That is another thing about "us": we cannot turn the old mind off. Sleep has always been elusive, though better in the last few years.
Again, do not despair. Read the books. Get back with me if you would like, for I would love to help another person so "afflicted." Afflicted is a poor word, as I believe that it is a blessing.

Answer 9

The teacher , as you have been told is not qualified to diagnose your son. You must see your G.P who will be able to refer you to a professional who is. Until then do not worry until there is something to worry about. I would personally speak to the head of the school about this teacher, she really has no right to worry you as she may well be very wrong. Since the 'inclusion' band waggon teachers are assuming that they know it all just because they have bumped into someone in the dining hall with s.e.n. Even professional whose expertise is in this area do very detailed assessments with the child and the parents before they would dream of passing such a comment. The teacher needs to be stopped NOW before she worries anybody else, probably unnecessarily.

Answer 10

The best thing to do is to get him books about things he is interested in. Find some parents to talk to who have children with Asperger's. I have Asperger's, but I don't have any children or experience with children with Asperger's.