My child has asperger syndrome?

Question

My son was recently diagnosed with asperger syndrome by a licensed psychologist and psychiatrist. In addition to this he is being treated for anxiety disorder. He is 13 years old and a rising 8th grader. For the last few years I have noticed that he was somewhat different than the typical child his age. He is of average intelligence (IQ 105) however, he is shy around groups and has a hard time initiating friendships, he doesn't like for his routine to be changed, and he is sensitive to loud noises (such as lunch time at school) he is easily agitated with noises and a very picky eater. I guess my question is would this be considered a disability like autism? I worry about his future and his being able to cope in the real world. With the quirks that he has he may not be able to hold a real job. How can I plan for the future and how do I help him understand his diagnosis?

Answer 1

My son has high functioning autism and as another poster said it is almost indistinguishable from aspergers. He can be very odd at times but has a few good friends that are understanding and tolerate his differences. I encourage these friendships. It is common for Aspies (those at the high finctioning end of the autistic spectrum) to be very loyal to the small group of friend they do make. Get what help you can now as it is becomming commonly recognise that early intervention is the best type of intervention.

Encourage friendships by having a few particular friends over and befriending their parents. These will often turn out to be long lasting. Don't be afraid to tell them of your son's diagnosis, most of them will be understanding, sympathetic and interested. If they aren't then they are not the friends for you and your son. These friends are your sons network and support group of his future. They will provide him with a group of people he can trust to ask many questions about what we take for granted like "How could you possibly feel the buttlerflies in your stomach as the acids would have killed them?" They will also be your piece of mind knwong that you can trust them to help your son through the worst of teenage social life.
It is possible that his anxiety is being caused by his own knowledge that he is so different from his peers?? Unlike those who have classic or full blown Autism and do not really relate at all to the world around them, those at the higher functioning end of the scale become painfully aware that they do not fit in to the social clique as  others of their age seem to.

Try this site which was recommended by our psychologist

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

Hang in there. There is no reason why your son can not achieve great things given the right support. Lets face it we all need support through our lives, your son just may need a little more than others. Just like my son will.

Good luck and take care
Rachel