• Replies 7 replies
  • Subscribers 25 subscribers
  • Views 2054 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

not sure where to go next

georgesmummy3012

....im having a dilemma.  my son is 5 and has been undergoing tests and assessments for the last 2 years.  he went for his diagnosis last month and we came away none the wiser.  the doctor that was doing the assessment said she couldnt diagnose him as he wouldnt interact with the play therapist..i thought this was why we were there as he has really poor social skills. the doctor then sent the play therapist in to my sons school to do the assessment this proved the same as at the clinic...the play therapist said there was a lot of signs that said my son could be autistic but a lot that conflicted this too.  ive always been told that if my son is autistic he is very high functioning so i thought her observation made perfect sense in this respect. but the doctor didnt she said they are going to wait until my son transitions into year one now and see if his behaviour changes.  this has dissappointed me as my son seems to be getting worse not better without the help he needs.  he is now having very violent tantrums towards me and getting stressed over the slightest thing.....has anyone got any advice on what to do. i spoke to a paediatrician who sugested i go on a parenting course so they have now made me feel like its my fault my son is the way he is.......

Parents

  • From what you describe it sounds more like aspergers than HFA (although obviously much more info is needed for accurate diagnosis). Tantrums and stress over small things could come from sensory overload. I would suggest the most helpful thing would be to familiarise yourself with the wide range of perspectives on autism/aspergers.

    'Autism and Aspergers: The Facts' by Simon Baron-Cohen is the best book I've seen to cover this without being too difficult/long-winded/etc.  You may also find 'Asperger Syndrome, the Universe and Everything' by Kenneth Hall to be a useful book, the author is a only a few years older than your son and gives some perspective on what the world is like from the perspective of a child with aspergers. It may even be worth reading throught it with your son and seeing if any of Kenneths experiences sound familiar to him.

    If your son doesn't interact when being assessed then it may be worth trying to get him assessed at home where he is likely to be more comfortable in his environment and therefore more socially forthcoming. Given it sounds like a complex problem it may be worth giving the NAS helpline a call: www.autism.org.uk/.../Autism-Helpline.aspx

    Finally it is worth noting that the cause(s) of autism/aspergers are genetic and environmental, parenting style was ruled out as a cause many years ago so rest assured it is not your fault.  

     

    Hope this helps

Reply

  • From what you describe it sounds more like aspergers than HFA (although obviously much more info is needed for accurate diagnosis). Tantrums and stress over small things could come from sensory overload. I would suggest the most helpful thing would be to familiarise yourself with the wide range of perspectives on autism/aspergers.

    'Autism and Aspergers: The Facts' by Simon Baron-Cohen is the best book I've seen to cover this without being too difficult/long-winded/etc.  You may also find 'Asperger Syndrome, the Universe and Everything' by Kenneth Hall to be a useful book, the author is a only a few years older than your son and gives some perspective on what the world is like from the perspective of a child with aspergers. It may even be worth reading throught it with your son and seeing if any of Kenneths experiences sound familiar to him.

    If your son doesn't interact when being assessed then it may be worth trying to get him assessed at home where he is likely to be more comfortable in his environment and therefore more socially forthcoming. Given it sounds like a complex problem it may be worth giving the NAS helpline a call: www.autism.org.uk/.../Autism-Helpline.aspx

    Finally it is worth noting that the cause(s) of autism/aspergers are genetic and environmental, parenting style was ruled out as a cause many years ago so rest assured it is not your fault.  

     

    Hope this helps

Children
No Data