Parents of Autistic/Aspergers children. Have you been thrown by assessment results?

Question

We have been going through the assessment merry-go-round regarding Austism/Aspergers for most of this year with our 9 year old son. He has very Autistic/Aspergers specific mannerisms that have been identified, but needed to be assessed in order for him to get the best suited therapy to suit his needs.

The last round of testing involved the cognitive test. His psychologist discussed the results with us, he did not score lower than 95% on any element, and on 5 of them he scored 99%. He has an incredible mind.

Has anybody else been faced with this revelation with their child? Where do we go from here? We have been advised to seek out private school scholarships, but how is that affected by the Autistic behaviours? Will this just produce more anxiety for him?

I guess I am mostly concerned that I now have no idea what the best way to support him is, I mean lets face it, my husband and I are by no means rocket scientists! We have always tried to extend him through his interests, but apparently it is not enough.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

The most important thing is that he learn to function with his peers.  Placing students in a special school happens to be quite popular now but how do you learn to be around everyone - if you are only around people like you?   The issue is almost never their ability or intellect or accumulating knowledge - the issue is always related to motivation, application of skills or knowledge in the real world.

If a student does not get some skills in increased independence and decent social interaction skills - it will not matter how smart they are or what their grades are - they will not be able to navigate the world.

I've seen average intellect but good social skills go on to college and careers and I've seen incredibly intelligent students - institutionalized by age 25 - if they did not have basic social skills.

Answer 2

My son, who is 15, is taking honors classes. We realized that he does better when things are hard and they are subjects that he likes. When he was first tested, he came in with an IQ of 115. The tester told us that it was probably a lot higher than this, but because of the Asperger's, testing can be difficult. When my son was in 3rd grade, he had a lot of behavior issues and was never in class. he basically taught himself. Math had always been difficult because he doesn't like it. He often swings from an F to an A depending on his mood. But we told him that we know he can get an A so that is what we expect.  I would suggest that you continue to have him challenged either by the school or you. When he gets to high school, have him take the harder classes.

Answer 3

It is so hard to know what is best for these children. I have a daughter with Asperger syndrome who is extremely gifted but socially inept. I do think the only and best think you can do for your son is to always be there for him and support him and encourage him in what ever he wants to do. My daughter is a maths genius and works far beyond my capabilities. She now knows that I am unable to keep up with her but she does accept that I will always support her in what she does. One major issue with autistic children is that you cannot force them to do what they don't want to.