Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi there everyone
My son age 9 is being assessed for ASD, specifically Aspergers. Its likely a formality as at our first session, the clinician said it looked pretty clear cut. I'm feeling really emotional and overwhelmed right now, hoping that chatting to other parents in the same boat might help.
My son has what I understand to be 'classic' traits such as unusual food habits and preferences, sleep problems, difficulty making and maintaining friendships, poor coordination and motor skills, and he's prone to go into meltdown if he's upset about something. He also has behaviours I would associate more with OCD, like the TV has to be on a volume ending in 0 or 5 and his door lock has to be pointing up not down.
He's an amazing little boy, he's funny and bright and interesting, I'm terrified for him that a diagnosis of ASD will make him feel more isolated and 'different' than he already does. I guess we're just starting out with all this so any support along the way would be very gladly received!
chope0805 said:He's an amazing little boy, he's funny and bright and interesting, I'm terrified for him that a diagnosis of ASD will make him feel more isolated and 'different' than he already does. I guess we're just starting out with all this so any support along the way would be very gladly received!
You and, after a potential diagnosis, your child must consider that while the diagnosis can make the NT seem yet more alien, it provides a baseline for work on closing that gap, and opens a new community to the child. Many of us felt before our diagnosis that our situation was unique, and that the knowledge that others could understand us to be encouraging.